In Week 12 of the Silver Anniversary season of the AFL, the South Division, home of the Tampa Bay Storm, features four games, one of which is a South Division match up featuring the Orlando Predators and Jacksonville Sharks on NET10 Arena Football Friday on NFL Network.
The Tampa Bay Storm (5-5, 3-2) hosts the Milwaukee Mustangs (3-6, 2-1) Saturday evening as the Storm honor the Military that night. Both teams are looking to end a two-game skid and keep pace in its respective divisions.
Orlando (1-8, 1-2) hosts the defending ArenaBowl Champions Jacksonville Sharks (4-5, 1-2) at the Jungle Friday evening for its second consecutive national TV game on the NFL Network. The Predators are coming off of its third blown 20-point lead this season and are desperately looking for an answer to turn around this season’s woes. Meanwhile Jacksonville is coming off a victory that saw the Sharks blow out the Iowa Barnstormers. Both teams need a victory this week to keep up with the Storm and Force in the South Division.
The VooDoo (4-5, 2-1) is riding high after coming back from a huge deficit against the Predators last week to get back into the South Division race. They host a power form the west, Arizona. The Rattlers (7-3, 2-2) are hot, winners of its last two games and look to prove that they are the team to beat in the National Conference as the team has its eyes set on a return trip to the ArenaBowl.
Finally the Georgia Force (6-4, 2-2) travel to Kansas City to face the Command (1-8, 0-3) who is coming off its first victory of the season. However the Force enters the game winners of its past three games, yet each victory has only been by three points. The Force hope to steal a road win and maintain its lead in the South Division.
JACKSONVILLE SHARKS (4-5) AT ORLANDO PREDATORS (1-8) 8:00 PM ET
Series: Sharks lead 4-2 (3-1 regular, 1-1 playoffs)
Streaks: W 3 | W 2
Coaches vs. Opp: Moss: 4-2 | Munsey: 0-0
Last Week: W 55-19 vs. Iowa Barnstormers | L 61-68 vs. New Orleans VooDoo
Last Game: 7/29/2011: Jacksonville defeated Orlando, 63-48 in a playoff game as the Sharks marched to victory in 2011 ArenaBowl against Arizona, 73-70.
Last Game at Orlando: 6/11/2011: Jacksonville defeated Orlando, 68-67. Sharks QB Garcia had 24 completions for a total of 329 yards and 8 TDs.
Broadcast: “NET10 Arena Football Friday” on NFL Network.
STATS LEADERS (JAX | ORL)
Passing: Morris: 55-95-700-12-5-90.68 | Leak: 34-59-435-11-4-92.16
Rushing: Morris: 18-69-3.8-2 | Roper: 20-118-5.9-3
Receiving: Smith: 63-792-12.6-21 | Toliver: 55-653-11.9-11
Offense: 280.0 yds/g | 256.4 yds/g
Turnover Margin: -7 | -10
Defense: 272.8 yds/g | 277.1 yds/g
Sacks: Berry: 5 | Pitcock: 3
Ints: 2 tied with 2 | Coleman: 6
Kicking: Capozzoli: 63(51/60 PAT; 4/4 FG) | Lewis: 61(40/43 PAT; 7/9 FG)
NOTES
SHARKS: The Jacksonville Sharks held Iowa to just 19 points in Week 11, the lowest single-game point total against the Sharks in the three-year history of the franchise… The Sharks 25 rushing yards per game ranks tied for second in the AFL… Jacksonville ranks fourth in the AFL in scoring defense, only allowing 51.1 points per game… The Sharks defense ranks fifth in the AFL allowing 257.9 passing yards per game… The team ranks third in the AFL in kickoff return average (19.3)… Jacksonville has allowed 159 first downs this season, a mark that sits atop the AFL… After recording just one INT in the first 7 games of 2012, the Sharks defense has picked off five passes over the team’s last two games…QB BERNARD MORRIS will make his third consecutive start of the season… Morris will be the Sharks’ third starting quarterback of the season (Leak, Jacobs and Morris)… In five games, Morris completed 55-of-95 balls for 700 