Week 14 Saturday Night Matchups
June 27, 2008 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release
WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (10-2) AT FLORIDA FIRECATS (8-3)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - Germain Arena (7,128) 7:30 P.M. ET
A head-to-head matchup of two division leaders and two of the af2's top quarterbacks will take place in Estero, Fla. on Saturday as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers tackle the Florida Firecats. This is the fifth all-time meeting between these two clubs. Florida leads the series 3-1 and the Pioneers' only win was their last time playing in 2007. Last week the Pioneers defeated the Manchester Wolves in convincing fashion, 69-40. The Wolves never really put up a fight in the game and the Pioneers were able to extend their lead to comfortably coast and hold on to their No. 3 ranking in the league's coaches poll. The victory also gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton its second straight East Division title and ensured the team's fifth straight trip to the playoffs. Led by QB RYAN VENA and receivers J.J, OUTLAW, LARRY KENDRICK and RICH MUSINSKI, the Pioneers lead the league in scoring, averaging 66 points per game. Ironmen Kendrick and Musinski also have made a major impact on defense. Musinski had an interception for a touchdown against the Wolves to shift the momentum of the game and Kendrick has already won two Ironman of the Week awards (Weeks 4 and 7; Musinski won in Week 12). DB MICHAEX ROBINSON leads the league in interceptions returned for touchdowns (4). He also ranks near the top of the af2 leaders in interceptions (12). As a team, the Pioneers had four interceptions against the Wolves last week and extended their lead on the rest of the league in the turnover margin category. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's defense only allows 37 points per game which is second only to their opponent on Saturday, Florida. Florida comes into this contest after a bye week. Two weeks ago the Firecats lost to South Georgia, 42-32. Florida's 32 points scored was the team's lowest total this season. The Firecats tried to rally late in the game led by WR BRUCE GORDON's two touchdown catches in the fourth quarter. Florida is 0-3 this season when they are held under 39 points. The other star quarterback in this game is QB CHRIS WALLACE, who ranks second all-time with 464 touchdown passes. He has 52 this season. The Firecats also have a solid running game with FB JAMES GIBSON (64-252; 11 TDs). The main receiver that Wallace depends on is veteran MATT BURSTEIN, but he also has help from WR ETHENIC SANDS (49-476; 9 TDs) and WR CHRIS MCKINNEY (40-410; 12 TDs). This week the magic is back as well as MAGIC BENTON was added to the squad on Thursday. Benton is one of the league's all-time great receivers who is the af2 career leader in a host of receiving categories. The Firecats' No. 1-ranked defense is lead by DB TONY STUBBS (59 Tackles) and DL TERRANCE CHAPMAN (6.5 sacks). This game should be one of the most competitive of the weekend.
PIONEERS FIRECATS
SERIES LEADER Florida leads 3-1
LAST MEETING WB/Scranton won 58-36 on 4/21/2007
LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 2-3
LAST GAME Won 69-40 vs. Manchester on 6/21/08 Lost 32-42 at S. Georgia on 6/13/08
LEADERS PIONEERS FIRECATS
PASSING Vena: 193-273-8; 2439; 65 TDs Wallace: 230-386-7; 2315; 52 TDs
RECEIVING Outlaw: 75-886; 20 TDs Burstein: 55-658; 14 TDs
RUSHING Vena: 17-66; 6 TD Gibson: 64-252; 11 TDs
TACKLES Robinson: 55 Stubbs: 59
SACKS Hilton: 13.5 Chapman: 6.5
INTERCEPTIONS Robinson: 12 Campbell and McCoy: 3
KICKING Davis: 66-69 PAT; 2-6 FGs; 72 PTs Peattie: 43-51 PAT; 2 FGs; 43 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 66.0 PPG; 259.2 YPG 45.6 PPG; 202.3 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 37.0 PPG; 214.8 YPG 35.0 PPG; 204.5 YPG
IOWA BARNSTORMERS (4-8) AT ARKANSAS TWISTERS (8-4)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - ALLTEL ARENA (6,820) 8:00 P.M. ET
