Arena Cup Champions

Backup quarterback Tony Colston led the Vipers on a 4-play 39 yard drive in overtime and capped it off with a three yard rush on a two-point conversion to lead the Tennessee Valley Vipers to a 56-55 win over the home standing Spokane Shock in Arena Cup 9.

Colston had to enter the game on just the Vipers second possession after starting quarterback Kevin Eakin was injured on his lone touchdown pass of the game.

Eakin tossed a score to Alonzo Nix and while Nix celebrated, Eakin lay on the turf in pain as a Shock defender rolled into his ankle.

So, Colston, who had been the team’s back up since Andy Hall was traded to Austin, stepped in and had a career night. Colston completed 20-of-30 passes for 288 yards and seven touchdowns. To his credit as well, the signal caller did not turn the ball over.

Arena Cup 9 was full of record setting performances. The Shock crowd of 10,662 was the largest crowd to witness an Arena Cup since the inaugural game in 2000 in which the Vipers also played in, but lost to Quad City.

Four receivers also tied Cup marks with four touchdown receptions. Alonzo Nix and Gary Elliot each hauled in four scores for the Vipers, while Kelvin Dickens and Raul Vijil each grabbed four as well. Vijil’s 166 yards receiving led all receivers. Dickens gained 159 yards on 13 catches also.

Defensive player of the game, Desmond Foster recorded 13.5 tackles, an Arena Cup record, and also an interception.

Both teams swapped scores the entire night. Tennessee Valley trailed only twice, once after Nick Hayes missed an extra point and Spokane converted to lead 35-34, and once more after scoring first in overtime.

Travis Blanchard scored yet another rushing touchdown during the contest. Blanchard scored on the ground in every game but the loss at Florida.

Eric Scott recorded the only sack for the Vipers bringing his playoff total to 5, which led the team.

Before the season began, Scott told me that if the Vipers didn’t win a championship, they “didn’t do their jobs.”

Eric, job well done.

Shock provide huge test

The Spokane Shock have been the best team in the af2 all season long. And it is no doubt as to why. Spokane (17-1) has the league's second best offense and the seventh best defense. At just under 60 points per game, the Shock have routinely put up huge offensive numbers. Also with a defense giving up less than 45 points a contest, it's hard to argue who the best is.
Tennessee Valley counters with the eighth best offense and fifth best defense. Throughout the playoffs, however, the Vipers average giving up only 32 points per game, including contests against the regular season's best offense in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Florida.
In a game where strength meets strength, you have to wonder what will give. Will it be the 68 point offense of Spokane or the, "bend, but don't break" defense of Tennessee Valley.
Monday night will answer these questions.
Arena Cup 9, featuring the Shock and Vipers will be played at Spokane Arena at 7 p.m. PDT, 9 p.m. CDT and will be broadcast free on the internet by NiftyTV.
Spokane's high powered offense is led by quarterback Nick Davila. Davila, in the playoffs has been a force. He has completed 62 percent of his passes and 16 touchdowns to just one lone interception.
His favorite targets are Raul Vijil and Andy Olsen. The two both have five touchdown catches this post seasonm with only one total catch separating the two. Patrick Bugg has been a stellar third receiver, hauling in ten catches and four scores.
The defense is led by af2 Rookie of the Year, Sergio Gilliam. Gilliam has recorded 6.5 tackles and an astounding four interceptions in just three games. The defensive line, however has only garnered three sacks, but the offensive line has only given up three as well.
Considering the pride Tennessee Valley takes in it's pass rush, this should be where the game is decided. The Vipers have totaled 14 sacks in three games, including seven against Florida in the opening round.
Linemen Eric Scott and Terrance Ford lead the way with 4.0 and 4.5 respectively, but anyone can get to the quarterback on this defense.
Defense has been the saving grace for Tennessee Valley this post season. Giving up only 32 points per game and coming up with big stops to propel the offense, which has sputtered at times, yet other times looked like a well-oiled machine.
In the first quarter of last week's contest, Kevin Eakin and Alonzo Nix hooked up three times for touchdowns. But Eakin threw two interceptions as well during the game.
But a statistic that really jumps out is red zone scoring. The Vipers have scored every time they have been inside the opponents' 10 yard line. Only once have the Vipers not reached the end zone and settled for a field goal. Tennessee Valley's defense has held opponents to less than 50% inside the red zone.
Both teams have strengths that match the others strengths. What gives will not be known until Monday night when Arena Cup 9 kicks off.

Vipers back where they began

The year 2000 saw many new and exciting things happen around the USA. One of those new, exciting things was the creation of the af2. In August of the year, the af2 held its inaugural championship game featuring the Quad City Steamwheelers and the Tennessee Valley Vipers. The Vipers were on the short end of a 68-59 score, but the precedent was set. Tennessee Valley would be the af2's winningest team through 2004, before bolting to another indoor league. Since that time, the Vipers have been less than stellar. When they returned to the af2, the team saw a 3-13 record in their first season back, and witnessed a good turnaround last season finishing 7-9. However, those records were not acceptable by Vipers standards.
While attendance steadily declined, the Vipers kept fighting hard. Beginning the 2008 season with a dismal 0-3 record, it seemed to Huntsville fans that the Vipers were still on the uphill climb back to where they used to be.
Now, with just two teams remaining alive in the af2, the Vipers are once again back at the top. As the American Conference champions, Tennessee Valley has earned the right to play in Arena Cup 9 against the hosting and overall number one seed Spokane Shock.
The Shock sold out the contest before the week was up. Possibly over 10,000 af2 fans will see the league's championship game live, the projected largest crowd in the title game's history.
With good reason, the Shock come into the game with an astounding 17-1 record, it's only blemish a loss to South Georgia at home.
Tennessee Valley boasts a 13-6 record, including 13-3 since the 0-3 start.
Vipers players and coaches are aware of the magnitude of this game for Huntsville and the team's fans. Finally, the Vipers are back to the top, this time, however, they want to come out on the good side.

