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Week 14: Saturday Night Matchups

June 26, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (10-2) AT MAHONING VALLEY THUNDER (1-11)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - Covelli Centre (6,100) 7:00 P.M. ET

Saturday's action gets underway with the No. 3 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers traveling to Youngstown, Ohio to take on the Mahoning Valley Thunder. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton leads the all-time series, 7-0. The Pioneers clinched their third straight East Division title last week with the club's, 58-20, home win against Central Valley. The victory was the team's 24th consecutive regular season win at Wachovia Arena. Overall, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ranks third in scoring offense (62.2 ppg) and scoring defense (37.3 ppg) while defeating their opponents by an average of 24.9 points. Part of their offensive prowess comes from QB RYAN VENA. Vena is completing 67.5% of his passes and has only thrown six interceptions this season, second least in the league. Although Vena is excelling in the air, it is the Pioneers' rushing game that is propelling them offensively. They have the fourth best rushing game (34 yards per game) and are tied for the top spot in rushing touchdowns (32). FB KIRBY GRIFFIN is leading the team in their rush attack, averaging 24.2 yards per rush (third best in the league) and has scored 15 TDs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's defense is doing its part as well. The Pioneers have held opposing quarterbacks to complete just over 50 percent of their passes while also snagging 18 interceptions. The defense has also tallied the most sacks in the league (35) and has recovered 14 fumbles for 69 yards and six touchdowns, a league high. DAVID DAVIS leads the league in points scored among kickers with 113 and has the highest PAT percentage (96.1%). The Thunder are having a season much different than the Pioneers. Last week Mahoning Valley let a 20-0 first quarter lead slip away and lost at home to Manchester, 59-53. The defeat was the 11th straight for the Thunder, whose only win came in the first week of the season. As a whole, the Thunder are giving up 61.4 points per game while only scoring 39.8, both ranking near the bottom of the league. They are averaging 28.6 yards per game running (No. 7) but rank 22nd in passing with 215.7 yards per game. Inconsistencies at quarterback have cost Mahoning Valley. As a group they have completed less 60 percent of their passes and have been intercepted a league-high 30 times. Rookie BRAD ROACH has seven INTs and eight TDs in his first two starts under center. An area the Thunder are excelling in is missed field goal and kick returns thanks to WR/KR QUOREY PAYNE. Payne has returned one missed field goal for 50 yards and a touchdown as well as 63 kicks for 1,271 yards and four touchdowns. While Mahoning Valley has shown signs of improvement, the Pioneers look too good from top to bottom to be threatened by the Thunder.

SOUTH GEORGIA WILDCATS (8-4) AT FLORIDA FIRECATS (5-7)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - Germain Arena (7,128) 7:30 P.M. ET

South Georgia travels to Estero, Fla. this week where a win against South Division rival Florida would give the Wildcats a reserved spot in the 2009 playoffs. This is the third of four head-to-head meetings between these two clubs this season. In both previous games this season, South Georgia pulled away with the win. The No. 7 Wildcats are coming off discouraging back-to-back losses, the most recent being a 69-41 road defeat last week at Kentucky. QB DARNELL KENNEDY went 24-of-46 for 385 yards and five touchdowns, but was intercepted four times and sacked three times. So far this year, Kennedy has rushed for 159 yards and passed for 2,821 while contributing 75 total touchdowns. Overall, South Georgia is finding most of its offense in the passing game, and Kennedy is completing 60.1% of his passes and has only been intercepted nine times. WR ALVANCE ROBINSON is contributing 97.4 yards per game receiving and 12 points. Robinson had 12 catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns. DB/KR IVORY MCCANN is helping to put the Wildcats in good offensive position, averaging 21.1 yards per kick return and 16.7 yards per missed field goal return. Last week McCann returned two missed field goals for 30 yards and five kicks for 58 yards while also contributing two catches for 58 yards with one TD. On the defensive side, DL ERIC TURNER leads the team in sacks with six and is tied for top honors in tackles for loss with seven. The Florida Firecats have had a rocky season, never winning more than two games back-to-back. Statistically, the Firecats sit about in the middle of the league on both offense and defense. They are averaging 27.6 yards per game rushing and 252.2 passing. Defensively, Florida's statistics have room to improve. So far this season, they have recovered 10 fumbles and also have only tallied six interceptions. The team's 16 total turnovers forced is the lowest total in the league. Veteran QB CHRIS WALLACE has passed for 3,071 yards so far this season with 66 touchdowns but is only completing 60.8% of his passes and has been intercepted 11 times. Last week at Tennessee Valley, Wallace completed 22-of-38 passes but had just two touchdown passes in total. WR CHRIS MCKINNEY has been the most potent offensive player, averaging 106.1 all-purpose yards and 15.6 points per game. Wallace will need to be sharp from start to finish this week if the Firecats hope to keep up with the Wildcats.

