2011 Arena Football League season

Sports season

2011 Arena Football League season

League| Arena Football League
Sport| arena football
Duration| March 9 – August 12
Regular season
Season champions| Arizona Rattlers
Season MVP| Nick Davila, ARZ
League postseason
American Conference champions| Jacksonville Sharks
American Conference runners-up| Georgia Force
National Conference champions| Arizona Rattlers
National Conference runners-up| Chicago Rush
ArenaBowl XXIV
Champions| Jacksonville Sharks
Runners-up| Arizona Rattlers
Finals MVP| Aaron Garcia, JAX
AFL seasons

← 2010

2012 →

........Gladiators

Mustangs

Power

Soul

Force

Predators

Sharks

Storm

VooDoo

Barnstormers

Command

Rush

Talons

Vigilantes

Blaze

Rattlers

SaberCats

Shock

class=notpageimage|

American:  East,  South
National:  West,  Central

The 2011 Arena Football League season was the 24th season in the history of the league. The regular season began on March 11, 2011 and ended on July 23, 2011.[1] The Jacksonville Sharks, in their second year of existence, defeated the Arizona Rattlers 73–70 in ArenaBowl XXIV on August 12, 2011 to conclude the playoffs.

## League business[edit]

### Teams[edit]

Three franchises that competed in the 2008 season, the Philadelphia Soul, San Jose SaberCats, and Kansas City Command (formerly the Kansas City Brigade), returned to competition in the 2011 season, after an announcement made on June 19, 2010.[2]

Two teams that competed in 2010 relocated and have assumed the history of former AFL franchises. It was announced on August 21, 2010 that the Alabama Vipers would become the Georgia Force,[3] and on September 14, 2010 it was revealed that the Bossier–Shreveport Battle Wings would become the New Orleans VooDoo.[4]

The Milwaukee Iron officially changed its name to the Milwaukee Mustangs on January 27, 2011, taking the name of the original franchise.[5]

The city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was awarded an expansion team on August 20, 2010. The team, named the Pittsburgh Power, was the first AFL team to call Pittsburgh home since the Pittsburgh Gladiators, one of the league's four original franchises. The Gladiators moved to Tampa, Florida and became the Tampa Bay Storm after the 1990 season.[6]

The only team that did not return from the 2010 season was the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz. Owner Phil Miller made the announcement on October 21, 2010, citing an inability to find minority investors as one reason for the decision to not compete.[7]

### Realignment[edit]

With several teams relocating, returning, or leaving, the AFL announced the divisional alignment for 2011 on October 21, 2010. Both conferences each had nine teams placed in two divisions.[8]

Conference  | Division  | Teams

|
|

American  | East | Cleveland Gladiators, Milwaukee Mustangs, Philadelphia Soul, Pittsburgh Power
South | Georgia Force, Jacksonville Sharks, New Orleans VooDoo, Orlando Predators, Tampa Bay Storm
National  | Central | Chicago Rush, Dallas Vigilantes, Iowa Barnstormers, Kansas City Command, Tulsa Talons
West | Arizona Rattlers, San Jose SaberCats, Spokane Shock, Utah Blaze

## Regular season schedule[edit]

Each team played an 18-game regular season with two bye weeks over the course of 20 weeks, making it the longest schedule in the history of the league. The first game of the season was played on March 11, 2011. The Pittsburgh Power began their inaugural season against the Philadelphia Soul, who played their first game since winning ArenaBowl XXII in 2008.

