Wolves host historic event
August 11, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Manchester Wolves News Release
FRIDAY NIGHT - 2005 ARENACUP PLAYOFF GAME
Tackle Louisville Tomorrow Night At Verizon Wireless Arena; Tickets Still Available; Game Kicks Off At 7:30 PM
MANCHESTER, N.H. (August 11, 2005) - The Manchester Wolves have had a remarkable turnaround in 2005, winning the East Division regular season title with a 12-4 record. Friday night, a whole new season begins for them - the postseason. The Wolves tackle the Louisville Fire tomorrow night in an af2 American Conference semifinal game at the Verizon Wireless Arena. The franchise's first-ever home playoff game kicks off at 7:30 PM. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the Verizon Wireless Arena box office. Join us for what is sure to be a non-stop, action-packed Arena Football battle!
Halftime festivities will include a performance by the Wolves dance team (recently voted as the best dance team by New Hampshire magazine) and also a special New Hampshire Youth Football exhibition between the mighty-mites of the Nashua Elks Crusaders and the Nashua PAL Force.
American Conference Semifinal Game Preview - Wolves vs. Fire
All-Time Results: Wolves lead, 2-1 2005 Results: 1-1 Current Streaks: MAN W 1, LOU W 6
The Wolves face a formidable foe ahead in the Fire (12-5), who earned their way into this week's game thanks to a thrilling 55-54 wildcard victory over the Macon Knights last Saturday in Macon, GA. The Fire came back from a 17-point deficit with less than four minutes remaining in the contest. Matt Sauk found Nate Green on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 22 seconds remaining to give Louisville the win. The Fire got the ball back by recovering an onside kick after a Rob Mager touchdown catch just 20 seconds earlier. The Knights had a chance to win the game, but a Sharif Najib 37-yard field goal was missed as the clock ran out. Sauk threw for 294 yards and seven TDs on 30-of-42 passing. Rob Mager caught 15 passes, one shy of the af2 postseason record. Sauk and Mager are the two players who ignite the Fire on offense. Sauk had a banner year for Louisville, setting league records for completions (408), passing yards (4,489) and touchdown passes (99). Mager, despite playing in only 13 games, led the team in receiving with 125 receptions for 1,439 yards and 39 touchdowns. Louisville enters the contest as one of the league's hottest teams with six straight wins. Sauk has thrown at least seven touchdowns in his last eight games. If Mager isn't open, Sauk looks to Dennis Fryzel, who grabbed 105 passes during the season or Cesare Manning, who totaled 24 touchdown catches. As a unit, the offense averaged 55.6 points per game in the regular season. On defense, Rob Green led the squad in tackles with 62.5 and in passes defended with 23 (3 INTs, 20 pass breakups). OL/DL Andrew Tippens leads the team with 4.5 sacks, 3.5 of which came in the Fire's win against the Wolves on July 23. The Louisville defense allowed 51.6 points per game during the regular season.
The Wolves had a tremendous regular season in 2005 which culminated in the franchise's first-ever East Division title. The Wolves' 12 wins set a new franchise record for most wins in a season. A list of highlights of the year also includes the team's 10-game win streak and five-week run at the top spot of the Weekly League Coaches Poll. The Wolves offense is led by QB Jake Eaton and WR/LB J.J. McKelvey. Eaton was sharp all season, connecting on a league-leading 70.9 percent of his passes. The former Maine signal caller also finished second in the af2 in passer rating (122.1) and was among the leaders in several other QB categories, such as passing yards (6th - 4,066) and passing TDs (T-3rd - 88). McKelvey is Eaton's favorite target. McKelvey also had an outstanding regular season, leading the league with 138 receptions (1,454 receiving yds). He also ranked second in scoring (298 points) and receiving TDs (44). Rookie receiver/kick returner Jamaal Perry led the squad in all-purpose yards with 2,132 (1,004 receiving yds, 1,058 kick return yds, 70 missed fg return yds). As a group, the Wolves offense ranked ninth in the league in scoring, averaging 50.3 ppg. On defense, DS William "Roc" Haith had an all-star season, breaking the league record for most tackles in a season (121.5). The former Liberty product also ranked third in the af2 in passes defended with 33 (3 INTs, 30 pass breakups). Fellow DS Allistair Sebastien finished among the af2 elite in interceptions with six. As a unit, the Wolves defense ranked third in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 42.9 ppg.
In other Manchester playoff game-related news, the Wolves have joined a group of more than 50 New Hampshire businesses to take part in "Operation Homefront," a national nonprofit that assists military families, to support the Military Mondays discount program. The Wolves have stepped up to generously offer a special discount on playoff tickets for all military personnel and their families. To learn more about this unique offer and others, visit their online discount directory at www.operationhomefront.net .
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