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THANK YOU!!

The entire Wolves organization would like to thank all our season ticket holders, corporate partners and fans for coming out and supporting us in our fifth year in Manchester. Making the Conference Championship game was a huge accomplishment for our organization! We appreciate fans like you who supported us and cheered us on all season long!

We are looking forward to 2009! Keep checking our website for updates as we plan for another exciting year of arena football!

 

BRADLY CHAVEZ NAMED JLS IRONMAN OF THE YEAR

CHICAGO – Manchester Wolves’ WR/LB BRADLY CHAVEZ has been named the JLS Ironman of the Year, as selected by a vote of arenafootball2 head coaches and members of the media.
Chavez, in his third af2 season and first with Manchester, captured the award that is the essence of Arena Football. The veteran led the team in receptions (86), receiving touchdowns (28), total touchdowns (33) and scoring (202) and finished third on the squad in receiving yards (1,147). Chavez averaged 13.3 yards per reception for the Wolves in 2008. He also tied for second on the club in rushing touchdowns with three. The Alabama-Birmingham alum was a big behind Manchester’s 9-7 regular season and appearance in the American Conference title game.

The 6-2, 205-pound standout also lined up at the Jack Linebacker position for the Wolves in 2008. On defense, Chavez led the team in fumble recoveries with three (one return TD) and finished second in tackles with 38 (34 solo, 8 asst). He also placed second on the squad in forced fumbles (3), tied for second in interceptions (2; 1 return TD) and ranked third in tackles for loss (5). Chavez, who was the only Wolves player to play in all 16 regular season contests, also recorded one sack, one safety and four pass breakups. His contributions even carried over to the kicking game as Chavez was Manchester’s full-time holder on all extra point attempts. 
Chavez is the first player in the history of the Wolves franchise to be honored with any of the af2 Player of the Year awards. He was named JLS Ironman of the Week on two occasions during the 2008 season (WK10, WK14) and was recently named to the American Conference All-af2 First Team.
His most impressive outing of the season came in the Wolves’ 70-63 upset victory at home against East Division rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Week 10. Chavez was a factor on both sides of the ball and made two big plays in the final minute of the game to clinch the win for Manchester. Chavez caught five passes for 86 yards on offense, including a 23-yard touchdown grab with 56 seconds to play to tie the game at 63-63. On the Pioneers’ ensuing possession, Chavez intercepted a Ryan Vena pass and returned it 38 yards for the game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds left in the contest. He also added four solo tackles to his defensive totals. 
Chavez continued his strong two-way play in the postseason as well, catching 22 passes for 181 yards and five touchdowns on offense in three games played. He also recorded 7.5 total tackles and one interception on defense.

 

Manchester Wolves defeated by Tennessee Valley 45-35 in American Conference Championship

The Wolves dreams of an arenafootball2 league championship went down to defeat in the Tennessee Valley on Saturday night as the Vipers prevailed 45-35 in the American Conference title tilt and sent them home to Manchester instead of on to the ArenaCup next Monday night against the National Conference champion Spokane Shock.

In the most critical round of the playoffs to date, there would be no late fourth quarter comeback in dramatic fashion to pull out the victory as Manchester had accomplished in the first two rounds. The Vipers never trailed in the game, but the Wolves were accomplices in their demise by turning the ball over seven times on four fumbles and three interceptions while being flagged 15 times for a loss of 116 yards.
Moreover, Manchester’s five touchdowns would be their lowest offensive output since they were pummeled by Green Bay in the second week of the regular season.  The Wolves, playing in their first conference title game in franchise history, finished the season 11-8.
Tennessee Valley (13-6) jumped out to a 21-0 first quarter advantage by scoring on the Vipers opening possession with a Kevin Eakin (18-27-250-2 INT-3 TDs) 26-yard post pattern strike to Alonzo Nix, and then called upon their defense to shut out the Wolves on Manchester’s only two drives of the period.
The Vipers defenders set the tone for the night by intercepting quarterback Brian Jones (26-40-3 INT-306- 4 TDs) when the Wolves had a second-and-two from the Tennessee Valley 9-yd. line on the Wolves first possession. When Eakin got the bal l back, he executed a one-play, 23-yd. scoring drive by connecting with Nix, the Schutt Offensive Player of the game and the winner of the Cutters Catch of the Game, again on a corner route to put his team up 14-0 following the Nick Hayes PAT. Jones marched the Wolves right back into deep Vipers territory on the next drive, but Lamar “Turtle” Bryant fumbled the ball fighting for the end zone on the 1-yd. line and the Vipers recovered and scored again when they got the ball back to take a three-touchdown advantage.
Trailing 28-14 to start the second half, Manchester  drove the length of the field deep into Vipers territory but once again coughed up the turnover when Jones was intercepted by Desmond Foster at the 2-yd.line. Five plays later, the Vipers went ahead 35-14 when Travis Blanchard, the JLS Ironman of the Game, bulled into the end zone on a 5-yd. run and Hayes tacked on another PAT. 
The Wolves still had the chance to win the game in the fourth quarter, where they outscored the Vipers 14-10, after offensive lineman Daniel Oliphant found the end zome from 18 yds. out on a tight end screen pitch from Jones and Connor McCormick was perfect on the PAT to close the gap to 35-28.20Next, they held the Vipers out of the end zone on an AJ Philip pick and run back to the Tennessee Valley 15-yd. line, but then Jones succumbed to the intense Vipers pass rush he’d faced all night and fumbled the ball after being sacked and Blanchard recovered for Tennessee Valley.
From there Tennessee would tack more points on the scoreboard with a Hayes 24-yd. field goal and another TD on a Tyrell Elston 11-yd. rush after Hayes kickoff hit the goalpost and the Vipers pounced on the live ball.  Jones found Bradly Chavez in the end zone on an 8-yd. scoring play and McCormick converted to bring the Wolves within 10 at 45-35 with :42.4 on the clock and then the Wolves looked like they were still alive when they recovered the onside kick.
Jones brought his team to the Tennessee Valley 15 yd. line, and then an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on some unruly Vipers fans in the stands who kept throwing things onto the field advanced Manchester even closer to the goal line. But Jones fumbled the snap with only :07.4 on the clock and the Vipers recovered to ice the win and end the Wolves season short of their ultimate goal.
Scoring:     1       2       3       4       Final  &n bsp;   Record
MAN          0       14     7      14        35             11-8
TVV           21      7      &n bsp;7      10        45             13-6
Passing:
Jones (MAN): 26-40- 306-3 INT-4 TDs
Eakin (TVV): 18-27-250-2 INT- 3 TDs
Receiving:
Savoy (MAN): 8-89- 1 TD
Nix (TVV): 10-197-3 TDs
Rushing:
Jones (MAN): 6-13-1 TD
Blanchard (TVV): 7-20- 2 TDs
Schutt Offensive Player of Game: Alonzo Nix (TVV)
ADT Co-Defensive Players of Game: Demetrius Derico (TVV) & Da rren Garrigan (TVV)
JLS Ironman of Game: Travis Blanchard (TVV)
Cutters Catch of Game: Alonzo Nix (TVV)

 

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.