Vipers topple top seed Pioneers

Tennessee Valley Vipers fans had not seen the playoffs since 2004. Fans had not seen a playoff win since 2003. Now, in 2008, Vipers fans have seen both the playoffs and playoff wins. The biggest win of the playoffs and the season came with the defeat of American Conference top seed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday night at the Wachovia Arena in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Tennessee Valley (12-6) held the Pioneers (15-3) to a season low 30 points in the 34-30 win.
Alonzo Nix's fade route touchdown catch with seven seconds remaining in the game proved to be the winning score capping off an 8-play, 45-yard drive.
Vipers quarterback Kevin Eakin was nowhere near flawless, but made the plays necessary to send the Vipers to the conference championship for the first time since 2003. Eakin threw four touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. However, the Pioneers signal caller, 2007 af2 Offensive Player of the Year Ryan Vena was held to an unimpressive 16-of-29 performance for just 158 yards, two touchdowns an interception and fumble lost.
After both teams failed to score on their opening possessions, Tennessee Valley took advantage of the Vena fumble and marched 41 yards and Eakin hit Maurice Brown for the first points of the night. But the Pioneers answered right back with a Vena pass to Larry Kendrick from 14 yards out.
The second quarter began with Travis Blanchard rushing one yard for a tough touchdown, and Wilkes-Barre responding with Vena's second and final touchdown pass to Rich Musinski to tie the game again at 14.
On the first half's final play, Vipers head coach Dean Cokinos sent his field goal unit onto the field, however, after a time out from the Pioneers, Cokinos elected to try for the touchdown. A touchdown was scored, unfortunately for Tennessee Valley it was Barry Drakeford of the Pioneers intercepting Eakin and returning the pass for a Pioneers touchdown. The score at halftime was 20-14 in favor of the Vipers after a failed Vena rushing attempt for a two-point conversion.
After halftime the Vipers defense stepped up again to force a David Davis field goal, but Wilkes-Barre still led 23-14. Eakin engineered another 40-plus yard drive ending with a Brown touchdown catch, cutting the lead to 23-20 after Nick Hayes extra point failed.
14 minutes and 40 seconds passed before another score would be made thanks to just over an 8 minute drive by the Vipers that ended with a Blanchard touchdown catch, putting the Vipers up 27-23 with just over two minutes to go.
Larry Kendrick then took the ensuing kickoff 56 yards for a score to put the Pioneers back on top. However, Nix's grab with seven seconds left would prove to be the difference.
Wilkes-Barre did not go out without a fight, though. After allowing the kickoff to hit the wall, the Pioneers started at their own five yard line. After a completion to Musinski, he lateraled to Kendrick who found his way to the Vipers three yard line before being brought down by Blanchard preserving the win for Tennessee Valley.
After the game, Vipers faithful were watching with close eyes to the result of the Green Bay Blizzard vs. Manchester Wolves contest to see who the Vipers opponent would be. The seventh-seeded Wolves escaped with a 55-54 win on a two-point conversion.
The Manchester win gives Tennessee Valley the right to host the conference finals on Saturday, August 16.
Hosting a conference championship game is nothing new for the Vipers. In 2003, the Vipers hosted Macon for the conference championship game, in which the Knights defeated the Vipers 51-48.

Number one awaits

The Tennessee Valley Vipers have had their hills and their valleys this season. Luckily for the Vipers (11-6) the biggest hill peaked at a seven game winning streak and helped the club to secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2004.
Unfortunately, however, awaiting the Vipers this week is the team that stopped that seven game winning streak.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton comes into this week's quarterfinals match up with a 15-2 record and the 2007 af2 Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Ryan Vena.
Vena is 13-1 as the Pioneers starter this season and is statistically one of the top quarterbacks again this season.
With a plethora of capable receiving options, Vena threw for 87 touchdowns in the regular season. J.J. Outlaw led the talented trio of receivers with 31 touchdown grabs, but Ruch Musinski hauled in 28, while Larry Kendrick caught 26 touchdowns of his own.
The offense averages 63.6 points per game and the stingy defense allows under 40 points a contest. The Pioneers beat their opponents by an average of 26 points.
When the Vipers traveled to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton earlier this season, the Vipers held a 1-point lead in the fourth quarter before a barrage of miscues led to 28 unanswered points for the Pioneers to blow open a 77-49 win.
While Tennessee Valley has prided itself on the dominance of it's defensive line this season, Wilkes-Barre quietly recorded 54 sacks on the season--second most in af2 history and nine more than the Vipers this season.
Countering the Pioneers on the side of Tennessee Valley will be quarterback Kevin Eakin. Eakin has been less than stellar as of late, but has played against the toughest of defenses. Against the Pioneers in their first match up, Eakin threw for 351 yards and seven touchdowns, but had two costly interceptions and lost two fumbles.
One area the Vipers are definitely better is the rushing attack. Travis Blanchard now holds the Vipers franchise record for most rushing scores in a season and Tennessee Valley has punched in 35 scores this season on the ground.
The key to the game for the Vipers will be controlling the line of scrimmage and keeping mistakes to a minimum.
To beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, teams must play perfectly.
A group of Vipers fans will be at Indigo Joe's in Huntsville to watch the game on a big screen television. Join the Vipers' fans as they cheer on your hometown team!

