Gladiators Head Coach Mike Wilpolt named 2008 AFL Coach of the Year

CLEVELAND - Cleveland Gladiators Head Coach MIKE WILPOLT has been selected as the 2008 AFL Coach of the Year, as voted by AFL head coaches, fans, players and the Arena Football League Writers Association, the AFL announced today. Wilpolt becomes the first head coach in Gladiators franchise history to earn the honor.

Following a disappointing 2-14 season, Gladiators owner JIM FERRARO named Wilpolt head coach of the Las Vegas Gladiators on September 9, 2007. Wilpolt made the transition to Cleveland when Ferraro moved the team that October.

In just his first season as the Gladiators head coach, Wilpolt guided his team to a 9-7 regular season finish, qualifying for the playoffs for just the fifth time in the 11-year franchise history.

With a 73-70 win over the Georgia Force on Monday night, Wilpolt will lead his team into the National Conference Championship game on Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m. versus the Philadelphia Soul.

In 2004, Wilpolt took over as the head coach of the Indiana Firebirds, after a dismal 0-5 start to the season under the direction of Steve DeBerg. With Wilpolt, the Firebirds went 8-3 and making him a finalist for the Coach of the Year award.

Other AFL Head Coaches receiving votes in 2008 included Arizona's KEVIN GUY, Chicago's MIKE HOHENSEE and Philadelphia's BRETT MUNSEY.

L.A. Avengers make changes on coaching staff

Gladiators to Host Home Playoff Game

Rivermen Name Davis Payne Head Coach Of Peoria

Moose re-sign Mike Keane

Falcons Head Coach Jeff Truitt To Serve As Honorary Captain

Grand Rapids' Macpherson, San Jose's Floyd and Cleveland's Rue Earn Divisional Round Honors

NEW YORK - Grand Rapids Rampage QB JAMES MACPHERSON, San Jose SaberCats DB MARQUIS FLOYD and Cleveland Gladiators FB/LB JAMES RUE have been named Offensive Player, ADT Defensive Player, and Ironman of the Week, respectively, for the Divisional Round of the 2008 playoffs.

OFFENSIVE: MacPherson (6-2, 200, Wake Forest) completed 33-of-39 passes for 326 yards and accounted for seven touchdowns (6 - passing, 1 - rushing) and set an AFL postseason record for completion percentage (84.6) as the Grand Rapids Rampage (8-10) defeated the Chicago Rush (11-6), 58-41, on Sunday. MacPherson led the Rampage's offense on scoring drives on nine of the teams 10 possessions while posting a passer rating of 129.2. Grand Rapids travels to HP Pavilion to face the San Jose SaberCats (12-5) in the American Conference Championship Game on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Saturday, July 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127).

ADT DEFENSIVE: Floyd (6-2, 192, West Georgia) registered six tackles, one pass defensed and one interception returned for a touchdown as the San Jose SaberCats (12-5) defeated the Colorado Crush (7-11), 64-51, on Saturday. On third-and-five on the SaberCats seven-yard line during Colorado's second possession of the game, Floyd's pass defensed forced fourth-down and resulted in a field goal that allowed the SaberCats to keep a three-point lead. On Colorado's second possession of the fourth quarter, Floyd intercepted Crush QB JOHN DUTTON on the SaberCats three-yard line and returned the interception for a postseason-best 47 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory.

IRONMAN: Rue (6-2, 245, Duquesne) tied a Divisional Round high with two rushing touchdowns on five carries for 16 yards and one tackle on defense as the Cleveland Gladiators (11-7) defeated the Georgia Force (10-7), 73-70, on Monday. Rue registered rushing touchdowns of two and 10 yards, with the second giving the Gladiators their first lead of the game. Rue's 10-yard touchdown run marked the first score of the second-half as Cleveland outscored Georgia 33-28. The Gladiators travel to the Wachovia Center to face the Philadelphia Soul (14-3) in the National Conference Championship game on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127).

Offensive Player of the Week candidates included: Cleveland QB Raymond Philyaw and WR Otis Amey, Grand Rapids WR Cole Magner and WR Kenny Higgins, Philadelphia QB Matt D'Orazio, WR Chris Jackson and WR Larry Brackins, San Jose QB Mark Grieb and WR/DB Rodney Wright.

