The month of July continues to move on as week 17 has arrived with seven playoff-implicating games on the slate. Entering the week five playoff berths had been clinched and only one team had been eliminated, leaving eight teams alive in their respective playoff races. Week 17 was the week of blowouts, but the drive to Orlando is a little clearer. Who's in, Who's Out, Let's go!
Philadelphia Soul 69, Utah Blaze 39
The Soul hosted the Utah Blaze on Friday night in the first game of the week with little on the line. The Soul have already locked up the east division and the Blaze have already been eliminated, leaving the only thing to be on the line was home-field advantage for Philadelphia. Scenarios: Philadelphia: clinched East, needs a win to keep their foot in the American Conference home-field advantage race. Utah: eliminated.
The Soul knew this was a must-have game and from the opening kick made that very clear. Dan Raudabaugh got things started on the right note by leading a seven-play, four-and-half minute drive that resulted in the game's first seven on Andrae Thurman's two-yard run. Utah's opening series was jump-started by David Hyland's 25-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, but came crashing down when on fourth-and-three a nine-yard run by Jason Boltus was erased because of a holding penalty; Boltus was also injured on the play and did not return. Tommy Grady was forced into action for the first time in over a month and had his first pass be dropped by DeJay Lester on fourth down. The Soul quickly doubled their lead with a three-yard touchdown run by Derrick Ross that capped off a three-play, 18-yard drive. Tommy Grady completed three of four passes on Utah's next possession to setup a one-yard touchdown run by Chase Deadder. The Blaze gave themselves a chance to get back into the game on the second play of the second quarter when Mike Alston forced and recovered a fumble. The opportunity went to waste when Grady was unable to complete a pass in a series that ended on downs. Dan Raudabaugh continued his hot start with three completions on a six-play scoring drive that he finished with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Andrae Thurman. A one-yard touchdown by Ben Stallings ended a seven-play scoring drive by Utah that left them hanging around with 2:49 to go in the first half. The game completly swayed in Philadelphia's favor in the span. Derrick Ross scored his second touchdown run two plays after the Soul recovered an onside kick. Utah recovered an onside kick of their own, but failed to score when Bryan Robinson spear headed a goal-line stand with a fourth-down sack. Dan Raudabaugh then completed quick back-to-back passes that finished in a 19-yard touchdown to Larry Brackins that gave the Soul a commanding 35-13 halftime lead. The Soul defense wasn't going to let a large lead slip away and earned another stop on downs that preceded a pair of completions by Dan Raudabaugh that extended the Soul's lead to 42-13 on twelve-yard strike to Larry Brackins. The damage had already been done as Utah was unable to get within 22 points for the remainder of the night. For good measures Philadelphia put their stamp on this one in the early moments of the fourth quarter when Andrae Thurman hauled in a thirteen-yard touchdown, the defense made another stop on downs, and Raudabaugh hit Jason Jones on a five-yard screen that put the icing on the cake in a 69-39 rout.
Stat Leaders:
Utah (5-11) Philadelphia (11-5)
Tommy Grady 23-40, 232 yds, 4 TD Dan Raudabaugh 16-23, 174 yds, 5 TD
Mario Urrutia 6 rec, 66 yds, 2 TD Derrick Ross 9 rush, 34 yds, 3 TD, 11 rec yds
Chase Deadder 10 rec, 62 yds, 2 total TD Andrae Thurman 9 rec, 97 yds, 3 TD, Rush TD
Michael Johnson 5 tackles Larry Brackins 2 rec, 31 yds, 2 TD
Tiger Jones 3 rec, 26 yds
Carlos Campbell 12 tackles
Bryan Robinson 9 tackles, sack
Orlando Predators 55, Iowa Barnstormers 41
The Barnstormers traveled to the jungle to face off in a must-win game verse the Predators in week seventeen. Scenarios: Orlando: reclaim sole possession of the last A.C. wild card with a win and a New Orleans loss. Iowa: need a win to keep central division hopes alive; eliminated with a loss and win by Chicago or San Antonio.