Vipers win first playoff game since 2004

Tennessee Valley entered the 2008 playoffs after a three year hiatus. The visitors would be the arch nemesis, Florida Firecats. After three previous meetings between the two South Division rivals, the Vipers (11-6) led the season series 2-1, but trailed 6-7 in the overall series. The overall series is now tied as the Vipers dismantled the Firecats (10-7) 48-33 in front of a small, but rowdy Von Braun Center.
The last home playoff game the Vipers played, Florida came into the VBC and handed the Vipers a 62-58 loss en route to the 2004 Arena Cup championship. This year, however, would lead to an early first round exit and long trip back to Fort Myers, Florida.
The Firecats came out striking. With an interception that slipped through Maurice Brown's hands on the first drive, Florida took an early 7-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, the Vipers' Travis Blanchard had just one defender to beat before walking to the end zone when he was hit hard from behind and fumbled. The Firecats recovered the fumble and used just three plays to find Magic Benton in the end zone. After Garrett Rivas missed the extra point, the Firecats led 13-0.
Tennessee Valley finally got on the scoreboard on their next possession. On fourth down, Eakin found Gary Elliot in the corner of the end zone. Elliot ran into the wall and almost fell over, but was able to hang on to the ball, despite losing his helmet. Nick Hayes added the extra point and the Vipers trailed just 13-7.
Florida's next drive would eat up almost seven minutes before a fourth down miracle touchdown. Firecats quarterback Chris Wallace was chased out of the pocket to his left and before being brought down tossed a Tim Tebow-esque basketball pass to the back of the end zone where Benton came down with the jump ball amidst three Vipers defenders. Florida then led 20-7.
The Vipers would answer quickly using four plays to find Alonzo Nix from 18 yards out to cut the lead back to 6.
Momentum then began to swing in favor of Tennessee Valley. After a holding penalty, Wallace was looking for Chris McKinney and instead Desmond Foster intercepted the pass and returned it 15 yards to pay dirt. The Vipers then led 21-20 after Hayes' successful point after.
The ensuing drive for Florida took the Firecats deep into Vipers territory. On fourth down with :09 seconds on the clock before halftime, Wallace fired a pass intended for Ethenic Sands, but ended up in the third row, resulting in a turnover on downs.
With just :05 seconds remaining in the half, Eakin tossed a pass across the middle to Maurice Brown who then faked a hook and lateral pitch and streaked down the sideline into the end zone, leaving the Vipers ahead 28-20 on the last play of the first half.
Tennessee Valley held the Firecats to a 50-yard field goal attempt on the first drive of the second half. Rivas missed the field goal and the Vipers took over at their own 23 yard line.
On the Vipers next drive, penalties were plentiful. A holding call followed immediately by a false start penalty brought the Vipers back to their own 17 yard line and set up 3rd-and-16. Eakin's next pass was intercepted by former Viper Carlos Campbell, but the Firecats Clint McMillan hit Eakin a little too late and gave the Vipers an automatic first down after the roughing penalty. Two more penalties would be called, one against each team, before Elliot took a hand off and walked into the end zone for the touchdown to put the Vipers up 34-20 after Hayes' failed extra point.
Just two plays later, Wallace found a wide open Sands for the score, cutting the lead back to seven points.
That would be the last time the Firecats saw the end zone until the final play of the game.
Tennessee Valley got scores from Blanchard on a 2-yard plunge. Elliot scored his second rushing touchdown of the game from 14 yards out around the right end, going untouched to pay dirt.
Chris Wallace was sacked three times in the drive following the Elliot rushing score. The Vipers couldn't muster up another score to reach the magical 50 points for cheesy bread, however.
Wallace then finished the game, and possibly his illustrious af2 career with a touchdown to Matt Burstein on the game's final play.
Wallace finished the game 25-of-41 for 266 yards and four touchdowns to one pick. Benton, the af2's all-time leading scorer probably also ended his career with 175 receiving yards on 14 catches and two touchdowns.
Eakin finished as the game's offensive player of the game with 18-of-28 for 225 yards and three touchdowns. Nix caught 9 passes for 96 yards and was awarded the Cutters Catch of the game.
Elliot rushed twice for 21 yards and two touchdowns as well as catching a fourth down touchdown while hitting the end zone wall at full speed, but was awarded no post game honors.