KENTUCKY HORSEMEN (7-5) AT CORPUS CHRISTI SHARKS (2-10)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - American Bank Center (7,498) 8:00 P.M. ET

The Kentucky Horsemen head to Texas this week to face the Corpus Christi Sharks in a non-conference affair at American Bank Center. This is the first-ever meeting among the two clubs. The Horsemen continue to improve, both offensively and defensively. Throughout the season, they have averaged over 60 points per game (currently 62.8) and while they have also allowed a high number of points to their opponents, that number has been dropping. In Week 10, the Horsemen defense was giving up an average of 60.4 points per game. That average has since dropped to 55 points per game. DB J.T. HASKINS and LB JAMUS MARTIN and DB WILLIAM MULDER are the team's top defenders. Haskins has forced four fumbles so far this season while Martin has tallied 10 tackles for loss. Mulder has a team-high nine interceptions in addition to 18 pass breakups. He is also averaging 120.2 all-purpose yards per game. Kentucky has the most interceptions in the league with 26. QB JARED LORENZEN has been as good as advertised with 2,231 yards passing and a league-best 19 rushing TDs. Last week, the Horsemen upset the then-No. 6 ranked South Georgia Wildcats, 69-41. Kentucky is currently ranked No. 9 in the latest league coaches poll. The Sharks are having a less successful season, having only won two of their 12 games so far. They are currently on a four-game losing skid. The team's most recent defeat was a 93-41 loss at Oklahoma City. The 93 points scored by Oklahoma City were the most given up by any team in the 2009 season. The Sharks have one of the lowest scoring offenses (43.2 points per game) while allowing the most points per game (61.8) in the league. Rookie QB SEDALE THREATT got his second start against the Yard Dawgz but struggled early on. Threatt turned the ball over on the Sharks first two offensive possessions as the team got into a quick 22-0 hole. JOHN DE LOS SANTOS took over shortly thereafter but didn't have much success either. De Los Santos finished with 10 completions in 25 attempts with four touchdowns and three interceptions. One of the team's few offensive bright spots has been WR JONATHAN GRAHAM. Graham has scored 14 touchdowns so far this season and is making nearly eight catches a game. Unfortunately for the Sharks, the best part of Kentucky's offense is the worst part of their own defense: Kentucky has found success rushing, and the Sharks give up the most rushing yards in the league (41.8 per game). If the Sharks let the Horsemen get off and running early, it could be a long night in Corpus Christi.

IOWA BARNSTORMERS (7-4) AT AMARILLO DUSTERS (2-10)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - Amarillo Civic Center (4,870) 8:00 P.M. ET

