BTW: Introducing Andy Olson, "The Young Gun"

For this edition of Beyond the Wall, AFL Communications sat down with new Spokane Shock Head Coach Andy Olson. Olson played in 29 regular season games for Spokane, helping the Shock capture the 2009 ArenaCup. Last season Olson served as the Offensive Coordinator for the Shock since Week 2. Spokane’s offense in 2011 was impressive under Olson, finishing the season ranked fifth in the AFL in average points per game scored with 58.8.
EDITOR: How did it feel when you found out that you were going to be the next Head Coach of the Spokane Shock?
ANDY OLSON: I was extremely excited when I found out. There really isn’t a better way of putting it. It’s an opportunity that I don’t think anyone in my shoes could pass up. It’s one of those things where it is a once in a lifetime chance for me. I jumped on it and did everything I could to make sure that I got the job; and here I am today.
ED: What was your childhood like growing up on a farm in Washington?
AO: Growing up on a farm definitely taught me a lot about hard work.  I grew up on a dairy farm, so we were never in front of the TV. We were always outside working, playing around or doing other stuff outdoors. We were very happy. I had a very active childhood and once I got into my teen years, my parents started making me work on the farm. My family and I worked hard when I was growing up and had a lot of fun too. I definitely got a hard working attitude from growing up on a farm. Not many kids get an opportunity to grow up that way, and I am very thankful for it.
ED:  In High School, you played and excelled in a number of sports including football, wrestling and soccer. What was that experience like? Which sport did you like playing the most?
AO: Obviously I loved football the most. I enjoyed pretty much every sport I ever played. I was one of those kids that tried to play as many sports as I could. Football was always my favorite though, because all of my brothers played and I idolized them. Football was just the most fun. I loved scoring touchdowns. It was one of those things where I continued to grow as a football player and opportunities started to come my way. I just tried to go from there.
ED: Going into your senior season you had a lot of scholarship offers. However, after a late season injury many of the offers were taken away. How tough was that experience?
AO:  It was definitely disappointing. It is one of those things that you learn from. You just kind of have to take a beating sometimes, get up and keep working hard. The injury was very unfortunate and ill timed. But I ended up at a decent school and had a great time being there. I met my wife there and started a family, so I can’t complain about what happened.
ED: You then got an opportunity to play at Western Washington with your brother. What was that experience like?
AO: It was a very cool and comfortable situation for me. The school was a very good academic school as well, which is one thing that was really important to me. I really wanted to make sure that I got a decent education. The scholarship and not having to pay for school and classes was definitely nice too. Having my brother there and knowing the coaches gave me an upper hand on a lot of things. It was a real advantage for me and it ended up working out really well.
ED: You then went to the AFL and af2, playing with the Georgia Force and Spokane Shock. How did you get into the arena game?
AO: I loved playing Arena Football because I thought it was perfect for a receiver’s game. How can you not enjoy playing where you have a good chance of catching touchdowns in every single game? I had a blast playing. I found out about it and contacted my agent. He heard back, so I decided to give it a shot. I didn’t stay in Georgia very long and got an opportunity to play in Spokane for a two year tenure. I learned so much about the arena game in my time being in Spokane.
ED: How were you able to be successful as a receiver in the arena game? What are some of the things that you focused on?
AO: You have to get used to the speed of the game. That’s the biggest difference. There is not a whole lot of room to work with on the field for a wide receiver. You have to do what you would do on an outdoor field a lot faster. You have to hit areas quicker and understand the timing and how much time the quarterback has to throw the football. Once you understand that, it helps the receiver get into an area and make a move or get open in order to get up field. It’s all about timing. In Arena Football, the field is condensed, so everything has to happen very quickly and your decisions have to be fast. I understood the game very well and picked it up pretty quick. I knew how to get open.
ED:  Earlier this season, you got hired as the Offensive Coordinator for the Shock. How did that come about?
AO: I got the job after a few weeks into last season. I heard that the offense was struggling and the team was unhappy with the production. I got a phone call from Rob Keefe and just talked about being a receivers coach and working my way into being an Offensive Coordinator. I got here and Rob really liked what I had to offer and agreed on pretty much everything that had to do with the offense. He gave me complete control of the offense. It was a great situation for me. I have loved being the Offensive Coordinator here and had a great time doing it. I hoped throughout the season that one day I would get the chance to be a Head Coach. It definitely happened a lot faster than I thought it would but I am very happy with where I am now.
ED: You have always had a reputation for being tough and giving 110 percent. Is that what you look for in recruiting players?
AO: I think one of the things that coaches have trouble with is recruiting players that have the heart that most other players don’t have. It is really hard to find, but I think that it is something that is few and far between now a days. Finding players who will grind every single play is what I look for.  When its one minute left in the fourth quarter, they are the ones with the confidence and will to finish the game for you. I think that is definitely the type of player that I am going to try and recruit. You’re not going to get a team full of those guys, but finding these players is very important to a team’s success and the signing process.
ED: How much does it help being able to coach very close to your home and family?
AO: It’s nice. My parents are able to keep involved and come to a couple of games a year. It would obviously be a lot more difficult if they were across the state or the nation. It’s definitely convenient and Spokane has been great to me since I have been here. I hope to make this my home for a number of years and am looking forward to being around here for a while.
ED: What is it like playing in front of the Spokane crowd?
AO: It’s a blast. It’s also definitely a great recruiting tool. Having fans in the stadium is what we play for. If we didn’t have fans, it wouldn’t be very much fun. There aren’t many teams that get such a loyal fan base that will pack the stadium with 11,000 fans every game. It’s so loud in there. The fans are so good to us and we definitely feel that they are some of the best in the entire League. I have always been extremely happy with our fan production and it is so much more fun as a player when you have 10,000 people in the stands screaming their heads off for you every game. We feel that is our advantage and hopefully it continues.
ED: How would you describe yourself as a coach?
AO: I am a very controlled, yet aggressive coach. I think that being a Head Coach, I really want to get better in adapting to circumstances and the players. I don’t think there is one style that I want to have because I think it is important as a Head Coach to be able to adapt to different situations and the 24 players on the team. Being able to adapt to those individual players and change your style to fit them for their success is very important. I definitely want to be flexible and a fun coach, but still have a serious attitude and be able to get the most out of the players.
ED: What do you like to do for fun when you are not coaching?
AO: I love to go to the park with my kids. We love doing outdoor stuff. I love watching them play sports. When I do get a chance, I enjoy playing golf. Every once in a while I like to play some racquetball.  I basically like doing anything that is outdoors. I might go camping with my family on the weekends.  We love being outside and doing stuff outside together. I would pretty much say that all of my spare time is spent with them.
ED:  Andy, thanks for joining us! Good luck this offseason and congratulations.

