Inside the Pit

Vipers become Hammers in SIFL

2010-11-05T12:41:00.001-07:00

The Alabama Vipers will have its third name in three years and fourth name in franchise history come Spring 2011.
Following the Vipers move to the Atlanta-metro area, the team will now return to the Southern Indoor Football League and be known as the Alabama Hammers.
The Hammers will be in a division with the 2010 SIFL Champion Columbus (Ga.) Lions, Albany (Ga.) Panthers (formerly the South Georgia Wildcats of arenafootball2) and Mobile.
New owners will be taking over with Jeff Knight, a Huntsville businessman, as the head of Southern Sports and Entertainment. The group will be the sole owners of the Huntsville-based football team.
The team will play a 12-game season in the newly renovated Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center.
Knight told The Huntsville Times he would work with a group of investors from Huntsville to keep the indoor football team alive because of his admitted fandom over the years.
Joe Stroud, Vipers' General Manager for the team's entire existence, will be the Hammers' GM as well.
Next season, the SIFL will feature 16 teams, up from eight over the last two seasons.
Good news for Arena Football purists, the league said it plans to use the netting system once exclusive to the Arena Football League.
There are some rules differences, but keeping indoor football in Huntsville is important.
Join us in Huntsville next season for what promises to be a lot of fun and excitement.

Division Title Bittersweet for Vipers

2009-07-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

Tennessee Valley claimed their first division championship on Saturday night, however, they did it in losing fashion. Due to af2 tie breaking procedures, the Vipers clinched the division by losing by less than 22 points.

The Vipers fell 47-45 to the South Georgia Wildcats in the regular season finale.

It is a bittersweet championship for the Vipers, as the number two overall seed and a second home playoff game was on the line Saturday night.

Unfortunately, the Vipers fell to the third overall seed in the playoffs and will now have just one home playoff game, barring an upset by the seventh or eighth seeds in the American Conference.

Tennessee Valley took an early 7-0 lead with a pass from Kevin Eakin to Jeremy Grier after stopping South Georgia inside the red zone via a Travis Blanchard interception.

A turnover on downs by the Wildcats then allowed the Vipers to take a two touchdown lead as Jeremy Stephens hauled in an Eakin touchdown pass.

South Georgia took control, but had to use all four chances inside the two-yard line to finally get into the end zone with a one-yard Darnell Kennedy rush. Kennedy finished with 15 yards on eight carries.

On the ensuing drive, Tennessee Valley had to settle for a Nick Hayes field goal, stretching the lead to 17-7.

The Wildcats and Vipers then traded scores until the 7:45 mark in the fourth quarter. After a Clenton Rafe touchdown grab to pull the Wildcats within four, Blanchard took the kickoff and fumbled on the return. Mel Long recovered the fumble and South Georgia scored on the ensuing possession to take the 47-45 lead.

Tennessee Valley had one last shot, but could not complete a single pass on the drive and attempted a 31-yard field goal to go ahead.

The field goal attempt was wide-left, but in classic af2 fashion, the ball bounced off the rebound net and into the hands of a Vipers' lineman. However, a halo violation was called against the Vipers, negating the recovery and handing the Wildcats the ball and the game.

"It's disappointing to lose this one, cause I wanted (the playoff games) here," said Eric Scott.

Division Title on the Line Saturday Night

2009-07-24T05:01:00.001-07:00

It has been five years since the Tennessee Valley Vipers have claimed a division championship. It was Kevin Guy's last season as the head coach and the Vipers only division title not in the Southern Division.

In 2004, Tennessee Valley claimed the Mid-South Division Championship with a 14-2 record, but made a second round exit to eventual champions Florida Firecats.

Coming to derail the Vipers hopes of a sixth division championship are the South Georgia Wildcats. The Wildcats are the same team that won last year's division championship by beating the Vipers at the Von Braun Center on the last week of the af2 season. They still have the ability to do that again this season.

Granted, the Wildcats would have to not only win, but win by 22 points or more due to the tie-breaking procedures in the af2.

If the Wildcats are going to upset the Vipers, quarterback Darnell Kennedy will have to step up to play his best game during his rookie campaign.

In Kennedy's last two starts against Tennessee Valley, the Alabama State product is 40-of-52 passing, but has only five touchdowns and has thrown two interceptions. In the last contest, Kennedy went down to injury in the second quarter and did not return.

Since his return to the lineup, South Georgia is 2-2 with a two-game win streak that was extended last week with a win over 12-3 Boise.

Kennedy has been sacked 20 times this season and will face one of the league's premier pass rushes that could have another added dimension this week as well.

Helping Kennedy by catching his passes will be Clenton Rafe, a former Vipers receiver. Along with Rafe will be Alvance Robinson, the team's leading receiver with 99 catches and 28 touchdowns. The Vipers secondary could also see Antwan Savage and Kelvin Dickens.

Tennessee Valley's offense has been consistent all season long. Averaging 49.9 points per game, the Vipers' methodical offense not only keeps their offensive numbers down, but with the stifling defense, it keeps the opposing offenses out of the end zone more often. That results in the second ranked scoring defense in the league, giving up only 37.1 points a contest.

Kevin Eakin will start under center once again for the Vipers, as he has been since the second half of the Albany contest last season.

Eakin's record as a starter is 22-6, one of the best records in Vipers history. His touchdown to interception ratio is the main reason for his success in Arena Football. He has still thrown just one interception since game four of the season.

While the receivers have been plentiful, the lineup has changed consistently, a tactic that could be very helpful to the Vipers and their match ups. Jeremy Stephens filled in for injured Michael Johnson last week. However, Jeremy Grier and Larry Shipp have been staples in the line up for a few weeks now and should continue to be.

Defensively, the Vipers will attempt to continue their onslaught of opposing offenses. With the exception of two fourth down touchdowns passes last week, the Vipers were very stingy on the defensive side of the ball against the Florida Firecats.

With a plus-11 turnover ratio, Tennessee Valley has had the luxury of having many more possessions than their opponents, which anyone associated with Arena Football will tell you, will win more football games than anything else.