The Iowa Barnstormers travel to Amarillo, Texas to take on the Dusters in their second and final head-to-head matchup this season. The Barnstormers, who were most recently ranked No. 8 in this week's coaches poll, are coming off a tough six-point loss to the Green Bay Blizzard two weeks ago, 71-65. It was their first loss in the previous five weeks. Statistically, Iowa is inconsistent, averaging the least amount of offensive yards per game in the league (232.5) yet somehow scoring nearly 55 points per game. They also have the least amount of completed passes (205) and have racked up 12 interceptions. QB RYAN VILLANUEVA is completing 61% of his passes and has 11 of the interceptions. WR ERRICK MCCOWN has proven to be a favorite target of Villanueva's, making 75 catches for 16 touchdowns so far this season. He is averaging 6.82 receptions per game for 87 yards, while tallying up 106.2 all-purpose yards. Another offensive player that can't be overlooked is veteran WR/KR TIM DODGE. Dodge has 16 receiving TDs and is tied for the league lead with seven total kick return TDs (6 kickoff, 1 missed field goal). On defense, DB TANNER VARNER leads the af2 in tackles with 92. He also has 15 pass breakups and five interceptions. As a defensive unit overall, the Barnstormers make sure to take advantage of key opportunities. Of the 17 fumbles they have recovered, they have returned four for touchdowns. K JEFF GLAS continues to add points to the totals, so far contributing 110 points this season. The Amarillo Dusters had a heartbreaking outing last weekend, losing by one point to the Arkansas Twisters, 63-62. A failed two-point conversion was the difference as QB JULIAN REESE's pass fell incomplete. Reese excelled again with 328 yards passing (18-of-32 passing) with eight TDs and no interceptions. In his three starts since his return, the former Indiana State standout has 25 TD passes with just two INTs. Amarillo is also averaging 67 points per game in that stretch after breaking 45 points just once in the team's first nine outings. Four of Reese's scoring tosses last week went to WR ALEX WATSON (6-142). Watson is averaging a league-best 15.9 yards per catch. On the defensive side, the Dusters were paced by DL JARED WILLIAMS, who had a game-high two sacks against the Twisters. Another player to watch for the Dusters this week is DB KENDRICK "BOSS" WALKER. Walker played with Amarillo in 2005 and most recently saw action in 2008 with the Lubbock Renegades. In 15 games played last year, Walker had 57 tackles and led the club in passes defended with 36 (5 INTs, 31 pass breakups). If Reese continues his stellar play, this game could go down to the wire.

MANCHESTER WOLVES (5-7) AT QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS (4-8)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - i wireless Center (9,315) 8:00 P.M. ET

In their second-to-last scheduled road game of the season, the Wolves journey to Moline, lll. to challenge the Quad City Steamwheelers in their second and final matchup of the season. The Steamwheelers won the first head-to-head contest at Manchester in Week 7, 50-48, and lead the all-time series, 5-1. The Wolves were able to cease their three-game losing streak with a comeback win against the Mahoning Valley Thunder last week, 59-53. The Thunder went on a 20-0 run in the first quarter, scoring three touchdowns, two which were the result of a fumble recovery and interception from the Wolves QB MIKE POTTS. Things were not looking good for the Wolves, but after what seemed to be a game of catch-up, they were finally able to tie the game (34-34) in the third quarter and take over the lead in the fourth. Although Potts threw four interceptions and was sacked twice, he was still able to complete 32-of-47 passes for 273 yards and five touchdowns. WR STEVEN SAVOY quieted the Thunder with 14 catches for 120 yards and four of the Wolves eight touchdowns. Despite the offensive struggles and mistakes, the Wolves fought back thanks to DB BRANDON ISAAC (ranks No. 4 in interceptions and interception returns). Isaac led the team with five solo tackles, three interceptions, and three breakups. The victory was the team's first with Potts under center. DL BRYAN ROBINSON leads the club in sacks and ranks fourth in the league with nine. Isaac moved into the league's top five in total interceptions with seven. Quad City has struggled since its Week 7 win at Manchester. The Steamwheelers have lost their last six games by an average of 14.2 points per contest. Last week Quad City lost on the road at division rival Milwaukee, 60-41. Although the Steamwheelers dominated the Iron in net passing yards (325 vs. 133) and total offensive yards (338 vs. 158), they were still not able to turn their many opportunities into points. QB BRIAN ZBYDNIEWSKI completed nearly 60 percent of his passes (30-of-53) for 331 yards. He also was responsible for all of the team's six touchdowns, five passing plays and one rushing. He also threw three interceptions, however, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Quad City couldn't contain Milwaukee's offense as the Iron scored touchdowns on nine of its 11 possessions. The Steamwheelers had two sacks but no interceptions. They currently rank 20th overall in scoring defense, allowing opponents over 58 points per game (58.1). One of the team's bright spots this season has been veteran WR JESSE SCHMIDT. In 12 games played, Schmidt leads the league in scoring (272 points), receiving yards (1,900), total touchdowns (45) and receiving touchdowns (45). He needs just 187 yards to break Carl Bond's current af2 single-season record (2,086). In order for Quad City to break its currently losing trend, the team will need a big game from Zbydniewski and Schmidt while the defense will need to pressure Potts.

