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Week eight af2 Friday night matchups

May 19, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


SOUTH GEORGIA WILDCATS (2-4) AT MANCHESTER WOLVES (5-1)

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2005 - VERIZON WIRELESS ARENA (9,650) 7:30 P.M. ET

The Manchester Wolves look to keep their share of the lead in the East Division. Since losing to the defending ArenaCup Champion Florida Firecats in Week 1, the Wolves have won five straight games. QB JAKE EATON and J.J. MCKELVEY have led the Manchester offense connecting 52 times for 14 touchdowns. McKelvey's 52 receptions makes him tied for the league lead. The swarming Wolves defense ranks fourth in the league in scoring defense, but won't have to contend with last year's Offensive Player of the Year MATT BURSTEIN. The Wildcats' receiver will not be playing in Friday's game. This means CHRIS MCKINNEY will have to step up and increase his team leading 11 touchdown receptions. On defense, McKinney is the Wildcats' leading tackler with 21.0 tackles (16UA 10A) including half of a tackle for a loss. Wildcats QB BOBBY PESAVENTO has completed 62.8% of his 218 pass attempts on his way to a league leading 271.0 yards passing per game. Pesavento also ranks fourth in the league with 32 touchdown passes. On the Manchester defense, WILLIAM HAITH and ALLISTAIR SEBASTIAN have combined for 90.0 tackles including 71 solo tackles. For the first time in franchise history, the Manchester Wolves secured the top ranking of the weekly Coaches' Poll and look to keep that honor Friday night against South Georgia. This is the only time these two teams will meet this season unless it is in the playoffs.


WILDCATS WOLVES SERIES LEADER South Georgia leads series 3-2
LAST MEETING Cape Fear won 47-33 at Manchester on 7/16/04
LAST FIVE GAMES 3-2 2-3
LAST GAME Won vs. Arkansas 62-48 Won at Albany 48-47
2005 STATISTICS WILDCATS WOLVES PASSING Pesavento: 218-137-6; 1355; 32 TDs Eaton: 188-137-3; 1515; 32 TDs
RECEIVING Cockfield: 40-406; 8 TDs McKelvey: 52-527; 14 TDs
RUSHING Turner: 5-4; 0 TDs Kimener: 28-66; 1 TD
TACKLES McKinney: 21.0 Haith: 49.0
SACKS Scott: 2.5 Fuller: 2.0
INTERCEPTIONS Fenceroy: 4 Sebastian: 4
KICKING Virgilio: 18-25 PAT; 0-3 FG 18 PTs Ohlige: 24-40 PAT; 1-6 FG 27 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 49.0 PPG (7); 273.3 YPG (6) 48.5 PPG (9); 267.5 YPG (10)
TEAM DEFENSE 47.8 PPG (11); 212.0 YPG (1) 39.7 PPG (4); 281.2 YPG (17)

SAN DIEGO RIPTIDE (2-4) AT BAKERSFIELD BLITZ (2-4)

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2005 - RABOBANK ARENA (9,000) 10:00 P.M. ET

The San Diego Riptide look to make it two in a row for the first time this season coming off a much-needed victory at home against Birmingham last week. The Riptide are also looking for a little payback from when these two met last time on April 15th. Bakersfield found themselves running on all cylinders in a 57-30 trounce. San Diego QB KANE CLAUNCH returned last week completing 23-of-32 passing for 256 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. RYAN SMITH has three rushing touchdowns, with one coming each of the last two weeks. Throughout the season receiver NIAN TAYLOR has shown the San Diego faithful flashes of brilliance and last week was no exception. He finished with 11 catches for 106 yards and five touchdowns in the victory over Birmingham. This was just a week after failing to catch a touchdown against the Dorados the week before. Taylor will want to look for ALEX WALLACE and his team leading four interceptions for the Blitz. Wallace has also caught eight passes for 58 yards on offense. The Riptide defense has been led by ANTHONY GRIFFIN and rookie ASI FAOA. Griffin has a team leading 17.5 tackles while Faoa ranks second in arenafootball2 with 6.5 sacks. Blitz QB JASON THOMAS is hoping he can improve upon last weeks total where he was the Tulsa Talons defense held him to one touchdown pass. The winner of this game will find themselves back in the race for the West Division. The two will meet this season on two more occurrences, June 4th in Week 10 and July 23rd in Week 17.



RIPTIDE BLITZ SERIES LEADER Bakersfield leads series 4-1
LAST MEETING Bakersfield won 57-30 vs. San Diego on 4/15/05
LAST FIVE GAMES 1-4 2-3
LAST GAME Won vs. Birmingham 77-44 Lost vs. Tulsa 41-31
2005 STATISTICS RIPTIDE BLITZ PASSING Buich: 126-58-3; 687; 11 TDs Thomas: 108-54-5; 640; 11 TDs
RECEIVING Taylor: 42-437; 11 TDs Reynolds: 29-373; 5 TDs
RUSHING Griffin: 9-29; 3 TDs Thomas: 23-99; 4 TDs
TACKLES Griffin: 17.5 Shorter: 44.5
SACKS Faoa: 6.5 King: 3.0
INTERCEPTIONS Smith: 2 Wallace: 4
KICKING Naehu: 25-31 PAT; 4-9 FG 37 PTs Burnett: 25-31 PAT; 3-14 FG 34 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 46.3 PPG (12); 232.5 YPG (19) 39.3 PPG (19); 213.5 YPG (20)
TEAM DEFENSE 52.2 PPG (16); 234.5 YPG (4) 37.3 PPG (3); 235.2 YPG (5)

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