 

BRIAN JONES NAMED af2 SCHUTT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Manchester Wolves starting quarterback Brain Jones, who came off the Long Term Injured Reserve List to lead his team to an upset win on the road in the American Conference Semifinals last Saturday, has been named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced today.

Jones (6-2, 210,) had a stellar individual effort for Manchester in the team’s 55-54 upset win. The veteran signal caller from the University of Toledo, in his fourth af2 campaign, filled in for injured starter James Pinkney and led the Wolves past the favored Blizzard in just his third start of 2008. Jones completed 24-of-36 passes (66.7 percent) for 194 yards and six touchdowns with one interception. He also scored two rushing touchdowns. Jones was clutch in the late moments as he threw a 17-yard TD pass with one second left to pull team within one point, 54-53, and then converted the game-winning 2-point conversion run.

This is the fifth Offensive Player of the Week Award of Jones’ career and his first of 2008. During the Wolves regular season, wide receiver and linebacker Bradly Chavez was named the league's JLS Ironman of the week twice and he was also voted to the All-af2 First Team.

The Wolves will be back on the road again this Saturday night as they take on the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the conference finals. Kickoff is slated for 8:30 PM (ET) and the Wolves drive to the ArenaCup may be heard on WFEA AM 1370 in Manchester or viewed on NIFTYtv.com

 

FORMER MANCHESTER WOLVES STAR MAURICE FOUNTAIN SIGNS WITH MIAMI DOLPHINS

Maurice Fountain, who was a standout defensive player for the Manchester Wolves during the 2007 season, has signed a free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins and is now in their training camp vying for one of the linebacker slots on the final roster.

While every player in the arenafootball2 league aspires to move up to the Arena Football League and ultimately make it all the way to the National football League, Fountain is in position to be one of the very few to live out the dream.

Fountain (6-4, 270), who set a Wolves franchise record for sacks with 13 during his rookie year with the af2 Wolves in 2007, started nine games and one playoff game for the AFL Utah Blaze as a defensive lineman in 2008 and made the AFL All-Rookie Team after recording 14.5 tackles, four sacks, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one recovered fumble.

In his one year with the Wolves, Fountain started in all 16  regular season games and on the defensive line and finished with 29.5 tackles, four pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

The Dolphins have been decimated by injuries in their linebacking corps so far in training camp and brought Fountain in for immediate help.

*** The Wolves, who take on the Tennessee Valley Vipers on the road on Saturday night in the af2 American Conference Championship for the right to advance to the 2008 ArenaCup, will be feted on Wednesday evening and the public is invited to the send-off party.

The event will be start at 6 PM at the Hampshire Dome in Milford, NH,  where the team has practiced all season. Hampshire Dome General Manager Rick Holder will have the Milford High School football team, the Milford Mustangs Pop Warner team, and local cheerleading squads on hand.

"It's our pleasure to host this send-off party," he said. "The guys have been great this year and we want to show our appreciation and do our part. All of the Manchester Wolves fans are welcome to come on out and support the team."

The Wolves will fly out of Manchester on Thursday morning and have their final practice session in Alabama.

 

ROAD TO 2008 ARENACUP CONTINUES… Conference Championship matchups set for Saturday, Aug. 16

CHICAGO – The Road to the 2008 ArenaCup continues next weekend with the American and National Conference Championships. Both games are set for Saturday, August 16 and can be seen on niftytv.com.

 The American Conference Championship will feature No. 4 Tennessee Valley (12-6) hosting No. 7 Manchester (11-7). The game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala.  The National Conference Championship will feature No. 1 Spokane (17-1) hosting No. 7 Amarillo (10-8) at 10:00 p.m. ET at Spokane Arena.    Below is the af2 conference championship schedule (subject to change). All times are Eastern.   American Conference CHAMPIONSHIPSaturday, August 16No. 7 Manchester (11-7) at No. 4 Tennessee Valley (12-6) 8:30 p.m.  NATIONAL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday, August 16No. 7 Amarillo (10-8) at No. 1 Spokane (17-1) 10:00 p.m. - A PROUD MEMBER OF THE ARENA FOOTBALL FAMILY -

 

Manchester Wolves Ice Green Bay Blizzard 55-54 to Advance to af2 American Conference Title Game

The Manchester Wolves engineered another dramatic late fourth quarter comeback in the arenafootball2 league playoffs to upset the Blizzard in Green Bay 55-54 in the second round and advance to the American Conference title game against the Tennessee Valley Vipers on Saturday, August 15th.

The fourth-seeded Vipers (12-6) earned the right to host the conference championship after they also scored the upset on Saturday night by beating the top-seeded Pioneers in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 34-30 with a come-from-behind win of their own.
 With a brilliant performance by quarterback Brian Jones (24-36-194, 6 TDs, 1 INT), coming off the injured reserve list and making his first start since April 26th, the seventh-seeded Wolves offense marched up and down the field all night against the vaunted Green Bay defense. Still, the third-seeded Blizzard were able to match-up score for score in a game that went back and forth throughout and was tied 28-28 at the end of the first half, 41-41 at the completion of the third quarter, and 47-47 with a little over five minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Blizzard then drove the entire length of the field and went ahead 54-47 when Gino Guidugli (17-26-231, 4 TDs) scored from 1-yd. out on fourth down and kicker Bob Forstram converted the PAT with :46.8 left to play. But just as they had done the week before in their first round playoff upset of the second-seeded Wildcats in South Georgia, the Wolves came up with some late game heroics.
Jones, who stepped back in to the starting role after James Pinkney broke his leg in the come-from-behind win over the Wildcats, hit leading receiver Emery Sammons on a second-and-one from the Blizzard 17 for the score to make it 54-53 Green Bay with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. But rather than go for the tie with a PAT attempt, Manchester Head Coach Danton Barto made the very gutsy call to play for the win and called for the 2-pt.conversion play.
The throw by Jones t o wide-out Keith Stokes fell incomplete in the end zone and it seemed as though the Wolves season would come to an end, but the Green Bay defense was flagged for pass interference.  Jones then made the most of the second try when he took the ball in himself to put two points on the board for the 55-54 go ahead score and insure that the Wolves would advance to the championship round.
The win was the Wolves second consecutive come-from-behind victory with under a  minute to play in the 2008 playoffs and it put an exclamation point on their remarkable turnaround from a dismal 1-6 start this season.  It also allowed the Wolves to avenge their earlier 72-31 loss in Green Bay, the most lopsided defeat in the history of the franchise, and gave Barto his 60th overall win in the af2.
Barto, in his first season with the Wolves, is only the fourth coach in the history of the af2 to reach the milestone of 60 wins.
Scoring:     1           2          3          4           Final      Record
Man:        14          14       13       14             55        11-7
GBB:         7            21       13       13              54        12-6
Passing:
Jones (MAN): 24-36-1-194, 6 TDs passing, 2 TDs rushing; 1 2-pt. conversion
Guidugli (GBB): 17-26-231, 4 TDs passing, 2 TDs rushing
Receiving:
Sammons (MAN): 10-81- 3TDs
Burns (GBB): 5-109- 2 TDs
Rushing:
Bryant (MAN): 2-49
Guidugli: 6-13
Schutt Offensive Player of Game: Scott Burnoski (GBB)
ADT Defensive Player of Game: Rusty Midlam (GBB)
JLS Ironman of Game: Tyre Young (GBB)
Cutters Catch of Game: Scott Burnoski (GBB)