ADT Defensive Player of the Week candidates included: Cleveland DB Alex Teems and DB Sakeen Wright, Grand Rapids DB William Haith, Philadelphia DB Eddie Moten, San Jose DB Clevan Thomas and DB Omarr Smith.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defeat Wolves 68-50

AHL Announces IceHogs Opponents For 2008-09

Seven Teams Can Clinch Playoff Berths in Week 16

Rampage 08-09 Opponents Announced

New York’s Garcia, Cleveland’s Hefflin and New York’s Price Earn Wild Card Week Honors

Harrell, Jackson and Roe Continue Postseason Assaults in Divisional Round

2008's Done: Frisco Falls To Odessa In Playoffs

ODESSA, Tex. (July 5, 2008) -- The brief ray of hope for the Frisco Thunder quickly faded Saturday night.

After a pair of defensive stops and a solid offensive start gave Frisco an early lead, the Odessa Roughnecks took over and ended the Thunder's season with a 67-33 decision in the opening round of the Intense Football League playoffs upon the seasoned surface of Benny Boyd Field.

Odessa (8-7) will face either Louisiana or Corpus Christi in the semifinals the weekend of July 19-21. Frisco's season ends at 6-9 after a 5-2 start.

Dennis Gile threw for 195 yards and five touchdowns as Odessa Roughnecks scored 36 unanswered points.

The Thunder took a 13-7 lead on Dixie Wooten's 1-yard keeper with 13:46 remaining in the second quarter. Wooten at one point completed seven straight passes, but faded late in the half as Odessa took a 28-13 halftime lead.

Odessa built its lead to 43-13 before Kevin Lenford's 50-yard interception return ended the Frisco scoring drought.

Lenford also scored on a 47-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter for Frisco, who at times had a linebacker at running back and two defensive backs at the wide receiver spots.

Don Robinson caught eight passes for 98 yards and three of Gile's touchdown passes for Odessa, whose defense registered eight sacks and four turnovers.

Wooten finished 11 of 18 for 149 yards and a touchdown to Marcus Stiggers (five catches, 70 yards) in addition to scoring a pair of touchdowns on 1-yard keepers. Chris Glenn had 22 yards rushing on five carries.

NOTEBOOK

BEST OFFENSE: The Frisco Thunder's best offense was its defense Saturday.

In addition to Kevin Lenford's 50-yard interception return for a touchdown, many of the offense's bright points came from defensive players going on both sides of the ball.

With running backs Ricky Madison and Antwuan Andrews unavailable, linebacker Chris Glenn served as the team's primary ball carrier. His first touch went for a nasty 9-yard gain as he finished with 22 yards before leaving the game with a fourth-quarter ACL injury.

Defensive back Marcus Stiggers started at wide receiver, but that's not much of a stretch since Stiggers played wide receiver for the University of Colorado. Stiggers caught the Thunder's first touchdown and finished with five catches for 70 yards.

Don McGee, another defensive back, has been seeing wide receiving time the past three games.

THAT'S THE TICKET: Kevin Lenford literally was worth the price of a ticket Saturday.

Lenford had to work Saturday and did not ride the team bus to Odessa Friday. Thunder owner Jake Reed purchased him a plane ticket that put the Thunder KR/DB into Midland International Airport an hour before the 7:11 kickoff.

Lenford scored two touchdowns on an interception and kickoff return.

ELITE: Despite the loss, Saturday's playoff game put the Thunder among Intense Football League teams who have made the post-season in every year of their existence. Odessa and Corpus Christi have qualified in all four IFL seasons while defending Louisiana is 3-for-3 since joining the league in 2006. Frisco was the first IFL expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in its inaugural 2007 season.

2009 SEASON TICKETS FOR SALE

The 2008 Frisco Thunder season has just finished, but it's not to early to start making plans for 2009.

Season ticket plans are now available as the Intense Football League team begins preparations for a third season in a renovated Dr Pepper StarCenter.

For as little as $70, fans can enjoy all seven Thunder home games with amenities such as four additional tickets to bring family and friends, discounts at area businesses and merchandise, and much, much more!

Those who pay in full by October 1 receive a replica home jersey.

"We're now fully focused on 2009,'' said Thunder owner Jake Reed. "We got through the difficult schedule of 2008; now it's time to show the IFL how Frisco and Collin County will support its football team."

To purchase tickets, call (972) 731-6968 or visit friscothunderifl.com

Down Time At The Right Time For Thunder

Grizzlies bitten again by Hammerheads, 55-37

Kosar’s Gladiators Defeat Elway’s Crush, 50-46

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defeat Wolves 68-50

Conshohocken to Name Street for Soul

PHILADELPHIA (Monday, July 07) - Coming off their Divisional Round playoff win that featured a spectacular ending, the Philadelphia Soul are set to have a local street named after them. Conshohocken, a borough located in southern Pennsylvania about 15 miles from Philadelphia will be re-naming one of its streets this coming Wednesday, July 9 during the Soul's National Conference Championship Game Pep Rally in the parking lot at Totaro's Restaurant.

