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Week 3 Friday night matchups

April 15, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


MANCHESTER WOLVES (0-2) AT ALBANY CONQUEST (0-1) FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2004 - PEPSI ARENA (13,901) 7:30 P.M ET Two Northeast Division foes square face off as the Manchester Wolves go on the road to Albany to take on the Conquest. Albany returns to the state of New York for their home opener after last week's 70-55 loss at Cape Fear. Despite the loss, the Conquest offense started the season strong. Quarterback GUS ORNSTEIN threw for seven touchdowns and 315 yards in his first af2 start. Ornstein primarily connected with the Conquest's two way receivers as WR/DB JAMIE WARE caught six passes for 101 yards, WR/LB ADRIEL LINYEAR snagged five balls for 44 yards and two touchdowns, and WR/LB JIM JONES had four catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Moving the ball around is key in Arena Football but so is getting production out of your offensive specialist and OS TONY LOCKE will need to increase his output for the Conquest. Giving up anything under 70 points for the Conquest will be an improvement as the 70 points the Conquest defense gave up last week was the most in team history. The Wolves enter the game after back-to-back losses to the Steamwheelers. Last week Manchester rallied back from 26 points down to eventually tie the Steamwheelers at 42-42. But Quad City made a late field goal to beat the Wolves, 45-42. Last week saw HENRY FRAZIER score the first touchdown for the Wolves in their new home in Manchester on a kickoff return. Frazier will be a threat to return one all the way again this week. The Wolves will take the field without two key players. GEORGE WILLIAMS, who had 13 catches for 154 yards in the Wolves' first game against the Steamwheelers, went out with an injury in the first series of downs last week and will be out for the game against the Conquest. Lineman MATT KIER will also be out for the Wolves. This will be the first of three meetings between the Wolves and Conquest.

WOLVES//CONQUEST SERIES LEADER: Albany Leads Series 5-1 LAST FIVE GAMES: 0-2 // 0-1 LAST GAME: Lost vs. QUA 45-42 on 4/10 // Lost at CAF 70-55 on 4/10 PASSING: Sanders: 29-66-3; 406; 5 TDs // Ornstein: 22-40-1; 315; 7 TDs RECEIVING: Williams: 14-158; 2 TDs // Ware: 6-101; 1 TD RUSHING: Sanders: 6-37; 3 TDs // Linyear: 3-12; 0 TDs TACKLES: Walker: 5.5 // Linyear: 5 SACKS: Liddell/Wells: 1 // Anderson: 1 INTERCEPTIONS: Frazier/Sebastien/Liddell: 1 // Albany 0 KICKING: Obert: 5-7 PAT; 1-5 FG 8 PTs // Green: 3-8 PAT; 1-2 FG 7 PTs

TEAM OFFENSE: 37.0 PPG (18th); 229.0 YPG (17th) // 55.0 PPG (7th); 315.0 YPG (2nd) TEAM DEFENSE: 58.0 PPG (23rd); 290.5 YPG (20th) // 70.0 PPG (25th); 286.0 YPG (19th)

MACON KNIGHTS (0-1) AT LOUISVILLE FIRE (1-0) FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2004 - FREEDOM HALL (15,646) 7:30 P.M ET The Macon Knights travel to Louisville to take on the Fire in the first ever meeting between the two clubs. After winning their season opener last year, the Fire managed only four victories for the rest of the season, but last season the Fire didn't have quarterback MATT SAUK. While Sauk threw only one touchdown pass in the season opening win last week against the Islanders, he completed 23 passes and kept the Fire offense moving down the field. RYAN RUSSELL returned the opening kickoff of the season back for a touchdown and MIKE MILLS made the key interception for the Fire as the Islanders were driving for a go ahead score late in the fourth quarter. Look for Russell and Mills in the middle of the action again against the Knights. Pike will have to look out for Knight's defensive specialist LAVAR RAINEY, who had a huge game last week. Rainey racked up: a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception, two pass break ups, and 2.5 tackles in Macon's week one loss to Tulsa. MIACAH COOPER had eight catches for 110 yards last week and will look to have another solid game against the Fire. Knight's Quarterback CALEB SLOVER can't repeat his two-interception performance in last week's game against Tulsa. This will be the only meeting between the Knights and Fire this season.

KNIGHTS // FIRE SERIES LEADER First Meeting LAST FIVE GAMES: 0-1 // 1-0 LAST GAME: Lost vs. TUL 49-40 on 4/10 // Won vs. HAW 37-35 on 4/10 PASSING: Slover: 22-45-2; 250; 4 TDs // Sauk: 23-30-1; 242; 1 TD RECEIVING: Cooper: 8-110; 0 TDs // Scott: 7-70; 0 TDs RUSHING: Slover: 6-15; 1 TD // Forney: 4-16; 0 TDs TACKLES: Ellison: 3.5 // Thomas: 10 SACKS: Knights 0 // Ferguson: 1 INTERCEPTIONS: Rainey: 1 // Mills: 1 KICKING: Virgilso: 2-5 PAT; 0-1 FG 2 PTs // Samuel: 4-5 PAT; 1- FG 7 PTs TEAM OFFENSE: 40.0 PPG (15th); 285.0 YPG (8th) // 37.0 PPG (19th); 267.0 YPG (10th) TEAM DEFENSE: 49.0 PPG (18th); 214.0 YPG (9th) // 35.0 PPG (7th); 272.0 YPG (16th)