Heavyweight tilt on tap for title

HBO and Showtime won't be there. The game won't be $49.99 on pay-per-view. Michael Buffer won't be saying, "Let's get ready to rumble!" prior to the national anthem. However, Saturday night's South Division title game between the Tennessee Valley Vipers and South Georgia Wildcats has all the makings of a heavyweight title match.
The Wildcats enter the contest with a one game lead in the division with an 11-4 record, while the Vipers sit at 10-5. A win by Tennessee Valley would give them the division due to a 2-1 head-to-head record with the Wildcats.
The road team has won each of the two previous meetings. The Vipers are just 2-4 against the Wildcats since the move to South Georgia.
South Georgia stole a win to start the season on the final play of the game with a hook-and-ladder ending in quarterback Cecil Lester falling into the end zone.
Tennessee Valley answered with a 65-51 win in South Georgia.
The Vipers win last week over Florida set up the final regular season game as the division championship. Florida is now out of the running for their fifth consecutive division title.
South Georgia enters the game on a six game winning streak. Andrico Hines will start under center for the Wildcats. Hines has played extremely well during the season. In 12 games, Hines has completed 62 percent of his passes for 59 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. Two of those interceptions were against the Vipers, however. His 62.3 percent completion percentage is good enough for ninth in the league, and his 111.4 passer rating is also ninth best in the af2.
The Wildcats main threat is all-purpose man P.J. Berry. Berry ranks in the top ten in the league in receiving yards per game and leads the league in all-purpose yards. His six kick returns for touchdowns leads the af2.
But the Vipers will counter the offensive attack with one of the af2's leading defenses. Eric Scott and Terrance Ford both rank in the top ten in sacks and tackles for loss. The team is fifth in the af2 in scoring defense, giving up just 43.1 points a contest. including a total of just 49 points in the last two games.
The offense has been on all cylinders the last two weeks and with the absence of Maurice Brown the rest of the receivers have stepped up. Alonzo Nix hauled in three touchdowns last week.
With 33 rushing touchdowns, the Vipers love to punch it in when they get close to the goal line. Travis Blanchard returned to the line up last week and once again found the end zone by the ground game. His 12 rushing scores leads the team.
Nick Hayes anchors the kicking game while being second in the league in scoring by a kicker with 9 points a game. His 48.1 percent on field goals leads the league with a minimum number of 27 attempts on the season.
The teams are in their corners and the stage is set for the biggest game in Huntsville since 2004. Let's just hope referee David Smith doesn't say, "Let's get it on!" during the coin toss.

Vipers tame Firecats, title bout set

The Tennessee Valley Vipers know what it takes to beat their arch rivals Florida. A quick start and a complete finish. Saturday night the Vipers (10-5) got just that. The Florida Firecats (9-6) got in a 16-0 hole and could not climb out as Tennessee Valley poured on the points and the defense shut down what was once the league's premier offense in 58-28 fashion in Estero, Florida.
Nick Hayes got the Vipers on the board early with a 32-yard field goal and Alonzo Nix caught two touchdowns before Florida could muster a score.
Former Viper James Gibson got the Firecats on the scoreboard with a 4-yard touchdown run, but the Vipers responded. Three plays and 43 yards later, Benjamin McDowell hauled in his first of two touchdown grabs to put the Vipers back up 16.
The Vipers intercepted a pass on the next Florida possession and returned it for a touchdown, only to have it called back on a questionable call by the officials.
Magic Benton caught his first touchdown pass on the drive that continued with that penalty. The two teams traded score until the end of the half, where Tennessee Valley led 30-21.
After the half, the Vipers scored 28 unanswered points after capitalizing on an interception, a fumble and two turnovers on downs.
Benton ended the scoring with a touchdown grab.
Vipers quarterback Kevin Eakin was 14-of-20 on the night for just 124 yards but four touchdowns and a 25-yard scamper. Alonzo Nix was the favorite target coming down with seven catches and three scores.
Rico Reese recorded a sack and Desmond Foster came down with an interception in the great defensive effort by the Vipers. The Vipers defense held the Firecats to 1-of-6 on third down and 0-of-5 on fourth down.
With the win, Tennessee Valley is set up to host the South Georgia Wildcats next weekend in Huntsville for the South Division title.
The Wildcats and Vipers have split decisions on the year, with the road team winning each time. It's $1 beer night at the Von Braun Center for the contest.

Playoffs in eyes of Vipers

It's been four years since the Tennessee Valley Vipers have tasted playoff football. But the drought could be over with one win on Friday night. Tennessee Valley hosts the Stockton Lightning Friday night at the Von Braun Center, with a win the Vipers would clinch their first playoff berth since 2004.
Stockton brings a 2-10 record to Huntsville and last won on May 17 against the Amarillo Dusters. Top receiver Justin Taplin leads the team with 94 yards receiving per game. He has nine touchdowns in just five games.
Newly acquired quarterback Andy Collins has played well in three contests this season. Collins has completed almost 59 percent of his passes including 12 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
Tennessee Valley is coming off a dominating performance of Quad City. The Vipers defense recorded six sacks against the Steamwheelers and the Vipers offense sailed along scoring 48 points in the win.
Quarterback Kevin Eakin has been stellar so far this season. With a 62.2 completion percentage and 35 touchdowns to just four interceptions, Eakin has led the Vipers to a 5-1 record as the starter.
The receiving corps is led by Maurice Brown. Brown has 26 touchdown catches in 11 games. Alonso Nix has been a favorite target as of late for Eakin. Nix caught two scores last week and three in the loss to Wilkes-Barre two weeks ago.
Defensively, the Vipers are being led up front by nose man Terrance Ford. Ford has recorded six sacks in the last three games, while Eric Scott has continued playing consistent every week. Scott now holds the Vipers single-season sack record and is just three sacks away from tying the career record of 18 sacks held by Eugene Phillips.
The Vipers have recorded 39 sacks so far this season, only 18 sacks away from the league record set last season by Rio Grande at 57.
The Vipers finish the final month of the season with three consecutive division tilts. Rubber games with South Georgia at home and Florida on the road, the Vipers have split the season series so far with both teams, follow a July 12 home game against the Daytona Beach Thunderbirds.
By winning out, the Vipers would secure the South division title. Three wins in the last four games would secure a first round playoff game at the VBC.
Playoff tickets are on sale, contact the Vipers front office to pre-order your seats!

