af2 arenafootball2

Week 13 Saturday night matchups

Published on June 25, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


NO. 9 CAPE FEAR WILDCATS (7-3) AT NO. 1 WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON (9-2)
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2004 - WACHOVIA CENTER AT CASEY PLAZA (7,500) 7:00 P.M. ET

In one of the two matchups this week between two teams on the af2 Coaches' Poll the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers host the Cape Fear Wildcats. Cape Fear is on a four game winning streak. Last week the Wildcats earned a 57-49 victory over a good Florida Firecats team. This is the first of four road games for the Firecats. The Pioneers are playing quality football as well, having won three straight and five of their last six games. Last week the Pioneers led 42-7 at halftime and cruised to a 69-43 victory on the road at Albany to break the af2 Coaches' Poll curse. In the game last week J.R. THOMAS hauled in two touchdown catches to bring his total to 21 on the season. LEROY MCFADDEN caught two touchdown passes also to bring his total this season to fifteen. Last week's ADT Defensive Player of the Week JAMIE HATTLEY anchors the Pioneers defense. Hattley's play a week ago was highlighted by 10.5 tackles, a week high, and an interception. His 10.5 tackles brings his season total to 59.5, second on the team but fifth best in the league. For Cape Fear MATT BURSTEIN leads the way with 31 touchdowns, tied for the most in the league. MITCH GALLOWAY features some interesting stats. He is second on the team in receptions with 41, but only six of them have gone for touchdowns. On 18 rushing attempts, Galloway has seven touchdowns. He has also thrown two passes, both for touchdowns. On defense, Galloway has recovered a fumble for a touchdown. He also has two interceptions, although he has yet to return one for a touchdown. Truly stats you can only see in Arena Football. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton won the earlier meeting this season, 48-41 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

NO. 4 OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ (8-3) AT COLUMBUS WARDOGS (5-6)
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2004 - COLUMBUS CIVIC CENTER (7,600) 7:30 P.M. ET

The Columbus Wardogs have the playoffs on their mind when they face the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz at home. Down by twelve points last week in the final minute, the Wardogs scored two touchdowns in the final 30 seconds to defeat the Macon Knights and keep their playoff hopes alive. If the Wardogs are going to make the playoffs they will certainly earn their spot. The combined record of their final five opponents including Oklahoma City is 33-22. A win over the Yard Dawgz would give the Wardogs the confidence to get through this stretch. Oklahoma City responded well to their 70-35 defeat two weeks ago at Wichita by downing Laredo last week. With only three loses on the season, CRAIG STRICKLAND is on track to lead the Dawgz to the same place he led the Tulsa Talons last season, the ArenaCup. Strickland has thrown 65 touchdowns to only six interceptions. Strickland has spread his touchdown passes around, AL HUNT has caught 23, TIMON MARSHALL has 22 and KRIS PETERS has 14. Trying to slow down this triple threat will be TERRELL SUTTON and TERENCE SAMUEL. Sutton has eight interceptions this season while Samuel has five. Samuel has returned two for touchdowns. KYLE ROWLEY's play at quarterback for the Wardogs continues to improve. In Columbus' come back victory last week Rowley ran in the game-winning touchdown with no time remaining for the victory. This is the first ever meeting between the two teams.

MACON KNIGHTS (2-9) AT NO. 6 FLORIDA FIRECATS (7-4)
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2004 - GERMAIN ARENA (7,128) 7:30 P.M. ET

South Division rivals take the field in Florida as the Firecats host the Macon Knights. Florida lost only their fourth game of the season last week, on the road at Cape Fear 57-49. The loss ended Florida's four game winning streak. Macon had the Columbus Wardogs on the ropes last week, up by 20 points at one point and up by twelve points late in the game. Macon couldn't hold the lead and has now lost five straight games. Macon still has plenty of talent on the field though. JAMAAL GARMAN leads the Knights in receptions with 68 including seventeen for touchdowns. LANEY HOSEA caught two touchdowns last week to bring his total to seven this season. Hosea leads the team in tackles with 51.0 (46UA 10A) is also tied for the team lead in interceptions with three. Both TIM OLMSTEAD and WILL BURCH received playing time under center last week against Columbus. There is only one quarterback for Florida and that is KEN MASTROLE. He has thrown 54 touchdowns to only seven interceptions. He has often finds CAINON LAMB or MAGIC BENTON who have combined for 135 receptions this season. Mastrole also does the simple things well, like handing the ball to STEVE GORRIE, who leads the af2 in rushing with 363 yards. Gorrie averages 4.8 yards per rush, number one in the league. Combine this offense with a defense that features seven different players who have registered a sack and the Firecats make a formable foe for anyone. Florida won the earlier two meetings between the clubs to hold a 5-3 series lead.