Arbet Credits Hall of Fame Career to Players

In any sport, the measuring barometer that defines a Head Coach is wins. Coaches like Bill Belichik, Vince Lombardi, John Wooden and Phil Jackson are considered the best in their respective leagues because of their ability to win and more importantly, do it consistently.
In many leagues, the ability to win at a constant level is a daunting task due to the high amount of changing parts within a team. However, certain coaches have the ability to produce a winning formula in different ways and options. These coaches are gifted and understand the game so well, that each season, no matter who is on the field, are successful.
In the AFL, only a handful of Head Coaches are able to boast about this winning ability. Only five Head Coaches have won more than 100 games in the AFL’s 24 year history. One of those Head Coaches is San Jose SaberCats Head Coach Darren Arbet. Arbet has dominated in the AFL as a Head Coach and focused on certain characteristics that make up a successful winning coach.
“You have to have dedication, hard work and being able to work and motivate people. Getting players to play as one is extremely important,” SaberCats Head Coach Darren Arbet said.
Arbet was recently selected to the 2011 Hall of Fame Class after notching 114 regular season wins in only 11 seasons in the AFL. In 2007, Arbet recorded his 100^th win, in only 145 games.  During his tenure as the Head Coach in San Jose, Arbet won double digit games in eight out of his 11 seasons, and nine straight (2000-2008) with a playoff appearance. Even with all of the success, Arbet accredits his accomplishments to the SaberCats, and more importantly the players.
“My success starts with the organization, ownership and the coaching staff. They give me everything I need to win here. We have had some tremendous players, with a couple of them going into the Hall of Fame. I am sure that there are a lot more that are going to get in. Players are the ones who win the football games and I have been fortunate to have some great players,” Arbet explained.
A major piece to a team’s success in the AFL is the strong need for a reliable quarterback. During his tenure in San Jose, Arbet was privileged to possess quarterbacks, like Mark Grieb, who were more than reliable for the SaberCats and made it smoother to find a winning mentality.
“Grieb is a tremendous human being. He is a great quarterback and one of the best to ever play in this League. I’ve been honored to also coach John Dutton, who played quarterback here and helped us a lot. We’ve been very lucky to have these guys,” Arbet said.
Along with all of his regular season success, Arbet has also been able to triumph when it matters most. Arbet owns the AFL’s best postseason winning percentage (.714) and led the SaberCats to three ArenaBowl championships in 2002, 2004 and 2007. After reaching these milestones, Arbet understands the difficult passage it takes to winning an ArenaBowl.
“You never get tired of standing up on that podium. That’s for sure. But it takes a lot of hard work. I think when you are standing up there, you look back at camp and all of those bumps in the road that you went through and see how the players overcame and stuck together throughout the season. There is no feeling like it,” Arbet said.
In 2011, Arbet and the SaberCats returned to the AFL after a two year hiatus. Unlike the previous nine seasons, San Jose struggled and did not reach the playoffs with a 7-11 record. The team battled to find consistency due to the high amount of injury and roster changes. Even with all of his past success, Arbet still feels the need to improve as a coach every season.
“I am going to have to get better going into next year. Any time that you coach, you have to look in the mirror. You have to find where you can get better and look back on the things that you did. Once you do that, you have to look at the things that you can correct and make better with some changes. It’s all about correcting on mistakes and seeing how we can make this organization better each year.”
Even with the struggles in 2011, Arbet is still regarded as one of the greatest coaches in AFL history. His constant success and remarkable team records throughout his coaching career is one of the most impressive AFL feats that may never happen again. Arbet is well deserving of his AFL Hall of Fame induction and will surely go down as one of the most successful coaches the League has ever seen.  

A Game Of Musical Chairs For AFL Coaches

Only a week into the offseason, the AFL already features a number of teams with coaching hiring and firings. Some changes were predictable after a tough 2011 campaign from teams like Philadelphia and New Orleans.  Others have been a bit unexpected.
