Whittaker, Rowley honored
Spokane's Huey Whittaker and Kyle Rowley have been selected for weekly AFL honors.
Whittaker was named Ironman of the week. He had 165 receiving yards and assisted on one tackle in the Shock's playoff win over Milwaukee. Rowley was named Playmaker of the week after tossing seven touchdown passes.
Tampa Bay's Tim McGill was chosen as Defensive player of the week after making two tackles for loss in a one-point win over Orlando. Storm receiver DeAndrew Rubin was honored for the Catch of the week and center Robert Powell won the Highlight of the week. Rubin and Whittaker were teammates at the University of South Florida.
Spokane faces Tampa Bay in ArenaBowl XXIII on Friday at the Spokane Arena.
More on the awards below.
FROM AFL OFFICE ....
Spokane wide receiver HUEY WHITTAKER, Orlando wide receiver TT TOLIVER and Tampa Bay defensive lineman TIM MCGILL have been named the JLS Ironman, Russell Athletic Offensive Players and Riddell Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, for Week 20 of 2010. In addition to these three awards, the AFL is also highlighting the player who makes the best Catch of the Week, the Playmaker of the Week and the Highlight of the Week. The Cutters Catch of the Week Award for Week 20 goes to Tampa Bay wide receiver DEANDREW RUBIN, while Spokane quarterback KYLE ROWLEY has been named the Playmaker of the Week. The Highlight of the Week award has gone to Tampa Bay center ROBERT POWELL. Whittaker (6-5, 220, South Florida) scored in every quarter in Spokane’s victory over Milwaukee in the National Conference Championship. Whittaker’s offensive blowout helped Spokane seal a spot in ArenaBowl XXIII and home field advantage for the Shock. With 165 yards, this was Whittaker’s fourth game to surpass 150 receiving yards in a game this season. Whittaker caught 14 receptions for four touchdowns, plus he scored a rushing touchdown in the first quarter, giving Spokane a 14-7 lead that they would never give up. Defensively, Whittaker also had an assisted tackle. RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK Toliver (6-0, 185, Bethune-Cookman) has been a threat to defenses all season long. Against Tampa Bay, Toliver’s conquest kept Orlando in the game and set a new AFL record for receiving touchdowns in a postseason game with an astounding seven touchdowns. With 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Toliver caught a 6-yard touchdown reception to bring the game to a one point difference, but a penalty and a missed extra point shattered Orlando’s shot at a spot in the ArenaBowl. Toliver still put up impressive statistics with 11 receptions for 167 yards. RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK McGill (6-2, 345, Illinois) pressured QB Nick Hill all night in the American National Conference game, leading to Tampa Bay’s 63-62 victory over Orlando. McGill came out strong for Tampa Bay, and was a contributing factor to forcing Hill to two fumbles in the first quarter. Tampa Bay’s explosive defense accounted for 29 tackles throughout the game, with McGill’s presence adding two tackles for loss for three yards. The Storm will travel to Spokane to look for its sixth ArenaBowl victory. CUTTERS CATCH OF THE WEEK Rubin (5-11, 175, South Florida) rallied the home crowd in the first quarter with an incredible catch that would boost the stadiums energy. With four minutes left in the first quarter, Rubin tumbled over the wall with a 9-yard touchdown reception for Tampa’s first points of the game, tying it up 7-7. Rubin would lead the Storm’s receivers with 10 receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns. -MORE- NIFTY PLAYMAKER OF THE WEEK Rowley (6-1, 205, Brown) was perfect for the second week in a row, leading his team to its first ArenaBowl. Rowley threw zero interceptions in the 60-57 victory over Milwaukee while completing 28-of-37 passes for 334 yards and seven touchdowns. Rowley’s move up into the AFL seems to be a smooth transition, sitting at No. 5 in total passing (4428) and No. 6 in total offense (4508) in the regular season. Spokane will host Tampa Bay at ArenaBowl XXIII on Friday, August 20, on the NFL Network. SPALDING HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK Powell (6-5, 307, Purdue) might not seem like the sneakiest person at 6-5 and 307 pounds, but Powell slid by Orlando’s defense in the American Conference Championship. After a 3-yard pass from QB Brett Dietz to WR Thomas Kaleita, DB Dion Byrum forced Kaleita to fumble at the Orlando 18-yard line, but Powell recovered the fumble for an 18-yard touchdown. Powell allowed zero sacks in the home game against Orlando. JLS Ironman of the Week candidates included: Orlando’s Robert Quiroga Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Week candidates included: Spokane’s Kyle Rowley Riddell Defensive Player of the Week candidates included: Spokane’s Jerry Turner
JLS IRONMAN OF THE WEEK
