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Thunder Game Notes

July 10, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Mahoning Valley Thunder News Release


MAHONING VALLEY THUNDER NEWS & NOTES

Albany Conquest (5-8) at Mahoning Valley Thunder (5-8)

Week 16 - Friday, July 13 - 7:05 p.m. EST

Chevrolet Centre (6,000) - Youngstown, OH

CONQUEST AT THUNDER www.mahoningvalleythunder.com

QUICK FACTS:

Albany Conquest (5-8)

at Mahoning Valley Thunder (5-8)

Date: Friday, July 14, 2007

Kickoff: 7:05 p.m. EST

Site: Chevrolet Centre

National Anthem: TBA

Coin Toss: TBA

Officials: Referee: Greg Allen

Umpire: Brian Fleming

Head Linesman: Rob Luklan

Line Judge: Dan Gallagher

Back Judge: Joel Clay

Radio: ESPN 1240 FM; 96.7 FM (Mike Case, Play-by-play and Christian Aleshire, Color Commentary)

Series Record: 1-0, Mahoning Valley

Last Meeting: Thunder 65, Pioneers 59 - 4/6/07

Streaks: Thunder Lost 2; Fire Lost 1

Coaches: Mike Hold (32-35 Reg. Season, First year w/Thunder, 5th overall)

Pete Costanza (29-41 Reg. Season, 4th w/Albany, 5th Overall)

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Thunder: Phil Tesar, (W) 330.758.4232, (C) 216.832.6454

Conquest: Don Helbig, (W) 518.487.2249, (C) 518.487.2245

THE STAKES: Both teams are currently at 5-8 and it looks to be a tough road to get into the playoffs now. The winner will be in sole possession of third place in the division as they head into the final two weeks of the 2007 campaign.

THE SERIES: In Week 2 of the season, the Thunder traveled to Albany and picked up a 65-59 win in the season opener for the Conquest. The Thunder can make it two straight versus Albany and mark the second season sweep of a team. The only other team the Thunder swept this year was the Cincinnati Jungle Kats.

THE IFs:

If Mahoning Valley defeats Albany, it would ...

- Improve the Thunder to 6-8.

- Give the Thunder a 2-0 advantage all-time over Albany.

- Give Mike Hold his 33rd career victory as a head coach.

- Give the Thunder their first win in July.

- Give the Thunder their fourth home victory of the year.

Mahoning Valley (5-8)

Date Opponent Result Record

3/31 TRI CITIES W 48-40 1-0

4/6 @ Albany W 65-59 2-0

4/21 CINCINNATI W 54-20 3-0

4/28 @ Manchester L 49-67 3-1

5/5 LOUISVILLE L 34-52 3-2

5/12 WILKES-BARRE/SCR. L 26-56 3-3

5/19 @ Florida L 26-62 3-4

5/25 MANCHESTER L 40-50 3-5

6/2 @ Cincinnati W 57-20 4-5

6/8 @ Green Bay L 39-54 4-6

6/16 QUAD CITY W 63-34 5-6

6/30 @ WB/Scranton L 40-51 5-7

7/7 @ Louisville L 32-57 5-8

7/13 ALBANY 7:05 N/A

7/21 @ Tennessee Valley 8:30 N/A

7/28 GREEN BAY 7:05 N/A

*all times EST

Albany (5-8)