The Orlando Predators and Spokane Shock both reached the playoffs but took early exits after losses to the two eventual ArenaBowl representatives. Pat O’Hara and Rob Keefe were both in their second AFL season with their respective clubs. During their time there, both proved they had what it took to be successful in the League.
 Spokane managed a 9-9 record and reached the playoffs for the second straight year, in a season that featured a number of key injuries and quarterback moves. In two seasons as Head Coach for the Spokane Shock in the AFL, Keefe recorded a 22-12 record and ArenaBowl title in 2010.
O’Hara posted an 11-7 record and helped Orlando reach the playoffs for the 19^th consecutive year. During his two seasons as Head Coach with Orlando, O’Hara went 19-15 and 1-2 in the playoffs. However their front office decided to make a change.
“We’d like to thank Coach O’Hara for his professionalism and leadership over the past two years and all he’s done for the organization,” Predators Managing Partner Brett Bouchy said. “He’ll always be a part of the Orlando Predators, but we’ve decided that the time has come to move in a different direction.”
Due to Orlando’s consistent regular season success and Spokane’s recent accolades with an ArenaBowl title in 2010, the necessity for both teams will be to win and win quickly. 
The Soul, Barnstormers and VooDoo, on the other hand, did not have the same success as the Predators and Shock this season. Philadelphia finished at 6-12 and last in the East Division. After winning the ArenaBowl Championship in 2008, the Soul came into the 2011 season with a lot of confidence. The team looked very exciting on paper heading into the season. The Soul also brought on one of the AFL’s most identifiable figures in Mike Hohensee. Hohensee has been involved with the League for 24 years and won 135 regular season games, the third most in AFL history. The team looked like they were headed for success. However, inconsistent play, injuries and costly turnovers occurred and pushed the team to its worst finish since their inaugural season in 2004. After an ArenaBowl championship in 2008, the desire to win is now expected in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia fan base and front office demand success and anything but a championship is unacceptable.
“We appreciate his efforts to help us get re-started and wish him well in the future.  Now we begin our search for a new head coach with the goal of winning the ArenaBowl in 2012,” Soul co-majority owner Ron Jaworski said.
Because of Hohensee’s enormous amount of experience, whoever ends up replacing Hohensee will have some big shoes to fill.
Other foreseeable coaching moves came in Iowa and New Orleans. Both struggled this past season and have ended up hiring two of the dismissed coaches mentioned above. Iowa finished the season with a 5-13 record and lost legendary Head Coach John Gregory midway through the season. JT Smith took over and led them to 3-6 record in the final nine games. On Tuesday, Iowa decided to hire Soul Ex-Head Coach Hohensee. Hohensee became the Head Coach and Director of Football Operations for the Barnstormers and will look to rebound after a tough 2011 finish with the Soul.
New Orleans also hired a Head Coach that was let go by another team this offseason. The VooDoo ended this past season with a 3-15 record, which was the worst in team history. Derek Stingley was released midway through the season and replaced by Jon Norris. Both coaches lacked consistency, and once the season finished, a coaching change was anticipated. The VooDoo ended up hiring Predators ex-Head Coach Pat O’Hara last Monday. O’Hara made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons as Head Coach for Orlando, and will look to bring a winning attitude to the VooDoo organization.
The Predators hope to find success with new Head Coach Bret Munsey. Like O’Hara, Munsey has played and coached in the AFL. Munsey led the Philadelphia Soul to a 13-3 record and an ArenaBowl championship in 2008. With all of the success he has had in AFL, Munsey was at the top of Orlando’s list.
“It’s no secret that Bret Munsey was the hottest head coaching candidate on the market in the Arena Football League. He has a championship, and a winning record to back it up. It’s a testament to our fans and organization that we were able to land him,” Bouchy said.
As of today, two teams are currently in pursuit of a Head Coach. The 2010 ArenaBowl champions Spokane Shock and 2008 champions Philadelphia Soul will be looking for coaches who have had experience and proved they can win in the AFL. The Shock will also be looking for someone that they can trust and push them to a similar result from 2010. Whoever the Shock and Soul decide to go with, the AFL offseason has already featured a number of head coaching swaps and moves that will make for new and interesting looks in few different places. 