Saturday night, the Vipers could inch closer in the overall series against the Wildcats, as South Georgia holds a 6-4 advantage all-time.

With a win, Tennessee Valley would clinch the number two overall seed in the conference and two home games in the playoffs, assuming a first-round win.

However, with some help from Manchester on Friday night and Iowa on Saturday, the Vipers could grab the top seed in the playoffs.

Outside of all the scenarios and the numbers, Saturday night's contest will be a slobberknocker no matter what. Lest we forget that these two squads have no love-loss between them and they will bring all they've got to this contest.

Key Players:
South Georgia - QB Darnell Kennedy, WR Alvance Robinson, DB Quentin Burrell
Tennessee Valley - QB Kevin Eakin, DE Eric Scott, WR Larry Shipp

Pit Prediction:
South Georgia 41
Tennessee Valley 50

Vipers Closing in on Division Title

2009-07-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday night could mean much more than being just the Tennessee Valley Vipers' 11th win. With a win and a South Georgia loss the Vipers would clinch their first division championship since a Mid-South division title in 2004.

But first, the Vipers must once again tame the league's number one offense, and it is once again the Kentucky Horsemen.

Kentucky leads the league in scoring offense at 62.4 points per game, while Tennessee Valley is still second in scoring defense at 36.5 points per game, just two tenths of a point from the leading Spokane Shock.

The Horsemen have been spectacular at home this season, collecting a 5-1 record. On the opposite side, Tennessee Valley has gone just 3-3 on the road this season.

Jared Lorenzen still leads the Horsemen in both rushing and passing. He has thrown for 54 touchdowns and rushed for 19, while throwing just three interceptions and fumbling just once.

Lorenzen is also still sharing the snaps with Justin Rascatti. The duo have worked well this season in the shotgun and Rascatti has tossed 21 touchdowns to just three picks.

Lonnell Dewalt leads the team in receptions and touchdowns. Dewalt's 30 touchdowns also ranks in the top ten of the league. Harry Lewis and John Cooper also haul in the passes and Lewis leads the team in receiving yards.

Defensively, the Horsemen will put a mid-pack scoring defense on the field against a mid-pack offense.

Kentucky does, however, have more interceptions than anyone in the af2 with 29.

Kevin Eakin will lead the Vipers into Rupp Arena and attempt to avoid any misfires just as he did the last time the two teams met on the field of battle.

Eakin has continued his exceptional play over the last few weeks. His 11-1 touchdown/interception ratio is one of the tops in the league. Considering all but one of those interceptions came in the first three weeks of the season, his touchdown/interception ratio then becomes 55-1.

Jeremy Grier leads the receiving corps this week. Along with him will be Larry Shipp, who hauled in four scores in the Vipers last game, and Michael Johnson will round out the starting receivers.

It has been rumored that former receiver Gary Elliot will join the team this week as well. Elliot set an Arena Cup record last season with four touchdown catches in the championship game.

Defensively, Tennessee Valley has continued to shut down top offenses this season. Three teams have played the Vipers with the top ranked offense and have been held to 22 points or more below their average each time.

Henry Freeman, the full-time firefighter and part-time Viper came through in a major way last week at linebacker. He was second on the team in tackles and had a half tackle for loss to stop the Tulsa Talons on a fourth down.

Tennessee Valley will look to continue its winning streak and attempt to gain a winning record on the road for the first time this season with a win over Kentucky.

But it will have to happen in front of a "Rupp" crowd.

Pit Prediction
Tennessee Valley Vipers - 46
Kentucky Horsemen - 30

Key Players
Tennessee Valley Vipers - QB Kevin Eakin, JLB Henry Freeman, WR Larry Shipp
Kentucky Horsemen - QB Jared Lorenzen, QB Justin Rascatti, DB William Mulder

Vipers Eye 100th Win

2009-06-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

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

Vipers Take On Heavy 'Load'

2009-06-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

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

Another Tough Test Awaits Vipers

2009-05-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

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

Home Sweet Home for Vipers

2009-05-17T18:38:00.001-07:00

Tennessee Valley was dominate in all parts of Saturday night's battle with Oklahoma City.

The Vipers improved to 6-2 on the year and have now won five straight and six in a row at home dating back to last season.

Oklahoma City fell for the third consecutive week, bringing their record to 4-3 on the year.

Robert Kent brought the third best scoring offense into the Von Braun Center, but after scoring just 12 first half points, the Yard Dawgz were reeling. However, Tennessee Valley turned their first possession over on downs and could not muster but 21 points in the half.

The second half was mortifying for the few Yard Dawgz faithful who made the trip. The third quarter saw Tennessee Valley rack up 21 unanswered points.

Two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, a fumble that was also returned for a touchdown and a turnover on downs left the Yard Dawgz in a state of confusion.

Kent was hurried the entire night and sacked three times. He finished the night 17-of-35 for 191 yards and three touchdowns to go along with the two interceptions.

Kevin Eakin played as well as could be asked and did not turn the ball over, something he has only done once during the winning streak. Eakin finished 23-of-33 for 198 yards and five touchdowns.

Bradly Chavez was named the game's top ironman, and for good reason. The fourth-year man out of UAB hauled in two touchdown passes, one of them rivaling David Tyree's Super Bowl catch. He also returned an interception and a fumble for scores. That does not include his 5.5 tackles and one sack.

Chavez felt fortunate after the game, "It seemed like every time I turned around the ball was in my hands."

"He's a true iron man and he's been doing it all year," Vipers coach Dean Cokinos said. "He's got a great role for us. The whole team played good. Our defense was lights out and the offense made plays when it had to.

"We came out in the second half and stepped on the gas a little bit. The guys played well."

Yard Dawgz Provide Offensive Threat to Vipers

2009-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Tennessee Valley struggled to find a way to put some distance between them and the Corpus Christi Sharks. The Sharks held tough throughout the game, but the Vipers defense stepped up in the 44-36 win.

This week, the offensive threats will be everywhere on the field. Tennessee Valley can not afford to allow the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz to come into the Von Braun Center and get into any type of rhythm.