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has also thrown five interceptions… Morris has also made an impact on the ground and ranks second in the AFL in yards per rush (3.8)… His 78 rushing yards leads the Sharks… FB RENDRICK TAYLOR came off injured reserve in Week 11 and was awarded the Spalding Highlight of the Week for his 31-yard touchdown run to open the second quarter against the Barnstormers… Taylor finished with seven rushing attempts for 52 yards (franchise record) and a TD… WR TERRANCE SMITH has caught a touchdown pass in every game this season and has hauled in multiple touchdown receptions in four consecutive games… Smith has collected at least 125 all-purpose yards in every game this season… Against Iowa last week, Smith hauled in a team-high 8 balls for 109 yards and 3 TDs… Smith ranks second in the AFL with 193.9 all-purpose yards per game… WR JAMARKO SIMMONS has caught 28 balls for 298 yards and 3 TDs this season… DB MICHEAUX ROBINSON played with the Sharks last season during their ArenaBowl XXIV victory… Robinson began the 2012 season with Philadelphia and was traded back to the Sharks on May 11… In his first game back against Iowa last week, Robinson snagged a pair of interceptions… Robinson spent the 2007 season with the Orlando Predators… K MARCO CAPOZZOLI is perfect in field goals made (4/4).
PREDATORS: The Orlando Predators fell to the New Orleans VooDoo, 61-68, last week… The VooDoo came back from a 33-0 scoring run to defeat the Predators... The team totaled 60 points in a game for the first time this season… The Predators are the first team in Arena Football history to blow three leads in a season of 20 or more points… Orlando has been outscored 256-110 after halftime this season... Orlando ranks second in the AFL in scoring defense giving up 50.2 points per game… QB CHRIS LEAK began the season as the starter for the Sharks… Leak set career-highs in his first start with the team, passing for 357 yards and eight touchdowns against the New Orleans. The marks also represent season-highs for the Predators in 2012… WR TT TOLIVER has a touchdown reception in four consecutive games played… Toliver became the fourth player this season to record a 200-yard receiving game… His 210 receiving yards was 19 yards shy of the single-game franchise record of 229 yards set by Barry Wagner in 1996… With five receiving scores in Week 11, Toliver moved into 15th place all-time on the League’s list of career touchdown receptions leaders. He has 185 receiving touchdowns in his career… Toliver set season-highs for receptions (13) and receiving yards (210) in Week 11… WR BOBBY SIPPIO is one receiving touchdown shy of 200 for his career… Sippo needs four receiving yards to move into 24th place on the AFL’s list of career receiving yardage leaders. Sippio has 7,557 career receiving yards… WR DWAYNE ELEY JR. hauled in eight balls for 104 yards and two scores last week… Eley also tallied five kick returns for 95 yards… He ranks fifth in the League with 158.5 all-purpose yards per game… DL QUINN PITCOCK has tallied a sack in each of the last two games… LB MARLON MOYE-MOORE has tallied 40.5 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, a sack and an interception on the season… DB SIMEON CASTILLE leads the team with 52.5 total tackles… He also has an interception and nine PBUs.
MILWAUKEE MUSTANGS (3-6) AT TAMPA BAY STORM (5-5) 7:30 PM ET
Series: Storm leads 5-4, (4-4 regular, 1-0 playoffs)
Streaks: L 2 | L 2
Coaches vs. Opp: Landsee: 2-0 | Ewart: 0-4
Last Week: L 55-58 vs. Georgia Force | L 34-53 vs. Cleveland Gladiators
Last Game: 4/30/2011: Milwaukee defeated Tampa Bay, 50-33.
Last Game at Tampa Bay: 7/27/2000: Tampa Bay defeated Milwaukee, 72-64 in the playoffs.
