Thursday, Mar. 27, 2008

Notebook: Inside information on the af2

By Jeff Morrow, Herald sports editor

Quarterback Matt Bohnet, who played two seasons in NFL Europe, will play for the Green Bay Blizzard.

Former Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg is now part of the Blizzard's active ownership group. ...

The Albany Conquest has former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Javin Hunter, who also starred at Notre Dame, on its roster. ... Amarillo Dusters quarterback Robert Johnson played in NFL Europe. ... The Arkansas Twisters will be coached by Chris Siegfried, who led the Spokane Shock to the af2 title in 2006. Former Fever players on the Twisters roster include Robert Garth, Collin Drafts, Byron Rogers and Muhammad Shamsid-Dean. The Twisters will visit the Fever on June 21. ... The Austin Wranglers franchise begins its first season in af2 after spending years up in the Arena Football League. Coach Ben Bennett won the af2 title in 2004 as head coach of the Florida Firecats. ... Lee Leslie returns as head coach for the Boise Burn. Levi Madarieta, who helped the Fever win the 2005 NIFL title, returns as a fullback and linebacker for the Burn. ... Jon Norris coached the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings to an 11-5 record last season. ...

Fred Biletnikoff Jr. returns to coach the Central Valley Coyotes. Former California quarterback Joe Ayoob is on the roster. ... Corpus Christi Sharks defensive end Jordan Hicks has played two seasons in NFL Europe. ... New franchise Daytona Beach Thunderbirds will have former NFL player Herkie Walls as its head coach. ... Veteran quarterback Chris Wallace will be with the Florida Firecats this season. ... The Iowa Barnstormers, a former AFL franchise that went defunct, have been reorganized and will play in af2. ... The Lexington Horsemen are a new franchise -- moved over from the United Indoor Football League -- with a roster filled with rookies. Craig Yeast, a former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, is on the team's roster. ... The Louisville Fire's entire offensive line -- Thomas Coleman, Tim Long and Joe Washington -- returns this season. ... FB/LB Freddie Weinke, cousin of former Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke, is playing for the Lubbock Renegades. ... Former WSU quarterback Josh Swogger made the Mahoning Valley Thunder's opening-night roster. ... Manchester Wolves head coach Danton Barto was the head coach of the Las Vegas Gladiators in the AFL last season. ... Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz quarterback Evan Gray was the starting QB for Stockton last season. ... Bruce Crowley will be the head coach of the Peoria Pirates, a new team in the af2 this season based in Illinois. ... Former Fever lineman Frank McCray and ex-Fever receiver Deontrae Johnson will be playing for the Quad City Steamwheelers this season. ... DL Tony McClain and DL Quinton Staton -- both parts of the af2's top defense last season that had 66 sacks -- return for the Rio Grande Valley Dorados. ... Former Spokane star receiver Antwone Savage is playing for the South Georgia Wildcats this season. ... Pasco High graduate Raul Vijil returns to the Spokane Shock for his third season at wide receiver. ... Derrick Crudup saw action last season at quarterback for the Stockton Lightning and returns this year, as does ex-WSU player Tupo Tuupo at fullback and linebacker. ... Quarterback Andy Hall, who led Delaware to the I-AA national championship in 2003 and was with the Philadelphia Eagles, is playing for the Tennessee Valley Vipers. ... New Texas Copperheads coach Ollie Guidry comes to the organization after being an assistant coach for the AFL Austin Wranglers in 2007. ... The defending champion Tulsa Talons begin this season No. 1 in the coaches' poll. Last year's team MVP, WR/DB Jeff Hughley, returns. ... OL/DL Keith Glover, who helped lead the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers to the arenacup finals last season, returns to the team for his fourth year with the squad.

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