On July 9, the Spokane Shock and Utah Blaze played in a game billed as the "Joe Albi Stadium Summer Classic". The game was played outdoors at Joe Albi Stadium under normal arena football rules.[9]

## Regular season standings[edit]

American Conference

East Division
Team  | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away
(2) Cleveland Gladiators | 10  | 8  | .556  | 904  | 842  | 4–2  | 6–5  | 7–2  | 3–6
Pittsburgh Power | 9  | 9  | .500  | 870  | 972  | 4–2  | 5–6  | 5–4  | 4–5
Milwaukee Mustangs | 7  | 11  | .389  | 872  | 867  | 1–5  | 3–8  | 4–5  | 3–6
Philadelphia Soul | 6  | 12  | .333  | 914  | 969  | 3–3  | 5–6  | 4–5  | 2–7
South Division
Team  | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away
(1) Jacksonville Sharks | 14  | 4  | .778  | 1158  | 908  | 8–0  | 12–0  | 8–1  | 6–3
(3) Georgia Force[a] | 11  | 7  | .611  | 1007  | 931  | 5–3  | 7–5  | 5–4  | 6–3
(4) Orlando Predators | 11  | 7  | .611  | 1001  | 933  | 4–4  | 8–4  | 6–3  | 5–4
Tampa Bay Storm | 7  | 11  | .389  | 802  | 993  | 2–6  | 4–8  | 4–5  | 3–6
New Orleans VooDoo | 3  | 15  | .167  | 826  | 1017  | 1–7  | 2–10  | 0–9  | 3–6
National Conference
Central Division
Team  | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away
(2) Chicago Rush | 13  | 5  | .722  | 957  | 833  | 6–2  | 9–3  | 7–2  | 6–3
(3) Dallas Vigilantes | 11  | 7  | .611  | 1061  | 1007  | 6–2  | 7–5  | 6–3  | 5–4
Tulsa Talons | 8  | 10  | .444  | 894  | 899  | 3–5  | 4–7  | 4–5  | 4–5
Kansas City Command | 6  | 12  | .333  | 854  | 974  | 3–5  | 4–9  | 4–4  | 2–7
Iowa Barnstormers | 5  | 13  | .278  | 916  | 1116  | 2–6  | 5–7  | 4–5  | 1–8
West Division
Team  | W | L | PCT | PF | PA | DIV | CON | Home | Away
(1) Arizona Rattlers | 16  | 2  | .889  | 1114  | 836  | 5–1  | 9–2  | 8–1  | 8–1
(4) Spokane Shock[b] | 9  | 9  | .500  | 1057  | 1027  | 3–3  | 6–5  | 7–2  | 2–7
Utah Blaze | 9  | 9  | .500  | 1082  | 1117  | 2–4  | 4–7  | 7–2  | 2–7
San Jose SaberCats | 7  | 11  | .389  | 1022  | 1080  | 2–4  | 4–7  | 6–3  | 1–8

Eight teams qualify for the playoffs: four teams from each conference, of which two are division champions and the other two have the best records of the teams remaining.[10]

* Green indicates clinched playoff berth
* Blue indicates division champion
* Gray indicates division champion and conference's best record

### Tie-breakers[edit]

* a Georgia clinched the No. 3 seed in the American Conference based on their greater point differential in head-to-head competition with Orlando.
* b Spokane clinched the No. 4 seed in the National Conference based on their greater point differential in head-to-head competition with Utah.

## Statistics[edit]

Final statistics[11]

### Passing[edit]

Player  | Comp.  | Att.  | Comp%  | Yards  | TD's  | INT's  | Rating

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Nick Davila, ARZ | 427 | 604 | 70.7% | 4,916 | 117 | 10 | 127.6
Aaron Garcia, JAX | 402 | 562 | 71.5% | 4,953 | 116 | 17 | 125.4
Nick Hill, ORL | 387 | 578 | 67.0% | 4,758 | 97 | 17 | 119.5
Tommy Grady, UTA | 383 | 583 | 65.7% | 4,368 | 107 | 12 | 119.1
Dan Raudabaugh, DAL | 360 | 587 | 64.6% | 4,741 | 90 | 17 | 118.3

### Rushing[edit]

Player  | Car.  | Yards  | Avg.  | TD's  | Long

|
|
|
|
|

Derrick Ross, DAL | 167 | 622 | 3.7 | 39 | 37
Nick Hill, ORL | 391 | 275 | 4.9 | 9 | 39
Johnnie Kirton, CHI | 366 | 209 | 3.2 | 14 | 15
Bobby Reid, TUL | 31 | 314 | 10.1 | 13 | 39
Bernard Morris, PIT | 46 | 312 | 6.8 | 4 | 43

