Orlando, Arizona Possible ArenaBowl Preview

Gladiators, KISS Face For Top Four Seed on CBS Sports Network

July 13,2016
LAS VEGAS (July 13,2016) – A possible ArenaBowl preview highlights Week 16 action as the current No. 1 seeded Orlando Predators (12-2) squared off against the current No. 2 seeded Arizona Rattlers (11-3) at Talking Stick Resort Arena this Monday, July 18 at 9:30 p.m. ET on WatchESPN. Orlando head coach Rob Keefe has QB Bernard Morris (62.8 comp. %, 17 TDs and 1 INT) and the Predators’ offense focused as they focus on both the American Conference title and securing the No. 1 seed. Arizona head coach Kevin Guy and MVP and Offensive Player of the Year candidate QB Nick Davila (67.6 comp. %, 97 TDs and 10 INTs) already have the National Conference title and now look for home field advantage throughout the postseason.
A National Conference battle for the fourth and final Top 4 seed takes place when the Cleveland Gladiators (7-7) head to Honda Center to play the Los Angeles KISS (6-7) on Saturday, July 16 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. Cleveland head coach Steve Thonn has a roster with 11 rookies and a first-year, full-time starting quarterback in Arvell Nelson (60.7 comp. %, 2,937 passing yards and 62 TD passes and 9 rushing TDs), but still find themselves in the driver’s seat for the No. 4 spot. Los Angeles’ first-year head coach Omarr Smith turned the controls of the offense back over to QB Nathan Stanley (57.6 comp. %, 1,734 passing yards, 33 TD passes and 2 rushing TDs) in last week’s victory over Tampa Bay. All-Arena candidate WR Donovan Morgan (81 receptions for 1,113 yards and 35 TDs) continues to put up impressive numbers for the KISS.


Also, Week 15 Offensive Player of the Week, QB Dan Raudabaugh was nearly flawless (20-of-21 passing for 335 yards, 8 TDs and no INTs) in the Soul’s victory over Cleveland last week. Now, Philadelphia (11-3) heads to Amalie Arena to play WR T.T. Toliver (93 catches for 1,304 yards and 18 TDs) and the Tampa Bay Storm (1-12) on Saturday, July 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Philadelphia head coach Clint Dolezel wants to keep the Soul’s train rolling in the right direction with Defensive Player of the Year and All-Arena candidates DB Tracy Belton (73.5 total tackles and an AFL-leading 9 INTs) and DL Jake Metz (8.0 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and an AFL-leading 6.0 sacks). Tampa Bay QB Jason Boltus has connected with Toliver for a streak of eight straight games with at least six receptions.
Elsewhere, Jacksonville’s MVP and Offensive Player of the Year candidate WR Joe Hills (138 catches for 1,763 yards and 48 TDs) takes his record-setting pace to Moda Center to play All-Arena candidate WR Tom Gilson (116 receptions for 1,145 yards and 14 TDs) and the Portland Steel on Saturday, July 16 at 10 p.m. ET on WatchESPN. Former AFL MVP Tommy Grady (67.3 comp. %, 3,768 yards and 78 TDs) leads the Sharks’ (5-8) attack, while 2015 Rookie of the Year DB Greg Reid (77.5 total tackles, 29 passes defended and 8 INTs) patrols the secondary. Portland QB Shane Austin has found another solid target as WR Rashad Carter has hauled in seven TDs in the last three games for the Steel (1-12).
For complete official statistics, game notes and media guides, go to: www.afldigital.com.

WEEK 16 MATCHUPS Philadelphia Soul (11-3) AT Tampa Bay Storm (1-12)
Saturday, July 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Play-by-play: Ari Wolfe, Color: Randy Gatewood