TULSA TALONS (11-1) AT TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS (9-3)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - Von Braun Center (6,642) 8:30 P.M. ET

In their one and only matchup of the season, the South Division leading Tennessee Valley Vipers will look to defend their undefeated home record (6-0) as they play host to the Central Division leading Tulsa Talons. This has the look of one of the best games of the week as Tulsa owns the No. 1-ranked scoring offense and the Vipers boast a No. 2 ranking in scoring defense. With the Talons' 64.1 PPG average, it has been extremely difficult for teams to defend against their dominating offense. In last week's game against the Green Bay Blizzard, the Talons put up double-digits for each quarter. Although they were trailing the Blizzard by four at the end of the first half, they held Green Bay to only one touchdown and two field goals for the rest of the contest, winning the game, 66-54. QB JUSTIN ALLGOOD clinched the top spot for passing TDs (8) and the No. 5 spot for passing yards (314) in last week's weekly top performances. WR JEFF HUGHLEY, who averages a league-best 237.5 all-purpose yards per game, handled 10 passes for 129 yards and four touchdowns and ran back five kickoffs for 175 yards. The Talons defense also put on a noteworthy show with four sacks, one interception and causing a handful of breakups. DL TERRANCE CARTER led the club with two sacks. The Vipers also enjoyed a comfortable victory as they defeated Florida, 54-29, thanks to a 27-0 fourth quarter run. DBs TRAVIS BLANCHARD and DEMETRIUS DERICO led the way on defense with nine tackles (7 solo, 4 ast.) and 8.5 tackles (7 solo, 3 ast.), respectively. QB KEVIN EAKIN, who leads the team in passing (2,873 yards, 62 TDs, 6 INTs) and ranks No. 2 individually in pass completions, completed 28-of-43 passes for 286 yards and six touchdowns against the Firecats. On the receiving end, WRs MICHAEL JOHNSON and JEREMY GRIER caught a combined 22 passes for 217 yards and five of Tennessee Valley's eight touchdowns. Both teams are playing at a very high level at the moment. The key will be the Vipers defense. Tennessee Valley has allowed just 26.2 points per game at the Von Braun Center. If they can slow down the high-powered Tulsa attack, the Vipers may be able to snap the Talons 10-game win streak.

ARKANSAS TWISTERS (8-4) AT RIO GRANDE VALLEY DORADOS (6-5)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - Dodge Arena (5,500) 8:30 P.M. ET

The No. 6-ranked Twisters head to Hidalgo, Texas this week to face off with Rio Grande Valley in a pivotal Southwest Division showdown. This is the second matchup of the season between these two clubs and the ninth overall. Arkansas won the first affair this year (77-64) and own the advantage all-time, 7-1. Last week the Twisters prevailed over Amarillo by one point in a riveting back-and-forth touchdown battle. The score was tied up seven times during the contest until late in the fourth quarter when the Dusters scored a touchdown in the final seconds. Amarillo, however, failed on a two-point conversion attempt that could have won the game. Twisters QB KYLE ROWLEY, who ranks among the league's top passers in a handful of categories, is the team's leader on offense. Rowley had a strong offensive showing in the win against the Dusters, completing 28-of-46 passes for 306 yards and eight touchdowns. WR AARON FAIROOZ, who was named the Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, was also a critical player in last week's game with 14 receptions for 169 yards and five touchdowns. Arkansas also leads the league in pass completions, passing yards, and total offensive yards. DB LAWRENCE RICHARDSON, who leads the team with 34.5 tackles and three interceptions, earned five total tackles (4 solo, 2 ast.) in the decision. Although there were no interceptions by the Twisters, the team managed to sack JULIAN REESE twice, giving them a total of 12 for the season. They are currently tied for 19th in total sacks. Arkansas ranks seventh in scoring at 59.4 points per game. Right behind them in the eighth position for team scoring is Rio Grande Valley at 59.0 points per game. The Dorados, currently ranked No. 13 in the latest league coaches poll, lost to Bossier-Shreveport last week in the last minute of the game. Offensively, the team looked fairly solid as QB NICK HILL, who leads the team in passing and rushing, put up 23-of-35 passes for 267 yards and five touchdowns. WR ROD WINDSOR added 16 receptions for 167 yards and three had seven solo tackles to increase his season total to a team-best 55. In what promises be another high-scoring game between the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams in total offense, the team that can make the key defensive stops will most likely win out in the end.