Slow start, finish doom Vipers

It was not a pretty sight for the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the beginning and end last Saturday night against the number 3 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers. Pioneers (8-2) quarterback Ryan Vena had yet another spectacular outing while his counterpart, Vipers QB Kevin Eakin had great numbers except in turnovers.
Two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, was just the beginning of the problems that surrounded the Vipers (7-4). Pressure was heavy from the astounding Pioneers defensive line throughout the night and the offensive line protected Vena from anything the Vipers defensive line threw out, including Vipers co-single season sack record holder Eric Scott. Neither Scott nor Terrance Ford, RaJohn Myles or Rico Reese could even feel Vena all night.
The Pioneers scored on their first two possessions, putting the Vipers in a quick hole against the af2's leading offense. Alonzo Nix put the first points on the board for Tennessee Valley.
The second quarter began as the first, except backwards. Tennessee Valley scored back-to-back to tie the contest at 21. The two teams traded scores until halftime.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton scored all fourteen points in the third quarter and led 48-35 when the fourth quarter began.
After scoring two consecutive touchdowns again, the Vipers led 49-48.
From there, Wilkes-Barre showed why they are one of the top teams in the league. The Pioneers scored four touchdowns unanswered to put the Vipers deep in the grave of the Wachovia Center. Eakin finished the night 29-of-44 for 351 yards and seven touchdowns.

Records abound in Vipers Win

WR Maurice Brown


Tennessee Valley scored it's seventh consecutive victory with a 64-48 win over Lexington last Friday night. The Vipers (7-3) recorded seven sacks and three safeties in the win. The three safeties ties an af2 record. Lexington (6-5) never got in sync offensively as the Vipers defense kept newly acquired quarterback Ryan Mitch scrambled throughout the game. Mitch threw for five scores and two picks in the loss. Tennessee Valley signal caller Kevin Eakin countered with six passing scores, four to Maurice Brown.
Brown has been exceptional lately for the Vipers. The former AFL receiver ranks in the af2 top ten in receptions and yards per game receiving.
Much to the surprise of Vipers fans, Henry "Freebird" Freeman suited back up for the defense. Freeman recorded an interception and led the team in tackles with 8.5 on the night.
Also, Terrance Ford showed his power early and often against the Lexington. Ford picked up four sacks alone and two of the three safeties.
Eric Scott continued his dominance of opposing offensive lines. Scott got to Mitch twice, had a pass break up, forced fumble and blocked extra point that resulted in a safety. Scott also became the Vipers single-season sack record holder. His 14 is just four shy of the Vipers career record held by Eugene Phillips.
Tennessee Valley travels to take on the league's most potent offense next week in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Vipers Return Home to Face Horsemen

Vipers QB Kevin Eakin


Friday night's match up with the Lexington Horsemen is an extremely important game for a host of reasons. Lexington (6-3) comes into the game in a three way tie for the Midwest Division lead and a four-way tie for the fourth spot in the playoffs, the only wild card seed that will host the first round game of the playoffs.
Currently, the Vipers (6-3) hold the edge in the tie-breaker by way of strength of schedule.
Lexington is an expansion team in the af2, but not new to the indoor football world. The 2003 NIFL champions and UIF runner-up in 2005, the Horsemen have had success wherever they play. This season has been no different.
A major reason is the play of quarterback Eddie Eviston. Eviston, who was injured in last week's loss to Louisville has been stellar at times this season, throwing for 47 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions.
His favorite targets are Tavon McGee and Chad Spencer. Spencer was suspended for two games earlier this season, but has been a major target for Eviston. Spencer has caught 30 passes and 13 scores. McGee averages just under 81 yards per game and has caught 14 touchdown passes this season in just seven games.
Tennessee Valley is still riding a 6-game winning streak after winning decisively over Oklahoma City last week.
Quarterback Kevin Eakin has played exceptional since being given the reigns four weeks ago. Eakin boasts a 110.85 passer rating and has thrown 18 touchdowns to just two interceptions. And has rushed for two scores as well.
Maurice Brown has contributed as much as expected, last week Brown hauled in three scores in just the first half of play, and has 18 touchdown receptions on the season.
Defensively, the Vipers are among the league leaders in every category, giving up only 43.4 points per game. Eric Scott remains second in the league in sacks and tackles for loss.
Week 9 ADT Defensive Player of the Week RaJohn Myles has come on strong as of late, recovering two fumbles last week and returning one for a score.
In the defensive backfield, Demetrius Derico is fourth in the league with 8 picks on the year, two of which he has returned to pay dirt.
Friday night at the Von Braun Center, the Viper Pit must be loud and proud, because Huntsville can be proud of it's football team once again.

Myles Earns af2 Honor

Vipers linebacker RaJohn Myles has been awarded the af2's ADT Defensive Player of the Week award for his efforts against the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz.
Myles recorded three tackles including two sacks. Along with a forced fumble, Myles recovered two and returned one 30 yards for a touchdown.
The UAB product has been a force all season for the Vipers. With 19.5 tackles 5.5 tackles for loss including 5.0 sacks, Myles is second on the team in sacks.
The Vipers return home Friday to take on the Lexington Horsemen in a key game with playoff seeding implications.