The Iowa Barnstormers travel to Arkansas this week to tackle the Twisters on Saturday night at ALLTEL Arena. This is the first time these two clubs have met. An intriguing storyline of this game is that current Iowa head coach JOHN GREGORY coached the Twisters for the last three seasons (2005-07) and led the team to 29 wins and back-to-back playoff appearances in 2006 and 2007. This year the Barnstormers have been an up-and-down bunch that haven't found a consistent winning formula. Last week, however, Iowa put a stop to a five-game losing streak with a 42-33 home victory over Peoria. WR ROBERT KILOW (7-41) caught two touchdowns and K JEFF GLAS connected on three field goals to pace the Barnstormers on offense. LB JACK WALKER, JR. had two interceptions (1 INT return TD) to key Iowa's defensive effort. One factor in the team's inconsistent effort has been the play of QB JOE BRANNEN. Brannen has completed fewer than 53 percent of his passes and ranks tied for the league lead in interceptions thrown with 20. Kilow has been the team's top offensive performer with 19 total touchdowns (17 receiving, 2 kick returns). DB DANIEL MCLEMORE (8 INTs, 23 PBUs - both team-highs) and FB/LB TERRANCE FREENEY (9.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks - both team-highs) have been the Barnstormers top defensive players. Walker has contributed six INTs in 10 games. As a team, Iowa is tied for second in the league in total interceptions with 25. Arkansas enters this Week 14 tilt as one of the league's hottest teams. The Twisters have won five straight contests and are currently ranked No. 8 overall in the latest league coaches poll. Their most recent victory was a 51-28 triumph last Saturday at Tri-Cities. QB KYLE ROWLEY and WR CHRIS DENNEY keyed the Arkansas offense with strong performances against the Fever. Rowley accounted for seven touchdowns (5 - passing, 2 - rushing) while Denney caught four scores (9-105). DB JAMIE HATTLEY stood out defensively with 4.5 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. Denney has a team-high 26 receiving TDs in just seven games played (3.7 per game). He also ranks second on the squad in receiving yards with 853. Rowley is having a stellar season so far with nearly 3,000 yards passing and 56 TDs against just five interceptions. DB TRACY BELTON (6 INTs, 22 PBUs - both team-highs) and LB TITO HANNAH (team-best 7.5 sacks) have been two of the team's leaders on defense. A win would put Arkansas in great position for a third straight playoff berth. The Twisters have won their last four home games. If they continue their solid play and force Iowa's Brannen into more mistakes, a fifth straight home victory looks likely.
BARNSTORMERS TWISTERS
SERIES LEADER No previous meetings
LAST MEETING No previous meetings
LAST FIVE GAMES 1-4 4-0
LAST GAME Won 42-33 vs. Peoria 6/21/08 Won 51-28 at Tri-Cities on 6/21/08
LEADERS BARNSTORMERS TWISTERS
PASSING Brannen: 200-379-20; 2193; 38 TDs Rowley: 272-400-5; 2991; 56 TDs
RECEIVING Kilow: 74-825; 17 TDs Perry: 82-916; 10 TDs
RUSHING Brannen: 34-78; 8 TDs Rowley: 41-113; 8 TDs
TACKLES Varner: 63.5 Williams: 57
SACKS Freeney: 8.5 Sacks: 7.5
INTERCEPTIONS McLemore: 8 Belton: 6
KICKING Glas: 52-63 PAT; 9-37 FGs; 79 PTs Paul: 70-86 PAT; 6-13 FGs; 88 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 41.9 PPG; 184.9 YPG 52.5 PPG; 260.8 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 45.3 PPG; 227.2 YPG 41.5 PPG; 207.3 YPG
TEXAS COPPERHEADS (2-10) AT AUSTIN WRANGLERS (6-6)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - Frank Erwin Center (14,866) 8:00 P.M. ET
A central Texas matchup brings the Copperheads to Austin to face the Southwest Division leading Wranglers for the second time this season. The first game between these two af2 rivals came in Week 8 where the Wranglers ran away with a 61-17 victory. The Copperheads will look to even the score Saturday at the Frank Erwin Center. Last week the Copperheads fell to in-state rival Corpus Christi, 59-35. WR TIM RILEY led the Copperheads with 15 catches for 154 yards and two TDs. Riley's effort was one of the lone bright spots for Texas. QB RUDY CARLTON is tied for the league lead in interceptions thrown (20). He continued his inconsistent play last week by completing just 22-of-51 passes for 191 yards with four TDs and three INTs. Still trying to find the right combination of players to have a winning formula, Coach Guidry's top performer this season has been all-around standout WR/DB ARMAR WATSON (42-533; 8 TDs; 5 rush