Broadcast: www.ustream.tv/tampabaystorm
STATS LEADERS (MKE | TAM)
Passing: Guidugli: 187-277-2470-46-7-124.55 | Wasil: 213-351-2543-50-14-101.83
Rushing: Guidugli: 25-44-1.8-10 | Wasil: 34-74-2.2-10
Receiving: Jenkins: 59-778-13.2-17 | Rodriguez: 77-1051-13.6-26
Offense: 320.8 yds/g | 274.9 yds/g
Turnover Margin: +0 | -6
Defense: 274.0 yds/g | 266.9 yds/g
Sacks: LeFall: 6.5 | Phillips: 5
Ints: Everett: 4 4 tied with 2
Kicking: Gates: 41(29/35 PAT; 4/6 FG) | Bongarra: 68(62/72 PAT; 2/9 FG)
NOTES
MUSTANGS: The Mustangs head to Tampa for the first time since July 29, 2000… The Storm won that playoff game 72-64, but the Milwaukee has won both meetings since… Four of the Mustangs six losses this season have come by a margin of fewer than six points… QB GINO GUIDUGLI ranks second in the League in passing efficiency with a mark of 124.5… He is averaging 8.3 yards per play, good for fourth in the AFL… His 2,514 yards of total offense in 2012 ranks seventh in the League… He was 22-for-27 with 299 yards and 5 touchdowns in Week 11… He also rushed for two scores last week, giving him a team-high 10 rushing touchdowns on the year… WR JARED JENKINS has hauled in a touchdown reception in all eight of his AFL games and has collected multiple scores in six of them… Jenkins leads the team with 59 receptions for 778 yards and 17 touchdowns on the season… He had seven catches for 89 yards and two touchdowns in Week 11… WR ANDRAE THURMAN has caught three touchdowns in each of his first three games with the team… He has tallied 27 catches for 382 yards and nine scores with the Mustangs in 2012… He caught a team-high 11 passes for 142 yards and three scores in Week 11… WR/LB VICTOR WILLIAMS made his Milwaukee debut in Week 11 with four catches for 68 yards… WR/LB MARCUS EVERETT has played both ways in 2012, catching 11 passes for 147 yards and five touchdowns and rushing twice for 22 yards and a score… He has also collected 8.5 tackles, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries on defense… Two of his four interceptions have been returned for touchdowns… DL DWAYNE LEFALL leads the team with 6.5 sacks… He has seven tackles for loss He had two tackles and one sack in Week 11… DL LUIS VASQUEZ has 12.5 tackles and five sacks in 2012… He recorded one sack last week… DL QUARTEZ VICKERSON has notched 9.5 tackles and three sacks in seven games of action this season… He finished with three tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Week 11… LB TYUS JACKSON has totaled 8.5 tackles and three tackles for loss in five games with the team this season… He earned his first sack of the year in Week 11… DB KELVIN RODGERS did not return a kick for a touchdown for the first time in three weeks… He has returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in 2012, including three as a member of the Mustangs… He has the second-highest kick return average in the League, averaging 23.6 yards per return… In five games with Milwaukee, he has collected 35 tackles, the third-highest total on the team… He led the team with 8.5 tackles in Week 11… DB RYAN McFOY leads the squad with 53 tackles and nine pass breakups this season… He has also tallied an interception and forced fumble on the year.
STORM: The Storm are undefeated at home and winless on the road in 2012… QB STEPHEN WASIL was interception free for just the third time this season in Week 11… He leads the team with 50 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns in 2012… His 14 interceptions on the year is the second-highest total for a starting quarterback in the AFL this season… He was 13-for-26 for 121 yards and two touchdowns before being pulled in the second half of the team’s Week 11 game… QB MATT GROTHE went 7-for-13 with 85 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in relief duty in Week 11… He has passed for 161 yards and three touchdowns this season… WR PRECHAE RODRIGUEZ has snagged multiple touchdown receptions in seven straight games… He leads the team with 77 catches for 1,051 yards and 26 touchdowns this season… He ranks fourth in the AFL with an average of 116.8 receiving yards per game… He caught five passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns in Week 11… WR CHANDLER WILLIAMS has collected a touchdown catch in nine straight games… He has 67 catches for 773 yards and 14 touchdowns this season… He caught six passes for 58 yards and one touchdown in Week 11… He also notched 101 kick return yards in the game… WR AMARRI JACKSON has a catch in 22 consecutive games played… He has also caught a touchdown pass in three straight games… His 40 receptions for 478 yards and nine scores is the third-highest total on the team… He had a team-high seven catches last week, totaling 56 yards and one touchdown… DL PERNELL PHILLIPS has recorded a sack in three of the past four games… He leads the team with five sacks on the season… DL STEVE OCTAVIEN has totaled 18 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, five quarterback hurries and one forced fumble in seven games of work this season… DB ERICK McINTOSH leads the team with 62 tackles and 15 pass breakups on the year… He collected six tackles and a pass breakup last week… DB LENDY HOLMES has notched 43 tackles and two interceptions this season… He pitched in four tackles last week.