	PHILADELPHIA	TAMPA BAY
REG. SEASON SERIES LEADER	Philadelphia leads 10-4
STREAKS	W2	L5
LAST WEEK	W 83-62 vs. Gladiators	L 48-21 at Kiss
LAST REG SEASON MEETING	5/9/16 Soul 47 vs. Storm 17
TOTAL OFFENSE (RANK)	296.4 (2)	249.6 (8)
TOTAL DEFENSE (RANK)	260.5 (2)	246.4 (1)
POINTS SCORED (RANK)	61.4 (2)	33.9 (8)
POINTS ALLOWED (RANK)	47.6 (3)	55.2 (6)
TURNOVER MARGIN (RANK)	+6 (4)	-18 (7)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: SOUL: Philadelphia is looking to keep pace with the Orlando Predators in the American Conference title race… QB Dan Raudabaugh continues to have a great season after winning last year’s MVP award… Raudabaugh, an MVP and Offensive Player of the Year candidate, has completed 297-of-426 passes for 3,730 yards, 85 TDs, and 12 INTs this season… The six-year veteran leads the League in pass completion percentage (69.7%)… Raudabaugh has the receiving trio of WR Darius Reynolds, WR Shaun Kaleinamoku, and WR Ryan McDaniel to target for his passes… Reynolds has been “Money” this season, leading the Soul receivers with 100 receptions for 1,314 yards and 33 TDs on the season… Kaleinamoku has hauled in 89 catches for 1,147 yards and 21 TDs this season… Not far behind, McDaniel has tallied 82 receptions for 1,005 yards and 19 TDs… The Soul defense is led by DB Tracy Belton and DB Dwayne Hollis… Belton leads the Soul with 73.5 total tackles, 17 pass break-ups, 26 passes defended, one forced fumble, and a League leading nine INTs… Hollis has contributed 58.0 total tackles, eight pass break-ups, 15 passes defended, and is No. 3 in the League with 7 INTs… STORM: WR TT Toliver continues to break AFL records and cement his name as one of the top players in the AFL… Toliver, who is an All-Arena candidate, surpassed AFL Hall of Famer Barry Wagner (21,042) to become the all-time leader in all-purpose yards with 21,146 yards… On the season, the 13-year veteran has caught 93 passes for 1,304 yards and 18 TDs… QB Jason Boltus has completed 204-of-366 passes for 2,329 yards, 37 TDs, and 14 INTs, while rushing the ball 27 times for 107 yards and five TDs in nine games this season… WR Phillip Barnett has also been a receiving target for the Storm this season… Barnett has hauled in 68 receptions for 650 yards and 13 TDs… DB Cortez Stubbs leads the Storm defense with 64.0 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, nine pass break-ups, 12 passes defended, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and three INTs… Storm WR V’Keon Lacey played for the Soul in 2014… WR Xavier Boyce played for the Soul in 2015.

Cleveland Gladiators(7-7) AT LOS ANGELES KISS (6-7)
Saturday, July 16 at 10 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network)
Play-by- play: Brent Stover; Color: Sherdrick Bonner, Sideline: Tina Cervasio

	CLEVELAND	LOS ANGELES
REG. SEASON SERIES LEADER	Series tied 1-1
STREAKS	L1	W1
LAST WEEK	L 83-62 at Soul	W 48-21 vs. Sharks
LAST REG SEASON MEETING	4/16/16 KISS 47 at Gladiators 42
TOTAL OFFENSE (RANK)	278.0 (4)	252.2 (7)
TOTAL DEFENSE (RANK)	306.8 (8)	261.2 (3)
POINTS SCORED (RANK)	53.2 (4)	45.8 (6)
POINTS ALLOWED (RANK)	57.4 (7)	45.6 (1)
TURNOVER MARGIN (RANK)	-4 (6)	+2 (5)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: GLADIATORS: QB Arvell Nelson has stepped up huge for the Gladiators this season, after taking over under center… The Texas Southern alum has completed 227-of-374 passes for 2,937 yards, 62 TDs, and 10 INTs… Nelson is also a threat in the run game, rushing the ball 53 times for 192 yards and nine TDs… MVP and Offensive Player of the Year candidate WR Collin Taylor hasn’t lost his stride from last season… So far in 2016, Taylor has tallied 100 receptions for 1,268 yards and 29 TDs… All-Arena candidate WR Quentin Sims is another receiving target for Nelson… Sims has hauled in 80 catches for 914 yards and 22 TDs this season…The Gladiators defense is led by DB Marvin Ross… Ross, a Rookie of the Year candidate, leads the team with 77.5 total tackles, 22 pass break-ups, 28 passes defended, two forced fumbles, and six INTs… DB Demarcus Robinson has tallied 67.5 total tackles, 14 pass break-ups, 17 passes defended, and 3 INTs this season… KISS: QB Nathan Stanley saw his first start since Week 6… Stanley went 17-of-32 for 186 yards, four TDs, and zero INTs…In eight games this season, the four-year veteran has completed 159-of-276 passes for 1,734 yards, 33 TDs, and 12 INTs… WR Donovan Morgan continues to be a top receiver in the League…The six-year veteran has hauled in 81 receptions for 1,113 yards and is No. 3 in the League in reception TDs with 35… Morgan, who is an All-Arena candidate, ranks No. 5 on the all-time receiving TDs career list at 284…WR DJ Stephens has caught 67 receptions for 789 yards and 12 TDs in 11 games this season… FB Rory Nixon leads the KISS rushing game with 30 carries for 62 yards and 10 TDs…The defense is led by DB Fred Obi… Obi has tallied 73.5 total tackles, 15 pass break-ups, 20 passes defended, and five INTs… The LA KISS defensive was dominant last week as they allowed an all-time team low 21 points and limited Tampa Bay’s offense to just one TD in the second half.
Jacksonville Sharks (5-8) AT PORTLAND STEEL (1-12)
Saturday, July 16 at 10 p.m. ET (WatchESPN)