Oklahoma City boasts the number three scoring offense in the league and are number one in offensive production per game.

Yard Dawgz quarterback Robert Kent has made huge strides this season with his accuracy and decision making. While completing less than 60% of his passes last season, Kent is, statistically, the best quarterback in the league. His 310 yards per game leads the af2. As does his 77.4% completion percentage. He has thrown 38 touchdowns to just four interceptions and can get it done with his feet as well. Kent averages over 20 yards per contest on the ground and has found the end zone six times this season.

Kent's favorite target has been the legend Al Hunt. Hunt's 565 yards and 15 touchdowns lead the Yard Dawgz receiving corps.

However, Oklahoma City has sured up there wide outs in the last two weeks with the addition of Craig Fulton and Donta Bright. Fulton caught three of Kent's four touchdown tosses last week in the loss to Tulsa.

Tonight's contest will prove to be the toughest task yet for the Vipers number three scoring defense.

Tennessee Valley surrenders just over 42 points per game and is able to keep the opposing offenses in check for most of the night.

At home this season, the Vipers are +6 in turnover margin and have won the contests by an average of 35 points. Needless to say, the VBC has been friendly confines.

Yet another receiver emerged for the Vipers last week as Michael Johnson was a late scratch. Anthony Merritt showed his skill at Corpus Christi as he caught five balls for 60 yards and two scores, all in the second half.

Merritt joins Chris Bocage, Michael Johnson, Bradly Chavez, Jeremy Grier, and Larry Shipp on the Vipers extremely deep receiving corps. Quarterback Kevin Eakin has no shortage of weapons at his disposal.

Eakin has been very efficient as well this season, He has posted a 119.58 passer rating and 39 scores to just six picks. But four of those interceptions came in the two losses earlier this season, both games on the road.

Defensively, Travis Blanchard should return to the secondary this week after a one-week hiatus. Desmond Foster and Demetrius Derico will all have their hands full with the Yard Dawgz offense.

Oklahoma City started the year 4-0 before dropping a one-point decision to Rio Grande Valley and last week's loss to in-state rival Tulsa 75-56.

Tennessee Valley is looking to keep their win streak alive and push it to five games. The last time the Vipers lost at home was last season's final regular season game. Since then, Tennessee Valley has won five straight and will try to extend that streak as well.

Pit Prediction:
Oklahoma City 58
Tennessee Valley 61

Key Players:
Oklahoma City: QB Robert Kent, WR Al Hunt, WR Craig Fulton
Tennessee Valley: QB Kevin Eakin, WR Chris Bocage, DB Desmond Foster

Vipers Hit The Road With Win Streak In Hand

2009-05-07T07:06:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago Tennessee Valley quarterback Kevin Eakin vowed to stop trying not to make mistakes and just play his game.

A few short weeks later, Eakin has played almost mistake-free and has led the Vipers to three straight wins and a 4-2 record, including last week's 54-28 win over the South Georgia Wildcats.

Eakin has committed just one turnover and has produced 19 touchdown passes in the three wins. He also is ranked fifth in the af2 in completion percentage.

This week will provide a test that the Vipers have yet to face this season.

Tennessee Valley travels to take on Corpus Christi Saturday night. The promotion is "Ladies' Night" and the Sharks will have pink jerseys and a pink-striped football in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.

Corpus Christi sports a sub-.500 record, something the Vipers have yet to see this season. The test at hand will be whether the Vipers can go into the game focused and not overlooking a dangerous team.

The Sharks have Gary Cooper at quarterback and Brandon Hussey along with Jonathan Graham at wide receiver. Although the offense has only mustered 41 points a game this season, they are capable of reaching the sixties, as shown in their win over Amarillo earlier this year.

The 1-4 Sharks are reeling from two straight losses after gaining their first win. However, in the last 2 games Hussey has 20 catches for 310 yards and 6 scores, proving that he is more than capable of being the Sharks go-to guy.

While the offense of the Sharks has progressed this season, the defense has yet to provide any help to the cause. The last two opponents combined to go 5-5 on 4th down conversions.

Corpus Christi has added a new defensive back and linebacker to the team in hopes of renewing the defense.

Tennessee Valley's wide receivers have been the strength of the team thus far. Jeremy Grier stepped into Michael Johnson's role last week and hauled in a game-high ten receptions. Chris Bocage remained a force, cathcing two touchdowns. Larry Shipp hauled in two scores as well in his continuing dominance of defensive backs.

Bradly Chavez played mostly at linebacker last week, but did have a couple catches to go along with two fumble recoveries and an interception while leading the team in tackles.

The reining Ironman of the Year will most likely see the defensive side more this week.

Tennessee Valley recorded four sacks last week on Darnell Kennedy, something the Vipers were doing almost every week last season. Eric Scott recorded one sack and Benji McDowell had two alone.

Will the Vipers stay focused and not lose sight of the game as in last year's loss to 2-12 Stockton? That remains to be seen, but Saturday night will be a big night for the winning squad.

Pit Prediction:
Tennessee Valley 71
Corpus Christi 48

Key Players:
Tennessee Valley - QB Kevin Eakin, WR Chris Bocage, WR/LB Bradly Chavez
Corpus Christi - QB Gary Cooper, WR Brandon Hussey, K Nick Gatto

Vipers Silence Wildcats

2009-05-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

The mission was for the Tennessee Valley Vipers to win their third contest in a row and to silence the defending South Division champion South Georgia Wildcats.

It did not take long for the Vipers to do both.

Tennessee Valley improved to 4-2 on the season with the 54-28 win over South Georgia. The Wildcats fell to 5-2, keeping a half game lead over Tennessee Valley in the division.

Quarterback Kevin Eakin led the Vipers on a quick 2:52 drive drawing first blood with a touchdown pass to Larry Shipp.

Tennessee Valley got their first of several first half stops on the ensuing drive, halting the Wildcats on downs and turning the turnover into another touchdown to stretch the lead to 13-0.

