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Week Eleven Honors

Published on June 9, 2009 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


CHICAGO - Albany wide receiver/linebacker ALVIN RAY JACKSON, Bossier-Shreveport fullback JASON SCHULE and Amarillo defensive back GERARD LEWIS have been named the JLS Ironman, Russell Athletic Offensive Player and Aaron's Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for Week 11 of 2009, the af2's 10th anniversary season. In addition to these three awards, the af2 is also highlighting the player who makes the best catch and the best hit of the week. The Big Game Catch of the Week Award for Week 11 goes to Tri-Cities wide receiver FINAS RABB and the NiFTy Hit of the Week is awarded to Boise linebacker LEVI MADARIETA.

JLS IRONMAN OF THE WEEK

Jackson (6-1, 195, Albany State), in his third af2 season, was all over the field for Albany (4-6) in the team's Week 11, 48-46, road win against East Division rival Manchester. Jackson caught six passes for 71 yards on offense. On defense, he was solid, recording 4.5 tackles, one forced fumble and one pass breakup. This is the first Ironman of the Week Award for Jackson this season and the first of his career. He is currently tied for second in the af2 for fumbled recoveries (4) and has 47 receptions this season for 485 yards and 14 TDs. He also leads the Firebirds in interceptions (2), scoring (96 points) and tackles (39).

RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Schule (6-0, 250, Louisiana Monroe), is slashing af2 rushing records in his third season. The Louisiana Monroe alum set two league marks in Bossier-Shreveport's 79-29 home win against Corpus Christi in Week 11. Schule had 13 rushes for 112 yards with six rushing TDs against the Sharks. His rushing yards and rushing touchdowns totals both set af2 single-game records. Schule is the first player in league history to rush for at least 100 yards in an af2 game. Kenyatta Spruill set the previous league-high rushing yards standard in 2001 with 96 yards. Seven different players owned the previous af2 record for rushing touchdowns with five. Schule has now moved into second place on the af2 career rushing list with 1,148 yards and trails another former BattleWings player, Sherard Poteete, who has 1,346 yards. He currently leads the af2 in rushing yards in 2009 with 416 and is tied for the league lead in rushing TDs with 16. Schule is also just 84 yards shy of the league single-season record for rushing yards. Former Florida standout Steve Gorrie rushed for 500 yards in 2004. This is the first Offensive Player of the Week honor of Schule's career.

AARON'S DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Lewis (5-9, 176, Hawaii), in his first af2 season, stood out on defense for Amarillo in the team's, 62-48, Week 11 home win against Rio Grande Valley. The rookie defensive back from Hawaii was a difference maker for the Dusters with a team-high 6.5 tackles, one forced fumble, one pass breakup and a game-high two interceptions. Midway through the fourth quarter the Dusters owned a 56-34 advantage, but they saw that lead shrink to 56-48 with time winding down. With Rio Grande Valley attempting to tie the game with less than 30 seconds to play, Lewis stepped in the way for his second interception of the night. He returned the pick 14 yards for a touchdown to seal the win for Amarillo (2-8). Lewis is tied for the team lead in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (7) and ranks second on the Dusters in tackles (33).

THE BIG GAME CATCH OF THE WEEK

Rabb (6-6, 201, Washington State), in his first af2 season, is the Week 11 recipient of The Big Game Catch of the Week Award. This is Finas' first Big Game Catch of the Week Award. His brother, Boise's Jerard Rabb, picked up the honor in Week 8. With seven minutes left in the first half, Rabb made a leaping 11-yard touchdown grab in the back of the end zone that carried him up and over the wall. He flipped head over heals onto the opposite side of the wall and still came down with the catch which at that point of the game gave Tri-Cities a three-point lead, 21-18. Despite the result (53-37 loss), Rabb had a team-best two touchdown receptions on the night on seven catches for 83 yards. In four games played this season, the Washington State alum has 27 catches for 272 yards and four touchdowns.

NIFTY HIT OF THE WEEK

Madarieta (6-3, 250, Brigham Young), in his third af2 season, has been awarded the NiFTy Hit of the Week Award, a new weekly honor that highlights the player who makes the best hit or tackle of the week. In the Burn's recent 67-48 victory against Central Valley, the linebacker from Brigham Young squared up against Coyotes receiver LaMonte Jones after a 10-yard catch and drove him to the turf. Boise DB Terrance Sanders had the assist on the tackle as he delayed Jones long enough for Madarieta to finish the job. Madarieta is tied with Sanders for the team lead in interceptions with six. He also ranks third on his team in tackles with 33.5. With the win, the Burn improved to 8-2 on the season and rank second in the West Division behind Spokane (9-0).

JLS Ironman of the Week candidates included:

Tennessee Valley's Travis Blanchard, Tulsa's Jeff Hughley, Bossier-Shreveport's P.J. Berry, Iowa's Tanner Varner, Oklahoma City's Craig Fulton Jr., Boise's Terrance Sanders, Peoria's Darren Paige, Green Bay's Robert Garth, Stockton's Justin Taplin, Manchester's Emery Sammons, Milwaukee's Antoine Burns, Milwaukee's Scott Burnoski, Albany's Christian Wise and Amarillo's Keita Iizuka.

Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Week candidates included:

Tennessee Valley's Kevin Eakin, Tulsa's Justin Allgood, Iowa's Errick McCown, Oklahoma City's Al Hunt, Boise's Damian Walker, Peoria's Dante Ridgeway, Green Bay's Nate Forse, Stockton's Chad Cavender, Manchester's Emery Sammons, Milwaukee's Todd Hammel and Amarillo's Julian Reese.

Aaron's Defensive Player of the Week candidates included:

Tennessee Valley's Vince Hill, Tulsa's Jamar Ransom, Bossier-Shreveport's Roland Cola, Iowa's Tanner Varner, Oklahoma City's Steven Coleman, Boise's Levi Madarieta, Peoria's Josh Ferguson, Stockton's Jason Hunt, Manchester's Brandon Isaac and Milwaukee's Scott Burnoski.

The Big Game Catch of the Week candidates included:

Albany's Jared Jones, Milwaukee's Brian Pray, Peoria's Brian Allbrooks, Arkansas' James Todd, Quad-City's Jesse Schmidt, Bossier-Shreveport's P.J. Berry, Tulsa's Zach Edwards, Tennessee Valley's Larry Shipp, Amarillo's DeVaughn Flagler and Boise's Jerard Rabb.

NiFTy Hit of the Week candidates included:

Manchester's Brandon Isaac, Milwaukee's Bryant Sylvas, Quad City's Jermaine Petty, Bossier-Shreveport's Dannie Snyder, Tulsa's Antwan Floyd, Kentucky's Lonnell Dewalt, Amarillo's Kyle Wilson and Stockton's Manuel Wright.

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