TDs; 1 INT TD; 1 KR TD). As the crucial piece to Texas' success Watson will be called upon this weekend to contribute in all aspects of the game. In their first meeting, Watson was the only Texas player to cross the goal line for a score on the offensive side of the ball. LB DAVID KENNEBREW was able to get a fumble recovery for a score as the only other score the Copperheads were able to convert last time. K NICK GATTO has also been a bright spot. Gatto is tied for the league lead in field goals made with 14. He converted all of his extra points and his one of three field goal attempts in the last meeting with the Wranglers. Austin saw its three game win streak end last week on the road at Central Valley, 61-48, in Fresno, Calif. By neutralizing star FB/LB KAMAU JACKSON (10-31, 0 TDs), the Coyotes were able to outscore Coach BEN BENNETT's high-powered aerial attack. Jackson has been very productive for the Wranglers this season with nine rushing touchdowns and one receiving. QB ANDY HALL (2,449 passing yards; 51 TDs) has led the offense with lots of help from star WR JOHN ROBERSON (94-1,361; 30 TDs). Hall and Roberson connected three times last week against the Coyotes for 102 yards. Hall's other top target was WR SEAN HENLEY who also contributed three touchdown catches. Hall leads the af2 in average passing yards per game (272.1) and ranks seconde in total offense. Since taking over under center, he has guided the Wranglers to a 6-3 record. The key to their offense is holding on to the ball and controlling the clock, the team ranks second in the league in time of possession (averaging 33:22 a game). If Texas can find a way to neutralize Hall and the balanced offense of the Wranglers, there will be a chance for Watson and the Copperheads to present an entertaining challenge for Austin.
COPPERHEADS WRANGLERS
SERIES LEADER Austin leads 1-0
LAST MEETING Austin won 61-17 on
LAST FIVE GAMES 1-4 3-2
LAST GAME Lost 35-59 v. Corpus Christi 6/21/2008 Lost 48-61 at Cen. Val on 6/21/08
LEADERS COPPERHEADS WRANGLERS
PASSING Carlton: 199-421-20; 2186; 31 TDs Hall: 206-343-9; 2449; 51 TDs
RECEIVING Riley: 47-397; 3 TDs Roberson: 94-1361; 30 TDs
RUSHING Kennebrew: 26-82; 4 TDs Jackson: 61-230; 9 TDs
TACKLES Todd: 53 McCray: 48.5
SACKS Saint-Preux: 2 Hood: 6.5
INTERCEPTIONS Todd: 8 McCray: 7
KICKING Gatto: 42-46 PAT; 14-32 FGs; 84 PTs Iizuka: 54-66 PAT; 3-12 FGs; 63 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 32.3 PPG; 196.2 YPG 50.2 PPG; 250.7 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 53.0 PPG; 258.7 YPG 50.9 PPG; 212.8 YPG
CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES (7-4) AT SPOKANE SHOCK (11-1)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - Spokane Arena (10,500) 8:05 P.M. ET
The Central Valley Coyotes travel to Spokane, Wash. this week to face the Spokane Shock in a West Division matchup with division-clinching opportunities on the line. This is the sixth all-time meeting between the two squads. So far Central Valley has yet to defeat Spokane in the five previous head-to-head affairs. Central Valley has won four games in a row and extended that streak against the Austin Wranglers last week. Led by QB CLAY GROEFSEMA, the Coyotes put 61 points on the board. Groefsema's threw five TD passes and ran for two more. Last season the Coyotes depended on Groefsema for similar production and he responded extremely well, throwing 75 touchdown passes and rushing for 15. Those 90 touchdowns were a big reason the Coyotes reached the second round of the playoffs. Groefsema's main target is WR NICHIREN FLOWERS (68-864, 18 TDs). Flowers isn't the only offensive threat, however. WR TONAE MARTIN, WR/DB JOMO WILSON and WR JASON BARNES have both been big contributors with 34 touchdowns combined. Wilson is also the Coyotes' star return man with a big kickoff return to start the game last week. DB WES BORBA's six interceptions leads the team, but he also leads the team in tackles and fumble returns (2 for TD). Anchoring the really strong defensive line of Central Valley are sack leaders DL DONYELL BOOKER (7 sacks) and DL BEN MCCOMBS (6 sacks). The Spokane Shock suffered their first loss of the season last week as the squad was edged at home by the South Georgia Wildcats, 57-55. The Wildcats won on a last second