### Receiving[edit]

Player  | Rec.  | Yards  | YPG  | TD's  | Long

|
|
|
|
|

Anthony Jones, DAL | 171 | 2,232 | 124.0 | 42 | 43
Donovan Morgan, PHI | 168 | 1,959 | 122.4 | 37 | 46
Jesse Schmidt, IOW | 130 | 2,171 | 120.6 | 55 | 43
Troy McBroom, TUL | 121 | 1,747 | 116.5 | 31 | 44
Rod Windsor, ARZ | 156 | 1,830 | 114.4 | 36 | 44

## Awards[edit]

### All-Arena team[edit]

| Offense

Position  | First team  | Second team
Quarterback | Aaron Garcia, Jacksonville | Nick Davila, Arizona
Fullback | Derrick Ross, Dallas | Chad Cook, San Jose
Center | Randy Degg, Jacksonville | Brennan Carvalho, Arizona
Offensive lineman | Adam Tadisch, Cleveland
Richard Ranglin, Kansas City | Mark Lewis, San Jose
Devin Clark, Arizona
Wide receiver | Rod Windsor, Arizona
Anthony Jones, Dallas
Jesse Schmidt, Iowa | Maurice Purify, Georgia
Donovan Morgan, Philadelphia
Reggie Gray, Chicago
| Defense

Position  | First team  | Second team
Defensive lineman | Anttaj Hawthorne, Arizona
Tim McGill, Tampa Bay
Caesar Rayford, Utah | Dusty Bear, Dallas
Derrick Summers, Jacksonville
Mike Lewis, Utah
Middle linebacker | Cliff Dukes, Tampa Bay | Tim Cheatwood, Cleveland
Jack linebacker | Kelvin Morris, Chicago | Marlon Moye-Moore, Orlando
Defensive back | Rayshaun Kizer, Orlando
Micheaux Robinson, Jacksonville
Vic Hall, Chicago | Andre Jones, Milwaukee
Virgil Gray, Arizona
J.C. Neal, Tulsa
| Special teams

Position  | First team  | Second team
Kicker | Carlos Martinez, Georgia | Fabrizio Scaccia, Arizona
Kick returner | PJ Berry, New Orleans | Virgil Gray, Arizona

### All-Ironman team[edit]

On August 8, 2011, the All-Ironman team was announced, with P. J. Berry of the New Orleans VooDoo being named the Ironman of the Year.[12]

Player | Position | Team

|
|

P. J. Berry | WR/KR | New Orleans VooDoo
Reggie Gray | WR/KR | Chicago Rush
Jeff Hughley | WR/KR | Jacksonville Sharks
C.J. Johnson | WR/KR | Georgia Force
Marlon Moye-Moore | FB/LB | Orlando Predators
Jason Simpson | DB/KR | Chicago Rush

## Playoffs[edit]

| Conference Semifinals | | | Conference Championship | | | ArenaBowl XXIV |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| 1 | Jacksonville | 63 | | |
| 4 | Orlando | 48 |
| | 1 | Jacksonville | 64 |
| American Conference |
| | | 3 | Georgia | 55 |
| 2 | Cleveland | 41 |

| 3 | Georgia | 50 |
| | A1 | Jacksonville | 73 |
|  |
| | | N1 | Arizona | 70 |
| 1 | Arizona | 62 | |

| 4 | Spokane | 33 |
| | 1 | Arizona | 54 |
| National Conference |
| | | 2 | Chicago | 48 |
| 2 | Chicago | 54 |

| 3 | Dallas | 51 |

### Conference semifinals[edit]

Conference  | Date  | Kickoff  | Away  | Home  | Final score  | Game site  | Recap

