af2 arenafootball2

Week 12 Saturday night matchups

June 18, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


NO. 3 FLORIDA FIRECATS (7-3) AT NO. 10 CAPE FEAR WILDCATS (6-3)
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004 - CROWN COLISEUM (8,920) 7:00 P.M. ET

It is a battle of two of the top ten teams in the league when Florida Firecats go north to take on the Cape Fear Wildcats. The Firecats are hot, winning their last four games. They haven't left anything to chance in these games, winning by an average of 19.3 points in this four game span. Cape Fear is playing well also, winning their last three games by an average of 18.0 points. Key to this surge has been the acquisition of quarterback MIKE GLUSKI. After starting the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Gluski came over to the Wildcats last month and has started all three games in their winning streak. He has completed 53 of 91 passes for 737 yards and 18 touchdowns with six interceptions. When you have a receiver like MATT BURSTEIN it is easy to come from another team and perform well. Burstein ranks eighth in the league in receptions with 64 and sixth in receiving yards with 1,019. He makes his presence felt in the endzone, ranking first in the league in receiving touchdowns with 27. Combined with his kick return yards Burstein has 1,799 all-purpose yards, fourth best in the league. The Firecats have a deep receiving corps with CAINON LAMB leading the Firecats in receiving with 69 catches and 19 touchdown receptions. MAGIC BENTON ranks second with 53 catches for 698 yards and sixteen touchdown receptions. ANTHONY SNEAD is next with 27 catches for 418 yards and eleven touchdowns. BRENT BURNSIDE rounds out the Firecats star receivers with 25 catches for 233 yards and four touchdown catches. When these two clubs met in Florida during Week 4 of this season Cape Fear dominated, winning by twenty points.

MACON KNIGHTS (2-8) AT COLUMBUS WARDOGS (4-6)
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004 - COLUMBUS CIVIC CENTER (7,600) 7:30 P.M. ET

It is a Peach State Showdown when the only two af2 teams in the state of Georgia face off, as the Macon Knights play the Columbus Wardogs. The Wardogs had their playoffs hopes take a hit last week with the 54-34 loss against Florida. They aren't out of the playoff race though and a victory against Macon would put them a within a game of the .500 mark. Macon is looking to regain last year's form. Columbus has the league leader in receptions, ADRIAN COCKFIELD. He currently has 94 receptions and can break the 100 mark with six catches against Macon. If he reaches 100 it would be his first career season hitting triple digits. Last season Cockfield recorded 77 receptions. KYLE ROWLEY has developed into a fine quarterback, having thrown 44 touchdown passes this season. The Columbus defense has two solid players in TERRELL SUTTON and TERENCE SAMUEL. Sutton ranks second in the af2 in interceptions with seven, while Samuel ranks sixth with five but Samuel is injured this week and will not play, putting more pressure on Sutton. For Macon their offense is lead by JAMAAL GARMAN, his 62 receptions leads the team. Garman has also returned 35 kicks for 785 yards, fifth in the league, and three touchdowns. HOSEA LANEY leads the Knights defense with 49.0 tackles (44UA 10A). The second ranked tackler for the Knights has 18.0 tackles. Laney also leads the team in pass breakups with seven. While Macon has struggled this season, one of their two victories came against Columbus in Week 7, winning 55-40. Macon and Columbus will not meet another time this season.

PEORIA PIRATES (4-6) AT NO. 4 LOUISVILLE FIRE (7-3)
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004 - FREEDOM HALL (15,646) 7:30 P.M. ET

The Peoria Pirates travel to Louisville, Kentucky to face the division rival Fire. These two teams played last week with Peoria pulling off the upset of the then top ranked team. A strong Peoria defense forced four Fire field goal attempts, all which were missed, and held the Fire to just 31 points, a season low for Louisville. The Pirates scored on three of their four possessions in the second half. The only possession they didn't score on was the last possession of the game in which they ran out the clock. In just his second game as a starter under center, TALMADGE HILL limited his mistakes, throwing just one interception, to defeat the Fire. The Pirates will look to do the same this week against the Fire, but will have to do so at Freedom Hall where the Fire is 4-1 this season. Louisville's MATT SAUK is one of the top rated passers in the af2. He is tops in passing yards per game with 286.9 and third in the af2 in passing touchdowns with 54. Stepping up in the last two games to make up for the loss of JAMES SCOTT has been TAKUYA FURUTANI. On the season Furutani has 33 catches for 473 yards and seven touchdowns. This week Scott will return to give the Fire offense a boost. The Pirates will test the Fire passing game as Peoria has 15 interceptions this season, tied for fourth in the league. FRANK WEST leads the Pirates with four. The defense for the Fire has had to deal with injuries. The only starter who has played all ten games is ANTHONY PAYTON. Despite changes on the line, the Fire have given up only four sacks this season, second best in the af2. A win for Peoria could put them back in the playoff picture, while a win for Louisville would maintain their one game lead in the Midwest Division over the Steamwheelers.