field goal. Ending their best win streak ever at 11 games, the Shock are looking for a rebound at home, a place where they have only lost four other times. Leading receivers RAUL VIJIL and ANDY OLSON helped QB NICK DAVILA carve up the Wildcats for a major portion of the game last week; both contributed 12 catches and two touchdowns. Davila ranks second in the league in pass efficiency (120.4 rating) and Vijil is among the leaders in almost all receiving categories. Rookie DB SERGIO GILLIAM leads the league in interceptions (14) and needs just one more to tie the af2 single season record. Both Gilliam and LB KEVIN MCCULLOUGH have returned three interceptions for touchdowns and the Shock rank second in the league in interception conversions for touchdowns. A very good third down team, Spokane converts better than 50% on third down which is also tops among the league. There is no question that the Shock and Coyotes can score, but this game will come down to who makes more plays on defense and special teams.
COYOTES SHOCK
SERIES LEADER Spokane lead 5-0
LAST MEETING Spokane won 42-40 on 4/26/08
LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 4-1
LAST GAME Won 61-48 vs. Austin on 6/21/08 Lost 57-55 vs So. Georgia on 6/21/08
LEADERS COYOTES SHOCK
PASSING Groefsema: 55-92-3; 654; 12 TDs Davila: 168-246-6; 1886; 45 TDs
RECEIVING Flowers: 68-864; 18 TDs Vijil: 88-986; 27 TDs
RUSHING Walker: 28-83; 3 TDs Bethay: 37-105; 4 TDs
TACKLES Borba: 42.0 Rogers: 72.0
SACKS Booker: 7.0 Parks: 13.0
INTERCEPTIONS Borba: 6 Gilliam: 14
KICKING Bjork: 49-65 PAT; 2-6 FGs; 55 PTs Jackson: 80-87 PAT; 4-8 FGs; 92 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 52.9 PPG; 256.0 YPG 57.2 PPG; 242.3 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 47.5 PPG; 249.2 YPG 42.9 PPG: 233.3 YPG
BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT BATTLEWINGS (6-6) AT CORPUS CHRISTI SHARKS (6-6)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - American Bank Center (7,498) 8:05 P.M. ET
The Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings travel to Corpus Christi for a Saturday night Southwest showdown with the Sharks. The game is a matchup of two teams that are battling for a chance at the outright division lead. The BattleWings are coming off a 67-50 road win at Oklahoma City in Week 13. Bossier-Shreveport QB GARY COOPER threw for 271 yards with a game-high seven touchdowns (2 INTs). K.R. WILLIAMS led the receiving corps with three TDs on five catches for 68 yards. LB KENDRICK BOURNES had two sacks to pace the defense while DL MARVIN BYRDSONG had an 8-yard INT return for a TD late in the fourth quarter. WR CHAVIS MCCOLLISTER is the team's top offensive weapon overall with 89 catches for 1,124 yards and 26 TDs while fellow receiver MANWELL TALBERT has 920 yards receiving with 17 scores. As a team the BattleWings rank among the league leaders in scoring at 54.0 points per game. Bossier-Shreveport is currently ranked No. 15 in the latest league coaches poll. DB PHILLIP GEIGGAR is the team leader on defense with seven interceptions. DB PETE MCBRIDE has also performed well since joining the BattleWings. The af2 veteran has 48.5 stops in just six games played. Corpus Christi enters this important Week 14 tilt at No 15 in the latest league coaches poll. The Sharks most recent outing was a 59-35 win against the Texas Copperheads. QB FRAN JOHNSON finished the game 13-of-20 for 215 yards with four touchdowns and just one interception. He has thrown ten touchdowns in the Sharks' last two games. DB DWAYNE IJAMES had two interceptions on his way to earning ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors. Another win this week would give Corpus Christi its first win streak of the season. So far the Sharks haven't been able to win in back-to-back weeks. The team has three main playmakers in WRs BRANDON HUSSEY (77-902-18 TDs) and JONATHAN GRAHAM (76-913-14 TDs) and WR/DB/KR IVORY MCCANN. McCann has scored 12 total touchdowns in a variety of ways (3 - receiving, 2 - rushing, 2 - MFG return, 4 - kick return, 1 - INT return). He also leads the Sharks in tackles (59.5) and pass breakups (22). Corpus Christi is 4-2 on the season so far at American Bank Center. With the stakes high, this game should be a battle from start to finish.