New York Yankees Season Report

The 2011 New York Yankees season has been a bit unexpected. Going into the season, many question surrounded the starting pitching and the age of veteran hitters. Many fans and critics believed CC Sabathia to be the only true ace in the Yankee rotation. Last season, starters AJ Burnett and Phil Hughes posted inconsistent numbers. Burnett ended last season with a 5.62 ERA, the worst in his MLB career. Constant questions surrounded Burnett heading into this season about whether or not he could command his pitches. Throughout his career, Burnett demonstrated that he has the talent to be an excellent pitcher in the League, but has been criticized for his lack control and location. Hughes also struggled with consistency during the 2010 season. Hughes managed to win 18 games, but struggled with command as well, posting a 4.19 ERA.

So far this season, the starting rotation has done good enough to get the job done. Veteran pitchers Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have filled in nicely and been reliable starters for the Yankees. Colon and Garcia combine for 18 wins and both currently own sub-four ERA’s, which is remarkable for the two players age and output in previous seasons. On the opposite end, second year pitcher Ivan Nova has also made an impact, winning 12 games this season. All three pitchers have made their presence felt and provided consistent starts that have been more than enough for the powerful Yankee batters.

The Yankee bullpen has also been very impressive this season. With the recent addition of Rafael Soriano, the Yankees bullpen looks nearly unhittable, even without Joba Chamberlain. The emergence of David Robertson has made the Yankees very difficult to beat when they have a lead heading into the late innings. Robertson leads the team with a 1.27 ERA and has not let up a run since July 24. And of course, Mariano Rivera is at the end of the bullpen. Rivera currently owns a 2.30 ERA and has recorded 32 saves. The cutter is still extremely effective, but has looked a bit suspect during some outings this season.

Besides the pitching questions heading into the season, many concerns focused around the age of the core veteran sluggers on the Yankee squad. Stars like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez were consistently criticized because of their decreasing stats in the recent seasons. However with all of these concerns and issues, the 2011 season has been a nice surprise. Players stepped up in key moments and helped the Yankees to currently the best record in the American League.