However, South Georgia responded with a quick 45 -yard drive on three plays that ended with Darnell Kennedy finding Alvance Robinson for the score.

The Wildcats would not sniff the end zone for the rest of the half. The Vipers scored on a two-play drive to answer the touchdown. Then forced a Kennedy fumble and capitalized with a Chris Bocage touchdown reception.

Another Wildcats fumble gave the Vipers another shot to extend the lead, but Eakin misfired into a Wildcats' hands. Bradly Chavez would end the ensuing drive with a pick of his own.

Shipp then hauled in another touchdown, and Chavez returned a fumble for a touchdown on the Wildcats next possession.

After the damage was done, Tennessee Valley led 47-7 at the end of the first half.

The second half, however, would turn the tides a little in favor of South Georgia. The Wildcats punched it in on their first possession to close the gap to 47-14.

South Georgia forced a long field goal attempt that was not even attempted as Nick Hayes booted it out of bounds. The Wildcats responded with another touchdown, edging closer at 47-21.

Robinson hauled in his second touchdown pass for the Wildcats after a goalline stand by the defense and cut into the lead to 47-28. That was as close as they would come, however.

Chris Bocage capped the scoring off with a reception to extend the lead to 54-28, where the Vipers would hold on for the win.

The win should give the Vipers confidence heading into a long road trip. Tennessee Valley visits Corpus Christi next week to battle the 1-4 Sharks, who lost 66-48 at Florida last week.

Vipers Look To Avenge Loss vs. South Georgia

2009-04-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Kevin Eakin was not happy after the performance he and the Tennessee Valley Vipers put together in Albany, Georgia, three weeks ago.

Tennessee Valley (3-2) was held to a season low 33 points last time these two teams locked horns. South Georgia was held to just 55 points, their second lowest total of the season.

The Wildcats (4-1) have since put the hammer down on the offensive side of the ball. They have scored 84 and 83 points respectively the last two weeks.

The biggest reason for the success of the Wildcats has been quarterback Darnell Kennedy. The former Alabama State product had put up astronomical numbers this season, including 1,242 yards and 29 touchdowns with just one interception through five games. He has also rushed for 123 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Kennedy does not set his sights on one receiver, Alvance Robinson, Antwan Savage, Clinton Rafe, and Kelvin Dickens have all been big contributors for the Wildcats this season.

Eakin will counter with his own slew of receivers including Chris Bocage, Bradly Chavez, Michael Johnson, and newcomer Larry Shipp.

Bocage has been a force when playing inside the friendly confines of the Von Braun Center. His four touchdowns per game at home leads the team. Chavez caught just three passes last week, however, all three were touchdowns. Shipp picked up where he left off last week and hauled in his first pass last week for a touchdown.

The Wildcats defense has posted 12 sacks on the season, while Tennessee Valley has only given up four all season.

Defense will be the key to the game, as Tennessee Valley has scored 61 and 69 points the last two weeks.

Expect that the special teams will become the difference in the game.

Pit Prediction:
South Georgia 60
Tennessee Valley 63

Key Players:
South Georgia - QB Darnell Kennedy, DB Quentin Burrell, DL Eric Turner
Tennessee Valley - QB Kevin Eakin, WR/KR Chris Bocage, DB Desmond Foster

Vipers Seek Back to Back Wins

2009-04-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

Tennessee Valley's short season thus far has seen its ups and downs. The Vipers are 2-2 on the year and have alternated winning and losing each week.
Florida comes into tonight's contest with a 2-2 record as well, but the Firecats have won two straight.
The Firecats have a veteran team with veteran leadership. Head Coach Kevin Bouis has led the Firecats since 2005 and have guided them to at least ten wins and a playoff appearance in each season.
Quarterback Chris Wallace has played in nine of the league's ten seasons, this his eighth with Florida. Wallace's favorite target is the af2 all-time leading scorer Magic Benton. Brent Burnside plays ironman at wide receiver and defensive back. Burnside is the league's only player to play in all ten seasons.
Tennessee Valley counters with second year quarterback Kevin Eakin and a slew of receivers in either their first or second years.
Bradly Chavez has the most experience on the team with 4 seasons experience.
The Vipers are looking for their first back to back wins on the season, coming off an impressive 61-60 victory on the road at previously unbeaten Arkansas.
Eakin was named the af2's Offensive Player of the Week for his nine touchdown performance.
Larry Shipp will return for his second game of the season after catching three scores last week, including the game-winner.
Tennessee Valley has recorded nine sacks in the last three meetings with Florida, including six in last year's playoff game.
Eric Scott will provide the anchor for the defense, but defensive back Demetrius Derico will also return after suffering a concussion against South Georgia.
Tonight's contest will prove to be just as any Tennessee Valley-Florida game has always been--a fight. However, it will not become a literal fight as the two teams have been known to do in the past.

Pit Prediction:
Florida 43
Tennessee Valley 51

Key Players:
Florida - QB Chris Wallace, WR Magic Benton
Tennessee Valley - QB Kevin Eakin, WR Michael Johnson, DB Desmond Foster

Milestone Game

2009-04-22T18:38:00.001-07:00

Saturday night in Huntsville, Alabama, will be a milestone night for me. In case you don't know who I am or maybe you just don't know a whole lot about me, here are a few quick tidbits that pertain to me as an af2 fan.

I went to my first af2 game when I was 13 years old. It was the first ever af2 game featuring the Birmingham Steeldogs and Tennessee Valley Vipers. While I am now an avid fan of the Vipers, I was once one of the Steeldogs biggest fans. For eight seasons I wore black and orange as proudly as it can be worn outside of Halloween night.

That night began one of the most important eras in my life. I was teased and ridiculed for being such a big arena football fan, but I couldn't help it! Along with my dad, it was the most fun I'd ever had.

From March 31, 2000 to April 24, 2009 I will have attended 100 regular season arena football games.

Tennessee Valley vs. Florida will be extra special for me and not just because of the bitter rivalry the teams have acquired over the last few years.