Date Opponent Result Record

4/6 MAHONING VALLEY L 59-64 0-1

4/14 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scr. L 43-52 0-2

4/21 GREEN BAY W 75-27 1-2

4/28 @ Fort Wayne W 35-21 2-2

5/5 FLORIDA L 51-56 2-3

5/11 @ Manchester L 48-53 2-4

5/25 @ Wilkes-Barre/Scr. L 46-71 2-5

6/2 FORT WAYNE W 77-33 3-5

6/8 @ Manchester L 35-47 3-6

6/15 CINCINNATI W 69-34 4-6

6/23 @ Florida L 41-64 4-7

6/30 LOUISVILLE W 53-44 5-7

7/6 @ Green Bay L 36-69 5-8

7/13 @ Mahoning Valley 7:00 N/A

7/21 MANCHESTER 7:00 N/A

7/27 WILKES-BARRE/SCR. 7:00 N/A

American Conference East Standings

Team W L PCT Home Road

WB/Scranton 13 0 1.000 7-0 6-0

Manchester 7 6 .538 5-1 2-5

Mahoning Valley 5 8 .385 3-3 2-5

Albany 5 8 .385 4-2 1-6

Mike Hold, Thunder Head Coach

Mike Hold enters his first season as the Head Coach of the Mahoning Valley Thunder. He comes to the Thunder after serving as head coach of the Augusta Stallions of af2, head coach of the Macon Knights of af2, head coach of the Carolina Cobras of the AFL and coaching with the Las Vegas Gladiators of the AFL. Hold brings over 20 years of Arena Football experience to the Thunder. He enjoyed a 12-season playing career in the AFL beginning in the League's inaugural season in 1987 with the Chicago Bruisers. Hold participated in training camps with the Denver Broncos in 1986 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987 and 1988. Hold also played in three games with the Bucs during the 1987 season completing 8-of-24 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Hold graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1985 after playing two seasons. He led the Gamecocks to the only 10-win season in school history and was named MVP of the Gator Bowl in 1984. Hold ranks seventh on the school's all-time passing list with 2,981 yards. A native of Tempe, Arizona, Hold worked as a color commentator for the Mountain West Conference, for ESPN's Arena Football League coverage in 2001 and was the play-by-play announcer for the af2's ArenaCup6 Championship Game in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He and his wife, Nicole, reside in Salem, OH with their two dogs, Phoenix and Macy.

The Last Time Out:

LOUISVILLE, KY - In the second and final meeting of the two teams in the 2007 season, the Louisville Fire defeated the Mahoning Valley Thunder, 57-32 in Freedom Hall on Saturday night. The Thunder (5-8) has lost two straight, while the Fire (7-6) continue to keep their 2007 playoff hopes alive. The scoring began early for Louisville, as wide receiver Tony Stallings scampered into the end zone from 17 yards out, giving the Fire a 7-0 lead. A scary moment during the first offensive drive for the Thunder - wide receiver DeMarcus Mathes flew head-first into the padded end zone wall and did not get up. With temporary loss of feeling in his body, Mathes was transported to a Louisville area hospital for x-rays. As he left the field, Mathes gained feeling in his legs and was able to move his feet for the paramedics. X-rays on his neck were negative and Mathes rejoined the team following the game, walking under his own power. Trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, Glen Gauntt found Chris Johnson for the first of his four touchdown receptions, cutting the Fire lead to seven points. Johnson was activated from the injured reserve list earlier in the week, filling the vacant spot left by Chris Archie who was placed on team suspension. Johnson finished with a game-high 10 catches for 140 yards and four scores. Gauntt left the game in the second quarter after re-aggravating his thumb and was replaced by Mike Schneider. Schneider finished the day 14-of-28 for 157 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed one time for a four-yard touchdown run. For the Fire, Joel Steele completed 12-of-23 passes for 198 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Tiger Jones led the Fire with seven receptions and a game-high 141 yards. He also caught four touchdown passes in the game.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how the Thunder and Conquest stack up:

Statistical CONQUEST THUNDER

Category Rank Stat Rank Stat

Scoring Offense T11 51.4 21 44.0

Touchdowns T13 91 22 84

Total Offense 7 283.3 10 274.5

Scoring Defense 18 48.8 14 47.8

Total Defense 17 260.9 10 245.2

Rushing Offense 28 8.9 3 31.5

Passer Rating 6 113.5 22 86.7

Rushing Defense 14 17.6 25 24.5

Pass Rat. Defense 28 114.6 19 105.4

Pass Offense 4 274.4 13 243.1

Pass Defense 19 243.3 8 220.7

Field Goals T1 .750 29 .111

PAT Kicking 13 .793 23 .727

MFG Returns 15 17.8 20 14.9

Kickoff Returns 3 20.1 30 12.4

Turnover Margin T14 -.08 T14 -.08

First Downs T10 249 9 250

Opp. First Downs 12 229 8 222

Sacks T6 26 T11 21

Penalties 19 61.3 17 57.7

Sacks Against T14 17 21 22

Opponent Penalties 18 57.2 4 68.8

LEAGUE TOP 10s: Players from this week's matchup who rank among af2's statistical leaders:

