Tennessee Valley has the opportunity to become the third team in af2 history to record 100 franchise wins on Saturday.
The Vipers are third on the all-time wins list with a franchise record of 99-53. The feat is even more impressive considering the Vipers did not participate in the 2005 af2 season.
Coming to town in an attempt to spoil the Vipers fun are the hated Florida Firecats.
Tennessee Valley owns the series lead over Florida 8-7 and the Firecats are the fourth winningest franchise in the af2 with 98 wins. So, with a win Florida can not only tie the series with the Vipers, but can also tie them as the third all-time winningest team in af2 history.
Has the storyline been set well enough yet?
Coming into the contest, Florida sits in last place of the South Division at 5-6, whereas Tennessee Valley took sole control of the division with last week's 44-27 win over the South Georgia Wildcats and boast an 8-3 record on the year.
The Vipers will have to stop one of the league's most veteran offenses to obtain that 100th win. Florida sends Chris Wallace out under center for the seventh straight season, his ninth in the af2. His favorite target still seems to be Magic Benton, the af2's all-time leading scorer, and Chris McKinney.
McKinney is seventh in the af2 in receptions per game and 11th in receiving yards.
Wallace played well in the earlier loss to Tennessee Valley this season, throwing for 254 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions, however he did lose one fumble.
Tennessee Valley puts the league's second best scoring defense on the field, trailing the best defense by two-tenths of a point per game.
The Vipers are plus-six in turnover margin this year and have recorded 21 sacks to giving up just eight on the season.
Kevin Eakin will look to continue his stellar play, especially at home. Eakin has been extraordinary inside the Von Braun Center this season. Eakin has thrown for 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions at home this season.
Chris Bocage came back with a force last week after a one-week hiatus. Bocage hauled in 11 passes and two scores against the Wildcats. His 1231 total yards leads the Vipers as well as his 676 yards receiving.
Tennessee Valley will need to continue its stingy defensive ways to extend their winning streak to three games. The Vipers have the third best red zone defense in the af2, allowing the opposing team to score just 67.7% of the time.
Deciding Statistic:
If the Firecats can ever stop their opponents on third down, giving up 58.8% first downs, then it's almost an automatic turnover, as Florida allows just 21.1% of fourth down conversions.
Pit Prediction:
Florida Firecats - 34
Tennessee Valley Vipers - 49
Key Players:
Florida Firecats - QB Chris Wallace, WR Magic Benton, WR Chris McKinney
Tennessee Valley Vipers - QB Kevin Eakin, DL Marcus White, JLB Travis Blanchard
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Vipers Take On Heavy 'Load'
Tennessee Valley has its work cut out Saturday night.
The Vipers had their five-game winning streak snapped by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last week in their 48-34 road loss. Tennessee Valley fell to 6-3 on the season, but look to bounce back this upcoming week against division foe Kentucky.
Kentucky will bring a load with them on the trip. Former New York Giants quarterback and University of Kentucky star, Jared Lorenzen a.k.a. 'J. Load,' 'The Hefty Lefty,' 'The Pillsbury Throwboy,' or 'The Round Mound of Touchdown,' will lead the Horsemen into battle at the Von Braun Center.
Lorenzen has been very good in his play this season, splitting the duties with Justin Rascatti.
With 43 touchdowns to just six interceptions, Lorenzen is as good an af2 quarterback as you will find. And his listed 285-pound frame makes him hard to bring down in the backfield and when he is on the run.
He has rushed for 173 yards and 16 touchdowns for the year in nine games.
Assisting Lorenzen with the quarterbacking duties is Rascatti, a second-year player out of James Madison. Rascatti has not necessarily split the snaps, but in his eight games this season has completed 62-of-90 passes for 12 touchdowns and just one interception.
The favorite target for the duo seems to be 6'6" wide receiver Lonnell Dewalt. Dewalt has amassed 24 touchdowns on 71 catches, both of which lead the Horsemen.
Defensively, the Horsemen have improved over the last two weeks, giving up just 48 and 39 points. However, the previous seven games were tough on the Kentucky defense. Overall the Horsemen have given up 58 points a contest.
Tennessee Valley counters the Horsemen attack with a defense giving up just 40.8 points per game. Last week, the Vipers held the number two scoring offense in the league to just 48 points.
The defense has been shaken up the last three weeks and it will continue to get crazier as ironman Bradly Chavez has been placed on team suspension and is unlikely to return the rest of the season due to personal issues.
Who will pick up the slack Chavez will leave behind has yet to be seen, but the Vipers have been very quick to plug in players at any position under head coach Dean Cokinos.