 

BRIAN JONES TO START AT QUARTERBACK FOR WOLVES IN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS SATURDAY NIGHT

Brian Jones, who started two games at quarterback for the Manchester Wolves earlier in the regular season before being placed on long term injured reserve, has been activated and will call the signals when the Wolves (10-7) take on the Blizzard  (12-5) in Green Bay in the arenafootball2 league American Conference semifinals on Saturday night. 

Jones (6-2, 212) replaces James Pinkney, who led the Wolves through their remarkable turnaround from 1-6  to the second round of the playoffs. Pinkney broke his leg during last week's upset win over the Wildcats in South Georgia.and has been moved from the roster to the IR list.

Jones, a starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League in 2007, was assigned to the team on April 16 and started the Wolves first home game of the season on April 18. He also started the following week against the Pioneers in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but suffered a serious shoulder injury on his throwing arm that required surgery and was placed on long term IR.

In the two games he was active, Jones completed 48 of  75 throws for 688 yards with 12 touchdowns against two interceptions. He also rushed a net five yards on eight carries and scored three touchdowns.

Jones has been rehabilitating his shoulder at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. While he hasn't been with the team in some time, Jones is very familiar with the offensive schemes and philosophy of Head Coach Danton Barto. He was the Gladiators head coach last season and Jones will also be reunited with current Wolves defensive back Dahnel Singfield and defensensive linemen Joe Crea and Chris Eggleston. The three played for Barto in Memphis in 2005 when the Xplorers won the ArenaCup.
In his rookie AFL season with the Gladiators last year, Jones played in 15 games and started six of them, including the season finale. He completed a team-high 152-of-238 passes for 1,824 yards and 25 touchdowns. This season, he was in training camp with the AFL’s Columbus Destroyers and had a brief stint with the New Orleans Voodoo of the AFL.
“He’s an AFL-caliber starting quarterback,” Barto said when Jones joined the team last April. “He’s a pro from top to bottom. He doesn’t turn the ball over and he makes completions.”
  
Jones, who played for the University of Toledo from 2001-02 after transferring from Shasta Junior College, graduated as the Rockets’ all-time leader in pass completion percentage (68.9). He led Toledo to a 9-5 record and a spot in the Motor City Bowl against Marshall University in 2002.
He will wear jersey #18 when the seventh-seeded Wolves (10-7) line up against the third-seeded Blizzard (12-5). Kickoff is slated for 8:30 PM (ET) and the game may be heard on WFEA 1370 AM and seen on NIFTYtv.com.

 

MANCHESTER WOLVES BRADLY CHAVEZ AND DANIEL OLIPHANT NAMED TO ALL-AF2 TEAM

Two members of the Manchester Wolves have been recognized for their outstanding play this season in the arenafootball2 league, with linebacker Bradly Chavez named to the All-af2 American Conference First Team and offensive lineman Daniel Oliphant earning Second Team honors.

Both Chavez and Oliphant have been major impact players all season long for the Wolves (10-7), who have won eight of their last nine games and are headed to Green Bay on Saturday night to take on the Blizzard in the second round of the playoffs in the American Conference semi-finals. 

Chavez (6-2,205), a two-year af2 veteran who started every game this season on both sides of the ball at linebacker and at wide receiver, is a true throwback to the two-way player of old and is known as a big playmaker. He earned honors as the af2 JLS Ironman of the Week twice during the regular season, and was voted the JLS Ironman of the game six times, the Schutt Offensive Player twice, and had the Cutters Catch of the Game four times. In the first round playoff win over the South Georgia Wildcats, he was also voted the JLS Ironman of the Game.

On offense, Chavez finished the regular season with the team's most receiving TDs (28), the most passes caught (86), and the third most receiving yards (1,147) for an average of 13.3 per catch and 71.7 per game, and added another 14 rushing yards on seven carries. On defense, he was the second leading tackler with 34 solo hits and another eight assisted for a total of 38 and he picked off two passes and returned one for a touchdown. He also recovered two fumbles and returned one for a score.

In the playoff win, he contributed two tackles and scored two touchdowns after catching nine passes for 69 yards. 

Oliphant (6-6,330), a rookie out of Colby College in Maine, has been called "the undeniable presence on the offensive line" this season by Head Coach Danton Barto.

He is one of the few players on the team who also started all 16 games, even though he played two different positions on the line. Oliphant was the force in the middle playing center for the first 13 games, but then had to make the switch to guard for the last three regular season games and the playoffs after veteran Darnerius Watson returned to the team in mid-July.

The Wolves next playoff opponent, the Midwest Division Champion Green Bay Blizzard, have a league-best eight players on the All-af2 First and Second teams, and the Blizzard also led the league in most First-Team players with six.

When the Wolves take on the Blizzard on Saturday night (8:30 PM ET), they will be without starting defensive lineman Larry McSwain, who left the team this week to accept a full time job. He has been replaced on the roster by rookie Matt King (6-3,260) from the University of Maine.

 

Wolves head to Green Bay for 2nd round of playoffs

The Manchester Wolves will head to Green Bay this Saturday to face the Blizzard in the 2nd round of the playoffs. The game is at 8:30 and will be live on nifty-tv.com!