THUNDER

Player Rank Category Stat

Tim Murphy 2 Rushing 289

Tim Murphy 1 Rushing/Gm 26.3

Maurice Taylor T8 Interceptions 7

CONQUEST

Player Rank Category Stat

Ryan Hart 8 Passing/Gm 266.9

Ryan Hart 9 Total Offense 267.8

Ryan Hart 6 Pass. Eff. 113.5

Bakari Brown 1 Receptions 129

Bakari Brown 1 Receptions/Gm 10.75

Bakari Brown 8 Receiving Yds 106.7

Bakari Brown 4 All Purpose Yds 2,211

Bakari Brown 2 All Purp./Gm 184.2

Antwun Williams 10 Scoring (TD) 180

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

MIKE HOLD, on the injury to Mathes: "It was a scary moment.

Anytime you see a player go down like that, it's scary. When it is your own player, a million things go through your head. You pray that he gets up and when he doesn't, your heart just drops."

MIKE HOLD, on making the playoffs: "Things just got a little tougher. It's tough to lose but on top of that, it even tougher to lose games you consider ‘must-win'. Now we may need some help from other teams, but we need to handle our business first and foremost."

WHAT'S TO COME: The Thunder have two home games remaining, starting with this week versus Albany. The team will travel to Huntsville, Alabama next week to play the Tennessee Valley Vipers before returning home for the regular season finale versus the Green Bay Blizzard.

MILESTONES: Having never played an af2 game before, every play in the home opener was some kind of new Thunder record. Here are some of the most notable facts that have made it into the Mahoning Valley Record Book:

First TD Pass: Glen Gauntt to Chris Archie

First TD Rush: Tim Frost

First Play from Scrimmage: Gauntt pass to Kenneth Johnson for nine yards

First Interception: Brian Majors

First Fumble Recovery: Mike Lane

First Interception return for a touchdown: Maurice Taylor

First Player to 1,000 yards receiving: DeMarcus Mathes

ELITE COMPANY: Heading into Week 14, DeMarcus Mathes and Chris Archie were on the brink of reaching the 1,000-yard receiving plateau. With 126 and 102 yards, respectively, each player reached the milestone on the very same drive in the fourth quarter. Each player sat at 996 on the last drive. Mathes connected with Glen Gauntt on a 19-yard strike sending him over the mark and two plays later, Archie caught a four yard pass to join the club.

WELCOME BACK: In his first game back since dislocating his left elbow versus Florida in Week 8, WR Chris Johnson was very impressive. Johnson caught a game-high 10 passes for 140 yards and four touchdowns. He finished one yard behind Louisville Fire WR Tiger Jones, who finished with a game-high 141 yards and four scores. Johnson was the only Thunder wide out to record a touchdown in the game.

LEAGUE AWARD WINNER: WR Chris Johnson earned the Cutters Catch of the Week in af2 for his performance against the Louisville Fire in Week 15. Johnson's catch was a 33-yard, one-handed reception for a touchdown. Johnson blew past the defender and stretched out onehanded as he fell into the end zone, hauling in the pass for the Thunder's first score of the game. Johnson is just the second Thunder player to garner League accolades. WR Chris Archie was awarded the Cutters Catch of the Week in Week 1 of the 2007 season.

PUT ME IN COACH: Through the first 13 games of the 2007 season, only two Thunder players have appeared in and started all 13 contests. WR DeMarcus Mathes and DB Maurice Taylor are the only two players to start in every game to date. OL/DL Mike Lane is the only other player to have played in every game, having started eight games.