The pep-rally, which will feature Soul players and coaches, Soulmates and the mascot Soulman, will begin at 6 p.m. with the official unveiling of the street re-naming starting at 7:15 p.m. Conshohocken Mayor Joseph Collins will also be on hand to declare the street re-naming as the Soul Drive towards ArenaBowl XXII presented by Virgin Mobile continues.

Totaro's, the home of Philadelphia Soul Live on 950 ESPN Radio, is located at 729 E. Hector Street in Conshohocken. Philadelphia Soul Live, the official radio show of the Soul, will air live from 7-8 p.m. from the pep rally.

The Philadelphia Soul (14-3), YOUR Team...YOUnited, wait to find out who they will play this Saturday, July 12 at 1:00 p.m. for the National Conference Championship Playoff game. The game can seen live on ESPN and also be heard live on 950 ESPN and will stream live at www.950ESPN.com. For ticket information call 888-PHIL-AFL.

The Soul are celebrating their fifth anniversary this season. The team has drawn an AFL-best 646,043 fans combined during the first five seasons. Following last season, the Soul were recognized with the Commissioner's Award as the Organization of the Year and were an honorable mention for the PRISM Award in the category of fan appreciation. For more information call (888) PHIL-AFL or log on to www.philadelphiasoul.com.

Lightning owners close to naming new coach, want to be competitive right away

New Valencia track secures GP2 race

Interactive Digital Billboard featuring the Soul debuts in Suburban Station

Soul Sign Raheem Orr

88.3 FM The Saint To Broadcast Game Seven

Brackins' TD lifts Soul over Dragons, 49-48

PHILADELPHIA, PA (July 5) -- Quarterback Matt D'Orazio hit wide receiver Larry Brackins on a 28-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to give the Philadelphia Soul a pulsating, 49-48 playoff victory over the New York Dragons before 16,102 at the Wachovia Center Saturday night.

The controversial touchdown was a catch and run which was reviewed by the officials based on the Arena Football League's new replay review system. Brackins reached out with the football and barely broke the plane of the goal line while in the grasp of two Dragons to give the Soul the triumph and move them into the conference championship game next weekend at the Wachovia Center. The date and time will be announced.

Tickets for next weekend's playoff game are available by calling 888 PHIL AFL (888 744 5235) or via www.philadelphiasoul.com.

A victory next weekend will give the Soul the National Conference Championship and put Philadelphia into Arena Bowl XXII July 27 in New Orleans.

The game was in doubt throughout as the underdog Dragons rallied behind the play of quarterback Aaron Garcia and wide receiver Kevin Swayne, who connected for five touchdowns. Riding the wave of their upset win over Dallas in a Wild Card playoff game last week, the Dragons went toe-to-toe with the Soul in the first half, taking a 25-23 lead into the lockerroom behind a Steve Azar 46-yard field goal on the last play of the second quarter.

The Soul shut out New York in the third quarter and led through most of the second half, but the visitors scored 13 unanswered points in the final minutes, taking a 48-43 lead with 57 seconds remaining. The Soul moved smartly into Dragons territory with 17 seconds left, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Brent Holmes moved the ball back into Philadelphia territory, 28 yards from the end zone. With 7.1 left, D'Orazio hit Brackins on a crossing pattern at the 10 yard line and he dove toward the end zone for the winning score.

New York coach Weyland Harding challenged the call but the it stood following official review and the Soul celebrated the come-from-behind triumph. The result was a huge disappointment for the Dragons, who upset the Dallas Desperados in a wild card playoff game last weekend. The Dragons were seeking to avenge two losses to the Soul during the regular season.

D'Orazio completed 20 of 32 passes for 258 yards and six touchdowns, four of those to record-setting wide receiver Chris Jackson. He ended up with eight catches for 122 yards, including 37 for a score on the third play of the game. Brackins finished with seven catches for 87 yards.

Garcia ended up 34 of 45 for 337 yards with Swayne accounting for 14 catches and 166 yards to go with his five TDs.

The crowd included several thousand residents from Jackson's hometown of Morrisville, PA, where Chris Jackson Day this past Tuesday featured free tickets for the entire borough, population 10,096. The holiday weekend crowd gave the Soul the homefield advantage needed to secure the narrow victory.