 

Manchester Wolves 46 South Georgia Wildcats 42

The seventh-seeded Manchester Wolves recovered a fumble near the goal line with under a minute to play and punched the ball in for a touchdown to come from behind and upset the second-seeded South Georgia Wildcats on the road in a thrilling arenafootball2 league first round playoff game on Saturday night.

With the victory, the Wolves improved their record to 10-7 on the season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs against the third-seeded Blizzard in Green Bay next Saturday night.
The two American Conference foes had their high-powered offenses clicking all night as the Wolves and Wildcats traded scores in a back and forth battle, and then the Wildcats scored on their first possession in the fourth quarter to take a 42-39 lead. Manchester quarterback James Pinkney, the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, drove his team up the field and faced a second-and-10 from=2 0the Wildcats 14. He tried to hit wide out Emery Sammons but the ball was fumbled and rolled into the end zone, where it was recovered by Cory Bailey for the Wildcats.

Manchester’s defense then turned in another outstanding effort and stopped the Wilcats on downs on the ensuing series on the Manchester 9-yd. line.
Pinkney then drove his team to a second-and-two from the South Georgia 21 and looked to Sammons again going for it all, but the ball was deflected and Roland Cola, the Wildcats interception leader, picked off his 11th pass of the season at the 5-yd. line with less than one minute remaining.
Following the turnover, all the Wildcats had to do was kill the clock to ensure they would host the Blizzard in the second round.  But with a first-and-10 from his own 6-yd. line, Wildcats quarterback Andrico Hines fumbled the exchange from the center on the snap and the Wolves alertly recovered the ball with :56.7 seconds remaining. Two unsportsmanlike penalties on the Wildcats moved the ball to the South Georgia 1-yd. line and Pinkney scored on the keeper for his third rushing touchdown of the night and Connor McCormack’s PAT put the Wolves up by the winning score.
A chop block penalty on the Wolves would have negated the seven points, but South Georgia Head Coach Derek Stingley declined the penalty, figuring that Hines and his offense would be able to come right back with a game-winning score of their own. But Stingley was mistaken as the Wolves defense held the Wildcats out of the end zone when defensive back AJ Philip, who joined the team only recently, knocked a sure touchdown reception away in the end zone to preserve the upset on fourth down with 17 seconds left to play.
Manchester’s winning streak has now been extended to five straight games while the Wildcats, the South Division champions, seven game streak was ended along with their playoff hopes.
  Scoring:       1      2       3       4      Final  &nb sp;   Record
MAN:            13    14     12    7        46         10-7
SGA:             13       9      13    7       42        12-5
Passing:
Pinkney (MAN):  24-29-244 yds 1 INT  4 TDs pass 3 TDs rush
Hines (SGA): 23-42 271-0  6 TDs
Receiving:
Sammons (MAN) 10-132-1 TD
Ibeh (SGA) 10-115- 2 TD

Schutt Offensive Player of Game: James Pinkney (MAN)
ADT Defensive Player of Game: Joe Crear (MAN)
JLS Ironman of Game; Bradly Chavez (MAN)
Cutters Catch of Game; (PJ Berry)

 

Wolves face #2 South Georgia in Playoffs

The Manchester Wolves will face South Georgia in Albany, Georgia this Saturday at 7:30 in the first round of the af2 playoffs.

The players will be leaving from the Radisson Hotel in Nashua, NH on Thursday at noon. Feel free to come down and see them off!

Watch the game live on nifty-tv.com!

 

FREE PAPA JOHN'S BREADSTICKS!

Wolves fans...take your ticket stub from Saturday night's winning game against Corpus Christi to Papa John's in Manchester and get a free order of breadsticks! This offer is only good until Saturday, August 2nd! Enjoy!

 

Manchester Wolves bite Corpus Christi Sharks 46-45

The Wolves defense dug down in deep stretch to contribute two huge turnovers with under one minute left on the clock and preserved a slim 46-45 victory over the visiting Corpus Christi Sharks as Manchester finished the regular arenafootball2 league season  at 9-7 and headed into the  playoffs.

The Wolves will play their first round American Conference post season game next weekend on the road, either at the South Georgia Wildcats or the Green Bay Blizzard depending upon the outcome of other league final season games which were not in the books by press time. No matter where they go, the Wolves are riding a high on the basis of a four-game winning streak and victories in eight of their last nine games.
Playing in front of 6,965 faithful at the Verizon Wireless Arena, the Wolves came up with the big defensive stops when needed most.  With just a minute left in the game, Corpus Christi drove up the field and faced a third-and-eight from the Manchester 9-yd. line.  Sharks quarterback Fran Johnson pitched the ball to fullback Booker Jenkins who barreled to the 1 and was headed across the goal line, but linebacker Bradly Chavez forced the fumble, which was recovered by fellow linebacker Dwan Wilson at the 4-yd. line.
On the ensuing series , the Wolves made it to the Corpus Christi 16-yd. line and were staring at a fourth-and-goal.  Wolves quarterback James Pinkney was going for the end zone but was picked off by Ivory McC ann, voted the JLS Ironman of the Game.  Chavez came up big again on the return with a hard hit on McCann from behind, dictating another fumble in a critical situation.  Quarterback James Pinkney recovered the ball for the Wolves with 12 seconds remaining and all Manchester had to do was run out the clock with Ben King in relief of the starter.
Defensive linemen Larry McSwain, the ADT Defensive Player of the Game, and Joe Crear also were a huge factor in the win.  At the top of the third quarter Johnson was sacked by Crear as the Sharks had a third-and-goal from the Wolves 3-yd. line  and McSwain scooped up the ball and ran the opposite way to score and put the Wolves up 39-24.
Pinkney, named the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, finished his night with 17 of 28 throws for 204 yards and one interception with three passing scores and one rushing touchdown.
The first half, played without any turnovers and very few penalties, was a tightly knit affair as the Wolves took a 26-24 lead into the locker room.  Pinkney, who was sacked=2 0twice, connected on touchdown passes to Chavez and Keith Stokes but the Sharks kept the game close when  McCann returned Connor McCormick’s missed field goal attempt for a score near the end of the first quarter .   
Scoring:       1        2        3          4        Final      Record
MAN           13      13      13        7         46          9-7
CC              14      10      7        14         45         7-9
Passing:
Pinkney (MAN): 17-28-1-204 3 TDs
 Johnson (CCS): 20-35-227-0-4 TDs
Receiving:
0A
 Sammons (MAN) 5-72- 1 TD
Hussey (CCS) 8-107-2 TDs
Schutt Offensive Player of Game: James Pinkney (MAN)
ADT Defensive Player of Game: Larry McSwain (MAN)
JLS Ironman of Game: Ivory McCann (CCS)
Cutters Catch of Game: Bradly Chavez (MAN
)

 

MANCHESTER WOLVES CRUSH ALBANY CONQUEST 70-49

The Manchester Wolves continued to control their own destiny and took another big step toward the arenafootball2 league playoffs on Friday night by crushing the Conquest 70-49 at the Times Union Center in Albany, N. Y.
 