Tanner Varner made his Orlando debut at jack linebacker and despite being fresh into the playoff situation, arose to the occation right off the bat when he intercepted J.J. Raterink's first pass of the night inside Iowa's ten-yard line. The Predator offense was unable to take advantage of the early opportunity as they commited three penalties and Mark Lewis hooked a 38-yard field goal wide left. Iowa scored the game's first points when Raterink capped off a five-play scoring drive by tossing a 22-yard touchdown to Darius Reynolds. Aaron Garcia responded with three consecutive completions, the third of which was a 31-yard deep ball to Prechae Rodriguez that tied the game at seven. Marco Thomas and T.T. Toliver each hauled in touchdown catches on the next two possessions. Raterink was on track to lead a third straight touchdown drive when he completed three of four passes to get the ball to Orlando's eight-yard line, but Tanner Varner had his number again and made his second interception. This time, Garcia and crew was able to capitalize on a Varner interception as Jason Geathers caught an eighteen-yard touchdown. The Pred defense earned a stop on downs, but Erick McIntosh picked off Garcia to end the first half. Orlando began the third quarter with a 21-14 lead, but saw it qucikly vanish when William Stokes sacked Garcia and Matangi Tonga picked up the loose ball and returned it for a score. Dominic Jones had a 26-yard return on the following kickoff and Aaron Garcia found Geathers for a 29-yard touchdown that temporarily broke the tie. The Predators created even more space when J.J. Raterink threw four straight incompletions and T.T. Toliver caught a six-yard touchdown during the next two series. The 'Stormers weren't done just yet, Raterink directed a three-play, 40-yard drive that cut the deficit in half on Jesse Schmidt's eleven-yard touchdown. Iowa continued their march back into the game when William Stokes and Matangi Tonga combined for a second time to sack Garcia and recover a fumble. Jesse Schmidt's fifteen-yard touchdown catch on the first play of the fourth quarter retied the game at 34. Once again, Aaron Garcia answered with a four-play, 32-yard drive that he finished with a fourteen-yard strike to Jason Geathers. The Predators quickly widen the gap when Anthony Schutt forced Jason Simpson to fumble the ensuing kickoff and Mykel Benson made the recovery; Benson would score on the next play to make it 48-34 with 9:14 left. Matangi Tonga scored on a one-yard run that capped off Iowa's seven-play, four-and-half minute scoring drive, but Prechae Rodriguez was the recipient of a 33-yard deep ball from Aaron Garcia that put the Preds back up by two scores late in the fourth. Anthony Schutt made his second big play of the final period when he sealed the victory with an interception at his own three-yard line. Tanner Varner made his Predator debut and made a huge impace recording two interceptions and helping to fill the void of Marcus Everett at jack linebacker. The Orlando win puts both teams at 6-10, but in very different spots. Orlando majorily bettered the postseason hopes, while the Barnstormers knocked themselves out of the picture.
Stat Leaders:
Iowa (6-10) Orlando (6-10)
J.J. Raterink 25-45, 260 yds, 4 TD, 3 Int Aaron Garcia 18-25, 253 yds, 7 TD, Int
Marco Thomas 12 rec, 114 yds, TD Mykel Benson 7 rush, 17 yds, TD, 22 rec yds
Jesse Schmidt 6 rec, 70 yds, 2 TD Jason Geathers 5 rec, 74 yds, 3 TD
Darius Reynolds 6 rec, 62 yds, TD Prechae Rodriguez 4 rec, 73 yds, 2 TD
William Stokes 2 sacks T.T. Toliver 7 rec, 63 yds, 2 TD
Erick McIntosh Int Tanner Varner 2 Int
Matangi Tonga 2 Fumb Rec, 2 Total TD Anthony Shutt 9 tackles, Int, FF
San Jose Sabercats 78, Pittsburgh Power 20
The Sabercats traveled to the steel city to take on the Power on the CBS Sports Network game of the week. Scenarios: San Jose: a win will keep them in the mix for either N.C. wild card and the west division. Pittsburgh: eliminated with a loss.
