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Week one: Friday night matchups

Published on March 31, 2005 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


OKLAHOMA CITY YARD DAWGZ (0-0) AT WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (0-0)

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2005 – WACHOVIA ARENA AT CASEY PLAZA (7,950) 7:30 P.M. ET

Two of last season's most potent playoff teams face off in the 2005 af2 season opener. In what proves to be an exciting match up, both teams will be out to get off on the right foot and forget the heartbreak of losing close battles in the playoffs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, last season's Northeast Division champion, returns one of the most dangerous tandems in af2 with QB TIM HICKS and OS J.R. THOMAS. The two combined 97 times for 1316 yards and 26 scores during the 2004 campaign. The Pioneers did, however, lose one of their primary scoring threats in LEROY MCFADDEN. McFadden caught 23 touchdowns and his production will need to be replaced by newcomer CARMELO OCASIO. The Pioneers posted a 7-1 home record during the regular season in 2004 and hope to maintain their home field advantage to start the new year. The Yard Dawgz return an experienced line-up that features 2003 ArenaCup MVP, Craig Strickland and former Tulsa teammate AL HUNT. Strickland is coming off of a great year in which he threw for almost 4,000 yards and 84 touchdowns. KRIS PETERS, Oklahoma City's leading receiver in '04 has not returned leaving a large void on offense. There are also large shoes to fill on defense, as leading pass rusher JAMES LANDERS is gone. Hunt will continue to provide offensive support but will also look to build on his strong defensive performance in '04 in which he led the team in tackles (53.0) but also picked off two passes and recovered two fumbles.


YARD DAWGZ PIONEERS SERIES LEADER First meeting
LAST MEETING NA
LAST FIVE GAMES 2-3 4-1
LAST GAME Lost vs. PEO 45-36 on 8/7/2004 in playoffs Lost vs. FLA 41-31 on 8/22/2004 in playoffs
2004 LEADERS YARD DAWGZ PIONEERS PASSING Strickland: 459-268-11; 3905; 84 TDs Hicks: 465-286-8; 3679; 82 TDs
RECEIVING Peters: 92-1304; 24 TDs Thomas: 97-1316; 26 TDs
RUSHING Balous: 24-99; 5 TDs Nagle: 43-141; 10 TDs
TACKLES Hunt: 53.0 Hattley: 91.0
SACKS Landers: 8.5 Bandy/Thorpe: 4.5
INTERCEPTIONS Joseph: 3 Hattley: 6
KICKING Obert: 107-122 PAT; 6-20 FG 126 PTs Davis: 81-97 PAT; 10-16 FG 111 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 56.8 PPG; 276.8 YPG 51.2 PPG; 256.9 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 48.1 PPG; 268.8 YPG 41.1 PPG; 239.8 YPG

FLORIDA FIRECATS (0-0) AT MACON KNIGHTS (0-0)

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2005 – MACON COLISEUM (7,128) 7:30 P.M. ET

The ArenaCup 2004 Champions look to pick up where they left off in their season opening game versus the Macon Knights. These two rivals have squared off nine times, with the Firecats holding a series edge 5-4. However, the Knights boast a victory in the last meeting between these two teams, a tough fought 43-34 decision. Florida travels to Macon with some new weapons to show off in the season opener. af2 veterans QB MIKE GLUSKI, WR/LB XAVIER PATTERSON, and DS KELLY SNELL will be wearing Firecats' uniforms for the first time. The trio each has had impressive af2 stints and look to step in for the departed QB KEN MASTROLE, OS CAINON LAMB, and DS QUINCY SORRELL. Mastrole's influence will not be forgotten, as the veteran signal caller returns as Florida's Offensive Coordinator. The Knights return seven from last year's team that finished a disappointing 3-13 season. Head coach MIKE HOLD will need to rely on new signal caller KENTON EVANS to help bring Macon's offense back to life. The Knights to have some weapons in their receiving corps, with HOSEA LANEY and JAMAAL GARMAN returning. Defensively, ANDRE SLAPPEY is veteran af2 pass rusher with the potential to disrupt at the line. Laney led the team in tackles with 65 and in interceptions with 4.0 in 2004 and will be called upon to do double duty once again in 2005.