In 2000 I did not attend all eight home games for the Steeldogs, but I did get to see half of them. I saw the loss to the Vipers in the opening game as well as the loss to Pensacola. I did, however, see two wins that season, Arkansas and Tallahassee.

I was hooked. More importantly, since I couldn't drive yet, my dad was hooked.

In 2001 he and I received season tickets for Christmas! We attended all eight home games and one road game in Huntsville against the Vipers.

2002 was a great season for the Steeldogs, by far their most successful, as the team reached the conference finals. I saw each of the eight home regular season games and three away games. I was not there to witness the Steeldogs upend the Vipers for the first time ever, unfortunately, as it was a playoff game. I did, however, witness the beat down Peoria gave us in the Conference championship game.

The very next season was a dismal year as Montressa Kirby, who led the Dogs at quarterback in 2002, decided not to return in favor of coaching at his alma mater. I saw 11 games that season and it was by far the most fun I'd ever had.

The best season ever, past or present, came in 2004. I was graduating from high school and I was ready for the Steeldogs to prevail as the contenders we knew they could be. And after witnessing a blow out at Bossier City, the Dogs came back to win 8 in a row, including the first time I saw us beat the Vipers--still have the picture of the fan club after the game on my wall! I saw 14 games that season alone. The best trip, by far, was to Moline, Illinois, even though we lost by a country mile and they don't have grits there!

The dreaded 2005 season. We pretend this season doesn't exist in Birmingham and Tennessee Valley. The Vipers moved to another league this season and were known as the Raptors and Birmingham went 2-14 on the year. However, I attended eight games that year, too.

In 2006 Tennessee Valley returned as the Vipers and back in the af2. The Steeldogs rebounded with a new coach and garnered a 7-9 record, losing twice to the Vipers who only won three games that season. I saw 13 games that season for the Steeldogs and four Vipers games.

2007 would be the year in which I saw the most games I have seen in one season. Along with two (and sometimes three) friends, I saw 14 Steeldogs games, four Vipers games and the Arena Cup Championship game.

Last season was a weird season for me. The Steeldogs didn't exist and I had moved closer to Huntsville anyway. Therefore, I defaulted to the Vipers as my team. I saw ten Vipers games and one Tulsa vs. Lubbock contest.

Generally, I would not specify the 100 regular season games, since I've seen af2 playoff games, but I didn't catch that I had attended 100 games until now. So, this is how the article is written.

105 total af2 football games and Saturday night will mark the 100th af2 regular season game that I have attended.

Long live the af2, so that I might see 200!

Tennessee Valley-Arkansas: Vipers Right the Shipp

2009-04-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

Larry Shipp's first time on an arena football field is what most football players dream about. Starting for the first time this season in the place of Bradly Chavez at wide receiver, Shipp hauled in his first career touchdown pass from 40 yards out on the Vipers' first possession of the second half.
However, it was his final catch of the night that sent a dagger through the hearts of Arkansas faithful at Alltell Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Shipp brought the cheers of the Twisters faithful down to a silent hush when he hauled in a nine yard touchdown from Kevin Eakin as time expired to tie the game at 60 and Nick Hayes nailed the extra point to earn Tennessee Valley a 61-60 win over the previously unbeaten Twisters.
Eakin capped off a stellar performance that put him in the Vipers' record book with the touchdown toss to Shipp. His nine touchdown passes are the most by any Vipers quarterback in franchise history.
Tennessee Valley improved their record to 2-2, while Arkansas fell to 3-1.
Saturday night's game was what Jim Foster envisioned when he dreamed up this game on that famous manilla envelope.
Both teams traded scores from beginning to end, sans one missed field goal by Hayes and one turnover on downs by the Twisters.
Tennessee Valley received the opening kick off, but the missed field goal allowed Arkansas to take an early lead.
A little trickery kept the back and forth scoring alive when Chris Bocage took a hook and ladder pitch from Michael Johnson and found the end zone on the final play of the first half to give the Vipers a 27-20 halftime advantage.
Arkansas opened the second half scoring with one of Rod Harper's four touchdown catches of the night.
Trading scores back and forth until Arkansas caught the Vipers' kick return team off guard and recovered an onside kick.
After Arkansas took the lead, Bradly Chavez was able to tie the game back up with a fourth down touchdown catch.
The Twisters wasted no time in securing the lead again, Olan Campbell hauled in Kyle Rowley's eighth touchdown pass, however, with 18 seconds remaining Tennessee Valley had plenty of time on the clock.
Eakin led the Vipers 42 yards in 13 seconds and finished off the Twisters with the toss to Shipp as time expired.
Eakin finished his record setting night with 29-of-41 passing for 365 yards and no turnovers. Shipp caught just five passes, but with two 40-yard touchdown grabs he finished with 110 yards.
"We needed this win badly, whether it was on the road or not," Eakin said. "Just for confidence purposes."

Vipers Travel to Take on Twisters

2009-04-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Coming off another disappointing performance by the Tennessee Valley Vipers offense and special teams, quarterback Kevin Eakin blames himself for the poor play as of late. "As the leader of this offense and one of the leaders on this team, I need to step up and make the plays that I need to make," he said. "I think if I do that, everything will start to roll."

Getting things rolling tonight against the Arkansas Twisters will be difficult.

"They've got a good team," head coach Dean Cokinos said. "They've got a veteran quarterback, good receivers, a solid defense and they're well-coached. We'll have to play our best game to win."

Twisters quarterback Kyle Rowley has been special since coming into the league in 2004. Last season, Rowley was the af2's offensive player of the year.

This season, Rowley has racked up 16 touchdowns and 747 yards through the air. He has only thrown two interceptions on the season as well, whereas Eakin has thrown five passes to opposing defenses.

Turnovers have been the difference in the season for Tennessee Valley. With a turnover ratio of -5, the Vipers must take care of the football to be successful.

Defensive back Desmond Foster hopes to be able to cut into that margin. He has an interception this season and leads the team in pass break ups and tackles.

With the possibility of Demetrius Derico out with an injury Foster will have to step up and play the middle defensive position.
The tough task of defending Twisters receiver Steve Bergeski tonight will go to Foster, most likely.

