Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers game notes

Published on August 2, 2005 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Green Bay Blizzard (9-7)
@ Wilkes-Barre Scranton Pioneers (9-7)
Date: Saturday, August 6th
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EST
Site: Wachovia Arena (7,950)
National Anthem- TBA
Coin Toss- TBA
Officials:
Referee-
Umpire-
Head Linesman-
Line Judge-
Back Judge-
Radio: 980 AM - WILK
Series Record: The Pioneers and Blizzard have split the series 1-1.
Last Meeting: Pioneers defeated the Blizzard in Green Bay 38-24.
Streaks: Pioneers- 2 Wins
Blizzard- Win
Coaches:
Les Moss (WBS)(2004 14-4, 2005 9-7)
Bob Landsee (GBB)(2005 9-7)

THE STAKES: By defeating Macon in week 18, the Pioneers clinch home field advantage for the first round of playoffs. A loss for either team will end the 2005 season.

THE SERIES: The series is tied 1-1. Wilkes-Barre defeated Green Bay in their last meeting in Green Bay. The Blizzard did, however, beat Wilkes-Barre at the Wachovia Arena in week 5.

THE Ifs:
If the Pioneers defeat the Blizzard, they will improve their record to 10-7 on the season.
If the Pioneers defeat the Blizzard, they will improve their series record to 2-1.
If the Pioneers defeat the Blizzard, they will advance to the second round of the American Conference Playoffs.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (9-7)
Date Opponent Result Score
4/1 OKLAHOMA --- W 59-47
4/10 QUAD CITY --- W 64-28
4/15 @ Albany --- W 57-34
4/22 LOUISVILLE --- L 50-58
4/30 GREEN BAY --- L 40-48
5/14 @ Quad City --- W 63-55
5/21 @ Rio Grande --- L 52-49
5/27 MANCHESTER --- L 46-33
6/3 @ Green Bay --- W 38-24
6/11 ALBANY --- W 43-34
6/18 @ Macon --- L 53-41
6/25 @ S. Georgia --- W 65-46
7/8 @ Manchester --- L 63-36
7/16 @ Florida --- L 48-47
7/23 ALBANY --- W 54-47
7/30 MACON --- W 53-52
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
8/6 GREEN BAY 7:30PM 1-1

Green Bay (9-7)
Date Opponent Result Score
4/8 ALBANY --- W 49-41
4/16 @ Manchester --- L 59-41
4/23 MACON --- W 28-18
4/30 @ Wilkes-Barre --- W 48-40
5/7 @ Arkansas --- W 48-35
5/14 LOUISVILLE --- W 65-49
5/21 QUAD CITY --- W 56-49
5/28 @ Birmingham --- L 55-26
6/3 WILKES-BARRE --- L 38-24
6/11 MANCHESTER --- L 62-48
6/18 @ Louisville --- W 56-49
6/24 BIRMINGHAM --- W 69-41
7/9 @ Quad City --- L 40-37
7/15 @ Albany --- L 88-82
7/23 FLORIDA --- L 48-47
7/30 @ S. Georgia --- W 78-44
Date Opponent Time Streak Series
8/6 @ Wilkes-Barre 7:30PM W2 1-1

HEAD COACH: Les Moss, one of the most experienced and respected coaches in Arena Football history, will lead the Pioneers into the 2005 arenafootball2 season. This will be Coach Moss's second season with the Pioneers. He was awarded af2's Coach of the Year for the 2004 season while with the Pioneers. Coach Moss served as Assistant Coach/Director of Player Personnel for the AFL's Orlando Predators. During his career with Orlando, Moss helped guide the Predators to 11 playoff appearances, six ArenaBowl championship games, and two titles (1998 and 2000).

LAST SERIES MEETING:

Pioneers Break Losing Streak

Pioneers win second battle with Blizzard and break two game losing streak.

GREEN BAY, Wis. - There is only one-way to explain Friday night's game between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers and the Green Bay Blizzard: ugly. The Pioneers made fewer mistakes en route to their 38-24 victory.

The Pioneers made a few mistakes that helped keep a Blizzard drive alive, but Green Bay turned the ball away inside the 10-yard line on downs. The Blizzard was stopped on two other fourth-down attempts. In addition to three turnovers on downs, the Blizzard gave the ball away twice on interceptions.

Ryan Bowers returned to the scene with a deep interception with six minutes remaining in the game, allowing the Blizzard to attempt to tie the score, but the Pioneers Thomie Venisee intercepted a batted Johnny Turman pass a minute later.