Philadelphia's fifth-year team now moves closer to bringing a long-awaited championship to the city. Co-owned by rock star Jon Bon Jovi, the Soul finished the regular season at 13-3, the best record in its history. America's fourth-largest city has been without a pro sports championship since the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers.

Controversial call ends in favor of the Soul, ending New York’s playoff run

Soul defeat Gladiators, 62-61

Wolves Nip Albany’s Playoff Hopes 50-33

Controversial call ends in favor of the Soul, ending New York's playoff run

The New York Dragons' improbable run in the AFL Playoffs ended with a disappointing 49-48 loss to the Philadelphia Soul, Saturday night in the Divisional Round, following an unfavorable call. A tight game had the tide turn when the Soul, who was up 43-41 late in the fourth quarter, lost the ball on a fumble that was forced by Antonio Ficklin and recovered by Monty Montgomery. The Dragons then finished off a five-play drive with a two-yard WR Keron Henry touchdown run for a 48-43 Dragons lead with 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter. On the final drive of the game, the Soul found the end zone with no time left on a 28-yard pass to WR Larry Brackins, who was tackled near the goal line. After an extended review, it was ruled that Brackins had crossed the goal line before being taken down, advancing Philadelphia to move into the National Conference Playoff round.

"It hurts," said head coach Weylan Harding. "It all came down to a replay when I feel we had the game in hand. Our guys fought and had a chance to pull it out at the end. They played hard and they came together when no one else thought they would. We got to the playoffs and had a great effort against Dallas and tonight. It just wasn't for us. I'm always proud of the way the team plays. There are no words for what I'm feeling right now."

The Dragons trailed 16-6 after the first quarter, but took the lead 25-23 at the half, courtesy of a late second quarter 44-yard field goal by K Steve Azar. The Dragons then fell behind 30-25 heading into the final quarter before setting up the exciting final 15 minutes.

QB Aaron Garcia was strong again for the second week in a row, having gone 34-of-45 for 337 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. WR Kevin Swayne caught all five touchdown receptions, hauling in 14 balls for 166 yards.

The Dragons defense forced three turnovers, including two fumbles and an interception. DB Billy Parker caught his ninth interception of the season, while defensive backs John Walker and Montgomery recovered fumbles forced by Antonio Ficklin and Jonathan Hamm.

The Soul had an up-and-down game offensively, but pulled it out when it mattered most. Veteran quarterback Matt D'Orazio was 20-of-32 for 258 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. WR Chris Jackdon caught eight passes for 122 yards and four touchdowns. Receivers Brackins and Brent Holmes also hauled in touchdown passes.

The Dragons end their season 9-9.

Brackins’ TD lifts Soul over Dragons, 49-48

Pioneers Blaze Past Conquest 69-27

Soul Sign Raheem Orr

Thomas and Destroyers’ defense come up big in the second half

Conquest Ground ThunderBirds 59-49

Wolves Nip Albany’s Playoff Hopes 50-33

Lions tangle with Saskatchewan Friday

The first BC Lions Street Party powered by Pepsi of the 2008 regular season begins two hours prior to kickoff on the corner of Beatty and Robson streets. In addition to live music by Beluga, the Felions Dance Team and Leo the Lion will be on hand and there will be plenty of family activities, including face painting, inflatable games and poster making. Exciting new Lions merchandise and great food will also be available.

Be one of the first 10,000 fans through the gates on opening night and receive a FREE limited edition Leo the Lion collectible mascot card!

Game Overview

The BC Lions (0-1) host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (1-0) in a pivotal early season matchup to open up the Leos' regular season home schedule. After last week's 28-18 loss in Calgary, the Lions have now dropped their last two meaningful outings including 2007's West Division Final versus the Riders.

The Leos did not look like the confident veteran crew that piled-up 14 wins a year ago and head coach Wally Buono took last Thursday's defeat on himself saying, "The club was not prepared and that is my fault." With that in mind, observers at practice this week can attest to the high tempo and rededication to preparation' by Buono and his staff.

The Riders enter Friday's tilt after a convincing 34-13 win over the Edmonton Eskimos and quickly erased for now the pre-season notion that they might be battling the Eskimos for a playoff berth this fall. An 18-point fourth quarter outburst by the Roughrider offence has also given supporters of Big Green confidence that the expected drop off in production in the absence of QB Kerry Joseph may not be happening just yet. In an odd twist, first year head coaches Ken Miller, Marc Trestman, Rich Stubler and John Hufnagel all picked up their first career victories last week.