NO. 9 TULSA TALONS (7-3) AT NO. 5 WICHITA STEALTH (7-3)
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004 - KANSAS COLISEUM (9,686) 9:00 P.M. ET

Two of the three teams tied for first place in the Southwest Division meet when the Tulsa Talons take on the Wichita Stealth. Wichita is coming off of an impressive 70-35 victory over Oklahoma City last week to put move them into a tie for first place. After starting the season 3-3 Tulsa has won their last four games to sneak back in the division race. The third game of this stretch they defeated Wichita 62-49 at home. Tulsa has began to excel largely due to the play of new quarterback BOB BEES, who has completed 93 of 138 passes for 1110 yards 27 touchdowns with six interceptions. He has played in six games, but has started all four games in the Talons winning streak. This is quite an achievement considering the loss of MITCH ALLNER, one of the top receivers in the af2, who is currently on the long term injured list. In his absence ROBERT REED has stepped up his numbers. He now has 62 catches for 729 yards and 22 touchdowns. BJORN BARRE makes plays in multiple areas of the game as the Talons' third leading receiver with 41 catches and the Talons' leader in interceptions with four. Wichita's defense starts up front. The Stealth defensive line has 27 sacks on the season, second best in the league. Six different Stealth linemen have 2.0 sacks or more. DAVID HURST has 5.5 of these sacks along with having four forced fumbles, leading the team in this category. New quarterback JONATHAN BEASLEY has done a solid job leading the Stealth, despite being a rookie. In just three games as a starter Beasley has thrown 19 touchdown passes. These two clubs will meet one more time, July 10 at Tulsa.

NO. 2 BIRMINGHAM STEELDOGS (8-2) AT NO. 6 TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS (7-3)
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004 - VON BRAUN CENTER (6,642) 8:30 P.M. ET

In one of af2's best rivalries the Birmingham Steeldogs go on the road to face the Tennessee Valley Vipers. For the first time in the five year history of the team the Steeldogs defeated the Vipers during the regular season in their last meeting in Week 9. Birmingham took a 23-6 lead into the fourth quarter and looked seemingly in control, but back came the Vipers, scoring 21 consecutive points to go up by four with 33 seconds left. Then the 'Dogs barked back with a 27-yard touchdown pass from JEFF AARON to CARLOS MCNEARY putting them up by three, but a 40-yard field goal by the Vipers with no time remaining sent the game into overtime. Birmingham scored first in the overtime period, but missed the extra point meaning a Vipers score and extra point would give them the victory. But DEMONTRAY CARTER didn't allow even that to happen, intercepting a JOSH KELLETT pass at the one yardline, giving the Steeldogs the victory. Kellett may be the X factor in this game. If he can avoid interceptions then the Vipers could be looking at an upset. On the other hand, making it tough for Kellett will be the goal of af2's leader in interceptions ANTHONY JORDAN and the rest of the Birmingham secondary. On offense the Steeldogs will be playing their second game without DETRONN HARRIS who left the team to sign with the NFL Carolina Panthers. The Vipers feature two-way stand out TRAVIS MCALPINE. This past week McAlpine earned the U.S. Army Ironman of the Week honor for his performance last week against Macon. On the season McAlpine has 27 catches for 217 yards with three interceptions and two recovered fumbles on defense. This is the final meeting between the Steeldogs and Vipers this season.