BATTLEWINGS SHARKS
SERIES LEADER Bossier-Shreveport leads series 3-0
LAST MEETING Bossier-Shreveport won 66-55 on 4/4/2008
LAST FIVE GAMES 3-2 3-2
LAST GAME Won 67-50 at Oklahoma on 6/21/08 Won 59-35 at Texas on 6/21/08
LEADERS BATTLEWINGS SHARKS
PASSING Cooper: 178-280-14; 2413; 54 TDs Johnson: 143-227-9; 1694; 30 TDs
RECEIVING McCollister: 89-1124; 26 TDs Hussey: 77-902; 18 TDs
RUSHING Schule: 58-198; 11 TDs Cook: 35-116; 5 TDs
TACKLES Johnson: 51.5 McCann: 59.5
SACKS Byrdsong: 4.5 Green: 2.5
INTERCEPTIONS Geiggar: 7 Ijames: 6
KICKING Carlton: 59-84 PAT; 5-15 FGs; 74 PTs Williams: 37-47 PAT; 2-12 FGs; 43 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 54.0 PPG; 258.3 YPG 48.8 PPG; 212.2 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 48.9 PPG; 253.8 YPG 45.2 PPG; 226.1 YPG
LUBBOCK RENEGADES (8-4) AT OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ (3-9)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - Ford Center (1,884) 8:05 P.M. ET
The Lubbock Renegades head to Oklahoma City for a Saturday night Central Division battle with the Yard Dawgz. The Renegades currently lead the all-time series against Oklahoma City, 2-1. This is the second head-to-head matchup between the two squads in 2008. Lubbock came out on top in the first affair in mid-April, 63-43. The Renegades are coming off a 60-49 home win against division foe Amarillo in Week 13. WR ALVANCE ROBINSON exploded for 212 yards and five touchdowns for the Renegades and was named Schutt Offensive Player of the Game. QB ROBERT KENT turned in a strong showing as well, completing 21-of-29 passes for 277 yards with eight touchdowns with no interceptions. DBs VIRGIL GRAY and LARICO STEVENSON led the way defensively for the Renegades with 6.5 tackles each. Kent has been a big factor behind Lubbock's breakout season so far as the veteran signal caller ranks among the league's best in a host of offensive categories. He leads the af2 in total offensive touchdowns (79; 66 - passing, 13 - rushing) and TD passes and ranks second overall in passing yards and rushing TDs. Robinson currently leads the league in yards per catch (18.1) and also leads the Renegades in receptions (65), receiving yards (1,175 - 6th in af2), receiving touchdowns (23), total touchdowns (24) and scoring (144 points). Gray has been solid all season for Lubbock on the defensive side with team-high marks in tackles (63.5), interceptions (8) and passes defended (31). Oklahoma City's 2008 campaign has been a struggle thus far. The team has just three wins overall with two coming at the Ford Center. Last week the Yard Dawgz didn't have enough bite against Bossier-Shreveport and lost 67-50. Despite the decision, Oklahoma City did manage to hit the 50-point mark for just the fourth time this season. WR/DB AL HUNT led the squad in the loss with three total touchdowns (2 receiving, 1 rushing). He led the Yard Dawgz receiving corps with seven catches for 102 yards and two TDs. Hunt is just 14 points shy of becoming just the third player in league history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. DBs ANDRE BURNS and DONTA BRIGHT stood out on defense with one interception apiece. Bright returned his 21 yards for a score early in the third quarter. Bright is also a factor on special teams with three kick return touchdowns. Oklahoma City will need to improve its pass rush to be able to compete with Lubbock. So far the Yard Dawgz have only recorded nine sacks on the year (28th overall out of 29 teams). The Renegades rank among the league's top teams in scoring, averaging 55.1 points per contest. If Oklahoma City doesn't put pressure on Kent, the Renegades may run away with this one.