LET'S GO HALVES: The Thunder have played 26 halves of football this year in 13 games. Of those 26, the Thunder has held their opponents to six points or less in three of those halves. Here is a look:

Date Opponent Points Half

March 31 Tri-Cities Fever 0 First Half

April 21 @ Cincinnati Jungle Kats 6 Second Half

June 2 @ Cincinnati Jungle Kats 6 Second Half

ONE QUARTER AT A TIME: Limiting points in Arena Football is the key to success. Stopping an opposing offense a few drives each game can lead to victories. Of the 52 quarters of football, the Thunder has held its opponents to a single-digit quarter on 23 occasions. Here is a breakdown of the fewest points in a quarter:

0 Points - 4 quarters

3 Points - 1 quarter

6 Points - 5 quarters

7 Points - 12 quarters

9 Points - 1 quarter

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME AWARD

(selected by media)

Week Opp. Player

1 TRI WR Chris Archie (MVT)

2 @ ALB QB Glen Gauntt (MVT)

3 BYE BYE

4 CIN WR DeMarcus Mathes (MVT)

5 @ MAN QB Ryan Porter (MAN)

6 LOU WR Tiger Jones (LOU)

7 WBS QB Ryan Vena (WBS)

8 @ FLA WR/LB Chris McKinney (FLA)

9 MAN WR Ari Confesor (MAN)

10 @ CIN QB Mike Schneider (MVT)

11 @ GBB QB Mike Schneider (MVT)

12 QCS FB Tim Murphy (MVT)

13 BYE BYE

14 @ WBS QB Ryan Vena (WBS)

15 @ LOU WR Tiger Jones (LOU)

IRONMAN OF THE GAME AWARD

(selected by media)

Week Opp. Player

1 TRI OL/DL Tim Frost (MVT)

2 @ ALB DB Jarvis Johnson (ALB)

3 BYE BYE

4 CIN TE/DL Jamel Lee (MVT)

5 @ MAN WR/DB David Bailey (MAN)

6 LOU OL/DL Eddie Yauch (LOU)

7 WBS WR/DB Larry Kendrick (WBS)

8 @ FLA WR/DB Levy Brown (FLA)

9 MAN WR/DB David Bailey

10 @ CIN WR DeMarcus Mathes (MVT)

11 @ GBB WR Donny Donaldson (GBB)

12 QCS FB/LB Mike Andrews (MVT)

13 BYE BYE

14 @ WBS WR/DB Larry Kendrick (WBS)

15 @ LOU WR/DB Tony Stallings (LOU)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME AWARD

(selected by media)

Week Opp. Player

1 TRI OL/DL Anton Ceaser (MVT)

2 @ ALB DL Durrand Roundtree (ALB)

3 BYE BYE

4 CIN DB Maurice Taylor (MVT)

5 @ MAN DL Maurice Fountain (MAN)

6 LOU DB Nate Green (LOU)

7 WBS DB TuTu Ferguson (WBS)

8 @ FLA DB Levy Brown (FLA)

9 MAN DB Maurice Taylor (MVT)

10 @ CIN DB Maurice Taylor (MVT)

11 @ GBB DB Jason Hardee (GBB)

12 QCS DB Reggie Perkins (MVT)

13 BYE BYE

14 @ WBS DB Chris Royal (WBS)

15 @ LOU DB Nate Green (LOU)

CATCH OF THE GAME AWARD

(selected by media)

Week Opp. Player

1 TRI WR Chris Archie (MVT)

2 @ ALB WR DeMarcus Mathes (MVT)

3 BYE BYE

4 CIN WR Kenny Johnson (MVT)

5 @ MAN WR Chris Archie (MVT)

6 LOU WR Chris Archie (MVT)

7 WBS WR/DB TuTu Ferguson INT (WBS)

8 @ FLA WR Magic Benton (FLA)

9 MAN WR Jarrail Jackson (MAN)

10 @ CIN WR Hassan Brockman (CIN)

11 @ GBB WR Danny Donaldson (GBB)

12 QCS DB Reggie Perkins INT TD (MVT)

13 BYE BYE

14 @ WBS WR Buchie Ibeh

15 @ LOU WR Chris Johnson

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