NO. 2 TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS (8-3) AT MEMPHIS XPLORERS (6-5)
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2004 - DESOTO CENTER (8,400) 8:00 P.M. ET

In perhaps the most important game in Memphis Xplorers history, they host the Tennessee Valley Vipers in a Mid-South Division face off. Memphis came back last week for a late victory over the Manchester Wolves, 55-54. A win over the Vipers would mean a few things for Memphis. One, it would be the first three game winning streak this season for the Xplorers. Two, it would be the Xplorers' first ever victory over the Vipers. Three, Memphis's seventh victory would be a franchise record. Fourth, and most importantly, it would put the Xplorers in position to battle the Vipers for the division crown. The Vipers are certainly on a high. They have won their last three games including a 17 point fourth quarter comeback victory last week over arch rival Birmingham. JOSH KELLETT has stepped into the starting quarterback position and has played well leading the Vipers offense. For the Vipers defense, HENRY FREEMAN and TRAVIS MCALPINE both have four interceptions on the season, tied for the team lead. McAlpine also has 30 receptions on offense. After BRIAN JONES started most of the season, recently acquired MICHAEL WALL now starts under center for Memphis due to an injury to Jones. In two games Wall has completed 32 of 47 passes for 476 yards and eleven touchdowns with two interceptions. It may be up to Wall to lead his new team to the playoffs. Chances are he will find KEVIN PRENTISS more than a few times against the Vipers. Prentiss has 70 catches on the season, tenth best in the league and is Memphis' leading receiver. This is the final meeting between the two clubs this season.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY DORADOS (3-7) AT NO. 3 BIRMINGHAM STEELDOGS (8-3)
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2004 - BJCC (16,000) 8:30 P.M. ET

The Rio Grande Valley Dorados go on the road to face the Birmingham Steeldogs. The Dorados lost a tough game last week on the road to Bossier-Shreveport 66-59 in overtime. The Dorados are looking to get their season back on track this week. Birmingham lost only their third game of the season last week, giving up a lead in the fourth quarter to rival Tennessee Valley. Birmingham is led by two quarterbacks, JEFF AARON and KENTON EVANS. The rotating quarterback system usually doesn't work for teams, but the Steeldogs are making it work. Last week Aaron threw four touchdown passes and Evans threw two. A key to the Steeldogs is the play of CARLOS MCNEARY. McNeary recorded seven catches last week for 176 yards and four touchdowns. This brings McNeary's touchdown receptions total to seventeen this season. The Steeldogs defense is led by the duo of MARLON BUSH and JERRY TURNER, who have combined for fourteen sacks. Last week for Rio Grande Valley, CALEB SLOVER completed 28 of 48 passes for 318 yards and seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Slover hit CRAIG COLE for three touchdowns last week. In just three games Cole has caught nineteen passes for 234 yards and six touchdowns. MANWELL TALBERT still leads the Dorados in receiving with 50 catches. This is the only meeting between the Dorados and Steeldogs this season.

NO. 10 BAKERSFIELD BLITZ (7-4) AT NO. 12 SAN DIEGO RIPTIDE (5-5)
SATURDAY, JUNE 25, 2004 - SAN DIEGO SPORTS ARENA (12,920) 10:00 P.M. ET

The red hot San Diego Riptide host the Bakersfield Blitz in a battle for the top spot in the West Division. After losing five of their first six games the Riptide have won four straight and are now sitting with a .500 record. Bakersfield longest winning streak this season has been only two games, but on the other hand they have yet to lose in consecutive weeks. After a 61-31 loss at Memphis two weeks ago, Bakersfield bounced back with a 33-26 victory over Central Valley last week. Two of the Riptide's five losses have come to the Blitz, losing 57-54 in Week 3 at Bakersfield and 39-36 in Week 7 at Bakersfield also. A win for Bakersfield would give them the series win and tie breaker if these two teams happened to finish with the same record. Bakersfield will look to get the win on the arm of quarterback CHAD ELLIOTT, who has thrown 52 touchdown passes this season, and 22 of those touchdown passes have been caught by ERIC MAHANKE who leads the team with 79 catches and 997 yards. While NATHAN MUNSON leads the team in interceptions with three, MEL MILLER leads the team in pass breakups with nine. For the Riptide, quarterback KANE CLAUNCH has stepped up his play during the Riptide's winning streak. Last week in San Diego's important victory over the Islanders Claunch threw six touchdown passes to bring his season total to 45. DWIGHT CARTER caught eight passes to bring his season total to a team leading 71 receptions. These two clubs will meet one more time this season, Week 17 in Bakersfield.

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