Vipers Dismantle Dawgz

Tennessee Valley fans are ecstatic right now. And with good reason. Riding high on a six-game winning streak, the Vipers just scored more points on the road than in the history of the franchise. With the 77-37 win over the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, the Vipers improve to 6-3 on the season.
It did not take long for the Vipers to get into the groove as the opening kickoff was received and four plays later Kevin Eakin found Maurice Brown for the first of three touchdowns for the two on the night.
Not long after, Terrance Ford recorded a sack in the end zone of Yard Dawgz quarterback Ryan Porter resulting in a safety.
Brown and Eakin hooked up for the second time on the ensuing drive and the Vipers led 13-0 early. Alonzo Nix caught two touchdown passes on the next two drives after Oklahoma City turnovers. Brown then started the second quater with his third and final touchdown catch of the night.
Oklahoma City finally got on the board with a Porter pass to Al Hunt, but the Vipers answered with two scores before Ben Scott's 40-yard field goal sent the teams to the locker rooms with Tennessee Valley ahead 49-9.
The second half began with Demetrius Derico picking off Porter and returning his second interception of the year to the end zone.
Oklahoma City answered the score and then intercepted Eakin, but Matt Webber picked off Porter and reurned it for a touchdown.
RaJohn Myles recovered a fumble for a touchdown and Eric Scott got the opportunity to carry the ball and rushed twice for two yards and a touchdown.
Scott also recorded his 12th sack on the season during the contest. Myles got to Porter twice in the game.
The Vipers took control early and never looked back during the 40-point win. The margain of victory is the second highest in Vipers history behind a 41-point win in the af2's inaugural game in Birmingham against the other Dogs.
Lexington comes to the VBC on Friday night as they try to rebound from last week's loss to rival Louisville.
This game will be the third of four games against Midwest division opponents for the Vipers. Lexington, Louisville, Green Bay and Tennessee Valley are tied in the playoff picture with the Vipers owning the strength of schedule tie-breaker over Lexington and Louisville.

Vipers set to take on OKC

While Tennessee Valley's bye week may not have come at an opportune time during a five game winning streak, the Vipers expect to pick up right where they left off after a dominating performance at home against the Florida Firecats two weeks ago.
The bye week allowed for players to heal and rest for a week before beginning the last half of the regular season. Sitting at 5-3 and 6th in the playoff standings due to three-way tiebreakers, Tennessee Valley hits the road to Boomer Sooner country.
Oklahoma City and Bricktown is the destination for the Vipers in week 9. Tennessee Valley will try and bring their proverbial "A-game" to the Yard Dawgz, whose record stands at 2-6.
The Yard Dawgz are not to be taken lightly. Quarterback Evan Gray is a league veteran who has thrown for over 100 touchdowns in a season before.
But this season, the Yard Dawgz are ranking among the bottom feeders in the league in almost every single major statistic.
The Dawgz scoring defense is 27th of 29 af2 teams, giving up about 58 points a game. The scoring offense ranks just 25th scoring just 38.1 points a contest.
On the flip side, Tennessee Valley ranks 10th in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
Newly anointed quarterback Kevin Eakin has quickly become the talk of the town. Eakin is sixth in the league in pass completion percentage and has thrown 11 touchdowns to just 1 interception in just 4 games.
Travis Blanchard, who earned af2 Ironman of the Week awards in week 8 for his three touchdown, eight tackle performance against the Firecats, has rushed for 11 scores on the year and has a score on the ground in all but one game this season.
Eric Scott is just one-half sack away from leading the af2 in sacks, and is only one tackle for loss away from the league lead.
Demetrius Derico is fifth in the league with 6 picks on the season.
Tennessee Valley can not overlook anyone on their schedule for the rest of the season. Oklahoma City provides a daunting and scary task. But expect the Vipers to win this one at the Ford Center.

Vipers 54 Yard Dawgz 39

Vipers Dominate Rival Florida

If the Tennessee Valley Vipers and Florida Firecats were not considered rivals before this game, the argument was laid to rest in the first quarter.
Maurice Brown caught a six yard touchdown pass and was forced over the wall by two Firecats defenders and Vipers players and Firecats alike swarmed to the area with pushing and shoving. The touchdown and extra point tied the game at seven with just 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Nonetheless, the Vipers would win the fight that mattered, on the scoreboard, with a 50-34 victory at the Von Braun Center in front of 3,825 Vipers faithful.
Tennessee Valley improved to 5-3 and extended the team's winning streak to five games while handing Florida it's first setback as the Firecats sit at 6-1 on the season.
The Vipers took the lead on the first play of the second quarter when Eric Scott recorded his 10th sack of the season and second safety.
With the Vipers leading 9-7, quarterback Kevin Eakin drove the Vipers 40 yards before Travis Blanchard scored his first of three rushing touchdowns to put the Vipers up 16-7.
Florida answered with a Chris Wallace pass to Ethenic Sands cutting the lead to 16-14, but the Vipers answered and extended the lead back to nine with a pass from Eakin to Gary Elliott.
Wallace found James Panui inside the one minute mark to close in back to two points.
But Nick Hayes extended the lead to 26-21 as time expired with a 20-yard field goal.
The Vipers would score twice more before the Firecats would get back on the board, Blanchard had another rushing touchdown and Hayes knocked through another field goal.
Florida finally scored in the second half with 2:45 remaining when Chris McKinney hauled in a seven-yard pass from Wallace.
Blanchard rushed for his final score and Florida answered with Sands' second touchdown grab.
Lance Ancar finished the scoring with a 0ne-yard plunge. Nick Hayes added the extra point to give Vipers fans a nice treat--free cheesybread from Dominos!
Tennessee Valley will head into the bye week riding a five game winning streak and travel to Oklahoma City on May 31 to take on the Yard Dawgz.