The Wolves improved their record to 8-7 with one game remaining in the regular season and have now racked up seven victories in their last eight games under Head Coach Danton Barto after getting off to a dismal 1-7 start. Manchester never trailed for four quarters and while the victory all but assured Manchester of a berth in the post season, it killed the Conquest's hopes of making it into the playoffs and dropped Albany to 5-10.

Quarterback James Pinkney, no longer playing like a  rookie, turned in another outsanding game, completing 16 of 21 passes for 233 yards with six passing touchdowns and adding another score on the ground. He did serve up one interception but it came on the final play of the first half as time expired and therefore did no damage. Pinkney, voted the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, was forced to leave the contest midway through the fourth quarter with bruised ribs and his status for next week's final regular season tilt against the Corpus Christi Sharks at the Verrizon Wireless Arena in Manchester was unknown at press time.

Fellow rookie quarterback Ben King came on in relief of Pinkney and finished out the win by tacking on two more touchdowns while completing three of five throws for 40 yards.

Albany quarterback Joe DeLuise, who was making his first af2 start after relieving the injured Dan Cole in the second half last week and playing a big part in the Conquest's upset win at Louisville, had a rough introduction from the start. Manchester's defense, which hurried and pressured him on almost every down and tightly covered his receivers, forced DeLuise into two interceptions while holding him to just 20 completions of 43 throws and 223 yards.  

DeLuise did throw four scoring strikes and added another two touchdowns on the ground, but it wasn't enough to combat Manchester's high-powered offense which moved the ball up and down the field seemingly at will.

Wideout Steven Savoy had another impressive outing, catching eight passes for 106 yards and scoring three touchdowns while Bradly Chavey, who scored two touchdowns, was a force again on offense, defense, and special teams. Chavez recovered all three of Albany's onside kick attempts to keep the ball in the Wolves hands and give them fantastic field position in the second half.
 
The Wolves have now beaten the Conquest in three of the four match-ups between the two American Conference East Division rivals this season. They will play the Sharks, who are battling for an af2 National Conference playoff spot, on Brady Sullivan Field on Saturday night July 26th.

Scoring:   1      2       3       4       Final       Record
MAN        21   19     14      16       70            8-7
ALB         7     14       6      22       54           5-10

PASSING:
Pinkney (MAN): 16-21-1-233  6TD
DeLuise (ALB):  20-43-2-233  4 TD

RECEIVING:
Savoy (MAN): 8-106-3TD
Bocage (ALB) 10-97- 2TD

Schutt Offensive Player of Game: James Pinkney (MAN)
ADT Defensive Player of Game: Dahnel Singfield (MAN)
JLS Ironman of Game: Vernard Abrams (ALB)
Cutterss Catch of Game: Emery Sammons (MAN)

 

Manchester Wolves Manhandle Mahoning Valley Thunder 53-27

The Manchester Wolves maintained control of their destiny by manhandling the Mahoning Valley Thunder 53 to 27 on Saturday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena to keep their arenafootball2 playoff hopes alive.

To the delight of the 5,722 home fans in attendance, the Wolves improved to 7-7 on the season and thrashed the Thunder, an East Division rival, for the third time this season. The Thunder, an af2 expansion team in 2007, remain winless in five games against Manchester in the history of the series and dropped to 3-11.
 The Wolves were in command from the opening kickoff to the final gun, never trailing on the scoreboard and finding the end zone almost at will. James Pinkney, the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, was a perfect 6-for-6 with his throws in the first quarter and ended the night with 24 completions of 31 passes and six touchdowns against one interception.  
With strong protection from Manchester’s offensive line, Pinkney put on an aerial show with wide receiver Steven Savoy as they connected on 11 receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns while wideout Keith Stokes, who signed with the Wolves only this week and was playing in the af2 for the first time, added another pair of touchdowns.
On the defensive side, the Wolves rattled Thunder quarterback Shane Adler for four quarters and he was never able to settle in the pocket nor develop any kind of synchronicity with his receivers. The defense stepped up throughout the game and looked particularly impressive on the Thunder’s first drive of the fourth quarter.  With the Wolves up 39-20, the defense was able to keep Mahoning Valley out of the end zone on three straight=2 0downs from Manchester’s 1-yard line.
The Wolves took over on downs and marched the entire 49-yards up the field. When Pinkney hit Stokes with a 6-yard scoring strike, Manchester had a 46-20 advantage with 4:28 on the clock and the game was over for all intents and purposes.
The Wolves, who entered the contest in ninth place for one of the eight American Conference playoff berths, improved their20position for the post season with two games remaining on the schedule.
SCORING:                           1         2        3        4         Final      Record
Manchester                       26        7      6        14        53          7-7
Mahoning Valley                0       14      6         7         27         3-11
PASSING:
Pinkney (MAN): & nbsp;24-31- 1 INT; 6 TDs
Adler (MVT): 14-38-1 INT; 3TDs
RECEIVING:
Steven Savoy (MAN): 11-106; 2 TDs
Quorey Payne: 6-97; 3 TDs
Schutt Offensive Player of Game: J ames Pinkney (MAN)
ADT Defensive Player of Game: Carlton Brown (MAN)
JLS Ironman of Game:  Bradly Chavez (MAN)
Cutters Catch of Game: Quorey Payne (MVT)

 

MANCHESTER WOLVES CONTINUE PLAYOFF DRIVE ON SATURDAY NIGHT

The Manchester Wolves look to move one step closer to the arenafootball2 league playoffs on Saturday night when they square off against the underdog Mahoning Valley Thunder at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

The Wolves (6-7) have clawed back from a rocky start to the season and currently rank in ninth place for one of the eight American Conference playoff berths with three games left in the regular af2 season. The Thunder (3-10) sit in the cellar of the East division in the conference and won't be participating in the post season. Moreover, they have never beaten the Wolves since joining the af2 as an expansion team last year.

That doesn't necessarily make them an automatic check in the win column.

"Obviously the playoffs are not an incentive," said Thunder Head Coach Mike Hold. "But these guys are here for different reasons, one of which is moving up to the Arena Football League. So they have to play tough, as they have been. I am not concerned that we have to provide some incentive for them. They are going to play tough for personal reasons as well as for team reasons."