Shane Austin started the Power's opening possession with three straight completions, but all was foiled by a delay of game penalty and a third-down sack by Jason Stewart. Julian Rauch's 59-yard kick was short and returned to San Jose's fourteen-yard line by Clevan Thomas. Russ Michna was in rhythm from the all night long. He completed all seven of his first quarter passes, throwing for 78 yards and three touchdowns in the opening period. After a five-yard touchdown by Huey Whittaker gave San Jose an early lead, Nich Pertuit successfully executed an onside kick that quickly pushed the lead to 13-0. Jason Stewart recorded a strip-sack of Austin on Pittsburgh's next offensive snap which lead to the 'Cats having a 20-0 lead after one. Shane Austin led a thirteen-play, eight-minute drive into the second quarter that produced the Power's first points on Mike Washington's ten-yard touchdown reception. The Sabercats quickly got the score back when Jamarko Simmons plunged into the end zone on a one-yard run. The game was broke wide open in a two-play span where Jason Stewart and Jabari Fletcher combined to make a fourth-down sack and Michna tossed a nine-yard score to Huey Whittaker midway in the second. Things didn't get any better for the Power as Simmons intercepted Shane Austin four plays later and Jason Willis hauled in an eleven-yard touchdown to extend the margin to 41-7 at the one-minute warning. Clevan Thomas racked up his first pick of the night a couple plays later and Jabari Fletcher scored on a one-yard run to give San Jose a 48-7 halftime lead. Fred Williams finished a six-play drive with a six-yard touchdown scamper to begin the third quarter and continue the rout. It was made clear very early that the Sabercats were walking out of Pittsburgh with their twelth win and a record-setting performance made that a reality. The Sabercats outscored Pittsburgh 30-13 in the second half, which was highlighted by Clevan Thomas' pick-six that made the score 71-13 in the middle of the fourth. San Jose would go on to win by a final of 78-20, the largest margin of victory for a road team in AFL history and tied for the third largest margin of victory all-time. Jason Stewart had three sacks to lead a 'Cat defense that totaled eight quarterback-takedowns on the night. The lone bright spot for the Power was Mike Washington's three touchdown catches, as the loss eliminates them from playoff contention.
Stat Leaders:
San Jose (12-4) Pittsburgh (3-13)
Russ Michna 15-17, 156 yds, 5 TD Shane Austin 21-42, 188 yds, 2 TD, 3 Int
Fred Williams 5 rec, 32 yds, 2 Total TD Tyrone Collins 12 rec, 112 yds
Huey Whittaker 7 rec, 58 yds, 4 TD; Mike Washington 5 rec, 57 yds, 3 TD
6 tackles, Int Julian Talley 6 rec, 51 yds
Jason Willis 9 rec, 150 yds, TD Willie McGinnis sack
Clevan Thomas 2 Int, 1 ret-TD
Sabercat D: 8 sacks, 4 Int, Fumb Rec
Nich Pertuit 1-1 FG (34), 9-10 PAT
Spokane Shock 62, Jacksonville Sharks 40
The Shock traveled into the Shark Tank to battle with a healthy Jacksonville Shark squad on Saturday night. Scenarios: Spokane: needs a win to keep pace with San Jose in the N.C. wild card race; a loss gives the division to Arizona. Jacksonville: already clinched the south division, needs a win to keep pace with Philadelphia for home field in the American Conference.
Spokane began the game with the ball and Erik Meyer quickly got the first points of the night when he found Chris Pino on the screen pass for a 26-yard touchdown. Kyle Rowley got the start against his former team, and started off strong by completing four of five passes on the opening drive that led to London Crawford's two-yard touchdown run. After each defense traded a strip-sack, Spokane was setup at the Jacksonville's four-yard line. It took five tries, but Erik Meyer finally plunged two yard into the end zone to add to Spokane's lead. The Sharks answered back with a six-play, 33-yard drive that cut the margin back to one on Jeff Hughley's four-yard grab. The Shock held a 14-13 lead midway through the second and expanded it in a four-minute span. Meyer completed three passes to three different receivers, highlighted by Avrell Nelson's two-yard score to make it 21-13. In the next three plays, Terence Moore and Paul Stephens each returned an interception for a touchdown, quickly giving the Shock a massive 35-13 advantage late in the half. London Crawford and Avrell Nelson each scored their second touchdowns in the final three minutes of the quarter to keep Spokane's lead at 22 heading into the intermission. The Sharks had a chance to get back into the game on the opening series of the third quarter, but were unable to when Kyle Rowley was intercepted for the third time, this time it was Terrance Sanders. Erik Meyer seized the opportunity to the put the game away by leading a six-play, 44-yard drive that ended on Nelson's third touchdown catch. On a 49-yard deep ball Kyle Rowley connected with London Crawford for a quick-strike touchdown, but any dreams of a wild comeback ended when the Shock recovered the onside kick and Meyer found Arvell Nelson for the fourth time in the game. The Shock held a 55-26 lead midway in the third and did not let up en route to an impowering 62-40 road win. The Shock move to 12-4 on the year and keep pace with San Jose and Arizona, while the loss drops the Sharks one-game back of Philadelphia and to 10-6.
