Thunder Game Notes
July 17, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Mahoning Valley Thunder News Release
MAHONING VALLEY THUNDER NEWS & NOTES
Mahoning Valley Thunder (6-8) at Tennessee Valley Vipers (6-8)
Week 17 - Saturday, July 21 - 8:30 p.m. EST
Von Braun Center Arena (10,000) - Huntsville, AL
QUICK FACTS:
Mahoning Valley Thunder (6-8) at Tennessee Valley Vipers (6-8)
Date: Saturday, July 21, 2007
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. EST
Site: Von Braun Center Arena (10,000)
National Anthem: TBA
Coin Toss: TBA
Officials:
Referee: David Smith
Umpire: Stan Jackson
Head Linesman: Rod Hollaway
Line Judge: Mike Shirley
Back Judge: Rob Skelton
Radio: ESPN 1240 FM; 96.7 FM (Mike Case, Play-by-play and Christian Aleshire, Color Commentary)
Series Record: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Streaks: Thunder Won 1; Vipers Lost 1
Coaches: Mike Hold (33-35 Reg. Season, First year w/Thunder, 5th overall) Milt Theodosatos (7-8 Reg. Season, 1st Full w/Tennessee Valley)
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Thunder: Phil Tesar, (W) 330.758.4232, (C) 216.832.6454
Vipers: Darrell Ponder, (W) 256.797.0760
THE STAKES: At 6-8, the Thunder are still in the playoff hunt but no longer control their own destiny. The fact of the matter is that Mahoning Valley must win out in order to keep their hopes alive. By winning out, the Thunder would then need help from other teams in order to reach the post-season in their inaugural year.
THE SERIES: This week's game versus the Tennessee Valley Vipers will mark the first ever meeting between the two clubs.
THE IFs:
If Mahoning Valley defeats Tennessee Valley, it would ...
- Improve the Thunder to 7-8.
- Give the Thunder back-to-back wins for the first time since the team won three in a row to start the 2007 season.
- Improve the Thunder to 1-0 against teams with "Valley" in their name.
- Improve the Thunder to 2-1 in July.
- Mark the first road victory since 6/2 at Cincinnati.
Mahoning Valley (6-8)
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 W 65-64 6-8
7/21 @ Tennessee Valley 8:30 N/A
7/28 GREEN BAY 7:05 N/A
*all times EST
Tennessee Valley (6-8)
Date Opponent Result Record
3/30 ALABAMA W 44-27 1-0
4/13 FLORIDA L 34-61 1-1
4/21 @ South Georgia L 42-64 1-2
4/28 @ Florida W 39-38 2-2
5/4 GREEN BAY W 26-21 3-2
5/12 @ Cincinnati W 51-21 4-2
5/18 WB/SCRANTON L 30-34 4-3
5/26 @ Fort Wayne L 33-56 4-4
6/1 @ Quad City L 22-45 4-5
6/9 FLORIDA L 37-53 4-6
6/16 SOUTH GEORGIA L 65-68 4-7
6/30 @ Alabama W 35-33 5-7
7/7 @ Everett L 49-75 5-8
7/14 FORT WAYNE W 61-48 6-8
7/21 MAHONING VALLEY 8:30 N/A
7/28 @ Louisville 8:30 N/A
American Conference East Standings
Team W L PCT Home Road
WB/Scranton 13 1 .929 7-0 6-1
Manchester 8 6 .571 6-1 2-5
Mahoning Valley 6 8 .429 4-3 2-5
Albany 5 8 .357 4-2 1-7
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:
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - On a thrilling Friday the 13th on Cortland Banks Field at the Chevrolet Centre, the Mahoning Valley Thunder claimed a one-point, overtime victory over the Albany Conquest, 65-64 in front of 3,464 screaming fans. Trailing 50-38 with 8:46 left in the game, QB Glen Gauntt found WR/DB Brian Majors for a 36-yard touchdown strike, closing the gap to just six points. On the ensuing kickoff, a bit of good fortune fell upon the Thunder. K Derek Schorejs' kick bounced off the bottom of the goal post and fell into the hands of OL/DL Mike Lane. Lane recovered the ball one yard for his first career touchdown. Following a Schorejs PAT, the Thunder had their first lead of the game - 51-50 with 4:38 remaining. Albany took a 58-51 advantage before WR Chris Johnson caught his sixth touchdown of the game, knotting the score at 58, sending the game into overtime. Johnson grabbed his franchise-best seventh touchdown of the game in overtime, giving the Thunder a 64-58 lead. Albany's QB Ryan Hart found WR Eddie Montgomery in the end zone to pull the Conquest to within one. Head Coach Pete Costanza opted for the two-point conversion to win the game, but the pass fell incomplete, preserving the Thunder's fourth home win of the year. Gauntt finished 22-of-32 for 314 yards and eight touchdowns. QB Mike Schneider completed 4-of-4 passes for 48 yards and one touchdown. Johnson re-wrote the Thunder record books with 16 catches, 238 yards and seven touchdowns - all franchise records. Hart completed 34-of-46 passes for a game-high 327 yards and seven touchdowns. His favorite target was Youngstown native WR/DB Chris Curd who grabbed three touchdowns on seven catches. Curd's 87 yards put him over the 1,000 yard plateau, marking the third Conquest receiver to reach the special honor.
THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:
MIKE HOLD, on the win: "This was a total team effort and each guy gave all they had. I've said before that I thought we may have given up in a few games - but this was a different story. We played hard and fought to the end. It paid off and it feels great."
MIKE HOLD, on making the playoffs: "We did our part. We need to win out the remainder of the schedule and it started last week. We need to prepare and get ready for the last two games."