ARIZONA RATTLERS (7-3) AT NEW ORLEANS VOODOO (4-5) 8:00 PM ET
Series: VooDoo lead the series 2-1
Streaks: W 2 | W 1
Coaches vs. Opp: Guy 1-1 | O’Hara: 0-1
Last Week: W 86-70 vs. Utah Blaze | W 68-61 vs. Orlando Predators
Last Game: 5/20/2011: Arizona defeated New Orleans, 61-53. HARVEY caught 4 of 6 passes for a TD.
Last Game at New Orleans: See above.
Broadcast: www.ustream.tv/AFL
STATS LEADERS (ARI | NOV)
Passing: Davila: 212-314-3020-68-10-124.73 | Rocco: 204-333-2816-56-7-119.19
Rushing: Armstrong: 48-162-3.4-11 | Bush: 14-43-3.1-2
Receiving: Purify: 81-1308-16.1-33 | Castile: 60-706-11.8-17
Offense: 335.5 yds/g | 315.4 yds/g
Turnover Margin: +6 | +15
Defense: 327.7 yds/g | 290.6 yds/g
Sacks: 2 tied with 4 | 5 tied with 1
Ints: Brown: 4 | Kellem: 7
NOTES
RATTLERS: The 86 points posted by the Rattlers in Week 11 was the largest single-game point total in franchise history… Arizona’s offense ranks second in the AFL in scoring with 66.9 points per game… Although the Rattlers rank first in total offense with 335.5 yards per game, the team ranks 16th in total defense (327.7 yards per game)… Arizona found themselves atop the Week 12 Power Rankings after being ranked seventh overall just two weeks ago…QB NICK DAVILA has notched a passer rating in the triple digits in six consecutive games and all but one game this season… Davila tied the AFL record for passing touchdowns in a single game with 11 in the team’s 86-70 win over the Utah Blaze in Week 11… Davila is three touchdowns shy of Joe Germaine for 19th place on the AFL’s list of career passing TD leaders. Davila has 287-career passing TDs… Davila is the AFL’s most efficient passer, with a mark of 124.7 on the season… FB ODIE ARMSTRONG has tallied a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games… WR MAURICE PURIFY tied the single-game franchise records for receiving touchdowns (7) and points (42) in Week 11… WR KERRY REED has a receiving score in every game played this season… DB VIRGIL GRAY recorded a team season-high of 11 tackles in Week 11… K CHRIS GOULD leads the League with 89 points in the kicking game.
VOODOO: The VooDoo came back from a 33-0 scoring run to defeat the Orlando Predators 68-61 last week on NFL Network… The VooDoo rank seventh in the AFL in scoring offense, putting up 56.4 points per game… The defense ranks fifth in the AFL in passing offense with 301.1 yards per game… New Orleans ranks last in the AFL in kickoff return average (14.7)… QB KURT ROCCO tied the franchise record for TD passes in a single game with nine against the Orlando Predators… His 325 passing yards and nine TDs were the most yards and passing scores given up by the Predators defense this season… WR L.J. CASTILE has caught a touchdown pass in every game played this year… WR QUOREY PAYNE has four consecutive games with a TD reception… His four TD receptions in Week 11 matched a team season-high… Payne ranks ninth in the AFL in all-purpose yards with 151 per game… WR JOSH BUSH has recorded at least three TD catches two weeks in a row… Bush ranks just one spot below Payne in all-purpose yards per game with 142.2 (10th)… DB JEREMY KELLEM earned the Cutters Catch of the Week in Week 11 with an off-the-wall interception in the team’s 68-61 victory over the Predators… Kellem finished the game with 4.5 total tackles and two interceptions… He ranks first in the AFL in passes defended, averaging 2.33 per game… JLB ALVIN RAY JACKSON is tied for fifth in the AFL with Kellem with interceptions per game (0.67).