RENEGADES YARD DAWGZ
SERIES LEADER Lubbock leads 2-1
LAST MEETING Lubbock won 63-43 on 4/12/2008
LAST FIVE GAMES 3-2 1-4
LAST GAME Won 60-49 vs. Amarillo on 6/21/06 Lost 50-67 vs. Bossier on 6/21/08
LEADERS RENEGADES YARD DAWGZ
PASSING Kent: 207-383-6; 3167; 66 TDs Gray: 124-272-13; 1609; 30 TDs
RECEIVING Robinson: 65-1175; 23 TDs Hunt: 62-900; 18 TDs
RUSHING Medlock: 70-264; 8 TDs Rollins: 35-108; 7 TDs
TACKLES Gray: 63.5 Burns: 51
SACKS TuimalealiIfano: 4 Rutledge: 3
INTERCEPTIONS Gray: 8 Bright: 4
KICKING Balseiro: 34-44 PAT; 1-6 FGs; 37 PTs Scott: 45-57 PAT; 6-20 FGs; 63 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 55.1 PPG; 258.1 YPG 39.1 PPG; 180.6 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 48.0 PPG; 231.2 YPG 57.3 PPG; 229.8 YPG
LEXINGTON HORSEMEN (7-5) AT PEORIA PIRATES (4-8)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - Peoria Civic Center (9,873) 8:05 P.M. ET
The Lexington Horsemen travel to Peoria this week to take on the Pirates in an important Midwest Division matchup. The Horsemen and Pirates locked up earlier in the season and Peoria surprised Lexington at home, 46-28. The Horsemen, currently ranked No. 10 overall in the latest league coaches poll and tied for second place in the division, are coming off a hard-to-swallow, 54-50, road loss last week to rival Louisville. The Fire win was their third in as many outings this year against Lexington. Lexington QB EDDIE EVISTON finished 22-of-36 passing for 285 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions in his first game back after missing two weeks due to team suspension. WR CHAD SPENCER was Eviston's top target with 10 catches for 132 yards and three TDs. Spencer has a team-leading 29 TD grabs on the season. DB WILLIAM MULDER leads the squad from the defensive side with team-highs in tackles (48), interceptions (3) and pass breakups (19). The Horsemen have lost three of their last four games after running out to a 6-2 start. Peoria has had a struggle of a season so far with just four wins in 12 contests. The Pirates have lost their last two outings and three of their last four. Last week the team scored just 33 points in a road defeat at Iowa. WR PHILLIP BROCK led Peoria individually in defeat with four touchdowns on five catches for 95 yards. QB JUSTIN RASCATI ran for a game-high 65 yards but did not score and threw three interceptions. DB BLAKE FERRIS added to his team-leading interception total (9) with another pick against the Barnstormers. He also leads the Pirates in tackles with 58. Brock ranks among the league leaders with 31 total touchdowns (18 - receiving, 13 - rushing) and also leads the squad in scoring with 190 points. Rascati and Brock rank second and eighth in the af2 in rushing while the team ranks first overall in rushing yards with 718. If Eviston plays well and the Lexington defense can contain Rascati and Brock, the expansion Horsemen can firm up their grasp on a potential playoff spot in their first season of af2 play.