MIKE HOLD, on WR Chris Johnson: "I've known Chris for a few years and I knew he could play like that. He is a real testament to what hard work and dedication can result in. That was probably one of the finest performances I've seen in the game. He really stepped up and showed his professionalism."
WR CHRIS JOHNSON, on the win and his performance: "I can't take all of the credit. Glen [Gauntt] put the ball where it needed to be. Mike [Schneider] did the same thing when he came in. All I ask is that they put the ball in the right spot and I'll make the play. That was one of my best games as a professional, but it was a team effort."
TALE OF THE TAPE: Here's how the Thunder and Vipers stack up:
Statistical VIPERS THUNDER
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 26 40.6 21 45.5
Touchdowns 26 81 20 94
Total Offense 28 216.1 10 281.4
Scoring Defense T9 46.0 18 49.0
Total Defense 16 259.5 12 253.9
Rushing Offense 24 13.9 4 29.8
Passer Rating 25 80.0 22 91.6
Rushing Defense 30 35.4 28 25.6
Pass Rat. Defense 11 96.5 22 107.1
Pass Offense 28 202.1 13 251.6
Pass Defense 6 224.1 9 228.3
Field Goals T25 .182 30 .100
PAT Kicking 22 .733 23 .725
MFG Returns 22 14.4 20 14.9
Kickoff Returns 6 19.5 30 12.0
Turnover Margin 11 +4 T12 +1
First Downs 28 191 18 269
Opp. First Downs 20 257 T12 249
Sacks T18 18 T12 21
Penalties 29 76.6 12 55.8
Sacks Against T23 28 21 22
Opponent Penalties 8 64.6 6 66.5
LEAGUE TOP 10s: Players from this week's matchup who rank among af2's statistical leaders:
THUNDER
Player Rank Category Stat
Tim Murphy 1 Rushing 24.3
Anton Ceaser T9 Sacks 9.0
VIPERS
Player Rank Category Stat
Travis Blanchard 1 All Purpose 195.4
Farouk Adelekan 10 Fumbles Forced 4
John Cousins 1 Fumbles Rec. 6
WHAT'S TO COME: The regular season finale is just over a week away and the Thunder look to keep playoff hopes alive. Needing to finish 8-8, Mahoning Valley needs to remain tough and win out the final two games. Green Bay is also in the playoff picture, so the season finale will have big time implications for the playoffs.
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
First 200+ yard receiving game: Chris Johnson
First Overtime Victory: July 13, 2007 vs. Albany
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.
RECORD SETTER: WR Chris Johnson continues to improve. After a stunning return in Week 15 at Louisville, Johnson was even more impressive a week later versus Albany. Johnson caught 16 passes for 238 yards and recorded seven touchdown receptions - each setting new Thunder franchise, season and single-game highs. Here is a look at the previous record and what "CJ" did to break it:
Previous Record New Record
Receptions 13 (2x)(4/28 vs. MAN) 16 (7/13 vs. ALB)
Rec. Yds. 155 (Mathes - 4/21 vs. CIN) 238 (7/13 vs. ALB)
Rec. TD's 4 (C. Johnson - 7/7 at LOU) 7 (7/13 vs. ALB)
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.
LEAGUE AWARD WINNER X2: A week removed from being awarded the Cutters Catch of the Week, WR Chris Johnson has been named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Week by the arenafootball2 League Office. The POW award is given to one individual each week based on their performance on the field. Johnson's 16 catches for 238 yards and seven touchdowns put him atop of each of those categories in the league.
PUT ME IN COACH: Through the first 14 games of the 2007 season, only one Thunder player has appeared in and started all 14 contests. DB Maurice Taylor is the only player to start in every game to date. OL/DL Mike Lane and DL Brandon Brown are the only other players to have played in every game.
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 56 quarters of football, the Thunder has held its opponents to a single-digit quarter on 24 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 - 13 quarters
9 Points - 1 quarter
300+ CLUB: QB Glen Gauntt threw for 314 yards in Week 16 versus Albany, his second highest output of the year. At Manchester in Week 5, Gauntt threw for his season-best 331 yards in the first Thunder loss of the year. Those two games account for the only 300+ yard games this season for Gauntt.
af2 WEEK 16 Top Performances
Passing Yards TEAM ATT COMP YDS
1. Ryan Vena WBS 49 25 335
2. R. Hart ALB 46 34 327
3. E. Gray STK 42 25 325
4. B. Baker TRI 50 31 317
5. G. Gauntt MVT 33 22 314
Passing Touchdowns Team TD
1. Glen Gauntt MVT 8
2. R. Hart ALB 7
M. Radlinski MAN 7
C. Wallace FLA 7
J. Allgood TUL 7
6. S. Hill OKC 6
Receiving Yards Team REC YDS
1. Chris JohnsonMVT 16 238
2. A. Harris BOI 12 199
3. K. Peters QCS 12 175
4. J. Tezeno LUB 7 163
5. J. Thomas TRI 12 146
Receiving TDs Team REC YDS TDs
1. Chris JohnsonMVT 16 238 7
2. A. Harris BOI 12 199 5
3. J. Tezeno LUB 7 130 4
T. Jones LOU 11 134 4
S. Burnoski GBB 6 92 4
All-Purpose Yards TEAM YDS
1. J. Jackson OKC 270
2. K. Peters QCS 266
3. C. Johnson MVT 238
4. J. Hughley TUL 205
5. G. Harris GBB 199
TACKLES TEAM SOLO AST TOTAL
1. S. Cason GBB 13 1 13.5
2. J. Simpson ARK 12 2 13
3. R. Keefe SPK 10 3 11.5
M. Taylor MVT 11 1 11.5
5. C. Royal WBS 11 - 11
Q. Sorrell FLA 10 2 11
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