Bergeski has hauled in 28 passes from Rowley, but only one touchdown. The touchdowns have come to Rod Harper.

Harper is leading the Twisters with seven touchdown catches.

Defense for Tennessee Valley has been inconsistent so far this season. In last week's first half, the Vipers defense made two big stops, but the offense could not capitalize for the Vipers.

This week, the defense will be key for the Vipers, along with not giving Arkansas extra possessions to take control of the game.

With Rowley and Eakin under center for their respective teams, barring turnovers, this game could be very exciting.

Pit Prediction: UPSET ALERT
Tennessee Valley 58
Arkansas 57

Key Players:
Tennessee Valley - QB Kevin Eakin, WR Chris Bocage, DB Desmond Foster, WR/LB Bradly Chavez
Arkansas - QB Kyle Rowley, WR Steve Bergeski, WR Rod Harper

Vipers-Wildcats Vie for Division Lead

2009-04-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Picking up where the series left off, the Tennessee Valley Vipers and the South Georgia Wildcats finds themselves in a familiar situation--competing for the lead in the af2's American Conference South Division.

Tennessee Valley is coming off an emotional and rather easy victory over Quad City, while both the Wildcats victories have come at the expense of another division foe, Florida.

South Georgia began the season with a sort of quarterback controversy, however, sickness forced Cecil Lester out of last week's win over the Firecats and rookie Darnell Kennedy played all four quarters and won the team's starting signal caller position.

Kennedy, a first year player out of Alabama State, is poised and athletic according to Vipers head coach Dean Cokinos.

"He will run," said Cokinos of Kennedy.

It's no secret that Wildcats coach Rodney Blackshear is a fan of running quarterbacks. Blackshear spent the last two seasons in Lubbock and put Robert Kent in charge of his offense there. Kent posted 186 rushing yards and 16 scores after bolting the pocket.

This season, Kennedy is leading the team in rushing with 82 yards on 14 attempts and five touchdowns.

His dual threat ability has earned Kennedy the most touchdowns in the league by any player at any position. His passer efficiency rating puts him at fourth in the league, and he's only thrown one interception.

Oddly enough, Kennedy's favorite target was Kent's favorite target just one season ago. Alvance Robinson came to South Georgia with Blackshear and has had great success. In just two games, Robinson has hauled in 18 catches for 261 yards and six scores.

Clenton Rafe and Antwone Savage round out the top receivers on the squad. Rafe has three touchdowns within his 15 catches and Savage has four scores on 18 catches.

Defensively, the Wildcats have put up four sacks already, Kenyon Scott leads the way with 1.5 sacks. South Georgia has only caused three turnovers, however.

Overall, the Wildcats will rely heavily on the strength of Kennedy. With his success comes South Georgia's success.

Attempting to ruin the undefeated start for the Wildcats and disrupting Kennedy's spectacular play will be a Tennessee Valley Vipers team led by Eric Scott.

Scott is in his third season of af2 football and is looking forward to the day he plays in the AFL. Scott signed a contract with the Orlando Predators, but was released when the AFL suspended play for 2009.

Scott and Marcus White lead the Vipers with 1.5 sacks each on the year, but the Vipers have recorded seven so far this season.

Quarterback Kevin Eakin will lead the Vipers offense once again. Eakin had a strong outing last week against Quad City after throwing an interception on the game's first drive.

Eakin's completion percentage is third in the league, with backup Tony Colston one spot ahead of him.

Spreading the wealth to receivers seems to be a big theme of the offense, as Michael Johnson, Chris Bocage, and Bradly Chavez have nearly equal stats. Chavez leads the team in touchdown catches with five. Bocage follows with four and Johnson has three.

Bocage showed his athletic ability last week, returning a kickoff 58 yards for a touchdown.

Special teams played a huge role in last week's win as the Vipers scored one touchdown on Bocage's return, but also recovered a fumble on the second half kick off in the end zone for a touchdown. Kicker Nick Hayes also nailed all ten extra points for the Vipers.

With the South Division on the line, both squads will be ready to lock horns and battle for the early division lead.

Pit Prediction:
Vipers 56
Wildcats 51

Key Players:
Vipers - QB Kevin Eakin, WR Chris Bocage, DE Eric Scott
Wildcats - QB Darnell Kennedy, WR Alvance Robinson, C Rico Ochoa, DB Quentin Burrell

Vipers dismantle Steamwheelers

2009-04-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

Tennessee Valley's championship celebration and player intros may have taken longer than expected, but the defending af2 chamipions made quick work of the Quad City Steamwheelers in Saturday's 74-20 win in their home opener.

Demetrius Derico was announced for the introduction, however, it took several minutes for the defensive back to respond to the call.

The opening drive saw Vipers (1-1) quarterback Kevin Eakin lead his team inside the red zone, only to have a pass intercepted in the end zone. Quad City (1-1) could not muster anything offensively and were forced to attempt a 60-yard field goal that fell well short of the cross bar.

On the ensuing possession, Eakin found Bradly Chavez from four yards out to give the Vipers an early 7-0 lead following the first of ten successful extra points by kicker Nick Hayes.

Vipers' nose guard Marcus White ended the Steamwheelers next drive on first down when he sacked J.J. Raterink for a safety, leaving the Vipers ahead 9-0 in the early going.

Just 33 seconds later Chris Bocage returned the kick off 58 yards to the end zone, pushing the Vipers' lead to 16-0.

Quad City then got on the scoreboard with a 27-yard touchdown toss to Jesse Schmidt. Schmidt hauled in seven touchdowns in the Steamwheelers opening contest, but was held to just five catches for 80 yards and this lone score on the night.

Eakin led the Vipers down the field for another touchdown, this time to Bocage, giving the Vipers a 23-7 lead.

Defensive back Desmond Foster then set his sights on a Raterink pass and picked off the signal caller and returned the ball 23 yards, setting up Eakin and Chavez for their second touchdown of the night.