GEORGIA FORCE (6-4) AT KANSAS CITY COMMAND (1-8) 8:00 PM ET
Series: Georgia leads 3-0
Streaks: W 3 | W 1
Coaches vs. Opp: Cokinos: 0-0 | Barto: 0-1
Last Week: W 58-55 at Milwaukee Mustangs | W 43-37 at Pittsburgh Power
Last Game: 4/4/2008: Force defeated Command 70-63
Last Game at Kansas City: 4/1/2006: Force defeated Georgia 55-47
Broadcast: www.ustream.tv/AFL
STATS LEADERS (GEO | KCC)
Passing: Archer: 154-252-1667-39-6-109.34 | Gutierrez: 140-246-1560-27-10-86.43
Rushing: Benson: 51-106-2.1-5 | Bryant: 24-67-2.8-2
Receiving: Shipp: 86-1013-11.8-21 | Robinson: 30-335-11.2-7
Offense: 254.2 yds/g | 245.8 yds/g
Turnover Margin: +11 | -5
Defense: 296.3 yds/g | 265.2 yds/g
Sacks: 2 tied with 2.5 | Chavis: 4
Ints: Belton: 10 | Gilliam: 5
Kicking: Martinez: 81 (57/65 PAT; 8/15FG) | Wilhoit: 33 (21/26 PAT; 4/9 FG)
NOTES
FORCE: Last week the Force defeated the Mustangs 58-55 after a Carlos Martinez 36-yard FG with 2 seconds remaining in the game... Georgia ranks fourth in rushing offense with 24.6 yards per game and ranks third in scoring defense with 50.6 points per game… QB RJ ARCHER is 154-of252 passing for 1,667 yards and 39 TDs…He ranks tenth in the League in pass efficiency at 109.3…In Week 11 he passed for a season-high 315 yards against Milwaukee… WR LARRY SHIPP leads the team in receptions with 86 catches for 1,013 yards and 21 TDs …He has recorded a TD receptions in every game this season and 2 TD receptions in 3 consecutive games…Shipp is ranks fourth in the League in receptions per game with 8.6 and ninth in receiving yards per game with 101.3…He ranks tenth in the League in scoring with 13.8 points per game… FB MYKEL BENSON has recorded 51 carries for 106 yards…He has rushed for a TD in each of the last 3 games…He ranks sixth in rushing with 11.8 yards per game … DB TRACY BELTON leads the League in interceptions with 10…He ranks fifth in the League in passes defended with 19 total…He leads the team in tackles with 48.5 total…. K CARLOS MARTINEZ has notched 81 points kicking and is 57/65 on PATs and is 8/15 on FGs…He ranks second in the League in scoring on kicks with 81 points total.
COMMAND: Last week the Command won their first game of the season against the Pittsburgh Power, 43-37… QB MATT GUTIERREZ is 140-of-246 passing with 1,560 yards and 27 TDs…In Week 11 he posted a QB rating in triple digits for the first time this season… FB LEE BRYANT has 24 carries for 67 yards and 2 TDs…He ranks seventh in the League in yards per rush with 2.8… WR ARMAN ROBINSON has recorded 30 catches for 335 yards and 7 TDs in 3 games played with the Command … DB SERGIO GILLIAM leads the team with 5 interceptions … DB RASHAD BARKSDALE leads the team in tackles with 51.5…In Week 11 he set a new single-game franchise record with 35 missed field goal returns…He ranks seventh in the League in kick return average with 19.2… DL CHRIS LYLE recorded a team season-high 4 tackles for loss in Week 11… K JAMES WILHOIT has notched 33 points kicking and is 21/26 on PATs and is 4/9 on FGs…In Week 11 he nailed a season-long 40-yard FG.