Defense key in Vipers division win

The Tennessee Valley Vipers defense was certainly keyed in for Saturday's contest with division rival South Georgia. It was good enough to bring the Vipers (4-3) back to Huntsville with a 65-51 victory over the Wildcats (4-3).
The win leaves the Vipers at second place in the divison, but still 2 1/2 games behind division leader Florida, who comes to town next week.
The first half saw touchdowns matched with touchdowns as the Vipers got on the board first with a Kevin Eakin pass to Alonso Nix. South Georgia's answer came on a fourth-and-goal fade route to Buchie Ibeh, tying the game at 7.
The Vipers came back and Travis Blanchard scored on a 6-yard run, something Blanchard has done in all but one game this season.
However, the Wildcats answered with Scott Cloman's 33-yard reception from Andrico Hines. Then forced a Vipers turnover on downs and scored again, this time Antwan Savage was on the receiving end of a touchdown toss. The Wildcats then led 21-14.
Lance Ancar recorded his first score of the season from five yards out to bring the game back to a tie.
Scott Hode kicked his first field goal putting the Cats back up 24-21, but the Vipers wasted no time before gaining the lead back at 28-24.
Hode would knock one more field goal through to end the first half, with the Vipers ahead 28-27.
The Cats took the second half kickoff eventually would take their last lead of the night on a Hines one-yard quarterback sneak at 33-28.
Eakin scrambled in from seven yards out to put the Vipers up 35-33, and then the defense stepped in.
Last week against the Albany Conquest, the Vipers defense produced a stellar second half, this week proved no different.
A forced fumble by Rico Reese led to Maurice Brown's second touchdown grab and a 42-33 lead.
Ibeh caught his second touchdown of the night, cutting the lead to 42-39 after Hode missed the extra point.
The Vipers fumbled on the next possession, but on the ensuing play, Reese blasted through the offensive line, intercepted a screen pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown, putting the Vipers ahead 48-39 after a missed Nick Hayes point after.
It didn't take long for the Vipers defense to put South Georgia away, two plays later team interceptions leader Demetrius Derico picked off another Hines pass and returned it six yards for the score. After Hayes nailed the extra point, the Vipers led 55-38.
Savage would answer quickly with a touchdown catch on the next play, but Brown and Eakin hooked up for the third time on the night, silencing the few remaining Wildcats fans.
P.J. Berry caught the final touchdown for the Wildcats with 2:55 remaining, and Nick Hayes capped the scoring with an 18-yard field goal, leaving the final score at 65-51.
Eakin, in his first start as a Viper, finished strong at 21-of-30 for 216 yards four passing touchdowns, one interception, and one fumble. He also rushed for a touchdown.
Maurice Brown torched the Wildcats secondary with 11 catches for 141 yards and three touchdowns.
Rico Reese, Eric Scott and RaJohn Myles all recorded one sack on the night for the Vipers defense.
Tennessee Valley returns to the Von Braun Center next week to face hated division rival Florida. The Firecats are currently 6-0 this season including a 62-47 win over the Vipers earlier in the year.

Vipers get blow out win

ALBANY, GA--The Tennessee Valley Vipers winning streak has been extended to four games with a 65-51 win over the South Georgia Wildcats.
The Tennessee Valley defense was spectacular in the game. With two interceptions returned for touchdowns and two fumble recoveries, the Vipers defense set the tone for the entire night. League sacks leader Eric Scott was held in check, but Rico Reese made up for it. Reese had one of the interception returns and a forced fumble.
The Wildcats quarterback Andrico Hines never got into a rhythm and was hurried the entire night.
Tennessee Valley led at the half 28-27, but the Wildcats scored first two take a 33-28 lead to begin the 3rd quarter. The Vipers took a 35-33 lead with a touchdown and never relinquished that lead.
The Vipers improved to 4-3 on the season and move into second place in the South division. Division leader Florida will visit the Von Braun Center next week in a huge match up with the Firecats.
A full game summary will be posted on Inside the Pit tomorrow.

Inside the Pit--Volume 4

Six games into the season and the Vipers sit at ".500". I honestly believe that this team should be 5-1 at best and 4-2 at worst right now. The South Georgia game may come back to haunt us come the playoffs. Speaking of South Georgia, the Vipers travel to Georgia's version on hell this weekend.
If you have never been to Albany, Georgia, consider yourself blessed. The city is a dump, except maybe the Krispy Kreme shop. It was pretty good.
Personally, I had planned to make the trip to Albany before I was scheduled to work. It looks as though I won't be going. Maybe I will if I'm forced.
With the last three wins, the Vipers have looked impressive. But nothing more impressive than last week at Albany in the unfriendly confines of the Pepsi Center in New York. Trailing 35-18 at the half, Quarterback Brent Dearmon was benched in favor of backup Kevin Eakin. Eakin finished the contest a stunning 12-of-15 with four touchdown tosses.
Maurice Brown had an exceptional night at receiver. Brown caught 10 balls for 147 yards and three touchdowns.
As great as the offense was under Eakin, it was all overshadowed by the Vipers dominating defense. Eric Scott matched his season total of five sacks in this game alone and one recorded a safety. Scott leads the af2 in sacks with 10.0 on the year. Terrance Ford added a sack and Rico Reese was credited with 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
It was a great comeback by the Vipers and will hopefully put them on the right track down the stretch.
This coming week will feature a great receiving corps in South Georgia's Antwan Savage, Buchie Ibeh and the electrifying P.J. Berry.
New quarterback Andrico Hines will most likely play under center. South Georgia ranks one spot ahead of Tennessee Valley in scoring offense. But Tennessee Valley ranks eight spots ahead of the Wildcats in scoring defense.
Berry is the league leader in total yards per game with over 220 yards a contest.
But Demetrius Derico ranks in the top ten in the league in interceptions with five. As mentioned earlier, Eric Scott has ten sacks, ranking number one in the league.
The key to this game will be the pressure Tennessee Valley is able to put on Hines. Hines went down last week with an injury, but will play most likely.
I expect another close, hard fought game between two evenly matched teams. South Georgia will be at home, but the Vipers have looked good on the road, going 2-1 so far.