Stat Leaders:
Spokane (12-4) Jacksonville (10-6)
Erik Meyer 18-30, 182 yds, 6 TD, Int, Kyle Rowley 23-37, 230 yds, 4 TD, 3 Int
Rush TD Jeron Harvey 10 rec, 76 yds
Kamar Jorden 8 rec, 72 yds London Crawford 2 rec, 62 yds, 4 Total TD
Arvell Nelson 5 rec, 38 yds, 4 TD Jeff Hughley 7 rec, 44 yds, 2 TD
Adron Tennell 3 rec, 31 yds, TD Jerry Turner 1.5 sacks
Diyral Briggs/Jake Killeen sack each Terrance Smith Int
Terence Moore Int-ret TD; sack
Paul Stephens Int-ret TD
Chicago Rush 68, Cleveland Gladiators 32
The Gladiators headed to Chicago very confident, and in some people's books the favorites in week seventeen. Scenarios: Chicago: a win eliminates Iowa and guarantees a share of first in the central division. Cleveland: eliminated with a loss.
The Gladiators found themselves in a must-win game on the road verse a team they beat earlier in the season, to bad it was week 17. The Glads began the game with the ball and had a quick four-and-out that saw three incompletions by Chris Dieker. Chicago's first drive didn't go much better as Luke Drone was picked off in the end zone by Marrio Norman, who fumbled on the return to give the ball right back to the Rush. Drone seized the second chance and cashed it in with a fifteen-yard touchdown to Collin Madison. The struggles for Dieker continued as he misfired on all four of his passes on the next drive. The Chicago offense also continued their own struggles, until Drone hit Taurus Johnson for a 24-yard completion on fourth and fifteen that kept the drive alive. On the next play Reggie Gray braught in a ten-yard touchdown that ended sent the Rush to the second quarter up 14-0. Chris Dieker finally completed his first pass for a six-yard gain to Dominick Goodman on the first play of the second, but misfired on his next two attempts and was sacked on fourth down. Chicago took over at Cleveland's ten-yard line, but despite the great field position were unable to add to their lead. The Gladiators were hanging around and in three plays got their first points on Cody Pearcy's nineteen-yard score with 8:01 in the second. Peracy's touchdown began a scoring frenzy that saw Chris Dieker and Luke Drone exhcange two touchdown passes apiece in the remaining time until halftime, keeping the Rush ahead 28-20 at the break. Just when it seemed like the Gladiators were in it, they quickly were blown out of it. Reggie Gray returned the opening kick of the second half 54 yards for a touchdown, Josh Pleasant made a net recovery on the ensuing kickoff, and Luke Drone pounded in a one-yard run all in the first two-and-half minutes of the third quarter. If the damage hadn't already been done, Jose Martinez successfully executed an onside kick to keep possession with Chicago. Drone completed three straight passes, the third of which was a 20-yard strike to Taurus Johnson that gave the Rush a 48-20 lead in literally a blink of an eye. The Glads were able to calm the storm with an eight-play, five-and-half minute drive that resulted in their only points of the period on Chris Dieker's one-yard touchdown. Chicago kept on rocking as they recovered the Glads onside kick and replenished their lead on Luke Drone's six-yard touchdown run. Chicago took a 55-26 lead into the fourth and easily walked their way to a 68-32 win. The win keeps the Rush in first in the central at 9-7, while Cleveland is now eliminated at 3-13.
