Vipers become Hammers in SIFL

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

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

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

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

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'

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

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