One player who has stepped up in a major way this season is Curtis Granderson. Granderson is posting a MVP-caliber season, leading the League in runs with 111 and RBI’s with 95. His issue with left-handed pitching seems to have disappeared and transformed into one of the toughest outs in baseball. Robinson Cano is also putting together another strong season. Cano’s ability to hit any pitch and drive the ball to any part of the field makes him very difficult to get out. Cano is currently batting .306 with 21 homeruns. Along with Cano’s and Granderson’s incredible hitting statistics, the two men have also been playmakers with the glove. Both men are on pace to take home the Gold Glove at their respective positions.

Two players that have been nice additions to the Yankee lineup are catcher Russell Martin and shortstop Eduardo Nunez. Martin has been an All-Star for the Dodgers in the past, so his success was a bit expected. Nunez, on the other hand, has proven that he can be a major weapon and will hopefully be for years to come. With injuries from veteran players like Derek Jeter and ARod, Nunez has been a big contributor to the Yankees success and half game lead in the AL East.

Other Yankee players like Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher and Mark Texiera have all provided consistent statistics and are also big reasons for the Yankees second ranked scoring offense. All three guys are extremely difficult outs because of their abilities to make pitchers work and throw strikes.

If the Yankees want to make a deep playoff run this season, they will need consistent starting pitching. With the consistent Yankee bats and shutdown bullpen, the weight definitely shifts to the rotation. With CC being the only proven ace in the rotation, the Yankees will look for their starting pitchers to be efficient. They are not expecting them to go out there and pitch eight scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts. They need their rotation to get through around six innings with three earned runs for the Yankees to have a good chance of winning due to their high powered offense. It will definitely be tough once the Yankees reach the playoffs, where their facing teams like Boston and Philadelphia. Both teams have extremely effective offenses that make pitchers work. The Yankees can also use big performances from some veteran players, like Jorge Posada or Alex Rodriguez, who have been struggling or plagued with injury. If the Yankees can find consistency in these areas, the Yankees have a good shot of reaching the World Series.  

2011 AFL Season Recap

The 2011 AFL season was one for the record books due to the new 18-game schedule and incredible team and individual performances. With all of the new records set this season, the most impressive feat was from 17-year AFL veteran Aaron Garcia and the Jacksonville Sharks. At the age of 40, Garcia had one of his best regular seasons, throwing 116 touchdowns, one away from the AFL record previously set by Chris Griesen in 2010 and Nick Davila this season. In Week 8, Garcia connected with Jeron Harvey on a 9-yard pass that earned him 1,000 touchdown passes in his AFL career. That achievement had never been accomplished by any quarterback in professional football. The Sharks also made history by topping the single season win streak record with 13 consecutive victories, passing San Jose’s mark in 2002 who had won 12 straight.  Jacksonville held the top spot in the Coaches’ Poll for nine consecutive weeks and dominated American Conference opponents, going 12-0.

With all that being said about the Sharks, the Arizona Rattlers finished the season with a better record and appeared to be the favorites heading into the playoffs. Rattlers quarterback Nick Davila showcased precise and big play ability during the regular season, after leading the League in pass efficiency (127.6) and tossing a League leading and AFL-tying 117 touchdown passes. The Rattlers finished the regular season at 16-2 with a great mixture of a consistent and playmaking offense and ball swarming defense. Arizona also featured DB/KR Virgil Gray in the return game who showcased big play ability that made Arizona nearly impossible to beat. 

The 2011 season also displayed some incredible individual performances in all areas of the game.  Kick return specialist and wide receiver PJ Berry broke the previous all purpose yards record in a season, after recording 3,708. The mark was previously held by Antonio Chatman in 2003 with Chicago. Fullback Derrick Ross passed a number of rushing records in only his rookie season. Ross rushed for 39 touchdowns and 622-yards in a League that depends heavily on passing.  Cornerbacks Vic Hall and Rayshaun Kizer earned first and second place for Most Interceptions in a Season. In Kizer’s final game in the regular season, he notched his 16^th interception of the year. Hall recorded 15 interceptions, but due to injuries, only played 13 games during the regular season. Jacksonville Sharks cornerback Micheaux Robinson also recorded an incredible season after setting a new AFL record with 46 pass breakups. The receiver position also featured some top notch individual efforts in 2011. 38 receivers collected over 1,000 receiving yards, while eight teams featured three receivers with over 1,000-yards in the season. Both milestones were League records.  