Stat Leaders:
Cleveland (3-13) Chicago (9-7)
Chris Dieker 11-26, 128 yds, 4 Total TD, Int Luke Drone 16-24, 220 yds, 6 TD, Int;
Dominick Goodman 4 rec, 50 yds, 2 TD 22 rush yds, 2 TD
Cody Pearcy 3 rec, 35 yds, TD Reggie Gray 5 rec, 49 yds, 2 TD; Kick-ret TD
Marrio Norman Int Jared Jenkins 6 rec, 59 yds, TD
Taurus Johnson 3 rec, 52 yds, TD
Jorrick Calvin Int; 45-yd TD rec
San Antonio Talons 68, Tampa Bay Storm 42
The Storm traveled to the Alamo in week 17 to face the Talons in a must-have game for either side. Scenarios: San Antonio: need a win to keep pace with Chicago in the central division. Tampa Bay: a win clinches an A.C. wild card spot. For Tampa Bay, Adrian McPherson is out for the season with a leg injury.
Michael Lindsey opened the game with a spark by returning the opening 25 yards to his own eighteen-yard line. Randy Hippeard completed three of his first four passes which featured a 25-yard completion to Joe Hills on fourth down that got the ball to San Antonio's three-yard line. The momentum quickly turned when Fred Shaw picked off Hippeard on the next play in the end zone. After starting off zero for two, Rohan Davey completed three straight passes that were highlighted by D.J. Stephens' 27-yard touchdown. Tampa Bay answered back with a six-play, 45-yard drive that tied the game on Joe Hills' seventeen-yard touchdown reception. The Talons regained the lead three plays later when Stephens was the recipient of a 30-yard strike from Davey. The Storm took its first lead on the second play of the second quarter when Randy Hippeard scored on a quarterback-keeper and Juan Bongarra's extra point was good. Vance Cuff and Rashad Barksdale combined to force and recover a fumble on the Talons' next possession, but San Antonio's defense got the stop right back by forcing back-to-back incompletions from Hippeard. Rohan Davey put the Talons back up front with a ten-yard touchdown D.J. Stephens on the next play. Some space was created when Jamar Ransom intercepted Hippeard's next pass and returned it 20 yards for a score midway through the quarter. The Storm responded with a six-play, 38-yard drive that cut the deficit in half on Joe Hills' eight-yard touchdown. In the final minute of the half Davey completed three quick passes in a row, finding Brent Holmes for a 25-yard touchdown to give the Talons a 33-21 lead at halftime. The Talons began the third quarter with a twelve-point lead and did their job on the opening series of the third quarter with a five-play scoring drive that resulted in Brent Holmes' eleven-yard touchdown. Randy Hippeard quickly got the Storm back within two scores with a sixteen-yard strike to Hills. Rohan Davey kept dealing and got the lead back to nineteen with a 24-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Stephens. San Antonio was finally able to break the game open when Joe Sykes made a fourth-down sack and Davey hit Moqut Ruffins for a fourteen-yard touchdown two plays later to give the Talons a comfortable 54-28 lead heading into the fourth. Rohan Davey led an eight-play, six-minute drive that concluded on Brent Holmes' four-yard touchdown run. San Antonio's offense was unstoppable for the entire night, and their defense was in complete control of the second half to produce a much needed 68-42 win. The Talons remain tied with Chicago atop the central and Iowa is elimianted. The Storm fall to 7-9, but still lead the American Conference wild card race.
Stat Leaders:
Tampa Bay (7-9) San Antonio (9-7)
Randy Hippeard 17-33, 246 yds, 4 TD, Rohan Davey 21-31, 313 yds, 8 TD
3 Int; 18 rush yds, TD D.J. Stephens 11 rec, 184 yds, 5 TD
Joe Hills 9 rec, 126 yds, 3 TD Brent Holmes 4 rec, 67 yds, 3 Total TD
Chris Davis 3 rec, 53 yds, TD Jamar Ransom Int-ret TD
Rod Issac 9 tackles Andre Jones/Fred Shaw Int
Rashad Barksdale Fumb Rec Joe Sykes 2 sacks
Tim McGill/Pierrew Turner sack each
Arizona Rattlers 79, New Orleans VooDoo 42
The VooDoo have been one of the hotter teams of the summer and looked to continue their success in the Snakepit, but playing the Rattlers in the desert is no easy task. Scenarios: Arizona: a win keeps the Rattlers two games ahead in the west division, since Spokane already won nothing could be clinched. New Orleans: need a win to keep pace with Orlando in the A.C. wild card race.