The ensuing kick off saw the officials have one of their infamous meetings at the goalline. Referee Mark Curles then announced that the return team had run out of the end zone and then back into the end zone, resulting in another Vipers safety.

Chavez then hauled in his third touchdown catch of the night from Eakin. If you've lost count, the score is 39-7 Vipers, and it is not even half time.

The Steamwheelers then drew a little closer when Raterink found 2007 Ironman of the Year Jack Walker for a touchdown. Walker would finish his night with 36 yards on seven catches and one score.

Bocage would then make his third trip to pay dirt, second by way of an Eakin pass pushing the Vipers lead to 46-13 going into the half.

Quad City's luck would not change on the second half's opening kickoff. Akeem Lockett recovered a Steamwheelers fumble for a Vipers' touchdown.

Two consecutive turnover on downs led to two Vipers touchdowns, Eakin to Bocage and backup quarterback Tony Colston's first touchdown pass of the season to Michael Johnson.

Eakin finished much better than last week, completing 20-of-26 passes for 194 yards and six touchdowns.

The Vipers defense forced another fourth down turnover, however, Benji McDowell would fumble on the Vipers ensuing possession giving the Steamwheelers a chance for their first score of the second half.

Quad City decided to go with backup signal caller Brian Zbydniewski, however, the results would not be much different. Travis Blanchard picked off Zbydniewski at the goalline.

Colston then found Chavez for his fourth touchdown catch of the night, putting the Vipers ahead 74-13.

The Steamwheelers would end the scoring and round out the final score when Zbydniewski flipped a screen to tight end Jason Jones and Jones rumbled his way into the end zone.

On a side note, I caught a pass from Kevin Eakin in the second quarter in the stands. Heck of a catch too, if I must say so myself.

It Will Be a "Banner Night" for Vipers

2009-04-01T06:32:00.001-07:00

Tennessee Valley will open up the home schedule of the 2009 af2 season on Saturday night. The visitors will be from the Quad Cities, based in Moline, Illinois. I don't think the Steamwheelers will be driving John Deere tractors down, however. In case you didn't know, Moline, Ill. is the home of John Deere tractors.
The Steamwheelers and Vipers have quite the history, Quad City finished off their perfect season in 2000 with a win over the Vipers in Arena Cup I.
So how fitting is it that when the Vipers unveil the 2008 Arena Cup Champions banner, that the Steamwheelers be in the building?
Quad City brings with them a plethora of veterans, including quarterback J.J. Raterink. Raterink was spectacular in week one of the af2 season, throwing for 333 yards and eight touchdowns. Largely in part to wide out Jesse Schmidt who caught seven of those touchdown passes.
Ironman Jack Walker Jr. is back with the Wheelers after one season in Iowa. Walker, who won the 2007 Ironman of the Year award, will be tough to throw over from the jack linebacker position.
Vipers quarterback Kevin Eakin is looking forward to this week in hopes of redeeming himself after last week's dismal performance.
Quad City gave up 56 points to Peoria last week and allowed rookie quarterback Luke Drone to throw for 299 yards and eight touchdowns himself.
The Vipers will have their work cut out against this potent offense, but the defense that came up with four stops last week will be tested and ready to go.

Key players:
Quad City - QB JJ Raterink, WR Jesse Schmidt, FB Terrance Freeney
Tennessee Valley - QB Kevin Eakin, WR Michael Johnson, DE Eric Scott

Pit Prediction:
Quad City - 55
Tennessee Valley 57

Turnovers doom Vipers

2009-04-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

It was the first snap of the season and Tennessee Valley center Lance Ancar had prepared all camp for this moment. "Hut!" Fumble! Green Bay recovers. The tale of the tape is that Tennessee Valley had three turnovers and Green Bay committed just one. Thus, the Blizzard took the opening week contest 53-40 over the Vipers.
Quarterback Kevin Eakin did not have the best performance of his short career, but Eakin was not all bad. At one point in the contest, Eakin was 12-16, but two of his incomplete passes were to Blizzard defensemen. Eakin finished 27-of-39 and four touchdown tosses and he led the Vipers in rushing with 27 yards on two scrambles.
Eakin's new favorite target with Alonzo Nix and Maurice Brown not in the game was Michael Johnson. Johnson caught 12 passes for 158 yards and two scores. Chris Bocage caught eight passes and Bradly Chavez hauled in six receptions.
Bocage did rush for a touchdown as well from 17 yards out in the third quarter.
Blizzard signal caller Gino Guidulgi was as good as advertised. Guidulgi was 19-of-33 and threw for four touchdowns as well. His lone interception essentially meant nothing as Chavez could not handle the snap on a field goal attempt to end the first half.
The Blizzard had two more possessions than the Vipers and that proved to be the difference in a game where the Vipers came up with four defensive stops--usually good enough to win in Arena Football.
The Vipers will come back home this week to take on the Quad City Steamwheelers.

