WR/DB Larry Shipp Earns AFL’s Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Week

The Arena Football League has announced that Force WR/DB Larry Shipp (5’10, 200, Tennessee Tech) has earned the Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Week for his performance during the week 14 contest against the Jacksonville Sharks.

Shipp had a stellar game against the Sharks, and was an integral piece in the Force’s 56-39 victory over Jacksonville. Shipp had 13 receptions for 167 yards and three receiving touchdowns. He also had a one-yard rushing touchdown and 38 kick return yards. Shipp has now collected 106 receptions for 1,268 yards and 26 touchdowns in addition to four rushing touchdowns on five carries this season. He leads the Force in scoring with 182 points.

Shipp was voted the National Guard MVP for his performance during the AFL’s Week 3 earlier this season. Shipp tied a Georgia franchise record with six receiving touchdowns, including five in the first half, during the team’s victory over Jacksonville on March 24th, 2012. The Force WR/DB notched 12 catches for 144 yards in the 69-41 rout of the defending champs. This is Shipp’s second league award for the 2012 season.

“With WR CJ Johnson out for the Jacksonville game, we turned to Larry to shoulder the load and he answered the bell with a memorable performance,” stated head coach Dean Cokinos. “He impacted the outcome of the game. This award is well deserved.”

The Force will be on the road this weekend, facing the Chicago Rush on Saturday, June 16th at 8 p.m. EST at the Allstate Arena Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The game will be streamed live on Ustream.

Force WR Brandon McRae Activated Off Of IR

WR Brandon McRae has been activated off of IR after starting WR CJ Johnson strained his hamstring in the contest against the New Orleans VooDoo on June 2nd. Before being placed on IR for a broken thumb, McRae accomplished 41 receptions for 361 yards resulting in 12 touchdowns in just seven games with the Force.

“CJ contibutes to the team in so many different ways,” stated head coach Dean Cokinos. “Losing him for this this game leaves a void to fill. We will count on Shipp and the young receivers (Jake Allen, Brandon McRae, and Shay Hodge) to pick up the slack.”

The Force will remain home this weekend, facing the Jacksonville Sharks on Saturday, June 9th at 7 p.m. EST at the The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia. When the Force met the Sharks earlier this season, they dominated the game, with a final score of 69-41. The Sharks will no doubt be looking for revenge and to keep their 3-game winning streak alive. The showdown will be streamed live on Ustream as well as televised on WSB’s MeTV 2.2, Comcast channel 248 and Charter channel 126.

The 2012 is in full-swing with an exciting, family-friendly slate of promotions and entertainment. For more information on how to reserve your single game tickets, please call the front office at 770.609.1300. For more information, please visit http://www.georgiaforce.com. Be sure to follow the Force Blog as well as Twitter and Facebook for all the latest updates.