Tennessee Valley has the seventh toughest schedule in the af2 this season. The road to their 6-2 record has not been easy, but the Vipers have endured the tests and weathered the storms.
This week will be no different as the Vipers travel to Scranton, PA, to take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers.
The Pioneers boast the league's second best offense and the 2007 af2 Offensive Player of the Year--quarterback Ryan Vena.
Vena has been one of the league's top quarterbacks since coming into the af2 in 2002 as a member of the Albany Conquest. This season has been no different for the Pioneers' star.
Vena has posted the second best quarterback efficiency rating and is in the top ten of every passing statistic. His numbers this season have dropped significantly from the previous two seasons.
The wide receivers that aid Vena are J.J. Outlaw, in his second season, Rich Musinski, and Irving Campbell. Lately Antwun Williams has been thrown into the mix as well for the Pioneers.
Campbell leads the team in receiving yards by almost 300 yards, but the touchdown catches are spread evenly. Cambell has the fewest touchdown receptions of the three, with just 12. Musinski has hauled in 13, and Outlaw leads the team with 15 touchdowns in eight games.
While the Pioneers have been known for their high-powered offenses of the past, the defense is the key to this year's squad.
Wilkes-Barre has posted 28 sacks and are plus-14 in turnover margin this season alone. The biggest reasons for the success are Micheaux Robinson and Royce Morgan.
Robinson has intercepted one pass per game on average this season and leads the league with eight picks. Morgan leads all of the af2 with 10 sacks, eight unassisted.
If defense wins championships, then Saturday night's tilt might as well have the Arena Cup moniker on it.
The Pioneers rank first in the af2 in scoring defense, allowing just under 37 points per contest, while Tennessee Valley boasts the second best scoring defense in the league, allowing just under 40 points a contest.
The Vipers will attempt to counter the stifling defense by not making mistakes and playing a lot of offense.
Tennessee Valley uses a methodical offense to wear down defenses and use a lot of clock. Quarterback Kevin Eakin has kept control of the football and the Vipers have only thrown two interceptions in the last six games, including a heave off the net to run out the clock against Oklahoma City two weeks ago. So, only one meaningful interception has been thrown during the course of the last six games.
Eakin has been stellar since letting his team drop to 1-2 on the year. In that time, Eakin has amassed 31 touchdowns to one interception.
His plethora of wide outs helps the cause, of course. And 2008 af2 Ironman of the Year Bradly Chavez is the biggest weapon in the Vipers' arsenal.
Chavez is the leading touchdown receiver with 14 on the season. He also has three defensive touchdowns this season to boot.
Chavez's help on offense comes from Chris Bocage, Michael Johnson, and Jeremy Grier. Bocage has 12 touchdown grabs on the season, while Johnson and Grier have combined for 12 more.
Eakin has been protected quite well throughout the season, only being sacked five times so far on the year.
Tennessee Valley has only recorded 14 sacks this season, however. Leading the defensive line push will be Eric Scott and Marcus White. Scott leads the team with four sacks and White follows with 3.5 to his credit.
Scott and the Vipers defense will get a major upgrade this week most likely, as RaJohn Myles returns to the Vipers at Mack Linebacker. Last season, Myles recorded 8.5 sacks, 11 hurries, and four fumble recoveries.
Tennessee Valley expects a hard-nosed battle from the Pioneers once again. The last team to beat the Pioneers at the Wachovia Arena was the Vipers in last season's playoff run.
Nobody has beaten the Pioneers at home during the regular season since 2006. The winner of that contest was another South Division team, the Florida Firecats.
With the defenses given, the game is sure to come down to something small. Do not expect a typical arena game in Scranton this weekend, folks.
Pit Prediction:
Tennessee Valley 49
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 47
Key Players:
Tennessee Valley - QB Kevin Eakin, WR/LB Bradly Chavez, LB RaJohn Myles
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - QB Ryan Vena, DB Micheaux Robinson, DT Royce Morgan
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