Walls, Prentiss and company finish at top of af2 class
August 4, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Memphis Xplorers News Release
SOUTHAVEN, MS- Collectively, the Memphis Xplorers finished the season with a franchise-best 10 win season and a first-ever playoff berth. Individually, the Xplorers also reached new heights, with five players finishing at the top of a statistical category.
Quarterback Michael Wall, acquired by Memphis in a mid-season trade with the Tulsa Talons, used his considerable experience and ability to finish the season as the top-rated quarterback in af2. Wall's combined statistics for the season saw him complete 239 of 384 passes for 3,196 yards and 73 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions. Those numbers give wall a regular-season quarterback rating of 120.61, which is almost two points better than the quarterbacks tied for second place.
Xplorers head coach Danton Barto says that Wall's savvy and experience have helped to make the entire team better.
"Mike's a special player, and we're really fortunate to have him here," said Barto. "It's rare that you are able to get a player who knows the arena game like he does."
Wall's passing yardage also netted him a top ten statistical finish, as he ended the season ranked 10th in the league in passing yards and 10th in total offense.
Offensive Specialist Kevin Prentiss had a similarly marvelous statistical year for the Xplorers. Prentiss finished with the best kickoff return average in the league (28.8 ypr) and with the most kickoff returns for touchdowns (8). He finished third in the league in total scoring (258), third in the league in receiving yards (1510 yards), third in the league in all-purpose yards (2855 yards) and ninth in the league in receptions (103).
Barto says that Prentiss's production is no surprise.
"Kevin's an unbelievable talent with the way he moves on the field," said Barto. "These are the kind of numbers he can put up if he's able to stay healthy for an entire season, and I'm glad he's had the chance to do so."
Also topping league statistical categories were WR/LB Ryan Karr, who tied for the league lead with 5 forced fumbles; Defensive Specialist Dahnel Singfield, who led the league with 42 passes defended and tied for eighth with 7 interceptions; and kicker Steven Green, who led the league with 13 field goals made during time spent with both Memphis and Albany.
The Xplorers will play their first-ever playoff game this coming Saturday, August 7, as they travel to Florida to take on the Firecats. The two teams split the season series 1-1, with each squad winning on their home turf.
Game time is set for 6:35 PM CST. All sixteen regular season Xplorers football games will be heard throughout the Mid-South on SportsPlus 790 WMC, and worldwide on SportsJuice.com. In addition, all home games will be broadcast on X-Cast, a special in-house radio broadcast designed specifically for the DeSoto Civic Center. X-Cast airs on 107.9 FM, and can be received while in the DeSoto Civic Center by using a walkman or other personal radio. Fans can also watch the Xplorers during selected games during the season on AF2TV.com, which offers live streaming video and audio on a pay-per-view basis.
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