While many individual records were broken in 2011, a number of team accomplishments were reached. The Chicago Rush broke the Single Season Record for takeaways at 55 and interceptions with 41. The Rattlers, SaberCats and Blaze all shattered the First Down Single Season record, previously held by Cleveland. San Jose recorded 427 first downs, while Arizona and Utah finished with 425 during the regular season. The Tampa Bay Storm franchise also set a new mark after notching 40 sacks. Storm defensive lineman Cliff Dukes was the catalyst on defense, leading the League in sacks for the entire season. The Mustangs finished the 2011 regular season with a disappointing 7-11 record, but did manage to tally 10 interceptions for touchdowns, which is a new AFL record.

Another reason for an exciting 2011 season was due to the high level of competition throughout the League.  Both playoff races in each conference came down to the wire with exciting finishes. The Sharks finished the regular season at 14-4 and earned home field advantage throughout the American Conference Playoffs. The Cleveland Gladiators closed out their regular season with a 10-8 record and their first ever East Division title. The division crown came down to a Week 19 matchup between the Gladiators and Pittsburgh Power in Cleveland. Bernard Morris and the Power fought valiantly, but fell short 67-55. The two wild cards in the American Conference came out of the South Division, with the 11-7 Georgia Force and Orlando Predators. The seeding came down to the final week, with the Force owning the tiebreaker due to a better point differential in their head-to-head matchups. While these four teams had very successful seasons, other American Conference teams struggled and did not live up to expectations. The Tampa Bay Storm, who reached last year’s ArenaBowl, struggled in 2011. The Storm finished the regular season 7-11 and fourth within their division. Another team with a lot of hype heading into the season was the Philadelphia Soul. The Soul were returning to the AFL after winning the ArenaBowl in 2008. However a mixture of injuries and inconsistent play led the Soul to a 6-12 record.

The National Conference also had incredible teams and matchups during the regular season. The Central Division race came down to the wire with the Chicago Rush and Dallas Vigilantes battling it out for the title. Due to a Week 19 Rush victory, Chicago earned the Central Division title with a 13-5 record. Chicago featured a number of different quarterbacks throughout the season, but was able to stay consistent. The Dallas Vigilantes also played very well during the regular season, with impressive performances from rookie quarterback Dan Raudabaugh and veteran wide receiver Tiger Jones. The Vigilantes ended the season at 11-7 and earned the number three seed heading into the postseason. Going into the final few weeks, the race for the four seed in the National Conference displayed four teams with a decent chance of reaching the postseason. However, the defending ArenaBowl Champions, Spokane Shock, squeaked into the playoffs with a 9-9 record. The Shock were plagued with injury issues throughout the entire season, but a late season run pushed them into playoff mode. The Utah Blaze barely missed the playoffs after going 9-9, losing the tiebreaker to the Shock. The Tulsa Talons and San Jose SaberCats also finished very close to the playoffs but fell short.

The 2011 AFL season also had some interesting coaching story lines as well. Head Coaches such as Vigilantes Clint Dolezel, Power’s Chris Siegfried and Rush’s Bob McMillen all stepped in to new coaching roles and succeeded in the first season. Other coaches were not able to find success and struggled during the 2011 season.

Even with the troubling times for certain teams, the 2011 season was full of excitement because of the high level of competition. The League always prided itself on consistent competition and unpredictable moments throughout games and keeps those same aspirations for the future.   

Jacksonville Sharks 2011 Season Recap

In only its second year of existence, the Jacksonville Sharks franchise has already conquered some incredible feats. The Sharks finished their first season in 2010 at 12-4 and first in the American Conference. However, a loss to Orlando in the first round of the playoffs left Head Coach Les Moss and some key players like veteran quarterback Aaron Garcia and cornerback Micheaux Robinson very disappointed.  Garcia, who is 40 years old, played in 16 AFL seasons and has yet to capture an ArenaBowl title. Garcia and the team were determined to come back in 2011, correct previous mistakes and take home the team’s first AFL title.   

The first game of the 2011 season for the Sharks was a road matchup against the Arizona Rattlers. The matchup featured the eventual top two candidates for MVP in quarterbacks Aaron Garcia and Nick Davila and the two best teams in the 2011 season. The game was tight throughout but Davila found Jason Geathers for a 9-yard touchdown with 31 seconds remaining, securing the Rattlers a narrow 55-52 victory.

