[ ARENA FOOTBALL ]
Islanders hobble into
their final home gameInjuries have plagued the team as
it heads into tonightÕs meeting
with Louisville
Joshua Robinson has gained membership in an exclusive group of Hawaiian Islanders simply by suiting up every week.
While the Islanders have kept team trainer Marcus Oshiro busy with myriad injuries this season, Robinson, kicker Kimo Naehu and linemen Kealii Aguiar and James Davis are the only ones to play in all 13 games this season.
Hawaiian Islanders vs. Louisville
When: Today, 6:30 p.m.Where: Blaisdell Arena
TV: None
Radio: Live, KUMU 1500-AM
Internet: hawaiianislanders.com
Tickets: Lower bowl (reserved) $25, upper bowl sideline (reserved) $15, upper bowl end zone (general admission) $10, youth (17 and under) $7, handicapped $10. Parking, $5.
"I've been fortunate enough and blessed just to stay healthy," Robinson said. "I've had my nicks and pains, but I'm just trying to play through it."
The injuries have certainly hampered the Islanders in their quest for a second straight arenafootball2 West Division title and their margin of error has disappeared.
The Islanders (7-6) play their final regular-season home game tonight against the Louisville Fire (8-5) at Blaisdell Arena needing a win and a bit of help elsewhere to stay in the chase.
"If there's a bright side to this whole thing it is that the players feel it's not over," Islanders coach Cal Lee said. "Practice is spirited, they haven't given up. The season isn't over."
The Islanders and Fire met on April 10, with Louisville pulling out a 37-35 win in its season opener.
Eddie Klaneski, who tallied a team high nine tackles in the first meeting, has since seen his season end due to a knee injury. Robert Kemfort, Keiki Misipeka and Mose Tuia also started that game but have all missed significant playing time in recent weeks with various injuries.
The Islanders activated linemen Antoine Simpson and Andy Ramos from injured reserve this week, but quarterback Darnell Arceneaux is questionable for tonight's game with a bruised right knee, and a nagging ankle injury might end Aguiar's games-played streak.
"We were a lot healthier last year and I think that showed," Islanders defensive coordinator Doug Semones said. "But that's football. You can have a great team and just have some injuries and it's amazing how it changes what's going on."
With Arceneaux's status in doubt, Shawn Withy-Allen is expected to start his third straight game under center. Withy-Allen passed for 335 yards and four touchdowns last week, but three interceptions helped the Bakersfield Blitz escape with a 43-41 win. All of the interceptions came on tipped passes.
"Our defense has been playing great, but on offense we've got to put up 60 or 70 points," Withy-Allen said. "We're capable of it. We just have to hold on to the ball and do it."
The Islanders figure to need all the points they can get against Louisville, the leader in the Midwest Division.
Quarterback Matt Sauk leads af2 in passing with 277.5 yards per game and is within range of the af2 single-season record of 4,462 yards. James Scott is his favorite target with 90 receptions for 1,150 yards and 21 TDs.
"(Sauk) is a pretty patient guy. He'll take what you give him," Semones said. "They throw a lot of screens, a lot of quick stuff."
While the Islanders put themselves in a hole with their loss to Bakersfield last week, they can still catch the Blitz with the right sequence of events.
Of course, the Islanders must win their final three games to keep any postseason hopes alive. Meanwhile, they need Bakersfield (9-4) to lose at least one of its next two games. The Blitz host Central Valley (1-12) this week and play at San Diego (6-7) next week.
The Islanders could then retain the division title by beating the Blitz by at least six points in the regular-season finale. An Islanders win would even the season series at 2-2. The next tiebreaker is the point differential in their head-to-head meetings and Bakersfield currently holds the advantage by five points.
The Islanders are also alive in a crowded race for one of the National Conference's three wild-card berths. They enter the week tied with Wichita and Peoria for the last spot in the playoffs, but would lose the tiebreakers with both teams based on strength of schedule.
"After 13 weeks we have a chance," Lee said. "It's not impossible, but all we can do is play the next game. There's the wild card and all that stuff, but everything is out the window if you lose."
arenafootball2 Standings
American Conference Northeast Division W L T Pct. Cape Fear 11 3 0 .786 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 10 3 0 .769 Albany 5 8 0 .385 Manchester 5 9 0 .357 South Division W L T Pct. Birmingham 9 4 0 .692 Florida 8 5 0 .615 Columbus 6 7 0 .462 Macon 3 10 0 .231 Mid-South Division W L T Pct. Tennessee Valley 9 4 0 .692 Memphis 8 6 0 .571 Bossier-Shreveport 5 9 0 .357 Arkansas 2 12 0 .143 National Conference Midwest Division W L T Pct. Louisville 8 5 0 .615 Quad City 8 6 0 .571 Peoria 7 6 0 .538 Green Bay 5 8 0 .385 Southwest Division W L T Pct. Tulsa 10 3 0 .769 Oklahoma City 9 5 0 .643 Wichita 7 6 0 .538 Rio Grande Valley 5 8 0 .385 Laredo 3 10 0 .231 West Division W L T Pct. Bakersfield 9 4 0 .692 Hawaii 7 6 0 .538 San Diego 6 7 0 .462 Central Valley 1 12 0 .077 National Conference playoff standings
(Three division winners and three wildcard teams qualify for the af2 playoffs)
1. Tulsa (10-3)--Southwest Division leader
2. Bakersfield (9-4)--West Division leader
3. Louisville (8-5)--Midwest Division leaderWildcard
4. Oklahoma City (9-5)
5. Quad City (8-6)
6. Wichita (7-6)
7. Peoria (7-6)
8. Hawaii (7-6)