HORSEMEN PIRATES
SERIES LEADER Peoria leads series 1-0
LAST MEETING Peoria won 46-28 on 4/5/2008
LAST FIVE GAMES 2-3 2-3
LAST GAME Lost 50-54 at Louisville on 6/23/08 Lost 33-42 at Iowa on 6/21/08
LEADERS HORSEMEN PIRATES
PASSING Eviston: 183-283-12; 2302; 54 TDs Rascati: 217-350-11; 2336; 36 TDs
RECEIVING Lewis: 49-600; 11 TDs Brock: 88-1078; 18 TDs
RUSHING Eviston: 33-106; 3 TDs Rascati: 62-302; 10 TDs
TACKLES Mulder: 48 Farris: 58
SACKS Martin: 6.5 Willis: 5.5
INTERCEPTIONS Mulder: 3 Farris: 9
KICKING Daniel: 56-67 PAT; 3-20 FGs; 65 PTs Palkovic: 30-39 PAT; 0-10 FGs; 30 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 44.8 PPG; 215.7 YPG 40.6 PPG; 194.9 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 44.8 PPG; 219.0 YPG 46.6 PPG; 219.2 YPG
TULSA TALONS (11-1) AT AMARILLO DUSTERS (5-7)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - Amarillo Civic Center (4,870) 8:10 P.M. ET
The No. 1-ranked Tulsa Talons head to Amarillo, Texas to take on the Dusters in an important Central Division matchup on Saturday night. Tulsa owns a 6-1 all-time edge against Amarillo, including a 69-13 home triumph over the Dusters in Week 1. More recently the Talons have won three straight contests, including last week's 58-52 road victory at Rio Grande Valley. In that contest QB JUSTIN ALLGOOD completed 15-of-24 passes for 128 yards and four TDs before an injury cut short his evening and his season. Allgood was placed on injured reserve on Thursday and will miss at least four weeks of action. His replacement will likely be backup DEREK RASMUSSEN, who has completed just 11-of-20 passes on the season for 93 yards and four scores without an interception. Rasmussen was 5-of-10 for 39 yards and one score last week against Rio Grande Valley. The first-time starter has a talented offense at his disposal, led by WR JEFF HUGHLEY. Hughley has 27 receiving touchdowns on the year and over 1,200 yards receiving. The second-year player has been stellar on special teams as well as the team's primary return man. K LUKE PHILLIPS (90-96 PAT; 7-19 FGs; league-best 111 PTS). The offense averages 59.9 points per game. The Talons have a strong defense as well. They allow their opponents just 41.8 points per game. LB JAMAR RANSOM is a player to watch on that side of the ball. The veteran leads the squad with 71.0 tackles. DB JERMAINE HOPE (66.5 tackles, 5 INTs) and DL TERRANCE CARTER (8.5 sacks) have also impressed on defense. The Dusters are coming off a 60-49 road loss last week at Lubbock. Dusters QB JULIAN REESE started the game 12-22 for 165 yards. Due to injury, JOEL STEELE would finish the game at the helm for the Dusters. Each threw three touchdowns in the game. GERALD WASHINGTON led the Dusters' defense with 6.5 tackles. If healthy, Reese should get another start for Amarillo. The veteran signal caller has thrown 41 TDs this season. WR JIM LUKOWIAK has 29 TD catches which ranks him third in the af2 in receiving touchdowns. Reese is also one of the top rated QBs in the league with a passer rating of 111.8. Defensively the Dusters' strongest presence has been DB AARON WILLIAMS who has intercepted eight passes this season and recorded 44.0 tackles to lead the Dusters in both categories. Amarillo is 4-2 at home this season. This game will hinge on the play of Tulsa's first-time starter under center. If the Dusters can pressure Rasmussen into mistakes, this game could be a lot closer than some might expect.