The next game for the Sharks was a matchup at home against the Georgia Force. Jacksonville posted 71 points and defeated the Force, behind strong performances from Jeron Harvey and Micheaux Robinson.  The Sharks remained at home in Week 3 in another matchup against a South Division foe, the New Orleans VooDoo. Sharks quarterback Aaron Garcia was nearly perfect, completing 17-of-19 passes for 308-yards and eight touchdowns. The Sharks continued to dominate, defeating their next six opponents by double digits. 

In Week 8, against the Orlando Predators, Garcia became the first player to throw 1,000 career passing touchdowns and cemented himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks to suit up in AFL history. The next matchup for the Sharks was in Week 11 against the Georgia Force. Garcia found Harvey for an 11-yard touchdown with 1:29 remaining that gave the Sharks a 62-55 lead and eventual victory. The Sharks rattled off 10 straight victories through 11 weeks and had their eyes set on the record for consecutive wins in a single season, previously set by the San Jose SaberCats in 2002 with 12. After a 62-55 road win over New Orleans, the Sharks traveled to Orlando in its most difficult matchup since Week 1. Fullback/wide receiver Jamarko Simmons rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with 29 seconds left, to give the Sharks a 68-61 lead. However, Predators quarterback Nick Hill connected with TT Toliver with seven seconds remaining to tighten the score to 68-67. Orlando decided to attempt a two point conversion and go for the win. Jacksonville stopped Orlando in the final play and earned their 11^th straight victory.

In order to tie San Jose’s record from 2002, the Sharks would need to defeat the Milwaukee Mustangs at home in Week 15. Garcia was precise, connecting on 28-of-36 passes for 326-yards and seven touchdowns, while leading the Sharks to a 62-47 win. They remained at home in Week 16 in a matchup against the Tampa Bay Storm with a chance to make history.  Garcia recorded his best performance of the season, completing 22-of-27 passes for 288-yards and a season high nine touchdown passes. The Sharks won 13 consecutive games and set the greatest single season winning streak in AFL history.

The following week, the Sharks traveled to San Jose to face Mark Grieb and the SaberCats. Garcia put up another nine passing touchdown performance, but the Sharks fell short, 70-83. The loss was the teams first in nearly four months.

After falling short in their next two games to the Dallas Vigilantes and Kansas City Command, the Sharks returned home to face the Spokane Shock in Week 20. Behind a big performance from KR/WR Jeff Hughley, Jacksonville won 75-56 and gained momentum heading into the postseason.

In the First Round of the American Conference playoffs, Jacksonville hosted the Orlando Predators for the third time of the season. Just like the first two meetings, the Sharks were able to get an early lead and hold onto it. The Sharks won 63-48 and avenged their first round playoff loss to Orlando last season.

In the end, Jacksonville’s 2011 campaign was successful. Garcia finished the season with 116 touchdowns (one behind the All-Time Record) and at the top of nearly every quarterback statistical category.  The Sharks were also only one of a few teams that featured three receivers with over 1,000 receiving yards. Wide receiver’s Jomo Wilson, Jeron Harvey and Jeff Hughley all provided big targets for Garcia and posted incredible statistical seasons. The defensive side of the ball for Jacksonville also featured players with impressive statistics throughout the season. Second year defensive back Micheaux Robinson enjoyed another stellar season, intercepting 11 passes and leading the League in passes defended per game (3.2). Defensive lineman Derrick Summers posted noteworthy statistics as well, finishing the year with 11 sacks and six forced fumbles.

In 2011, the Jacksonville Sharks demonstrated what it takes to win in the Arena Football League. The team finished the regular season at 14-4 and earned home field advantage throughout the American Conference Playoffs.  During the season, the team featured a high powered offense with an experienced quarterback, and a defense that had the ability of making key stops. If Jacksonville can continue to showcase these talents, Garcia and the Sharks have a very good chance of taking home their first ArenaBowl Championship.    