FIRECATS KNIGHTS SERIES LEADER Florida Leads Series 5-4
LAST MEETING Macon won 43-34 at Florida on 6/26/2004
LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 1-4
LAST GAME Won vs. PEO 39-26 on 8/27/2004 in ArenaCup 2004 Lost vs. BIR 51-30 on 7/31/2004
2004 LEADERS FIRECATS KNIGHTS PASSING Mastrole: 466-276-11; 3390; 76 TDs Burch: 208-122-6; 1207; 22 TDs
RECEIVING Lamb: 98-1054; 28 TDs Garman: 96-1059; 24 TDs
RUSHING Gorrie: 110-500; 17 TDs Jackson: 24-100; 2 TDs
TACKLES Sorrell: 100.5 Laney: 65.5
SACKS Morant: 4.0 Slappey: 2.0
INTERCEPTIONS Sorrell/Stabler/Washington/Burnside: 2 Laney: 4.0
KICKING Kornblue: 51-69 PAT; 2-7 FG 57 PTs Ohliger: 44-64 PAT; 9-28 FG 71 PTs
TEAM OFFENSE 49.1 PPG; 257.4 YPG 37.4 PPG; 238.4 YPG
TEAM DEFENSE 38.2 PPG; 207.9 YPG 48.7 PPG; 247.4 YPG

TULSA TALONS (0-0) AT AMARILLO DUSTERS (0-0)

FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2005 – AMARILLO CIVIC CENTER (4,870) 8:00 P.M. ET

The Talons get first look at af2's newest team, the Amarillo Dusters. While the Duster's af2 credentials are unknown, any team visiting the expansion franchise should be aware of The Amarillo Civic Center, or known by locals as "The Cellar." The Duster's will hope to parlay home field advantage into an opening day upset of a perennial af2 power. Former AFL quarterback, RICKEY FOGGIE, is the Duster's Offensive Coordinator. The Dusters brought 24 rookies to camp, but hope to call upon Foggie's leadership to help speed up the learning process. MELVIN PHILLIPS brings three years of af2 experience to the WR/LB position and MARKEVIOUS WOODS adds three more on the offensive and defensive lines. Tulsa will look to exploit Amarillo's af2 inexperience with a roster that returns 14 from last years team that finished 13-3. The Talons did lose the services of their two most dangerous offensive weapons, QB BOB BEES and OS MITCH ALLNER. Allner does return as Offensive Coordinator, but his experience on the field will be missed. BEN BOWLING and JOSH BLANKENSHIP will try and fill Bees shoes as signal caller. Leading receiver ROBERT REED returns and will hope to expose the Duster's young defensive backfield.

TALONS DUSTERS SERIES LEADER First meeting
LAST MEETING NA
LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 NA
LAST GAME Lost vs. PEO 30-28 on 8/21/2004 in playoffs NA
2004 LEADERS TALONS DUSTERS PASSING Bees: 313-204-8; 2508; 59 TDs NA
RECEIVING Reed: 106-1336; 34 TDs NA
RUSHING Martin: 52-164; 13 TDs NA
TACKLES Davis: 45.0 NA
SACKS Dingle: 7.0 NA
INTERCEPTIONS Barre/Duncan: 4 NA
KICKING Knott: 87-123 PAT; 3-11 FG 96 PTs NA
TEAM OFFENSE 57.6 PPG; 267.9 YPG NA
TEAM DEFENSE 46.1 PPG; 239.1 YPG NA


Week 1 Schedule

Friday, April 1

Oklahoma City at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 7:30 p.m.

Florida at Macon 7:30 p.m.

Tulsa at Amarillo 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 2

Central Valley at Bakersfield 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 3

Memphis at Bossier-Shreveport 4:00 p.m.

Bye: Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Quad City, Albany, Green Bay, Louisville, Manchester, Arkansas, Birmingham, South Georgia

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