The Wolves need to keep winning and then hope that at least one of the teams perched above them gets knocked out of playoff contention.

To bolster their cause, they brought back Darnerius Watson this week for that late season run. Watson, a five-year veteran, starred on the Wolves teams which made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and he is being counted upon to be an immediate impact player on the offensive line. Wide receiver Keith Stokes was also signed this week and even though he hasn't had much practice with the Wolves, he won't need a lot of repetitions to get used to the way quarterback James Pinkney throws the ball.

Pinkney and Stokes, both in their first year in the af2, were teammates for the East Carolina University Pirates. Even though they'll be wearing the same Wolves jerseys for the first time when they step onto Brady Sullivan Field at the arena on Saturday night, they already have their chemistry, rhythm, and timing down should Stokes see some playing time.

As for the Thunder quarterback, Shane Adler will be the third starter the Wolves have faced in the three contests between the two teams so far this season. Adler ripped the Wolves to shreds in the second game this year when he started for the Green Bay Blizzard and handed the Wolves their worst loss in franchise history, but since then the Wolves defensive has undergone a complete makeover and is playing altogether better.

Kickoff is at 7:05 PM and the game is designated as Fire Appreciation Night to benefit the MDA. it is also Luau Night and the Pelham Youth Flag Football League will play against the New Hampshire Football League in a game that features nine to 11 year olds at halftime. 

Tickets and great seating is still available and may be purchased at tickets@manchesterwolves.com or by calling 603-627-9653.

 

TWO FORMER WOLVES STARS COMPETE IN ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS THIS WEEKEND

Two members of the arena football2 league Manchester Wolves alumni club have the chance to take one step closer to an Arena Football League championship this weekend when they compete in their respective divisional playoff games.

William "Roc" Haith, now a defensive back with the Grand Rapids Rampage who starred on Manchester's playoff teams in 2005-06, and Wendall Williams, a member of the Colorado Crush after spending the 2006 season with the Wolves, both learned the intricacies of the arena game and refined their skills playing for former Manchester Head Coach Ben Bennett.

"Roc is one of the best defensive backs who has ever played our game,"

said Bennett, currently the head coach of the af2 Austin Wranglers, when reached by phone. "He's smart, he's fast, and he's got good natural instincts. There was never any question when he played in Manchester that he'd move up to the Arena League."

Bennett, a member of the AFL Hall of Fame, a former All-Pro quarterback, and one of the most successful head coaches in af2 history, is equally impressed with Williams.

"Wendall is one of the most difficult players in the league to tackle once he's got his hands on the ball," he said. "He's got great hands, great speed, and he's a great competitor."

During the 2006 campaign in Manchester, Williams (6-0, 190) hauled in

56 passes for 647 yards and 17 touchdowns in only 11 games. Haith (5-10, 192) set an af2 record with 121.5 tackles for the Wolves in 2005 and picked off three interceptions while breaking up 30 passes. In 2006, Haith led the team with 71.5 tackles, six interceptions, and knocked the ball away from the receiver 36 times in 15 games.

The Crush will face the San Jose SaberCats on Saturday in one American Conference match-up and the Rampage take on the Chicago Rush in the other on Sunday. If the Crush and Rampage advance to the conference final, it's possible that Haith could have to cover Williams in the game that decides which one moves on to the Arena Bowl against the eventual National Conference champion.

No matter how far they advance this season, it's a safe call that both Roc Haith and Wendall Williams will remember lessons well learned in Manchester.

The Wolves (6-7) remain in the af2 playoff hunt but will be idle this week. They next take on the Mahoning Valley Thunder (3-10) in front of their home fans on Brady Sullivan Field at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday, July 12th. Tickets remain for the must-win game against the Thunder and may be purchased by clicking on tickets@manchesterwolves.com or calling the Wolves office at 603-627-9653.

 

BRADLY CHAVEZ NAMED ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE2 JLS IRONMAN OF THE WEEK

Manchester Wolves wide receiver and linebacker Bradly Chavez has been selected as the JLS Ironman of the Week by the af2 league office, and it is the second time this season that he has been so honored.

"It’s good to get the recognition, but I don’t worry about my stats,"

said Chavez, who was a force on both offense and defense in the Wolves win over the Albany Conquest last week. "I’m just trying to get into the playoffs as a team and then go as far as we can."

Chavez, who played for the Alabama Steeldogs in 2006-07 after a standout career at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and is in his first season with the Wolves, was also tabbed as the JLS Ironman of the Week by the league following his stellar performance on both sides of the ball in Manchester’s upset of the division-leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in week number 9 of the season.

In last week’s important win, Chavez earned superlatives as both the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game and the JLS Ironman of the Game.

With 13 games in the books, Chavez has been voted the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game twice, the Cutters Catch of the Game three times, and the JLS Ironman of the Game five times.

Chavez has been instrumental in the Wolves turnaround from 1-6 to their current 6-7 record, which has put them in contention for the playoffs with three games still to play in the regular season. Opposing teams recognize that they have to be aware of where Chavez is on the field at all times.

"I’ve noticed on defense that certain teams play me differently now,"

he said. "I don’t notice it as much on offense but once in a while they will double cover me. We’ve got three great starting receivers (Chavez, Steven Savoy, and Emery Sammons) and then David Bailey is also great coming off the bench, so it’s not so different on offense. But on defense, the teams are playing me differently a lot more on screens and runs to keep me in the box."

The other players honored as the league’s best this week are Schutt Offensive Player of the Week Nick Davila of the Spokane Shock, Cutters Catch of the Week winner Raul Vijil of the Shock, and the ADT Defensive Player of the Week Royce Morgan of the Mahoning Valley Thunder.

The Wolves have a bye week over the Fourth of July Holiday weekend and then return home to Brady Sullivan Field at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday July 12th to take on division foe the Mahoning Valley Thunder (3-10) in a game crucial to their playoff hopes.

Tickets are still available for the Wolves remaining two home games, on the 12th and on Saturday, July 26th against the Corpus Christi Sharks and may be purchased by clicking on tickets@manchesterwolves.com or by calling the Wolves office at 603-627-9653.

 

WOLVES FOOTBALL CAMP CANCELED

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to all those who have signed up. Please contact us in the spring for our dates in 2009!!

 

Manchester Wolves Down Albany Conquest 50- 33

The Manchester Wolves kept their arena football league2

playoff hopes alive on Friday night when they downed American

Conference East Division rival Albany 50-33 in front of a home crowd of

6,540 at the Verizon Wireless Arena and improved their record to 6-7.   