	JACKSONVILLE	PORTLAND
REG. SEASON SERIES LEADER	Orlando leads 2-0
STREAKS	L3	L4
LAST WEEK	L 69-67 at Rattlers	L 47-41 vs. Predators
LAST REG SEASON MEETING	5/21/16 Sharks 65 at Steel 34
TOTAL OFFENSE (RANK)	312.6 (1)	264.0 (6)
TOTAL DEFENSE (RANK)	297.5 (6)	266.9 (4)
POINTS SCORED (RANK)	52.5 (5)	40.5 (7)
POINTS ALLOWED (RANK)	50.2 (5)	60.9 (8)
TURNOVER MARGIN (RANK)	+8 (3)	-19 (8)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: SHARKS: MVP and Offensive Player of the Year candidate QB Tommy Grady continues to put up solid numbers each week… Grady completed 29-of-47 passes for 344 yards, 10 TDs, and zero INTs in last week’s 69-97 loss to the Arizona Rattlers… The Utah alum is 329-of-489 passes completed while throwing for 3,768 yards, 78 TDs, and six INTs in 2016… Grady has the top receiving target in WR Joe Hills… Hills has hauled in 138 receptions for 1,763 yards and a League-leading 48 TDs… WR Anthony “Tiger” Jones has caught 87 passes for 1,007 yards and 15 TDs… Hills and Jones combined for 13 receptions for 183 yards and six TDs in their Week 8 matchup against Portland…On defense, the Sharks are led by DB Greg Reid… The 2015 Rookie of the Year has tallied 77.5 total tackles, 21 pass break-ups, 29 passes defended, one forced fumble, and eight INTs… DB LaRoche Jackson has aided the Sharks’ defense with 67.0 total tackles, 10 pass break-ups, 16 passes defended, and six INTs… STEEL: QB Shane Austin has completed 195-of-328 passes for 2,012 yards, and 39 TDs in eight games this season… Austin has also ran the ball 23 times for 116 yards and six TDs… WR Tom Gilson is a main target for Austin is an All-Arena candidate… Gilson has hauled in 116 receptions for 1,145 yards and 14 TDs this season… WR Rashaad Carter has come on strong since being activated in Week 12… In the last three games, Carter has 23 catches for 221 yards and seven TDs… The Steel defense is led by DB Mike McMillan and DB Sergio Gilliam… McMillan has tacked on 43.0 total tackles, four pass break-ups, five passes defended and one INT in 10 games this season… Gilliam has 40.0 total tackles, seven pass break-ups, 10 passes defended, and a team-leading three INTs… WR Nick Truesdell was activated from injured reserve two weeks ago after spending 12 weeks out with an ankle injury. He has caught nine passes for 75 yards and three TDs and is easily becoming the red-zone threat that the Steel offense has needed.

Orlando Predators (12-2) AT Arizona Rattlers (11-3)
Monday, July 18 at 10 p.m. ET (WatchESPN)

	ORLANDO	ARIZONA
REG. SEASON SERIES LEADER	Arizona leads 10-5
STREAKS	W5	W5
LAST WEEK	W 47-41 at Steel	W 69-67 vs. Sharks
LAST REG SEASON MEETING	5/7/16 Predators 77 vs. Rattlers 59
TOTAL OFFENSE (RANK)	268.8 (5)	291.0 (3)
TOTAL DEFENSE (RANK)	263.8 (5)	304.5 (7)
POINTS SCORED (RANK)	56.4 (3)	67.0 (1)
POINTS ALLOWED (RANK)	46.6 (2)	50.1 (4)
TURNOVER MARGIN (RANK)	+12 (2)	+13 (1)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: PREDATORS: MVP and Offensive Player of the Year candidate WR Brandon Thompkins ranks No. 2 in the AFL with 42 total TDs (35 receiving, 6 returning, 1 rushing), No. 2 with 254 points scored, No. 1 with 1,590 kickoff returns yards and 5 kickoff return TDs and No. 1 with 3,017 all-purpose yards (1,590 KO return, 54 FG return, 1,351 receiving, 22 rushing)… All-Arena candidate DB Varmah Sonie ranks No. 4 in the AFL with 6 INTs, No. 1 with 89.0 total tackles and No. 5 with 22 total passes defended… All-Arena candidate DL Darryl Cato-Bishop ranks No. 1 in the AFL with 11.0 tackles for loss and No. 7 with 4.0 sacks… All-Arena and Kicker of the Year candidate Mark Lewis ranks No. 2 in scoring (kicking) with 105 total points, No. 2 in PAT attempts (110) and PATs made (99) an No. 4 with a PAT kicking percentage of 90.0% … RATTLERS: Since 2014, the Rattlers are 13-0 when Arkeith Brown records an INT… Rattlers defense has been locking up their opponents late in downs, and are currently atop the AFL in opponent 3rd and 4th down conversions this season with an astounding 36.1% on 3rd and 34% on 4th … All-Arena candidate FB Mykel Benson this season is No. 2 in rushing TDs (19), and is No. 4 in rushing yards (188)… MVP and Offensive Player of the Year candidate WR Rod Windsor is No. 2 in the AFL for receiving yards and No. 2 for receiving TDs this season. He has a total of 1,505 yards and 40 TDs... Arizona has two players in the Top 3 for total sacks this season. Damien Borel No. 2nd in the AFL with 5.5 sacks… The Rattlers offense lead the AFL this season in average points per game with 67 and their defense is No. 4 in the AFL with 50.1 average points per game allowed.