Offensive Player of the Game Kyle Rowley connected with U.S. Army Ironman Rocco Forgione one play later to take a 14-point Poineers lead.
Rowley had a mediocre night, completing just over half of his passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns, while Forgione had five catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.

Thomie Venisee defended three passes in addition to intercepting two others on his way to becoming ADT Defensive Player of the Game. Jamie Hattley added 11 tackles for the Pioneers.

A Johnny Turman touchdown sneak put the Blizzard within seven points halfway through the fourth quarter at 31-24.

Despite leading 21-10 at halftime, the Pioneers had only 76 yards of total offense, on pace to be way below their yards-per-game average of 330. On the other hand, Green Bay had only 115 total yards at the half.

On the passing side of the game, Turman couldn't buy a break. His on-target passes were dropped, but tonight Turman continued to be off his mark. In addition to dropped passes, the Blizzard missed the presence of WR/LB Robert Garth who didn't dress due to an illness.

Green Bay (6-3) failed to come back after losing to previously 0-7 Birmingham last week. The schedule doesn't get any easier, as next week, Manchester (7-1) comes into town for another important division match-up.

SERIES NOTABLES: The teams have split the series 1-1. The Blizzard defeated the Pioneers in Wilkes-Barre in week 5. The Pioneers returned the favor in Green Bay during week 10's action.

TALE OF THE TAPE:
Statistical PIONEERS CONQUEST
Category Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 12th 49.4 10th 50.1
Scoring Defense 5th 46.1 7th 47.2
Total Offense 16th 243.8 17th 243.2
Total Defense 5th 250.9 17th 283.3
Pass Offense 12th 234.2 14th 225.8
Pass Defense 6th 234.6 18th 262.1
Rushing Offense 19th 153 13th 279
Rushing Defense 7th 262 12th 339
Scoring (Non-Kick) 10th 678 11th 672
Scoring (Kicking) 10th 102 1st 128
Pass Rating 7th 108.9 13th 97.4
Pass Def. Rating 8th 99.2 3rd 92.0
Kickoff Returns 6th 20.4 5th 20.9
MFG Returns 3rd 20.8 1st 25.4
Turnover Margin 12th -2/-.12 2nd +17/1.06
Field Goals 10th .321 6th .355
PAT Kicking 12th .765 2nd .856
Sacks By T-10th 19 T-5th 24
Sacks Against T-5th 16 T-2nd 11
First Downs T-9th 299 18th 250
Opp. First Downs T-17th 309 20th 336
Penalties 7th 51.2 17th 65.1
Opp. Penalties 2nd 71.1 15th 51.5


PIONEERS INJURY REPORT:
Pos. Name Injury Status
OL/DL Todd Bargella Long-Term
FB/LB Jason Morris Long-Term
OL/DL Chris Ekwueme Short-Term

THIS WEEK'S QUOTE: "The players are the ones who won it," Moss said. "They've always had a lot of heart. We hope to carry this momentum into next week's playoff game."

DROPBACK:
Pioneers Down Knights 53-52
The Pioneers will host Green Bay, securing home field with win over Macon.

Wilkes-Barre, PA - Jim Sodano's 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown proved to be the difference in a wild 53-52 Pioneers victory over the Macon Knights before 4,503 rowdy fans at the Wachovia Arena.

With the Pioneers trailing by five with just over 30 seconds to go in the game, a failed onside kick attempt seemed to seal the victory for the Knights. However, on Macon's first play Sodano wrestled the ball away from Tyrone Myers, and took it all the way back for the score.

Sodano's big play overshadowed a record setting night by Rocco Forgione. Forgione, 8 catches for 106 yards and three touchdowns, is now the Pioneers single season leader in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and points scored.

The game remained close all night, as Macon was never able to pull away from the Pioneers. The Pioneers only lead before the final touchdown was early in the third quarter, when Jurron Kelly scored on a one yard run to make it a 33-30 game. Chris Brewer tied the game for Macon with a 27-yard field goal with 3:01 to play in the third. On the ensuing drive James Hickenbotham scored on an 18-yard fumble return to give the Knights back the lead at 40-33.

In the forth quarter Macon took their biggest lead of the game when Lionel Hayes hit Jamaal Garman with a 10-yard strike to give the Knights a 52-40 lead. The Pioneers would refuse to quit, and Forgione scored his third touchdown of the game on a 12-yard pass from Bryan Snyder.