  The Wolves defense was the story of the night as they disrupted

Albany quarterback Dan Cole and took top wide receiver Antwun Williams,

normally the big playmaker against Manchester every time these two

teams tangle, out of the game. Cole was held to 21 completions of 41

attempts for 222 yards and four touchdowns while Williams, who scored a

record-high seven touchdowns against the Wolves in their last meeting,

caught just six passes for 89 yards and only one touchdown.   

  Both teams traded scores and turnovers through three quarters of

sloppy play marred by fumbles, interceptions, and penalties and they

entered the final stanza tied 27-27. On Manchester’s first possession

of the fourth quarter, quarterback James Pinkney drove the Wolves down

the field and hit wide receiver Bradly Chavez, who earned both the

Schutt Offensive Player of the Game and the JLS ironman of the Game

honors, with a 23-yard scoring strike to take the 34-27 lead.   

 Cole then misfired on four straight incompletions on the ensuing

series and the Wolves took over on downs with a first-and goal from the

Conquest 5-yard line From that point, the game was essentially over

when Pinkney and Emery Sammons connected on a two-yard play to put the

Wolves up 41-27 with 5:46 left on the clock. Cole fumbled on the first

play of the Conquest’s next series at his own five-yard line and the

Wolves recovered the ball in the end zone for the safety and went up

43-27.   

  After that, the teams traded touchdowns in a contest that had already

been decided. Pinkney finished his night with 17 of 25 completions for

177 yards with four touchdowns but also served up two interceptions.   

  Most of the af2 takes next weekend off and the Woplves have a bye,

but then they will return to Brady Sullivan Field on Saturday, July

12th for a rematch with the Mahoning Valley Thunder, another division

foe.   

   

SCORING 1 2 3 4 FINAL Record   

Manchester 13 7 7 23 50 6-7   

Albany 6 14 7 6 33   4-9   

   

PASSING:   

Pinkney (Man): 17-25-177-4 TD-2 INT   

Cole (Alb) 21-41-222-4 TD   

RECEIVING:   

Savoy (MAN): 6 receptions 44 yards 2 TD   

Jones (ALB) 7 receptions 58 yards 0 TD   

 

Schutt Offensive Player of the Game: Bradly Chavez (MAN)   

ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Joe Crear (MAN)   

JLS Ironman of the Game: Bradly Chavez (MAN)   

Cutters Catch of the Game: Clarence Curry (ALB)  

 

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers Down Manchester Wolves 69-40 

The Manchester Wolves were outplayed in every phase of the game as the Pioneers beat them 69-40 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. on Saturday night while halting the Wolves four-game winning streak and making Manchester's road to the arena football2 playoffs a little rockier.

  The Wolves were guilty of mistakes, miscues, fumbles, incompletions, interceptions, and penalties as they dropped to 5-7. The Pioneers improved to 10-2, clinched the American Conference East Division title, and assured themselves of a home game during the first round of the playoffs. The win was the Pioneers 18th consecutive home victory, which is the second longest streak in af2 history.

  Pionneers quarterback Ryan Vena showed why he is the defending af2 Schutt Offensive Player of the Year as he picked apart the Wolves defense throughout the night for 20 completions of 32 attempts for 251 yards and seven touchdowns. Vena kept alive his personal streak of never losing a game as the starter at the Wachovia Arena.

  Wolves quarterback James Pinkney, who had been instrumental in bringing Manchester back from a 1-6 start while rarely turning the ball over, served up four interceptions and was sacked repeatedly while under constant pressure from the Pioneers heavy pass rush. Pinkney, who finished the night with 19 completions of 37 tries for 259 yards and four passing touchdowns plus one rushing score, did engineer two fourth quarter scoring drives to bring the Wolves to 62-40, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Pioneers.

  Once Vena headed for the bench with about 30 seconds left to play following the Pioneers recovery of an onside kick, back-up quarterback Matt Schrabert put another nail in the Wolves coffin with a two-play drive capped by a 10-yard scramble for the final score and the 69-40 win.

  The Wolves return home next Friday night to face the Albany Conquest on Brady Sullivan Field at the Verizon Wireless Arena and face a must win situation as they battle for a playoff spot.  

  

Scoring Summary: 1 2 3 4 Final Record

MANCHESTER WOLVES 6 13 7 14 40 5-7

W-B/S PIONEERS 21 24 7 17 69 10-2  

  

Passing:

Pinkney (MAN): 19-37-259- 4 INT-4 TDs

Vena (WBS): 20-32-1 INT-7 TDs  

  

Receiving:

  (MAN): Savoy 8-134-3 TDs

  (WBS): Kendrick 10-140-3 TDs  

  

Schutt Offensive Player of Game: Larry Kendrick (WBS) ADT Defensive Player of Game: Justin Parrish (WBS) JLS Ironman of Game: Rich Musinski (WBS) Cutters Catch of Game: Rich Musinski (WBS)  

 

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) 

 

MTS GRAND OPENING THIS WEEKEND

 

WOLVES DECLAW FIRECATS 47-35

The relentless Wolves defense rattled the Florida Firecats all night while their high-powered offense scored seemingly at will as Manchester declawed the Firecats 47-35 in front of 6,280 faithful at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

The victory was the Wolves third straight as they improved their record to 4-6 while dropping the Firecats to 8-2 and ending Florida's attempt to tie its best start in franchise history. The Wolves, who never trailed in the game, have now won two consecutive home games on Brady Sullivan Field and also avenged a road loss to the Firecats in Florida earlier this season.
While facing a forceful Wolves pass rush and finding his receivers tightly covered for four quarters, Florida quarterback Chris Wallace never got comfortable in the pocket and was sacked four times for a loss of 18 yards and the last sack would prove the most costly. Facing a third-and-goal from the Manchester 6-yd.line with 1:09 left in the game and Manchester up 47-35, Wallace dropped back to throw but could find no one open in the end zone. Manchester's Joe Crear sacked Wallace and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Marvin Wright. All Manchester quarterback James Pinkney, who turned in another oustanding performance, had to do from there was tuck the ball under his arm on three straight plays to run out the clock. 
Pinkney finished the night with 19 completions of 22 attempts for 246 yards with no interceptions and three passing touchdowns plus another two rushing. Wallace was held to 24 completions of 44 tries for 179 yards against no interceptions with four touchdowns through the air.  Bradly Chavez was a force on both sides of the line again and ended the night with honors for both the Cutters Catch of the Game and as the JLS Ironman of the game.
The Wolves will head out to Mahoning Valley next week to face American Conference East Division foe the Thunder on Friday the 13th. Five of the Wolves next six games will be against division rivals so Manchester will have the opportunity to get back into the playoff picture after starting the season 1-6. 
Score by quarters         1       2       3      4       Score
Manchester Wolves     13    20      7       7          47            Record: (4-6)
Florida Firecats             7    14      7        7          35            Record: (8-2)
Leaders:
Passing: Pinkney (MAN) 19-22-0-246 yds; Wallace (FLA) 24-44-0-179
Receiving: Savoy (9 for 118, 1 TD); Burstein (FLA) 11-74, 2 TD)
Schutt Offensive Player of the Game: James Pinkney (MAN)
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Chad Wengert (MAN)
JLS Ironman of the Game: Bradly Chavez (MAN)
Cutters Catch of the Game: Bradly Chavez MAN)