WICHITA STEALTH (2-0) AT PEORIA PIRATES (1-1) FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2004 - PEORIA CIVIC CENTER (9,772) 8:00 P.M ET A rematch from week one plays out in Peoria as the Wichita Stealth go on the road to take on the Pirates. In week one the Stealth beat the Pirates 33-13. The Pirates' offense has been slow to start this season, averaging only 17.5 points a game, but they have the tools to put up big numbers. Wichita has the league's leading defense giving up only 17.5 points a game thus far on the season. Peoria brings in the af2's second ranked defense, giving up only 23 points a game, and will look to stop Wichita receivers JONATHAN JACKSON and CHRIS HIGHSHAW who each have three of Wichita's seven touchdown receptions. If Peoria looks to get revenge for the week one loss they will need to score more than 13 points and Pirates' quarterback MICHAEL SOUZA will have to be the one to lead the charge. Pirates' receiver and af2 veteran XAVIER PATTERSON will look to help out Souza by building on his 63 af2 career touchdown receptions. Wichita and Peoria have a history together. They are former division rivals and the Pirates beat the Stealth by one point in the 2002 Playoffs on their way to the ArenaCup title. With this history and two solid defenses look for a very physical game.

STEALTH // PIRATES SERIES LEADER: Peoria Leads Series 3-2 LAST FIVE GAMES: 2-0 // 1-1 LAST GAME: Won vs. LAR 44-22 on 4/10 // Won vs. ARK 22-13 on 4/9 PASSING: Sparrow: 33-57-2; 406; 7 TDs // Souza: 19-47-0; 226; 4 TDs RECEIVING: Jackson: 10-131; 3 TDs // Matthews: 6-84; 1 TD RUSHING: Richardson: 2-34; 0 TDs // Souza: 6-20; 0 TDs TACKLES: Livingston: 10.5 // Worthman: 12.5 SACKS: Holloman: 2.0 // Urlacher: 1.5 INTERCEPTIONS: Ardoin: 1 // Worthman/West: 1 KICKING: Pohlman: 8-11 PAT; 1-3 FG 11 PTs // Aguiar: 2-4 PAT; 1-8 FG 5 PTs TEAM OFFENSE: 38.5 PPG (16th); 230.5 YPG (16th) // 17.5 PPG (24th); 150.0 YPG (25th) TEAM DEFENSE: 17.5 PPG (1st); 162.0 YPG (2nd) // 23.0 PPG (2nd); 190.0 YPG (6th)

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (1-0) AT GREEN BAY BLIZZARD (1-0) FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2004 - RESCH CENTER (8,600) 8:30 P.M ET With wins in both of their respective season openers the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers and Green Bay Blizzard enter their game in Green Bay above .500 for the first time in team history. Both teams used a big fourth quarter push to win their first games of the season in Week 2. The Blizzard began the final quarter up by only four points but extended that lead to 18 to get the win over the Riptide. The Pioneers trailed 30-16 in the fourth quarter to the Columbus Wardogs before fighting back and eventually winning the game on a 17-yard touchdown pass from TIM HICKS to ROCCO FORGIONE. The Pioneers entered last week thinking veteran af2 quarterback MIKE GLUSKI would be their starter, but after he struggled and Tim Hicks led the Pioneers to their comeback victory, a quarterback controversy was created. After being tied for the league's lowest scoring offense last season at 34.2 points a game, the Blizzard offense exploded in their 2004 opener with a team record 67 points. Quarterback CHRIS GREISEN looked solid with half of his ten completed passes being thrown for touchdowns. DENNIS GILE came in and cleaned up for Greisen throwing three touchdown passes himself. No matter who was throwing the ball they both found Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Week RANDALL LANE. Lane totaled ten catches for six touchdowns and 159 yards. One of the few returning Blizzard players, ROBERT GARTH, will look to have a similar game against the Pioneers as he did last week when he had three touchdowns, one being an interception returned for a touchdown. With what looks to be a potent offense for the Blizzard, the Pioneers will have to get off to a stronger start this week or they may find themselves down by too many points to come back.

PIONEERS // BLIZZARD SERIES LEADER: First Meeting LAST FIVE GAMES: 1-0 // 1-0 LAST GAME: Won vs. COL 38-33 on 4/10 // Won at SAN 67-49 on 4/9 PASSING: Gluski: 7-16-3; 77; 1 TD // Greisen: 10-15-0; 176; 5 TDs RECEIVING: Forgione: 5-58; 1 TD // Lane: 10-159; 6 TD RUSHING: Hicks: 2-31; 1 TD // Greisen: 1-7; 0 TDs TACKLES: Grove: 12 // Wood: 6 SACKS: Bandy: 1 // Foffio: 1.0 INTERCEPTIONS: Ameer: 1 // Finley/Garth/Ebeling: 1 KICKING: Davis: 3-4 PAT; 3-4 FG 6 PTs // Krauss: 7-10 PAT; 0-3 FG 7 PTs TEAM OFFENSE: 38.0 PPG (17th); 231.0 YPG (15th) // 67.0 PPG (2nd); 238.0 YPG (13th) TEAM DEFENSE: 33.0 PPG (6th); 219.0 YPG (10th) // 45.0 PPG (17th); 290.0 YPG (20th)

WEEK 3 SCHEDULE Friday, April 16, 2004 Manchester at Albany 7:30 p.m. Macon at Louisville 7:30 p.m. Wichita at Peoria 8:00 p.m. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Green Bay 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 17, 2004 Cape Fear at Columbus 7:30 p.m. Birmingham at Arkansas 8:00 p.m. Florida at Memphis 8:00 p.m. Tennessee Valley at Quad City 8:30 p.m. San Diego at Bakersfield 10:00 p.m. BOS-SHR at Hawaii 12:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. local) Central Valley Bye Laredo Bye Oklahoma City Bye Rio Grande Valley Bye Tulsa Bye All Times Eastern

-HOMETOWN FOOTBALL-



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