TALONS DUSTERS
SERIES LEADER Tulsa leads 6-1
LAST MEETING Tulsa won 69-13 on 5/29/08
LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 1-4
LAST GAME Won 58-52 at Rio Grande on 6/21/08 Lost 49-60 at Lubbock on 6/21/08
LEADERS TALONS DUSTERS
PASSING Allgood: 261-405-12; 2972; 65 TDs Reese: 177-295-3; 2071; 41 TDs
RECEIVING Hughley: 93-1233; 27 TDs Lukowiak: 92-1209; 29 TDs
RUSHING Shack: 26-64; 4 TDs Reese: 39-200; 2 TDs
TACKLES Ransom: 71 Washington: 44.5
SACKS Carter: 8.5 Stinson: 3.5
INTERCEPTIONS Hope and Reid: 5 Williams: 8
KICKING Phillips: 90-96 PAT; 7-19 FGs; 111 PTs Felton: 58-63 PAT; 3-13 FGs; 67 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 59.9 PPG; 250.5 YPG 46.0 PPG; 220.2 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 41.8 PPG; 237.7 YPG 50.6 PPG; 236.7 YPG
TRI-CITIES FEVER (4-8) AT BOISE BURN (6-6)
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 - Qwest Arena (5,006) 9:10 P.M. ET
The Tri-Cities Fever travel to Boise this week to take on the Burn at Qwest Arena. The winner of this week's game will become the leader of the series between the two teams, which right now is tied at 2-2. The Fever evened things up with a 57-47 home triumph against the Burn in Week 10. Tri-Cities' most recent result was a 51-28 home loss to the Arkansas Twisters. The Twisters outscored the Fever every quarter except the third when Tri-Cities scored 14 and the Twisters put up seven. The Fever tried to make a comeback in the third quarter as QB TALI ENA (7-21; 91 yards, 1 TD) came in for JOHN PIERCE (9-19; 73 yards; 1 TD). Although Ena made a Fever game-record 45-yard rushing touchdown and tossed a 20-yard touchdown pass to LAMONTE JONES (40 yds, 1 TD), the Fever didn't have enough to overcome the Twisters. Ena is now leading the Fever offensively in both passing and rushing with 1,131 and 112 yards, respectively. Jones was also the JLS Ironman of the Game last week after leading the team offensively and defensively with 161 all-purpose yards (1 TD) and 4.0 tackles. Tri-Cities has been struggling this entire season offensively and is consistently being outscored by their opponents, averaging around 43.2 points a game. This week Boise just makes it into the ranking in the latest league coaches poll at No. 16. After a neck-and-neck scoring game with Stockton last week, the Burn was able to pull ahead enough to get the 55-51 win. Boise was able to outscore Stockton in the third and fourth quarter, and owe most of that success to QB ROYAL GILL (24-41-0; 286 yards; 6 TDs). In the final 36 seconds of the game, Gill threw two touchdown passes to bring the Burn back from a 9-point deficit. SHADRACH OKOEBOR (8-110; 2 TDs) connected with Gill to lead the team in receiving. He helped tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter with a 12- yard touchdown from Gill, and helped keep Boise alive in the second quarter with a 5-yard touchdown again from Gill. The Burn defense contributed with five sacks, two by DL TRAVIS TOFI. He leads the squad with seven on the season. WR CASEY ALLEN leads the team in receiving with 62 catches for 823 yards (9 TDs). This week's game is important to both teams. A victory would further the Burn's cause for a playoff spot while Tri-Cities still has playoff hopes being just two games out of postseason contention.
FEVER BURN
SERIES LEADER Series is tied 2-2
LAST MEETING Tri-Cities won 57-47 on 5/31/3008
LAST FIVE GAMES 2-3 1-4
LAST GAME Lost 28-51 vs. Arkansas on 6/21/08 Won 55-51 at Stockton on 6/21/08
LEADERS FEVER BURN
PASSING Ena: 91-169-6; 1131; 23 TDs Gill: 157-296-8; 1894; 37 TDs
RECEIVING Jones: 85-1044; 14 TDs Allen: 62-823; 9 TDs
RUSHING Ena: 26-112; 5 TDs Harris: 15-107; 4 TDs
TACKLES Ealy: 53 Williams: 51
SACKS Jackson: 8.5 Tofi: 7
INTERCEPTIONS Ealy: 4 Saunders: 9
KICKING Hooper: 55-61 PAT; 2-9 FGs; 61 PTs Madarieta:33-54 PAT; 0-3 FGs; 41 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 43.2 PPG; 229.8 YPG 49.9 PPG; 205.8 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 53.0 PPG; 210.0 YPG 44.4 PPG; 223.1 YPG
arenafootball2 Stories from June 27, 2008
- Lightning strikes the Vipers 47-41 in OT - Alabama Vipers
- Thunder put out Fire - Mahoning Valley Thunder
- Week 14 Saturday Night Matchups - af2
- Magic Benton Returns To Florida Firecats - Florida Firecats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