BOISE BURN (10-2) AT CENTRAL VALLEY COYOTES (3-9)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - Selland Arena (5,487) 10:00 P.M. ET

The No. 5-ranked Burn head to Fresno, Calif. this week to face their division rivals from Central Valley in what will be their third match-up of the season. Boise leads the all-time series, 3-1. Two of the Burn's three wins in the series have come this year. The Burn, who are one of only four teams with double-digit wins, will attempt to add to their six-game winning streak this week. In their three-point victory against Stockton last week, Boise was able to outplay the Lightning in the third quarter and gain a comfortable lead going into the fourth quarter. QB TAYLOR THARP completed 20-of-30 passes for 233 yards and five touchdowns. Since the team only earned 10 rushing yards in the game, Tharp's performance proved to be extremely critical, especially during the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. WR NICHIREN FLOWERS came up big on the receiving end with nine receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown. The team's leading receiver, WR/DB JOMO WILSON, caught four passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the No. 2-ranked pass defense made it difficult for Stockton, racking up 10 team breakups. DL ALEX GUERRERO contributed two sacks in the win. He now ranks fifth in the league with 8.0 total sacks. Another player to watch for Boise is DB TERRANCE SANDERS. Sanders leads the team with 72.5 tackles and ranks second with six interceptions. He is also a dangerous return man who has seven total kick return TDs (6 kickoff, 1 missed field goal). As Boise has been surging, the Coyotes have been struggling. Central Valley has lost six straight games overall, including last week's 38-point loss at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (58-20). After being shutout in the first quarter, the Coyotes found themselves at an immediate disadvantage against their opponents. QBs JOE AYOOB and RYAN O'HARA threw for a combined 19-of-49 passes with three total interceptions and three sacks. Ayoob was responsible for the Coyotes' three touchdowns in the game. This week the team turns the quarterback duties over to veteran journeyman RYAN PORTER. Porter's last playing stop was in Tri-Cities earlier in the year. In four games played with the Fever, Porter had 10 TDs against five INTs and completed just 49 percent of his passes. Although the Coyotes are ranked No. 2 in total defense (allowing only 247.3 yards/game), the team has struggled with the balance between both their offensive and defensive game. If the Coyotes offense continues to struggle, expect the Burn to continue their winning ways.

STOCKTON LIGHTNING (4-8) AT TRI-CITIES FEVER (1-11)

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 - Toyota Center (5,700) 10:00 P.M. ET

The Fever will be looking to halt their five-game losing streak as they host conference rival Stockton this week. This is their third matchup of the season and eighth all-time meeting. They've split in the season series so far while Stockton owns a 4-3 all-time edge. The Lightning are coming off a tough, three-point loss last week at Boise, 57-54. The teams remained tied during the first quarter of the game, but the turning point came in the third quarter when Boise tested the Stockton defense and outscored them 21-7 and then in the fourth quarter when Stockton missed a FG which led to a Boise touchdown. QB CHAD CAVENDAR completed only 50 percent of his passes (24-of-48) with six touchdowns and suffered two sacks by the Burn. The Lightning also played without their leading and No. 6 ranked overall receiver JUSTIN TAPLIN. TROY MCBROOM stepped up with 12 receptions, 125 yards and three touchdowns. FB PETER TUIALUULUU had a big game, clinching the No. 2 spot in rushing yards in last week's Weekly Top Performers with 37 yards (1 TD). Defensively, the team was also without their leading tackler, DB NATHAN KENION. However, despite the tough loss, the team was able to put pressure on Boise and intercept two passes. Stockton currently sits in the eighth and final playoff spot in the National Conference. The Fever, who traveled to undefeated Spokane last week, lost big, 69-22. The Shock shut out the Fever in the first half of the game and held them to only three touchdowns overall. QBs COLIN DRAFTS and TOMOTSUMA INOUE threw for a combined 23-of-47 and 199 yards. Drafts had three touchdown passes and one interception. WR/DB EMERY BECKLES led the team in all-purpose yards with seven kickoff returns for 79 yards and seven receptions for 62 yards and two touchdowns. The Fever struggled tremendously to defend against the Shock's passing game, allowing ten touchdowns and 430 all-purpose yards. Leading tackler DB DEVON WALKER (56) had 5.5 tackles and one pass breakup. Tri-Cities, whose only win this season came against their upcoming competitors, will need an inspired effort in all phases of the game if the team hopes to ground the Lightning for the second time in 2009.



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