BTW-Darnell Kennedy

For this edition of Beyond the Wall, we sat down with Georgia Force quarterback Darnell Kennedy. Kennedy began his professional football career in Canada, playing with three different teams in the CFL. Kennedy then played one season in the af2 for the South Georgia Wildcats. He began the 2011 season as the backup quarterback in Georgia. Due to an injury by starting quarterback Brett Elliott, Kennedy finally got an opportunity to start in Week 20 against the Iowa Barnstormers. Kennedy earned Offensive Player of the Week and the Force defeated the Barnstormers, 63-59, and headed into the postseason to face the Cleveland Gladiators. Kennedy completed 18-of-35 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns and guided the Force to a first round victory. Kennedy and the Force face the Jacksonville Sharks in the American Conference Championship on NFL Network at 8 pm EST on Monday night.
EDITOR: In only two starts this season, you earned Offensive Player of the Week and a First Round playoff victory. How have you been able to pick up and adjust to the game so quickly?
DARNELL KENNEDY: I think the biggest key was that I was able to get some playing time early in the long season, as the backup. Coach put me in for a few games against Jacksonville and once against New Orleans. When Brett got hurt against Orlando, I was able to see some action. I had gotten some good playing time, but I didn’t play well in the beginning of the season. I was able to get that game experience under my belt. Going through practice and watching the games helped me correct my mistakes. I just try to go out there and play to the best of my ability.
ED: Have you gotten fully used to the arena style?
DK: It is a lot different than the outdoor game. You have to know where you are going with the football at the top of your drop. As soon as your foot hits the ground, you have to know where the football has to go or it’s going to be intercepted. In turn, you have to watch a little bit more film, so you can anticipate more during the game. We work on that a lot in practice. In the CFL, you had little time to find guys and wait for them to get open. In this League, you can’t do that. The ball needs to be out of your hands very quickly.
ED: What was last week’s playoff victory against Cleveland like?
DK: I think the win was great for us as a team and me as well. To go out and win my first playoff game ever in Arena Football and feel the pressure in a game on the road with a team like Cleveland, was awesome. We didn’t feel like we played the best of our ability, but we still came out with a win. Sometimes you have to win games like that. The game was very fun to be part of.
ED: You guys played against Jacksonville twice during the regular season and were defeated both times. What do you guys need to do to win this game?
DK: We really need to go out there and stay focused. We have to play our style of football. I think we can’t look too far into what they do. We can’t take punches. We have to be the team throwing the punches. We just need to play tough and keep fighting.
ED: How did you get involved with the AFL and the Georgia Force this season?
DK: I played in the af2 for a few seasons. I was trying to get into the AFL a few years back, but being a quarterback, they said you had to have experience to make it in the League. My time in the af2 was a great experience. I didn’t play last season.  When this season rolled around, the Georgia Force moved to Atlanta which is where I live. Coach Cokinos called me and asked if I wanted to play.
ED: What was your time like in the CFL?
DK: I had a great time in Canada. The competition was great. The people and coaches involved with the teams were great and the game is fun. Playing in Canada was a very nice experience.
ED: Growing up in Mobile, Alabama, what other sports did you play besides football?
DK: The funny thing is that everybody that I went to High School with knew me as a basketball player. Not a football player. I played a lot of basketball and baseball growing up. I enjoyed those sports a lot.
ED: You then went to Alabama State University to play football. What was that experience like?
DK: That was the only scholarship I was offered coming out of High School. I always wanted to play football, but my team wasn’t that good in High School. I wasn’t heavily recruited but Alabama State gave me a scholarship. I was able to go play football at Alabama State, which was a great privilege. It was also cool because my parents were able to come to every game that we played.
ED: Do you have any other hobbies or skills?
DK: I enjoy playing sports like basketball and baseball. But if it is not sports related, I would say that I got into cooking.
ED: What do you like to do for fun in Atlanta?
DK: I love to go out to eat and go to the movies. I also enjoy going to sports bars, places like Dave and Busters and those type of places.
ED: What is your favorite movie?
DK: My favorite movie of all time would probably be The Green Mile. 
ED: What sports teams did you root for growing up?
DK: I was mostly an Auburn fan because I knew the quarterback back then. My dad was a Pittsburgh fan. He loved the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins.
ED: What is your favorite food?
DK: Sushi.
ED: Did you ever have a nickname growing up?
DK: My teammates used to call me Red.
ED: Mr. Kennedy, thanks for joining us today and good luck against Jacksonville!