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Talons
to Host Knights in 2003 ArenaCup
Tulsa and Macon are the last two teams standing in the quest
for the arenafootball2 championship.
08.18.03 - Riding an arenafootball2 [af2] playoff-record nine-touchdown performance from QB Craig Strickland in the National Conference Championship Game , the Tulsa Talons have now set the stage for a match up against the American Conference Champion Macon Knights.
The victor will take home the 2003 ArenaCup, and with it, the title of arenafootball2 Champions.
Tulsa advanced to the ArenaCup for the first time in franchise history on Saturday, defeating the Arkansas Twisters, 63-52, at the Convention Center in Tulsa.
Strickland threw for four touchdowns and ran for five more, to earn his ninth Player of the Game honor of the season. Strickland was 14-of-25 passing with no interceptions for 225 yards, while rushing eight times for 10 yards. His five rushing touchdowns and 30 points both tied af2 playoff records.
The Talons are on a
roll coming into the ArenaCup, having won four games in a row.
The Macon Knights defeated the Tennessee Valley Vipers 51-48 Thursday night
in front of 3,680 fans at the Von Braun Center.
Macon won the game as Wesley Wilson nailed a 20-yard field goal with three seconds remaining.
The Knights sealed the game, and earned their ticket to the ArenaCup, as they knocked down Viper QB Matt Sauk's endzone-to-endzone heave.
Macon jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, holding the Vipers scoreless in the first quarter.
The Knights' shutout didn't last very long though. The Vipers put up 19 points in the second quarter to cut the Knights' lead to 26-19 at the half.
Tennessee Valley received the opening kick of the second half and scored a minute later knotting the game at 26. The teams traded touchdowns for the remainder of the game, until Wilson's game-winning field goal.
With the game tied at 48, the Knights began a drive with great field position on their own 20-yard line and 8:12 to play.
On the first play of that drive, Macon QB Jermaine Alfred was picked off by Joe Todd to give the Vipers the ball and a chance to take their first lead of the game.
The Vipers drove deep into Macon territory but were denied a touchdown on three attempts from inside the red zone.
On fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line the Knights stuffed Reggie Worthy's rush attempt and regained possession with 3:52 to play.
The Knights then put together a beautiful drive that used up nearly the entire clock.
On a second down rush, Alfred found the endzone, but the play was brought back on a holding call.
Alfred then threw an incompletion, but the Vipers were flagged for pass interference giving the Knights a first-and-goal from the five-yard line.
After two plays that could only yield a yard, Macon called a timeout and brought on Wilson. He connected on a 20-yard field goal attempt that could not have been more down the center.
The 2003 ArenaCup will be played on Saturday, August 23 at the Tulsa Convention Center.
Tulsa scored twice in the final minute and held on for a 48-37 home win over Macon in 2001 in the only previous meeting between the two teams.