Offensively, the Vipers have been plugging wide receivers for the last five weeks, however, this week Tennessee Valley will have their full arsenal of threats on the ends.
Michael Johnson, Chris Bocage, Jeremy Grier, and Larry Shipp will all be available for the passes from Kevin Eakin.
Eakin, who has thrown for 48 touchdowns and just six interceptions this season, has played very well in the last six games, sans two drives last week at Wilkes-Barre, in which he completed 0-of-8 passes in consecutive drives.
The Vipers acquired quarterback James Pinkney from Manchester as well, although he has yet to report.
Tennessee Valley will have a challenge stopping the Horsemen offense and with the recent success of the Kentucky defense, could pose a challenge to the Vipers' offense.
The VBC has been kind to the Vipers this season thus far. Tennessee Valley has won by an average of 32.5 points at home and has only committed two turnovers.
Will the Horsemen be able to conquer the Vipers in the friendly confines of the VBC? The question remains until 7:30 pm CDT Saturday night.
Pit Prediction:
Kentucky Horsemen 41
Tennessee Valley Vipers 50
Key Players
Kentucky Horsemen - QB Jared Lorenzen, WR Lonnell Dewalt, DB Matt Forbes
Tennessee Valley Vipers - QB Kevin Eakin, DE Eric Scott, DB Desmond Foster
The Vipers had their five-game winning streak snapped by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last week in their 48-34 road loss. Tennessee Valley fell to 6-3 on the season, but look to bounce back this upcoming week against division foe Kentucky.
Kentucky will bring a load with them on the trip. Former New York Giants quarterback and University of Kentucky star, Jared Lorenzen a.k.a. 'J. Load,' 'The Hefty Lefty,' 'The Pillsbury Throwboy,' or 'The Round Mound of Touchdown,' will lead the Horsemen into battle at the Von Braun Center.
Lorenzen has been very good in his play this season, splitting the duties with Justin Rascatti.
With 43 touchdowns to just six interceptions, Lorenzen is as good an af2 quarterback as you will find. And his listed 285-pound frame makes him hard to bring down in the backfield and when he is on the run.
He has rushed for 173 yards and 16 touchdowns for the year in nine games.
Assisting Lorenzen with the quarterbacking duties is Rascatti, a second-year player out of James Madison. Rascatti has not necessarily split the snaps, but in his eight games this season has completed 62-of-90 passes for 12 touchdowns and just one interception.
The favorite target for the duo seems to be 6'6" wide receiver Lonnell Dewalt. Dewalt has amassed 24 touchdowns on 71 catches, both of which lead the Horsemen.
Defensively, the Horsemen have improved over the last two weeks, giving up just 48 and 39 points. However, the previous seven games were tough on the Kentucky defense. Overall the Horsemen have given up 58 points a contest.
Tennessee Valley counters the Horsemen attack with a defense giving up just 40.8 points per game. Last week, the Vipers held the number two scoring offense in the league to just 48 points.
The defense has been shaken up the last three weeks and it will continue to get crazier as ironman Bradly Chavez has been placed on team suspension and is unlikely to return the rest of the season due to personal issues.
Who will pick up the slack Chavez will leave behind has yet to be seen, but the Vipers have been very quick to plug in players at any position under head coach Dean Cokinos.
Offensively, the Vipers have been plugging wide receivers for the last five weeks, however, this week Tennessee Valley will have their full arsenal of threats on the ends.
Michael Johnson, Chris Bocage, Jeremy Grier, and Larry Shipp will all be available for the passes from Kevin Eakin.
Eakin, who has thrown for 48 touchdowns and just six interceptions this season, has played very well in the last six games, sans two drives last week at Wilkes-Barre, in which he completed 0-of-8 passes in consecutive drives.
The Vipers acquired quarterback James Pinkney from Manchester as well, although he has yet to report.
Tennessee Valley will have a challenge stopping the Horsemen offense and with the recent success of the Kentucky defense, could pose a challenge to the Vipers' offense.
The VBC has been kind to the Vipers this season thus far. Tennessee Valley has won by an average of 32.5 points at home and has only committed two turnovers.
Will the Horsemen be able to conquer the Vipers in the friendly confines of the VBC? The question remains until 7:30 pm CDT Saturday night.
Pit Prediction:
Kentucky Horsemen 41
Tennessee Valley Vipers 50
Key Players
Kentucky Horsemen - QB Jared Lorenzen, WR Lonnell Dewalt, DB Matt Forbes
Tennessee Valley Vipers - QB Kevin Eakin, DE Eric Scott, DB Desmond Foster
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