The challenge was large for the VooDoo and a fast start was necessary, but this was not the case when Virgil Gray intercepted Chris Dixon on his first pass of the game. Nick Davila put the Rattlers in the lead with two quick completions that setup Odie Armstrong's two-yard touchdown run. Dixon and the VooDoo got things rolling on their second series, but Virgil Gray once again put an end to the threat by batting away Dixon's pass on fourth down to end a ten-play drive pointless. Davila hit Rod Windsor for a 30-yard strike on the very next play to move the lead to 14-0. Quorey Payne hauled in a fifteen-yard touchdown on the final play of the quarter to get New Orleans on the board. The second quarter was a back-and-forth battle of the offenses that saw a total of 52 points, but was impacted by Jeremy Kellem's interception at the six-minute mark of the period. After a couple of Nick Davila touchdown passes and Garrett Lindholm's 47-yard field goal, Arizona led 45-28 at the break. The Rattlers already held a sizable advantage to start the third and added to it when Davila completed three of four passes on the first possession in the third quarter and hit Rod Windsor for a 28-yard score. Chirs Dixon cut the margin back to 17 with a four-yard touchdown run on the next series. New Orleans suddenly had life when Kenny Spencer's onside kick was successful, but the opportunity went to waste when on second-and-eight from Arizona's nine-yard line Virgil Gray nabbed his second interception of the night. Four plays later, Davila threw a three-yard touchdown to Windsor that gave Arizona a 59-35 lead late in the third. The Rattler defense began the fourth quarter with a stop on downs, and Maurice Purify caught a 32-yard deep ball that secured the win for Arizona. With the win, the Rattlers improve to an AFL-best 14-2 and clinch their third straight wild western title; while New Orleans falls to 5-11 and are now one-game behind Orlando in the American Conference wild card race.
Stat Leaders:
New Orleans (5-11) Arizona (14-2)
Chris Dixon 20-39, 238 yds, 3 TD, 4 Int; Nick Davila 14-18, 214 yds, 7 TD
20 rush yds, 2 TD Maurice Purify 5 rec, 102 yds, 3 TD
Quorey Payne 8 rec, 133 yds, 2 TD Rod Windsor 7 rec, 99 yds, 3 TD
Larry Beavers 7 rec, 98 yds, TD Kerry Reed 4 rec, 74 yds, 2 TD
Courtney Smith 7 rec, 57 yds, TD Virgil Gray 3 Int
Dwight McClean 5 tackles Rattler D: 3 sacks
Garrett Lindholm 1-1 FG (47), 10-11 PAT
Week 17 Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week: Rohan Davey, San Antonio Quarterback
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Rohan Davey had a major bounce back performance in week 17. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 313 yards and eight touchdowns in the Talons 68-42 domination of Tampa Bay. The Talons head into week 18 tied for first in the central with a 9-7 record.
Defensive Player of the Week: Virgil Gray, Arizona Defensive Back
- For the second straight game Virgil Gray racked up three interceptions. Gray was just one of many good thing for Arizona in their 79-42 drumming of New Orleans. The win moved the Rattlers to an AFL-best 14-2 and their third straight west division title.
Playmaker of the Week: D.J. Stephens, San Antonio Wide Receiver
- D.J. Stephens played in his first game in over a month, and did not disappoint. He caught 11 passes for 184 yards and five touchdowns; while also returning kicks for 81 yards. Stephens stepped up in the absence of Jomo Wilson and gave the Talon offense a much needed spark.
For more on any of these seven
games, or the Arena Football League go to: http://www.arenafootball.com/sports/a-footbl/sched/afl-a-footbl-sched.html
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