MANCHESTER WOLVES TAKE ON TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS IN af2 AMERICAN CONFERENCE TITLE MATCH ON SATURDAY NIGHT

The Manchester Wolves, making a remarkable run through the arenafootball2 league playoffs, will take on the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the American Conference Finals on Saturday (8-16) and stand only one victory away from their first appearance in the ArenaCup.

The Wolves (11-7) entered the post season as the seventh seed in the field of eight conference playoff teams and advanced with dramatic, come-from-behind road victories in the final seconds to upset the second-seeded Wildcats in South Georgia and then the third-seeded Blizzard in Green Bay in the first two rounds. While it was the defense which came up with the heroics with under a minute to play against the Wildcats and then it was the offense which scored on a 2-pt. conversion against Green Bay with only a second on the clock, the Wolves have put together back-to-back total team efforts for the entire 60 minutes of play to get this far. 

They know that there can be no let down against the fourth-seeded Vipers (12-6), who return to the friendly confines of the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama after pulling off the shocker of upsetting the top-ranked and heavily favored Pioneers in Wilkes-Barre last week.

"This weekend is going to be a match-up between the two hottest teams in the American Conference," said Head Coach Danton Barto. "Both of us are coming off of big upsets on the road last weekend to be here in the conference finals, so we need to be prepared for the highest level of play. Both teams know what is at stake in this game and its looking like it will come down to the final play in the final minute so we need to be ready to play our absolute best football."

The American Conference Finals are slated to kick off at 8:30 PM (EDT) and can be heard on WFEA 1370 AM and seen via the internet on NIFTYtv.com.

Although the Wolves have been in the playoffs for four straight seasons, Saturday night's tilt marks the first time they have ever made it all the way to the Conference Finals. In the history of the franchise, which played its inaugural season in Connecticut as the Mohegan Wolves, there has been only one other game against the Vipers. Tennessee Valley knocked the Mohegan Wolves out of the playoffs with a 47-30 defeat in Conference Semifinals in 2003 and Manchester would love to return the favor this time around. 

The Vipers, who are 1-2 in Conference Finals and have never won the ArenaCup, have no intention of being accommodating or hospitable on their home turf.

"It's all on the players," said Vipers Head Coach Dean Cokinos. ""They all did a great job (in upsetting the Pioneers and earning the right to host the Finals) and we just have to keep it going."

The Wolves will ride the arm of quarterback Brian Jones, who is also a remarkable story himself. The former Arena Football League starter was brought in in Mid-April for immediate help during the dismal early season losing streak, but only played in two games before suffering an injury to the shoulder on his throwing arm that required surgery and sent him to the long term injured reserve list. Jones went home to Tennessee and was replaced by first-year man James Pinkney, who grew into the starter's role, became an impact player, and was a major reason why the Wolves turned around their season. But then Pinkney broke his leg in the playoff win against the Wildcats and was forced to long term injured reserve, so in a strange twist of irony, Jones answered the call and replaced the man who had replaced him for the Green Bay playoff game.

Jones played brilliantly in his first game since April 26th, completing 24 of 36 passes for 194 yards and six touchdowns with one interception and two rushing scores. It was his clutch 17-yard scoring strike to Emery Sammons to pull the Wolves within one at 54-54, and then his game-winning two-point conversion on the quarterback sneak that earned him the af2 Schutt Offensive Player of the Week honors. Jones' throws to Sammons and fellow receivers Bradly Chavez, Keith Stokes and Davis Bailey had no rust on them.
 
Nonetheless, Vipers quarterback Kevin Eakin is hot as well. He stepped right into the quarterback role when the starter was benched during the game in week 6 and has rallied his team ever since. Eakin also has an outstanding corps of receivers, but the Vipers are banged up. Injuries may be a factor for leading receiver Maurice Johnson and Michael Johnson so expect Eakin to look for big playmaker Alonzo Nix and clutch performer Gary Elliott. 

Both the Vipers and the Wolves have excellent pass rushers along the defensive lines and both have offensive lines who have given their quarterbacks outstanding protection all through the playoffs, so there should be an all-out war fought in the trenches. Given time to get comfortable in the pocket and find open receivers, both Jones and Eakin can light up the scoreboard.

As Barto said, the Wolves fortunes in the American Conference Finals could well come down to the final play in the final minute. Given that's the way Manchester has pulled off playoff upsets on the road so far, the odds are with the Wolves. 

***Notes: If the Wolves prevail, they would advance to the ArenaCup against the Amarillo Dusters (#7 seed) or Spokane Shock (#1 seed ), who play for the National Conference title in Spokane, also on Saturday night in a game which starts at 10 PM. Spokane would host the ArenaCup on Monday, August 25th but if the Dusters win, the Wolves would be the host team for the ArenaCup on Saturday, August 23rd by virtue of a better won-loss record.....Starting defensive end Larry McSwain, who left the Wolves after the first playoff round to accept full time employment, returned to the team and should see action against the Vipers. He replaces defensive back Jacoby Shepherd, injured in the second playoff round, on the roster....Johnny Bad's Sports Bar on Elm Street in Downtown Manchester will show the Wolves-Vipers game on all TV screens and host a Wolves Playoffs Party. All Wolves fans are invited to cheer the team on to victory there.