 

WOLVES FACE FLORIDA FIRECATS TONIGHT AT 7:30 AT THE VERIZON WIRELESS ARENA

The Manchester Wolves face 8-1 Florida tonight at 7:30 on Brady Sullivan Field at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Tonight's game is Military Appreciation Night, so get there early to see the on-field festivities during the introductions. Also, head to the concourse to get some information from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Hampshire, CMC and the Prostate Cancer Coalition on Prostate Cancer and how to treat and prevent.

Call (603) 627-9653 for tickets today!!

 

BRADLY CHAVEZ NAMED AF2 IRONMAN OF THE WEEK; WOLVES HOST FLORIDA FIRECATS FRIDAY NIGHT

Manchester Wolves wide receiver and linebacker Bradly Chavez, who picked off an interception with 48 seconds on the clock and ran it back 38 yards for the game-winning touchdown against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, was named the JLS Ironman of the Week by the arena football2 league.

Chavez earned the honor after winning both the Cutters Catch of the Game and the JLS Ironman of the Game awards in the upset of the Pioneers and he becomes the first Wolves player to be recognized as the af2's weekly best in 2008.

Chavez (6'2", 205 lbs.) has made a major impact on the Wolves since joining the team this season and has started on both offense and defense in all nine games the team has played thus far. He earned Schutt Offensive Player of the game honors against the Florida Firecats in week 6, was awarded the Cutters Catch of the Game in weeks 7 against the Tulsa Talons and week eight against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and was named the JLS Ironman of the Game on three occasions, against the Daytona Beach ThunderBrirds in week five, the Tulsa Talons in week 7, and the Pioneers in Week 8.

A product of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Chavez played for the af2 Birmingham Steeldogs for three seasons. In nine games with the Wolves, he has started at wide receiver and linebacker and also played on the special teams. As a wideout, he has caught 56 passes for 724 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, and on defense he has recorded 13.5 tackles, recovered a fumble, and grabbed two interceptions.

Chavez will be playing both ways again on Friday night when the Wolves

(3-6) host the red-hot Florida Firecats (8-1) on Brady Sullivan Field at the Verizon Wireless Arena. The Firecats are looking to sweep the Wolves in the regular season after edging them in Florida 49-43 on May 10 but the Wolves have put together an impressive two-game winning streak and are a different team than Florida saw earlier in the season.

Not only are the Wolves playing much better as a team now, but they have different players starting at several key positions. For instance, Dahnel Singfield is the only member of the defensive backfield who faced Florida quarterback Chris Wallace last time around. Since then, Trey Bell and Carlton Brown, who also picked off an interception to secure the win last week, have joined the team and assumed starting roles. Raquan Pride, the back-up to all three positions in the secondary, wasn't with the Wolves the last time either.

While the Wolves are playing much better now, there is no margin for error against one of the top teams in the af2.

"The Florida Firecats are playing really well right now," said Manchester Head Coach Danton Barto. "We'll have to play our best football to have a chance to win."

In a roster move, the Wolves released defensive back Will Evans and linebacker/fullback Barry Wright on Wednesday.

Kickoff for the game against the Firecats is at 7:30 PM on Friday Night (June 6) and tickets are still available. The Wolves are hosting Military Appreciation night to benefit the Chaplin's Fund. For more information visit www.manchesterwolves.com or call 603-627-9653.

 

Wolves beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 70-63

The Manchester Wolves stunned the American Conference East Division leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 70-63 on Saturday night to win their first home game of the season in front of 5,082 delighted faithful at the Verizon Wireless Arena and tie the all-time series at 10-10.

The vaunted Pioneers defense, which came into this important division match-up ranked first in the arena football2 league and surrendering an average of just 32.2 points per game while also leading the league in turnover margin at plus-20, was overshadowed by an underrated Wolves defense.  With the score tied 63-63 with only 55.8 left in the fourth quarter, Manchester’s Bradly Chavez picked off Pioneers quarterback Ryan Vena at Manchester’s 14-yard line and returned the interception for a touchdown to put the team ahead with the winning score and give Manchester its first lead of the game.

The Wolves would ice the contest one play later when rookie Carlton Brown, who was signed only this week and was making his first af2 start, picked off Vena again with 26 seconds on the clock to put the ball back in the hands of Wolves rookie quarterback James Pinkney.

Pinkney, who continues to improve in each outing, connected on 23 of 33 attempts for 317 yards and threw six scoring strikes. He also added another two touchdowns on the ground.  Pinkney, who was given all night to throw by his offensive line, spread the ball around to five different receivers.  Emery Sammons led the corps with eight catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

Vena, the reigning Schutt Offensive Player of the Year, threw seven touchdown passes and ran for another score to finish the night with 24 completions of 32 passes for 317 yards.

The game was the highest scoring of 20 contests played between these two teams in af2 history and pulled the Wolves to 3-6 overall and 3-2 in the division while the Pioneers dropped to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in division play. Manchester, which beat an undefeated 13-0 Pioneers team last year and knocked them out of the playoffs in 2006, halted the Pioneers seven-game winning streak.

The Wolves return to Brady Sullivan Field next Friday night to host the American Conference South Division leading Florida Firecats, who beat them 49-43 in Florida on May 10th.

   

SCORING:                                      1       2       3      4             FINAL SCORE

Manchester Wolves                  14       14     13     29                70                             Record: 3-6

W-B/S Pioneers                          21       14     14      14                63                           Record: 7-2

LEADERS:

PASSING: Pinkney (MAN) 33-23-0-317- 6 TDs; Vena (WBS) 32-24-2-317 7 TDs

RECEIVING: Sammons (MAN) 8-94 2 Tds; Musinski (WBS)

Schutt Offensive Player of Game: Rich Musinski (WBS)

ADT Defensive Player of Game: Dahnel Singfield (MAN)

 JLS Ironman of Game: Bradly Chavez (MAN)

Cutters Catch of Game:  Bradly Chavez (MAN)

 

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