AFLWA > News > Schutt Sports Top 12 Poll

April 22, 2008
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Derry
504-232-9944

Schedule pits Soul vs. No. 2 Dallas this week

PHILADELPHIA TOPS SCHUTT
SPORTS AFL TOP 12 POLL

LAS VEGAS (AFLWA) – There almost certainly will be a unanimous No. 1 next week in the Schutt Sports Top 12 Poll.

While the Philadelphia Soul routed Columbus 76-55 on Monday night and gained first-place votes against idle Dallas, the top-ranked Soul will host the second-ranked Desperados next Monday night on ESPN2 (8 p.m. Eastern). It is the first time in Arena Football League history in which two undefeated teams will meet this late in the season.

In a week in which no team dropped out of the poll, conducted by the AFL Writers Association, the teams ranked third through fifth – all with a record of 6-2 – shuffled positions. New Orleans trounced No. 11 Arizona in Phoenix on Friday 60-36, and leaped over Orlando and Chicago to No. 3. The Predators and Rush each slipped a spot despite each team winning by three points.

Other teams moving up were San Jose (from eighth to sixth) after a 21-point win over winless Utah, Cleveland (from 10th to seventh) with a 83-69 win over No. 12 Los Angeles and New York (three-place jump to eighth), which defeated Tampa Bay 66-47.

No. 9 Georgia dropped two spots after losing to Orlando, and No. 10 Colorado fell four spots by falling to previously winless Kansas City 55-53.

SCHUTT SPORTS TOP 12 POLL (APRIL 22)
Rk.	Team [1st Place]	W-L	Pts.	Pvs.	This week
1.	Philadelphia Soul [13]	8-0	222	1	vs. No. 2 Dallas
2.	Dallas Desperados [6]	7-0	215	2	at No. 1 Philadelphia
3.	New Orleans VooDoo	6-2	178	5	vs. Utah
4.	Orlando Predators	6-2	170	3	vs. Tampa Bay
5.	Chicago Rush	6-2	166	4	at No. 10 Colorado
6.	San Jose SaberCats	4-4	125	8	vs. No. 12 Los Angeles
7.	Cleveland Gladiators	4-3	103	10	at No. 8 New York
8.	New York Dragons	4-4	98	11	vs. No. 7 Cleveland
9.	Georgia Force	3-4	75	7	at No. 11 Arizona
10.	Colorado Crush	3-4	69	6	vs. No. 5 Chicago
11.	Arizona Rattlers	3-4	37	9	vs. No. 8 Georgia
12.	Los Angeles Avengers	3-5	18	12	at No. 6 San Jose
Others receiving votes: Tampa Bay 3, Grand Rapids 2, Columbus 2, Kansas City 1.
Dropped out: None.

Schutt Sports, the sports gear company with a reputation for innovation, is sponsoring this season's Top 12 Poll. Its website is schuttsports.com.

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.

2008 AFLWA Rankings (No 1. team):
• Preseason (Dallas) • March 5 (Dallas) • March 12 (Dallas) • March 19 (Dallas) • March 25 (Dallas) • April 1 (Philadelphia)	• April 8 (Philadelphia) • April 15 (Philadelphia) • April 22 (Philadelphia) • April 29 (Philadelphia) • May 6 (Philadelphia) • May 13 (Dallas)	• May 20 (Chicago) • May 27 (Dallas) • June 3 (Dallas) • June 10 (Philadelphia) • June 17 (Philadelphia) • June 24 (Philadelphia)