LAREDO LAW (2-8) AT NO. 7 OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ (7-3)
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004 - FORD CENTER (18,000) 8:30 P.M. ET

Two fellow expansion and Southwest Division teams meet up in Oklahoma City as the Yard Dawgz take on the Laredo Law. Laredo is in the midst of a three game losing streak after winning their two previous games. The Yard Dawgz have returned home to lick their wounds after a 70-35 defeat last week at Wichita. Oklahoma City is now in a three-way tie for first place in the division with Wichita and Tulsa. Mr. Everything for Laredo is P.J. WINSTON. Winston leads the team in receiving with 56 catches for 891 yards and fourteen touchdowns. He also leads the team in kick returns with 32 for 631 yards. The man on the other side of the ball for the Law is TRACO RACHAL. His six interceptions is tied for third best in the league. He also leads the team in tackles with 51.5 (39UA-25A). The Yards Dawgz has a trio of solid receivers Rachal will need to keep his eye on. KRIS PETERS leads the team in receptions and yards with 56 catches for 760 yards. AL HUNT leads the team in receiving touchdowns with 23, but is only third in receptions with 46. Above him is TIMON MARSHALL who has 52 catches for 735 yards and 20 touchdowns on the season. Much of the credit needs to go to quarterback CRAIG STRICKLAND, who ranks third in the league in passing yards with 2,647. These three guys and the rest of the Dawgz have made it tough on opposing defenses, scoring 58.9 points a game, tops in the league. The Yard Dawgz defensive line is also the best in the league. They have recorded 33 sacks on the season while allowing only nine. Oklahoma City will look for the season sweep of the Law, after winning the first two contests.

CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES (1-9) AT NO. 12 BAKERSFIELD BLITZ (6-4)
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004 - CENTENNIAL GARDEN (9,000) 10:00 P.M. ET

The Central Valley Coyotes travel from Fresno to go against the Bakersfield Blitz. Central Valley is currently on a four game losing streak. Bakersfield lost last week at Memphis after winning their previous two games. On the season the Blitz are on a lose one then win two streak, which they have repeated three times. If this odd streak continues Bakersfield would beat Central Valley this week and then the Riptide next week. While Bakersfield quarterback CHAD ELLIOTT leads the league in interceptions with fourteen, he is the key to the Bakersfield offense. When he is moving the ball around to ERIC MAHANKE, NATHAN MUNSON, STEVE WOFFORD and the rest of the Blitz receiving corps the Blitz are most likely going to win. The Blitz defense features a myriad of performers. KEN HASLIP leads the team in tackles with 37.5 (34UA 7A). MEL MILLER leads the team in pass break ups with nine. KEVIN CARROLL's 5.5 sacks leads the team. AHMAD BHATTI's 6.0 tackles for a loss is tops on the team. All of these contributors will need to come together to slow down the Coyotes' KENYATTE MORGAN, who leads the league in all purpose yards with 2,284. In fact, Morgan is on pace to break the af2 record for all purpose yards in a season. Morgan's 937 receiving yards leads the team. VONKEITH SPENCER leads the Central Valley defense with 38.0 tackles (29UA 18A), five interceptions and twelve pass breakups. Bakersfield won then two previous meeting this season between the two clubs by scores of 65-48 and 41-25. They will meet one more time this season, Week 16 again in Bakersfield.

SAN DIEGO RIPTIDE (4-5) AT NO. 11 HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS (6-4)
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004 - NEAL BLAISDELL ARENA (6,033) 6:30 P.M. LOCAL

The San Diego Riptide take a road trip to the islands to face the Hawaiian Islanders and add another chapter in their rivalry. The two previous meetings have been games for the ages. In Week 6 Islanders quarterback DARNELL ARCENEAUX ran in a two-point conversion in overtime to give Hawaii a 55-54 victory in San Diego. In Week 9 San Diego defeated the Islanders in Hawaii 91-77, the most points ever scored in an af2 game. Now the race for the division title is added to this storyline. After starting out 1-5 the Riptide have won four straight and are thinking playoffs. A win over the Islanders who are tied at the top of the division with Bakersfield would put them right in the middle of the playoff race. The Islanders will be without lineman ANDY RAMOS. He is the only player to have played in all 44 games in Islanders history. He will likely miss the rest of the season with a torn meniscus in his left knee. On the season Ramos totaled 5.5 tackles (3UA 5A) with one sack. Hawaii also found out that DS EDDIE KLANESKI will be out for the rest of the season, putting increased pressure on JOSH ROBINSON, who leads the team in tackles with 57.5 (48UA 19A) and interceptions with six. Robinson will be following the eyes of Riptide quarterback KANE CLAUNCH, who has thrown 22 touchdowns over the last four games. Claunch has found a dependable receiver in NAKOA MCELRATH. In just six games McElrath has 22 catches for 427 yards and thirteen touchdowns. In these same six games McElrath has made an impact on defense also, intercepting two passes, forcing two fumbles and recovering fumble also. These two clubs will meet again in two weeks, at San Diego.



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