LAS VEGAS (AFLWA) – Heading into this season, many wondered how the Georgia Force would fare, considering it had lost starting quarterback Matt Nagy in free agency to the Columbus Destroyers. It didn't take long to find out they would be just fine.

Chris Greisen, whose only experience as a starter in arena football before this season came in 2004 with the Green Bay Blizzard of af2, has fit in just nicely with the Force. After eight games, he leads the league in touchdown passes (64) and completion percentage (.738) and is second in passer rating (131.7), and he was named the Most Valuable Player through the first half of the season by the Arena Football League Writers Association on Friday.

Chicago's Bobby Sippio, who leads the AFL with 32 touchdown receptions and is third with 1,010 yards, is the first half's Best Offensive Player. Philadelphia's Eddie Moten, who is tied for second with six interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, was named the Best Defensive Player. Dallas' Will Pettis is the Best Ironman. Through the Desperados first eight games, Pettis has 64 receptions for 691 yards and 22 touchdowns on offense, and has 35 tackles and one interception on defense.

Other individual awards include Columbus' Ken Jones as Best Lineman, Kansas City's Charles Frederick as Best Rookie and Nashville's Dan Alexander as the Surprise Player of the first half.

Georgia's Doug Plank, who has led the Force to seven wins in his team's first eight games and a three-game lead in the Southern Division, is the Best Coach midway through the season.

The best story of the first half is the return of the New Orleans VooDoo, which was forced to suspend operations for one season following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Coach Mike Neu and Line Coach Junior Ili were the only personnel to remain on staff after the storm hit, and they spent months in San Antonio working for the New Orleans Saints and scouting NFL and college for the Saints and AFL games in preparation for 2007. In October, they participated in an AFL expansion draft, and they have successfully returned to the New Orleans Arena, where the team enjoys the highest attendance in the league.

2007 AFLWA Mid-Season Awards:
Most Valuable Player: Chris Greisen, Georgia
Best Offensive Player: Bobby Sippio, Chicago
Best Defensive Player: Eddie Moten, Philadelphia
Best Ironman: Will Pettis, Dallas
Best Lineman: Ken Jones, Columbus
Best Rookie: Charles Frederick, Kansas City
Best Coach: Doug Plank, Georgia
Surprise Team: Kansas City Brigade
Surprise Player: Dan Alexander, Nashville
Disappointing Team: Tampa Bay Storm
Disappointing Player: Shaun King, Las Vegas
Best Story: Return of New Orleans VooDoo
Team that will fade: Philadelphia Soul
Team that will surge: San Jose SaberCats

The AFLWA, founded at the start of the 2004 season, is a national organization made up of media members who cover the Arena Football League. Mark Anderson of the Las Vegas Review-Journal is the AFLWA's founder and executive director.