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Xplorers Voyage into Pirate Territory

April 11, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


PEORIA, Ill. - You can lead a horse to water . but be sure to watch out for those Pirates when you do.

The Peoria Pirates and the horse-logoed Memphis Xplorers battle Friday night (8 p.m. ET, Peoria Civic Center) in a matchup of 1-0 teams looking to get an early jump in their respective division races. Peoria, which ranked fifth in the league in average attendance last season, boasts one of the best arena atmospheres in af2.

Both teams come off impressive road wins in their season openers. Peoria picked up a crucial victory within the Midwest Division at Wichita last Thursday, 30-21. Memphis scored twice as many points, winning a shootout at Louisville, 60-46. It marked the third time in four games (dating back to last season) that the Xplorers have scored 60 or more.

Memphis demonstrated a lot of firepower in last week's win over the Fire. QB TIM LESTER passed for six touchdowns against no interceptions, racking up 266 yards through the air. He comes into this Week 3 clash as af2's second highest-rated passer behind Pensacola's JOSH ROGERS. His top two targets both had outstanding debuts in Louisville. WR/DB CARLOS McNEARY won league-wide Ironman honors for a five-touchdown performance that also featured a key interception on the defensive side of the ball. OS RUSSELL COPELAND was the league's fourth-most prolific receiver in Week 2, totaling 153 yards (and two touchdowns) on 11 catches.

Peoria got the job done on the ground last week. FB/LB ROBERT MEYER rushed for 48 yards (and a touchdown) on just four carries. Voted Ironman of the Game, he added another score on his only pass reception of the contest. Pirate QBs WALTER CHURCH, the game's MVP, and RONNIE GORDON combined for 147 passing yards. K TODD KURZ may have been the best at his position last week, connecting on three field goals (his only miss came from 52 yards out) and accounting for 12 points.

This is the first of two meetings between the Xplorers and Pirates this season. The rematch takes place the last week of the regular season (Saturday, July 27) in Memphis.

In Week 3's sole Thursday matchup, the visiting San Diego Riptide and the Fresno Frenzy try to redeem themselves for games that got away the last time they took the field. San Diego led 27-3 against Bakersfield last Saturday, only to see the Blitz dominate after halftime and win 49-43 in OT. OS MARTY GRAHAM made history in the loss, shattering the league's all-purpose yards record with 400 (197 receiving, 4 rushing, 199 on kick returns). Fresno has its own show-stopper. WR/DB EDDIE KLANESKI totaled 98 return yards (long of 56) in the Frenzy's 50-47 loss at Hawaii on March 30. He put up 47 yards of total offense and made five tackles on defense to earn af2 Ironman honors in Week 1.

Third-year Head Coach JIMMY DUNN (11-21) and his Charleston Swamp Foxes open the season at Greensboro Friday night at 7 p.m. It is the home opener for the Prowlers, who won their first-ever road game 42-28 last week against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. Charleston leads this series 3-1 and will look for win No. 4 with the arm of QB RAY ISSAC, who threw for 2,533 yards and 44 touchdowns last season. The Swamp Foxes also will look to the ground game with WR/LB KENYATTA SPRUILL. Last season Spruill ranked third in af2 with 324 yards on 76 carries. Greensboro OS ANTOINE CALLOWAY, who hauled in 10 passes for 97 yards in Week 2, was Charleston's leading receiver last season, including a 17-catch, 256-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Prowlers.

The juggernaut that is the Quad City Steamwheelers rolls into Louisville Friday. Two-time defending af2 champion Quad City won its 14th straight game dating back to last year on Saturday against Bossier City (39-34). They needed a last-play goal-line stand to clinch their 23rd consecutive home victory and run up against a potent passer in Fire QB MATT PIKE. Pike threw for 283 yards and five TDs last week against Memphis. The 'Wheelers counter with QB TONY ZIMMERMAN, who, while not as mistake-free as his QC predecessors BILLY DICKEN and JAY McDONAGH, tossed five touchdown passes himself against the Battle Wings.

The Norfolk Nighthawks hope to rebound from a disappointing opening-night loss as they travel to Connecticut to battle the Mohegan Wolves. Mohegan enters this one 0-1 as well, having dropped its home opener to Albany. Norfolk will look to OS MERCURY HAYES to provide some spark to the Nighthawks' offense. Hayes was the lone highlight for Norfolk in Week 2, scoring twice on receptions of 30 and five yards. He also set up another score with a 42-yard kickoff return. Hayes will have to get open quick as OL/DL JEFF COGELL and the rest of the Mohegan defense plan to provide constant pressure on Norfolk's signal-caller.

After sweeping the season series with Roanoke, the Richmond Speed will leave Virginia for the first time in 2002, heading to Pennsylvania to face Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Friday night. Richmond QB BOB BEES is off to a sensational start this season, passing for 422 yards and 11 touchdowns in two games. One of his favorite targets, OS JEFF TOWNSLEY, was on the receiving end of five of those strikes just last week alone. The key to victory for the Pioneers, according to Head Coach TERRY KARG, is flawless execution. QB JOHN KNUST (three interceptions against Greensboro) knows that means better ball control.

The expansion Mobile Wizards, 47-23 losers at Florida last week, try to get their first-ever win at the expense of an in-state rival when they travel to Birmingham on Friday. The Steeldogs lost a barnburner in Tulsa last week, 55-42. Birmingham QB MONTRESSA KIRBY went all-out until the final buzzer, passing for 290 yards (and five touchdowns . three to OS WAYNE THOMAS) and scrambling for another 27 yards to rank fourth overall in total offense. Mobile answers with QB KEVIN SIMMONS (224 yards, three total TDs in Week 2) and OS ANTOINE FLOWERS (107 yards, one TD).



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