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

American  | July 29  | 8:00 p.m. EDT | Orlando Predators | Jacksonville Sharks | Jacksonville, 63–48  | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena | [13]
National  | July 29  | 8:30 p.m. EDT | Dallas Vigilantes | Chicago Rush | Chicago, 54–51  | Allstate Arena | [14]
National  | July 29  | 10:00 p.m. EDT | Spokane Shock | Arizona Rattlers | Arizona, 62–33  | US Airways Center | [15]
American  | July 31  | 3:00 p.m. EDT | Georgia Force | Cleveland Gladiators | Georgia, 50–41  | Quicken Loans Arena | [16]

### Conference finals[edit]

Conference  | Date  | Kickoff  | Away  | Home  | Final score  | Game site  | Recap

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

National  | August 6  | 10:00 p.m. EDT | Chicago Rush | Arizona Rattlers | Arizona, 54–48  | US Airways Center | [17]
American  | August 8  | 8:00 p.m. EDT | Georgia Force | Jacksonville Sharks | Jacksonville, 64–55  | Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena | [18]

### ArenaBowl XXIV[edit]

Date  | Kickoff  | Away  | Home  | Final score  | Game site  | Recap

|
|
|
|
|
|

August 12  | 8:30 p.m. EDT | Jacksonville Sharks | Arizona Rattlers | Jacksonville, 73–70  | US Airways Center | [19]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "AFL – 2011 Season Standings/Schedule". Arena Football League. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
2. ^ "AFL Announceds Three Teams To Be Added For 2011 Season". Arena Football League. June 19, 2010. Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
3. ^ Bill Bryant (August 21, 2010). "It's official: Vipers have left the building". The Huntsville Times. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
4. ^ Tim Fletcher (September 14, 2010). "Battle Wings Moving To New Orleans". KTBS. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
5. ^ "Breaking News: Milwaukee Iron Become Mustangs". Arena Football League. January 27, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-02-03. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
6. ^ "Arena Football Comes to Pittsburgh". Pittsburgh Power. August 20, 2010. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
7. ^ "Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz Leaving AFL". OKBlitz.com. October 21, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2010.[permanent dead link]
8. ^ "New Franchises Spark Division Alignment for 2011 Season". AFL Insider. October 21, 2010. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
9. ^ "Shock Take Arena Game Outdoors". Arena Football League. February 17, 2011. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
10. ^ "AFL Playoff Qualification, Selection of Teams". Arenafan.com. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
11. ^ 2011 Arena Football League Extended Individual Statistics
12. ^ "VooDoo's P. J. Berry Named JLS Ironman of the Year". Arena Football League. August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on October 10, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
13. ^ "Sharks Defeat Preds, Move to Conference Finals". Arena Football League. July 29, 2011. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
14. ^ "Rush Nab Win in Final Minute, 54–51". Arena Football League. July 29, 2011. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
15. ^ "Arizona Beats Defending ArenaBowl Champs, 62–33". Arena Football League. July 30, 2011. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
16. ^ "Georgia Forces Cleveland Out of the Playoffs". Arena Football League. August 2, 2011. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
17. ^ "Arizona to Host ArenaBowl XXIV". Arena Football League. August 7, 2011. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
18. ^ "Garcia, Sharks Advance to ArenaBowl XXIV". Arena Football League. August 7, 2011. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
19. ^ "Garcia, Sharks Win Incredible ArenaBowl XXIV". Arena Football League. August 12, 2011. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.

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Arena Football League seasons

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* v
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2011 AFL season

| American Conference| National Conference

|

| East Division| South Division

|

* Cleveland Gladiators
* Milwaukee Mustangs
* Philadelphia Soul
* Pittsburgh Power

* Georgia Force
* Jacksonville Sharks
* New Orleans VooDoo
* Orlando Predators
* Tampa Bay Storm

| Central Division| West Division

|

* Chicago Rush
* Dallas Vigilantes
* Iowa Barnstormers
* Kansas City Command
* Tulsa Talons

* Arizona Rattlers
* San Jose SaberCats
* Spokane Shock
* Utah Blaze

Related articles
2011 Arena Football League season
ArenaBowl XXIV
Arenas
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