Vipers take on Blizzard

2009-03-27T12:40:00.001-07:00

Tennessee Valley will begin their quest of defending their 2008 Arena Cup championship on the road this season.
It will mark the first time the Vipers have started their season away from the Von Braun Center since 2003, when the Vipers defeated Florida on the road.
The af2 season can be hard to predict in the early going. Who would have ever thought the 7-9 Vipers would come back the next season to win the Arena Cup?
Based on last year's performances, the season opener at Green Bay will have the makings of a dandy.
Green Bay finished last season with a one-point, last-second loss to Manchester in the playoffs at home. However, the Blizzard did defeat the Vipers head-to-head 37-35 when the Vipers could not convert a two-point conversion to tie the game at the end.
Green Bay will enlist Gino Guidulgi at quarterback this season. Guidulgi played the final three contests for the Blizzard last season and finished with an impressive 14 touchdowns and just one interception. Guidulgi also rushed for four scores last season.
Only Brian Hernandez and "Superman" Robert Garth have experience for the Blizzard at wide receiver and the defensive line took a huge loss when Joe Sykes signed with the CFL.
Tennessee Valley will counter Guidulgi with Kevin Eakin. Eakin entered his first game as a Viper in the second half of the Albany game last season and brought the Vipers from behind to win that game and never looked back. Eakin was the full-time starter until a knee injury took him out of the Arena Cup and he was replaced by back up Tony Colston. Eakin will once again be given the reigns and is undoubtedly the starting quarterback.
Eakin will have to work with receivers that are new to the Vipers, but not to the af2. Chris Bocage was part of the Albany team that Eakin beat last season and Bradly Chavez is a 3 year veteran, who was the af2's Ironman of the Year last season with the Manchester Wolves.
Michael Johnson is the expected third starter. Johnson is the only former Viper on the receiving corps. Injuries plagues Johnson last season, but the team says he is 100 percent and ready to play.
Eric Scott will have to work with a few newcomers as well. The defensive front will not include Rico Reese or Terrance Ford and linebacker RaJohn Myles is not with the team pending a CFL try out, but Tennessee Valley will have experience throughout the defense. Keller Speakes joins the Vipers after two seasons with the Louisville Fire. Speakes recorded 30.5 tackles last season, including six sacks. His one interception and three forced fumbles also anchored the Fire last season.
Speakes will have a college teammate in front of him at nose tackle. John Scott will play nose tackle along with Benji McDowell. Beside Speakes will be Chavez.
The defensive backfield is set and should make Vipers fans comfortable. Demetrius Derico, Desmond Foster and Travis Blanchard will be anchoring the last line.
Expect a fight to the finish with these two teams on Saturday. Both squads will be looking to get the season off on the right foot, and Tennessee Valley will have the targets lit up on their backs as the defending champions.

Key Players:
Green Bay - QB Gino Guidulgi, WR Robert Garth
Tennessee Valley - QB Kevin Eakin, WR/LB Bradly Chavez, DE Eric Scott

Pit Prediction:
Tennessee Valley 54 Green Bay 48

If it were a VIPER it would have bitten me--Season almost here

2009-03-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just around the corner is the upcoming 2009 af2 season. With the opening game tonight, the af2 will kick off what is sure to be a great 10th anniversary season.
The defending Arena Cup champions, Tennessee Valley is preparing to defend their title in training camp and will kick off next week on the road at Green Bay.
Withreturners at key positions, the Vipers look to make a long run in defense of the championship. Defensive lineman Eric Scott is back to anchor a big defensive front along with Keller Speaks and John Scott. Demetrius Derico will return along with Travis Blanchard to secure the backfield. 2008 af2 Ironman of the Year Bradly Chavez has been assigned to play linebacker and receiver. Expect Chavez to play a key role for the Vipers on both sides of the ball this season.
On the offensive side, QB Kevin Eakin is still the starter, even after the performance of Tony Colston in the Arena Cup. WR Chris Bocage wanted to wear the black and green this season, and signed with the Vipers over the Albany Firebirds. Michael Johnson is also back from last year's squad.
Practices have been upbeat and Coach Dean Cokinos is happy with the group of players he's put together.
It's time to get loud and be proud, Huntsville. Your Vipers are the best team in the league and that should bring you to the game.

On a side note, the Quad City Steamwheelers will be in town April 4th for the home opener. We will be unveiling the banner that night, and I have a surprise for the Steamwheelers faithful.

Vipers roster shaping up

2009-01-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

Just a couple weeks into 2009, the Tennessee Valley Vipers have some of the most important figures from the defending Arena Cup championship team signed and returning for another run at the title.

Eric Scott is one of those slated to return to the Vipers. Scott was in negotiations with the Orlando Predators before the AFL abruptly ended business for this upcoming season. Scott recorded 33.5 tackles including 18.5 tackles for loss. 17.5 of the tackles for loss were quarterback sacks. Scott also blocked 2 field goals in the regular season and one i the Arena Cup. His 22 quarterback hurries were tops on last year's team.

Joining Scott again on defense is RaJohn Myles. Myles finished last season with 8.5 sacks and four fumble recoveries. From his MLB position, Myles was a the leader and the force that made opposing offenses fear throwing across the middle.

Also, returning from last season will be defensive backs, Darren Garrigan, Desmon Foster, Demetrius Derico and Travis Blanchard.

Blanchard is almost a household name in Huntsville. His picture graces each Vipers billboard and everyone loves number 7. Garrigan was green in his first few games with the Vipers, but as the playoffs came around, so did Garrigan. He matched his three pass break ups in the regular season with three in the Arena Cup alone and 9 in the four playoff wins.

Derico led the Vipers all season in interceptions and was among the league leaders as well with 9 picks.

Foster set an Arena Cup record with 13.5 tackles. He also had three picks in the regular season, five in the post season, including one in the Arena Cup.

Offensively, returning for the Vipers will be backup signal caller and Arena Cup MVP Tony Colston. Colston returns as the starter as of right now.

With the receiving corps returning for the Vipers, it won't be hard for Colston to look like an NFL prospect. Maurice Brown, Alonzo Nix, Jeremy Stephens and Michael Johnson all return. Also Chris Bocage was added from the Albany Conquest and two rookies from the University of North Alabama also thrown into the mix, one of which was in camp with the Colorado Crush before the AFL suspended the 2009 season.

Brown led the team with 108.8 yards receiving a game and 29 scores before being injured. Nix hauled in 23 scores of his own and 85 yards a game. Johnson posted three touchdowns in three games and 65 yards receiving per contest.

In the playoffs, Nix hauled in 9 scores and averaged 131.8 yards a game.

Some other new faces joining the Vipers will be OL/DL John Scott of Jacksonville State. FB/LB and DE Keller Speakes, also of Jacksonville State. Speakes has two years experience with the Louisville Fire. Scott is a rookie who was in camp with the Tennessee Titans the last two years.

Once again, the Vipers roster is shaping up tremendously and in 2009 the HISS is BACK!

Arena Cup Champions

2008-09-01T15:06:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-09T09:37:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-04T09:29:00.001-07:00

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

2008-06-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-12T10:21:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-05T09:17:00.001-07:00

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

2008-05-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

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.