Pit Prediction
Vipers 54 Wildcats 52

Inside the Pit--Volume 3

Apparently, Shane Adler is not the guy to lead the Green Bay Blizzard. The Blizzard traded for af2 veteran and former Tennessee Valley Viper Ryan Porter over the weekend. Porter, who played in three games for the Vipers in 2007 will most likely take over the starting job from Adler.
Adler completed just 5-of-12 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions in last week’s loss to the Spokane Shock.
Tennessee Valley will look to add a win to their column after giving up and 11-point lead to South Georgia last week and eventually losing on the final play of the game.
The Vipers defensive secondary will have a tough task this week, although not as tough as last week. “The Blizzard have some good receivers, but they aren’t as good as South Georgia,” said Vipers head coach Dean Cokinos. Quorey Payne and Steve Gonzalez are league veterans and will give the Vipers secondary everything they can handle.
Unfortunately for the Vipers, Travis Blanchard will most likely be out for this week as he injured his ankle early in the South Georgia contest. The status of Pedro Holliday is also unknown, but he will most likely be out.
Former AFL receiver Maurice Brown will step in for at least one more week to fill injured player’s spots. Last week, Brown caught 8 passes for 115 yards to lead the Vipers, including a 7-yard score in the first quarter.
One of the brightest spots for the Vipers last week was the offensive line. What had been a question mark all during training camp came out Saturday and did not give up a single sack while allowing only three hurries. Eric Scott will play a big role this week again, along with Rico Reese and Terrance Ford. Scott recorded one sack last week and Reese was robbed of one as the South Georgia quarterback fell forward to gain a yard while being tackled.
I expect the Vipers to control this game easily from the get-go. Green Bay has a new quarterback coming into the system and a lot of question marks in the trenches. Vipers fans should get excited early and often for this one.
Vipers 61 Blizzard 40

Inside the Pit--South Georgia

Last season was a disater for the Tennessee Valley Vipers. After finishing 7-9 due to a last second pass that fell to the turf against Louisville, allowing the Alabama Steeldogs to enter the playoffs, the Vipers felt cheated. And rightfully so, they beat the Steeldogs both times last season.
This season, Milt Theodosatos is no longer roaming the sidelines and Dean Cokinos is the head man. Cokinos has brought in talent galore from his three year stint in Nashville of the AFL. That talent will be much needed on Saturday night at the Von Braun Center as the South Georgia Wildcats come into the Viper Pit and try to get division win number one.
South Georgia won 11 games last season, including both contests against the Vipers. Derek Stingley has a group of wide receivers that any AFL team would like to have. Buchie Ibeh, Antwon Savage, PJ Berry and Anthony Bright are just a few of the names that you will hear from the end zone on Saturday nights throughout the season.
Unfortunately for Stingley, he doesn’t have a great quarterback to throw to the wide array of receivers. Cecil Lester, a perrennial back-up in the af2 for three seasons, will be the starting quarterback for the Wildcats while former Vipers signal caller Walter Washington is the back-up.
Lester threw five touchdowns in his rookie campaign for the Macon Knights against just one interception. Last season his only pass attempt was picked off. The game will hinge on how well Lester plays while Eric Scott and Rico Reese come rushing from the ends of the line. Reese and Scott combined last season for 14 sacks.
Andy Hall will make his arena football debut as well. Hall, a former sixth round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles and Delaware Blue Hens quarterback brings one year of practice squad experience from the AFL.
His receivers are a mix of fast and possession guys. Agim Shabaj of Michigan State is a speedster with great hands. Alongside will be Travis Blanchard and Pedro Holliday.
If the offensive line comes up big for the Vipers, expect a close low scoring affair. Vipers 54 Wildcats 41

Inside the Pit--Volume 1

The first three posts were written for "The Arena" from now on my Vipers articles will appear here, on insidethepit.com!

In the two years that the Tennessee Valley Vipers have been back as members of the af2, the Vipers have been in unfamiliar territory—at home during the playoffs. Last season’s 7-9 team was much improved from the 3-13 season a year before, however, with a loss to Louisville in the final game of the regular season it allowed the Vipers arch-rivals, the Alabama Steeldogs to sneak into the playoffs despite being beaten twice by the Vipers.
This season is really do-or-die for the Vipers and the team’s fans. With just under 4,500 fans attending games last season, the Vipers are far and away from the marks set in the franchises’ early days. The days when almost 1,000 more people showed up per game to fill the Von Braun Center to near capacity.
The offense has been beefed up a little, and will hopefully out-perform the 25th worst offense in the af2 last season. The defense is getting even better with additions of former Steeldogs Eric Scott, RaJohn Myles and Deon Deboise, who were all a part of the Grand Rapids Rampage training camp roster.
Last season, the Vipers averaged scoring 41.6 points a game, but gave up only 45.4—good enough for ninth best in the league.
This season, the Vipers will look to improve on that offense with the addition of Andy Hall, a rookie quarterback from the University of Delaware and former Philadelphia Eagles back up. Hall spent last season with Vipers head coach Dean Cokinos. Also making his af2 debut is Jasper, Alabama native, Antwan Courington. Courington spent his college years in Hattiesburg under Jeff Bower and spent last season in the Intense Football League, where he was third in the league in scoring by a non-kicker and third in receiving yards per game while playing with former Southern Miss signal caller Dustin Almond.
Five players on the training camp roster for the Vipers have previously played in the AFL. That alone gives Vipers fans a reason to be excited about the upcoming season. Training camp starts soon and the season is just a month away.