Sodano's heroics than gave the Pioneers the lead. However, the Knights had a chance to win the game, but Brewster's 27-yard field goal sailed wide left and the Pioneers escaped with an amazing 53-52 victory.

Also of note, Pioneers Defensive Specialist Jamie Hattley became just the sixth player in af2 history to have over 100 tackles in a season.

The Offensive Player of the game was Chris Johnson, the Defensive Player of the game was Jim Sodano, and Rocco Forgione was the Ironman of the Game.
PLAYERS/MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
QB-Bryan Snyder, a 5-year veteran, has been leading the Pioneers offense in the latter half of this season.
DS-Ronnie Kaymore is ranked 8th in the league in tackles.
WR/LB-Rocco Forgione has had a great season thus far, ranking himself 10th in the league with 29 receptions for touchdowns.
WR/LB-Thomie Venisee has become a regular in the Pioneers offense as a rookie this season.
FB/LB-Taso Apostolidis is a solid player and one of the team's captains as a rookie.
DS- Jamie Hattley is ranked 4th in the league in tackles and 8th in passes defended.
OS- JR Thomas returned recently returned after suffering a lower leg fracture in May.

KEY DATES IN TEAM/LEAGUE HISTORY:
- September 19, 2001 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's af2 team becomes the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers.
- November 1, 2001 - Pioneers logo unveiled.
- November 21st - Carl Majer becomes the first player ever assigned to the Pioneers.
- April 1, 2002 - Receiver Jonathan Pittman and kicker Marc Samuel sign contracts with NFL teams (Tampa Bay and Buffalo) five days prior to opening night.
- April 6, 2002 - Pioneers open season at home to a sell-out crowd of 8,191. Pioneers lost to Greensboro 42-28.
- May 18, 2002 - Pioneers gain first victory in team history (47-43) against the New Haven Ninjas at the New Haven Coliseum.
- August 14, 2004- Pioneers win their first playoff game in franchise history against Cape Fear 40-37.

GAME MVP AWARD (selected by media)
Week Opp. Offensive Player
16 WBS Chris Johnson (MAC)
15 ALB Rocco Forgione (WBS)
14 WBS Chris Wallace (FLO)
13 WBS Jake Eaton (MAN)
12 SGA Bryan Snyder (WBS)
11 WBS Jamaal Garman (MAC)
10 ALB Rocco Forgione (WBS)
9 GBB Kyle Rowley (WBS)
8 WBS Jake Eaton (MAN)
7 WBS Josh Kellett (RGV)
6 QCS Kyle Rowley (WBS)
5 GBB Rocco Forgione (WBS)
4 WBS Matt Sauk (LOU)
3 ALB Kyle Rowley (WBS)
2 QCS Rocco Forgione (WBS)
1 OKC JR Thomas (WBS)

Week Opp. Defensive Player
16 MAC Jim Sodano (WBS)
15 ALB Jamie Hattley (WBS)
14 WBS Roy Stabler (FLO)
13 WBS William Haith/Ron Smalls (MAN)
12 SGA Jamie Hattley (WBS)
11 WBS Hosea Laney (MAC)
10 ALB Chris Ekwueme (WBS)
9 GBB Thomie Venisee (WBS)
8 WBS William Haith (MAN)
7 WBS Norman Mason (RGV)
6 QCS Ronnie Kaymore (WBS)
5 WBS Matt Huebner (GBB)
4 WBS Rob Green (LOU)
3 ALB Ronnie Kaymore (WBS)
2 QCS Jamie Hattley (WBS)
1 OKC Ameer Riley (WBS)


GAME IRONMAN AWARD (selected by media)
Week Opp. Player
16 MAC Rocco Forgione (WBS)
15 ALB Thomie Venisee (WBS)
14 WBS Cainon Lamb (FLO)
13 WBS Mark Kimener (MAN)
12 SGA Rocco Forgione (WBS)
11 WBS Tyrone Myers (MAC)
10 ALB Rocco Forgione (WBS)
9 GBB Rocco Forgione (WBS)
8 WBS J.J. McKelvey (MAN)
7 RGV Ameer Riley (WBS)
6 WBS Tim Dodge (QCS)
5 WBS Robert Garth (WBS)
4 LOU Ameer Riley (WBS)
3 WBS Jeff Higgins (ALB)
2 QCS Ameer Riley (WBS)
1 OKC Demetrius Austrum (WBS)

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