af2 arenafootball2

Thunder in Macon's Forecast

Published on June 27, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


MACON, Ga. – The Macon Knights and Tallahassee Thunder each have something the other wants. Macon has a spot in the postseason, Tallahassee does not. Tallahassee leads its division, Macon sits a half game back in the Eastern division race. On Friday, the two squads will try to take a step towards their respective goals when the meet at the Macon Coliseum.

While the Thunder cannot clinch a playoff berth on Friday, they can remain alone in first in the Southern Division with a win and be guaranteed of at least a two-game lead in the playoff chase with four games to play. The Knights, already assured of playing past July 27, need a win to keep pace with front-running Augusta, who they will meet in either Macon or Augusta in the first round.

The Knights own a 2-1 advantage in this series, including a 48-42 win back on April 13. In that game, the Knights' JAQUEZ RUMPH and Thunder's CAINON LAMB demonstrated why they are the go-to guys on their clubs. Rumph caught six passes for 75 yards and three scores along with totaling 62 return yards. Lamb hauled in 13 balls for 189 yards and three touchdowns, plus he added a 50-yard runback for a score. The two figure to play a big role in the latest installment, as Lamb leads all receivers on his club with 17 scores and Rumph is coming off a 365-all-purpose yard, five-touchdown performance against Birmingham.

Another all-around weapon for the Thunder offense is team-scoring leader MESIAH PORTER, who can get it done by air or ground. The FB/LB was named the af2 Built Ford Tough Man this week for his heroics in Tallahassee's 32-28 win over Florida last week, in which he scored the final two touchdowns and batted down a fourth-and-goal pass on Florida's last drive of the game. Porter has scored at least one rushing touchdown in each of the last eight games.

JOHN RAYBORN commands the Knights' offense, passing for 2,206 yards and 41 scores in nine games for Macon. Even though Rumph tends to be Rayborn's main target, the Knights receiving corps is deep. MARTEZ WESLEY and GABE AMEY are each over 650 yards and have both caught 14 touchdowns. Overall, the Knights are third in the league in scoring offense, averaging 55.1 points per game.

The Thunder is also among the league leaders, only they do it on the other side of the ball. The Thunder ranks third in total defense, allowing 196.5 yards per game. They are tops in af2 in sacks with 33 as a team. TYRONNE JOHNSON leads the way individually with 10.5, but six other Thunder players have notched sacks this season, including SYDNEY MADISON and COMONE FISCHER who have eight and seven respectively. Tallahassee also is No. 1 against the rush, allowing a paltry 9.7 yards per game on the ground. Opponents have only scored 12 times against Tallahassee with the run.

This is the final regular season meeting between these teams. Macon has a six-game win streak on the line and could possibly be the first team with 11 wins this season. A win by Tallahassee keeps the squad on pace to best their 11-win season from a year ago.

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With both Cape Fear and Richmond earning victories last weekend, the teams remain in a two-way tie for first place in the American Conference Atlantic Division. Cape Fear's opponent this week, Mohegan (3-9), suffered a 62-20 loss to the Speed last weekend, but could do Richmond a favor with a win against the Wildcats (9-2). Mohegan needs a victory this weekend to maintain pressure on Rochester, New Haven and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the Northeast Division. The Wildcats' offense is efficient (46.3 points per game), complementing the league's No. 1 defense (172 yards per game allowed). Mohegan averages just 36.7 ppg, but has the fifth-ranked pass attack. Defensively, the Wolves are ranked fifth in passing yards against (177 ypg) and match up well against Cape Fear's 15th-ranked pass offense (223 ypg). The Wildcats' MIKE GLUSKI is 10-0 as a starter this season, spending time as Macon's signal caller in the opening weeks, and has Cape Fear enjoying a seven-game win streak with 46 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. CABLE DAVIS has thrown for 2,711 yards this season, and ranks seventh in that category. BRANDON BURNSIDE has been a valuable asset to Davis; the pair has hooked up 79 times for 1,244 yards and 25 touchdowns. SETH GUTZ leads the Wildcats' receiving core with 36 catches, 511 yards and nine scores. On defense, KENTON RICKERSON has six interceptions for Cape Fear and E.J. BURT (19.5 sacks) is a half-sack away from matching the all-time single-season sack record. For the Wolves, CARLOS McLAURIN has 65.5 tackles to rank him fifth in the league.