Offensively, the Lions will look to establish a more fluid offence after having to abandon the run in the face of 14-1 and 17-1 first half deficits. Starting quarterback Buck Pierce took another shot last Thursday to a throwing shoulder that has seen its share of rough treatment already this year. Pierce had decent numbers through the first half, going 9 of 14 for 160 yards with a TD but will make way for Jarious Jackson on Friday. Jackson didn't have much luck in the second half versus the Stamps and ended the night 8 of 18 for 95 yards, 1 TD and an interception.

Up front, the Lions will look to tighten things up after surrendering four sacks last week. The return of Rob Murphy has been short-lived after wife Amy summoned his return for the birth of their triplets in Florida on Tuesday night. The Lions were hoping their arrival and their father's departure would take place after Friday's West Division match-up with a Saskatchewan front four that was in Ricky Ray's face all night last week. "We will play with the players that are here and wish Rob the best,' said Buono. The Leos will also have to adjust for the absence of Sherko Haji-Rasouli after the veteran guard strained his hamstring early in the loss to Calgary - Dean Valli will fill his spot on the offensive line.

At receiver, Geroy Simon started his defence as the CFL's receiving leader with a 68-yard performance a week ago. The veteran slotback was also on the receiving end of a stiff hit delivered by Calgary's Calvin Bannister. Simon will have fond memories of his last regular season game versus Saskatchewan catching the game winning touchdown with just 33 seconds left to seal a 37-34 victory. Paris Jackson started the 2008 campaign with a five-catch, 93 yard performance including a 45-yard strike. Jason Clermont was held to just 19 yards on three receptions while second year Cory Rodgers enjoyed a career night with a three-catch, 63-yard, two touchdown performance.

At running back, Joe Smith was on track for a nice outing with 44 rushing yards on seven carries in the first half versus the Stamps, but as the scoreboard turned in Calgary's favour, the Leos moved away from the run and Smith added just 10 more yards in the second half. Establishing the running game versus Saskatchewan won't be an easy chore as the Riders come into Friday's game having given up just 59 yards on the ground.

On defence, coordinator Mike Benevides counted no less than 15 missed tackles in the loss to Calgary, a statistic that is not sitting well with his staff. Defensive linemen Brent Johnson, Tyrone Williams, Aaron Hunt and Cam Wake were held off the sack charts for the first time in recent memory and had tough time stopping a Calgary rushing attack that rolled up 197 yards including 125 by Joffrey Reynolds. They now face a Saskatchewan ground game looking to get Wes Cates even more involved after a 14-carry, 86-yard, 2 TD performance versus Edmonton. One bright note for the D-line was Brent Johnson's late interception and 20-yard ramble which gave the Leos some hope of a comeback; a sign perhaps that the slimmed-down version of the 2006 Most Outstanding Defensive Player is ready for a terrific 2008 season.

At linebacker, Javier Glatt enjoyed a good performance in his hometown with eight tackles as well as a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. McMaster-grad Jason Pottinger saw six reps as the Leos' third linebacker alongside Glatt and Otis Floyd and has shown positive development going into his third season. Jamall Johnson returns to the active roster this week for Wally Buono at the expense of Tim Goodwell who was released Tuesday. The Lions added former Rider linebacker T.J. Stancil to the practice roster on Monday.

The Lions secondary was under pressure most of the night last week with Henry Burris enjoying plenty of time to deliver the ball on time and on target. Dante Marsh seemed to attract plenty of attention last week, but his seven tackles and pass knockdown demonstrated his aggressive play still demands respect. His partners in the defensive backfield will need to tighten their game versus Saskatchewan after QB Marcus Crandell put up 278 passing yards and two TD's last week. His favourite target was newcomer Adarius Bowman who racked up 112 yards on six receptions including a 73-yard TD.

On special teams, kicker Paul McCallum was not pleased with his performance last week from a punting perspective. With a pregame windstorm and a 56 km/h breeze at kickoff, criticism may be unfair. Look for the 16-year vet to bounce back in climate-friendly BC Place. One positive note on special teams for the Lions has been the noticeable lack of flags on returns; last Thursday that meant 188 positive yards on kick returns stayed positive.

From the book on obvious, the Lions do not want to drop two games back of the Riders in the West Division and likely still have a disappointing finish to the 2007 season on their minds. It may only be the second game of a young 2008 season, but July 4th will very likely result in some fireworks on the field Friday night.

Trio Leads Lions’ Air Attack

Lions release five

Wolves Nip Albany’s Playoff Hopes 50-33