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Week Twelve: Friday Night Matchups

June 12, 2008 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


TENNESEE VALLEY VIPERS (7-3) AT WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PIONEERS (8-2)

FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2008 - Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (7,950) 7:00 P.M. ET

Week 12 kicks off Friday night with one of the most intriguing matchups of the season so far as the Vipers travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pa. to take on the Pioneers. This is the second all-time meeting between the two teams. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton won the only previous affair last year in Huntsville, Ala., 34-30. This year's Vipers have been one of the hottest teams in the league of late with seven straight wins. Tennessee Valley's most recent result was a 64-48 home victory against the Lexington Horsemen. Vipers QB KEVIN EAKIN completed 25-of-44 passes for six touchdowns and 256 yards to pace the team on offense. WR MAURICE BROWN was his Eakin's favorite target with 11 catches for 139 yards and four scores. Brown is the team's top pass catcher with 84 catches for 1,016 yards and 22 scores. The team ranks fifth in the af2 in scoring offense at 54.3 points per game. DL ERIC SCOTT was a force on defense against Lexington with four tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup and a blocked field goal attempt. TERRANCE FORD (4 sacks, one for a safety) and HENRY FREEMAN (8.5 tackles, one forced fumble, one interception) were also playmakers for the Vipers on the defensive side. Scott's two sacks upped his season total to 14 which tied him with former standout WES STEPHENS for the Tennessee Valley single-season sack record. DB DEMETRIUS DERICO leads the squad in tackles (47.5) and interceptions (8). The Vipers are currently ranked No. 5 in the latest league coaches poll. The Pioneers enter this important Week 12 tilt at No. 3 overall in the latest league coaches poll. After a loss in Week 10, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got back on the winning side with a 69-27 road win over East Division foe Albany. Veteran QB RYAN VENA fuels the league's highest-scoring offense (64.6 points per game). Vena leads the af2 in completion percentage (73.4) and passer rating (129.3) and ranks fourth in TD passes with 52. He's 6-1 in seven starts for the team this season and 23-4 overall in a year and a half with the Pioneers. Vena has spread the ball to a number of dangerous receivers this season. He'll have yet another weapon at his disposal this week thanks to the addition of 2007 All-af2 First Team member BAKARI BROWN. Brown led the league in receptions a year ago with 158. He also accumulated 1,589 yards receiving to go along with 28 TDs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is nearly as potent on defense as the group ranks second in the af2 in points per game allowed (35.5). The Pioneers are led by pass rushers like DL ISAAC HILTON (12.5 sacks) and DE JUSTIN PARRISH (8.5 sacks). DB MICHEAUX ROBINSON is the team's top cover man with nine interceptions (3 INT return TDs). The Pioneers have been nearly unbeatable at Wachovia Arena, winning 16 straight games dating back to 2006. The team's current home win streak is tied for the second longest in league history.

MANCHESTER WOLVES (4-6) AT MAHONING VALLEY THUNDER (2-8)

FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2008 - Chevrolet Centre (6,100) 7:05 P.M. ET

The Manchester Wolves head to Youngstown, Ohio this week to take on Mahoning Valley in an important East Division matchup. The Wolves have won all three meetings to date with the second-year Thunder, including the only meeting in 2008. Manchester won a close one in Week 2, 45-39. A lot has happened since then. Both teams struggled moving forward, but the Wolves look to have turned things around in the last month. Manchester has won three straight contests, including last week's 47-35 home win against the Florida Firecats. QB JAMES PINKNEY finished with 19 completions on 22 attempts for 246 yards with no interceptions and four passing touchdowns plus another two rushing. WR/DB BRADLY CHAVEZ was a force on both sides again and contributed 6.5 tackles, one tackle for loss and three total touchdowns on offense (2 receiving, 1 rushing). DL JOE CREAR was a force up front with 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles in the victory. Manchester's defense had arguably its best outing of the year as the Wolves held Florida to just 35 points. Chavez (60-792-18) and WR EMERY SAMMONS (60-872-18) are Pinkney's two top receiving threats. Pinkney has been a big factor behind the Wolves improved play of late. In the team's current three-game win streak, the second-year signal caller from East Carolina has accounted for 23 TDs (17 passing, 6 rushing) and has thrown just one interception. Crear leads the team in sacks with seven. Mahoning Valley enters this Week 12 tilt on the heels of a 60-54 road loss at Quad City. The Thunder had no answer for Steamwheelers WR Kris Peters, caught 12 passes for 186 yards and five touchdowns. Mahoning Valley has to be a bit more optimistic this week after the team had its second-highest scoring output of the year. The offensive attack was spearheaded by QB DAVON VINSON and WR CLENTON RAFE. After going scoreless in the opening quarter, the Thunder offense exploded for 27 second quarter points. Vinson, making his first start for the Thunder (2nd appearance overall), was nearly flawless. The Northwestern State product completed 25-of-39 passes for 283 yards with seven touchdown tosses and his second rushing touchdown in as many weeks. After stepping in under center midway through the first quarter of last week's game, Vinson has thrown 11 TDs and rushed for two scores while committing just two turnovers. Rafe, who just rejoined the squad last week, caught 10 passes for 164 yards and a Thunder season-high five TDs. Mahoning Valley took the lead in the second quarter and never trailed until Quad City's Adam Vogel recovered a Vinson fumble in the end zone for the game-winning score with 49 seconds remaining. Rookie FB/LB JOHN TACKMANN leads the Thunder in rushing touchdowns (11) and tackles (42.5) and ranked third on the squad in tackles for loss (3.5). KELLEN DRISCOLL has been a presence on defense for Mahoning Valley with 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. The Thunder will need to contain Pinkney and the Wolves improved offense if they hope to cool off Manchester's current hot streak.



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