Manchester Wolves Rattle Mahoning Valley Thunder 79-55 

  The Manchester Wolves remained one of the hottest teams in the arena

football2 league as they rattled the Mahoning Valley Thunder 79-55 in

Youngstown, Ohio on Friday night to improve to 5-6 and extend their

winning streak to four straight games.   

  Riding the arm of rookie quarterback James Pinkney once again and

relying on another outstanding defensive effort and solid special teams

play, the Wolves kept the Thunder, a 2007 expansion team, winless

against them in four tries in the history of the series. Pinkney scored

nine touchdowns, seven through the air and two via the ground, before

being relieved by fellow rookie Ben King late in the fourth quarter.   

  Pinkney, the Schutt Offfensive Player of the Game, got terrific

protection from his offensive line and connected with his entire corps

of receivers, who were wide open throughout the game, on 18 of 30

passes for 272 yards and the seven scoring strikes. King, playing in

his first ever af2 test, went three for five on his throws and hit

rookie receiver Rayshaun Bolden in the end zone for the Wolves last

score of the night. In a total team effort, fullback Lamar Bryant, a

four-year Wolves veteran, got the Wolves off on the fast track when he

scored the first touchdown of his career on the opening possession of

the game and rookie linebacker Chad Wengert recovered a Thunder onside

kick and ran it in for another touchdown to end the third quarter at

59-34.   

  The Wolves, who never trailed in the game, were able to take full

advantage of the Thunder's mistakes, including two interceptions by

quarterback Davon Vinson, a lost fumble, and the botched onside kick

attempt, and turn them all into Manchester scores. While Vinson and his

favorite receiver Clenton Rafe, who connected for six Thunder

touchdowns on the night, kept the game relatively tight in the first

half at 40-27, the Wolves defense was able to keep the offense out of

sync and not allow Mahoning Valley to close the gap in the second

half.   

  The Wolves victory over the Thunder, an American Conference East

Division rival, improves their standing in the division to 4-2 as they

travel to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton next Saturday night to take on the

division-leading 9-2 Pioneers, a team they beat 70-63 on May 31st, next

Saturday night. The Pioneers record in the East Division is 5-1 so the

Wolves will have the chance to even things up and improve their

position in the playoff race. 

Scoring Summary: 1 2 3 4 Final Record   

MHT 20 20 26 13 79 5-6   

MVT 6 21 7 21 55 2-9   

Leaders:   

Passing: Pinkney (MAN) 18-30-272- 2 INT- 7TDs, Vinson (MVT) 18-39-277-2

INT-7TDs   

Receiving: Savoy (MAN) 7-142-3TDs; Rafe (MVT) 11-199-6TDs   

Schutt Offensive Player of the Game: James Pinkney (MAN)   

ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Trey Bell (MAN)   

JLS ironman of the Game: Clenton Rafe (MVT)   

Cutters Catch of the Game: Rayshaun Bolden (MAN)