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In the back end of a home-and-home series, Jacksonville (5-6) travels to Pensacola (5-6) for an interconference tilt. The Tomcats beat the visiting Barracudas last week 50-27, scoring the last 23 points of the game behind QB RASHARD CASEY, who passed for 238 yards and four TDs overall. Casey, who shared time with now-injured MARCUS OUTZEN for much of the season, is Jacksonville's leading rusher (106 yards, two TDs) and passer (1,333 yards, 26 TDs, eight INTs). JAMES ADDERLY (497 yards, 13 TDs) leads the Tomcats' receivers, with LAWRENCE PULLEN (1,738 all-purpose yards, eight receiving touchdowns, seven return TDs) giving Jacksonville a threat on offense and special teams. For Pensacola, WR/LB JACK WALKER caught a team-record 11 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns against the Tomcats last week. He leads the Barracudas with 664 yards and 17 touchdowns overall. QB CHARLIE PETERSON passed for four touchdowns, but also had four interceptions on a 225-yard night. Peterson's been steady, though, passing for 1,785 yards, 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in seven games. Pensacola's WILL PETTIS leads the league with 36 passes defended, including eight interceptions. MARCELLE HOUGH nabbed two of the Tomcats' four picks last week – he leads Jacksonville with three this season.

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Birmingham (8-3) hosts Arkansas (6-5) hoping to get another home winning streak started. Macon snapped the Steeldogs' 11-game home run last week. Barring a total collapse, a playoff spot is in Birmingham's near future. The 'Dogs only need a win combined with a Pensacola loss to secure a berth in the National Conference Southern Division. Arkansas' playoff hopes are less certain; the Twisters and Bossier City (7-5) figure to battle down to the wire for a berth out of the Central Division. But Arkansas is supremely confident after a stunning 102-63 win over Central leader Tulsa last week. RICKY HEBERT had an incredible night, passing for nine touchdowns on just 18 completions, with an af2 season-high 387 yards and no interceptions. Hebert, who has 55 TD passes on the year, is tied for third in af2 with 2,713 passing yards. The Twisters boast five receivers with more than 20 catches this year. But the go-to guy is WR/DB LENNIE JOHNSON, who has 758 receiving yards and 19 TDs, plus four return touchdowns in the kicking game and five interceptions on defense. Arkansas has 29 sacks and just eight sacks against, ranking in the league's top five in both categories. Birmingham protects its QB like no other, with a league-leading seven sacks allowed. It helps that MONTRESSA KIRBY is elusive, with a 5.8 yards-per-carry average that's tops among the rushing leaders (his 233 yards rank fourth overall). When he goes to the air (2,200 yards, 50 TDs), WAYNE THOMAS is there. Thomas ' 150 points rank seventh in af2; he has 64 catches for 880 yards and 25 TDs.

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Like Birmingham, Tennessee Valley (9-2, first in the National South) can wrap up a playoff berth with a win combined with a Pensacola loss. The Vipers, coming off a home loss to Quad City, travel from Huntsville to Mobile to play the expansion Wizards (0-11). Mobile had last week off after turning things around over the past month. Mobile OS/KR KENDRICK LEE may have needed the bye week to rest ... he had 362 all-purpose yards and an af2 season-high 248 receiving yards (second-most all-time) in the Wizards' last game. Lee has 1,187 all-purpose yards (an average of 237.4 ypg), 545 receiving yards (109 ypg) and 12 touchdowns in five games. MELVIN HILL has answered the Wizards' season-long quarterback question, passing for 759 yards with 12 interceptions and just one interception in three games since joining Mobile earlier this month. Tennessee Valley went through its own QB transition over the past two weeks, losing WES COUNTS to injury and announcing recently-signed JERMAINE ALFRED as the new starter this week. In his Vipers' debut last week, Alfred passed for 138 yards and three TDs splitting time with TRACY KENDALL, who moves back to WR/LB. Defensively, KELLY SNELL picked off three passes last week and leads the league with 12 INTs this season.

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PLAYOFF QUALIFIERS/SCENARIOS FOR WEEK 14

ALBANY: Clinched playoff berth. Clinched Northeast Division championship and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs.

AUGUSTA: Clinched playoff berth.

BAKERSFIELD: Can clinch playoff berth with win at Hawaii AND loss by Fresno at San Diego.

BIRMINGHAM: Can clinch playoff berth with win vs. Arkansas AND loss by Pensacola vs. Jacksonville.

CAPE FEAR: Can clinch playoff berth with win at Mohegan OR loss by Norfolk vs. New Haven AND loss by Roanoke vs. Augusta.

MACON: Clinched playoff berth.

PEORIA: Clinched playoff berth and homefield advantage in first round of playoffs.

RICHMOND: Can clinch playoff berth with win at Albany OR loss by Norfolk vs. New Haven AND loss by Roanoke vs. Augusta.

TENNESSEE VALLEY: Can clinch playoff berth with win at Mobile AND loss by Pensacola vs. Jacksonville.

TULSA: Can clinch playoff berth with win at Peoria AND loss by Bossier City vs. Quad City.

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