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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

AFL on NBC moves to Saturday for week two

February 11, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - There won't be any love on Valentine's Day this year in New York. This Saturday, February 14, one of the AFL's most prolific passers New York Dragons QB AARON GARCIA and his fire-breathing offense welcome the stingy defense of the Chicago Rush, led by fierce veteran linemen JAMES BARON and JOHN MOYER, to Nassau Coliseum on NBC at 3 p.m. ET.

Last week, the Rush defense consistently pressured the quarterback and recorded three sacks, two interceptions, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery in Chicago's 50-30 win over Grand Rapids. The offseason acquisition of free agent QB RAYMOND PHILYAW proved valuable as the versatile veteran passed for two Chicago touchdowns and ran for three more. Baron, Moyer and JOHN SIKORA solidified a Chicago front line that did not allow any sacks.

While the New York offense often receives the most attention - Garcia bulls-eyed four different targets for five scores and ran for another last Sunday - the Dragons' aggressive, ball-hawking defense was equally impressive, allowing the fewest points in the AFL in Week 1 with a 54-28 win over Georgia. The Dragons recorded seven pass breakups and a pair of interceptions by U.S. Army Ironman of the Week WILL HOLDER and DS/KR COREY JOHNSON, who returned his pick for a touchdown.

In a Western Division shootout on Saturday, Los Angeles QB TONY GRAZIANI and the high-octane Avengers face the electrifying offense of the Las Vegas Gladiators live from the Thomas and Mack Center, this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. The Gladiators offense has been ignited by the addition of QB CLINT DOLEZEL and new receiver MARCUS NASH, who connected for three scores last week in their 43-42 loss to Colorado. Dolezel will have to remain focused and mobile against the Avengers' assertive defense, which recorded four interceptions, two sacks and a forced fumble in last week's 51-32 win at Arizona. Los Angeles brings its own heavily-loaded scoring arsenal, including 2003 Offensive Player of the Year CHRIS JACKSON, who had a pair of touchdown catches and passed for another score in Week 1.

It's the home debut for the expansion New Orleans VooDoo, led by head coach MIKE NEU, this Saturday on NBC (3 p.m. ET) when they host rookie head coach STEVE DE BERG and his Indiana Firebirds at New Orleans Arena. Last Sunday, VooDoo FB/LB DAN CURRAN rushed for 45 yards and two scores in New Orleans' 42-34 win at Philadelphia. But the VooDoo, captained by QB JOHN FITZGERALD, also introduced a potent passing game - four scores to three different receivers, including a pair to standout receiver AARON BAILEY. Likewise, the Firebirds have a solid receiving duo in BRETT BECH and MIKE HORACEK, who coupled 133 receiving yards and four scoring catches in last week's 54-48 loss to Columbus, as well as a proficient ground game (two rushing scores), led by FB/LB LEROY THOMPSON.

Games this week: Carolina at Columbus, Georgia at Tampa Bay, Austin at Orlando, and Detroit at Arizona on Friday; Chicago at New York (NBC), Indiana at New Orleans (NBC), Los Angeles at Las Vegas (NBC), and Colorado at Grand Rapids on Saturday; Philadelphia at Dallas on Sunday. The San Jose SaberCats have a bye in Week 2.

CAROLINA COBRAS (1-0) AT COLUMBUS DESTROYERS (1-0)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 AT 7 P.M. ET

The Cobras ended their league-record 17-game losing streak behind the arm of QB MATT NAGY and a stingy second-half defense. Nagy, who was named Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Week, paced the club by completing 28-of-39 passes for 282 yards and six touchdowns, while also rushing for a score... WR/DB TODD DOXZON was his favorite target, reeling in 10 passes for 97 yards and three touchdowns... The Destroyers erased a 13-point fourth quarter deficit in the team's inaugural season opener en-route to a 54-48 road victory over the Indiana Firebirds at Conseco Fieldhouse last Saturday night... Destroyers rookie QB RYAN VENA edged teammate JOHN RAYBORN for the starting job and made the most of his AFL debut last week in Indianapolis... Vena's first pass attempt in the Arena Football League went for a 13-yard TD to WR/LB CORNELIUS WHITE... Vena went on to complete 19-of-25 pass attempts for 202 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and is currently the highest rated passer in the league (138.7).

GEORGIA FORCE (0-1) AT TAMPA BAY STORM (1-0)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, AT 7:30 P.M. ET

Georgia QB LEON MURRAY returns to the place where his AFL career officially began. Last season, Murray stepped in for an injured DONNIE DAVIS and claimed the starting role from that point forward... Murray is 0-2 against the defending ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay, with a 57.1 % pass completion when facing the Storm (389 yards, 7 TDs). Offseason acquisitions DIALLEO BURKS, ANDY MC CULLOUGH, and DAMEON PORTER continue to adjust to their new surroundings (combined 15 receptions for 142 yards and one TD last week)... McCullough earned U.S. Ironman of the Game honors for his impressive two-way performance (seven receptions for 74 yards, one forced fumble and one sack)... Returning OS MARKEITH COOPER has stepped up his game... The third-year veteran recorded a rushing score, a TD reception and returned six kickoffs for 129 yards. Guided by AFL Hall of Fame coach and seven-time ArenaBowl champ TIM MARCUM, Tampa Bay has won 15 of their last 17 games, including a playoff run that captured the ArenaBowl title in 2003... In those 15 wins, the Storm has outscored its opponents 759-568, an average of 12.7 points... Tampa Bay is 2-0 vs. Georgia and looking to continue that trend in the first of two regular season meetings with the Force on Friday. Storm QB SHANE STAFFORD, who hasn't face the Force since 2002, has a 68.1 percent pass completion against Georgia, including 460 yards for 11 TDs (one interception, sacked once). Last week, the second-year QB earned Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game honors with his five TDs, including three to FREDDIE SOLOMON, and rushed for another.

AUSTIN WRANGLERS (0-0) AT ORLANDO PREDATORS (0-1)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, AT 7:30 P.M. ET

Orlando WR/LB CORY FLEMING had a League-high 13 receptions for 151 yards and three TDs in last week's loss to Tampa Bay... Fleming has caught at least two TDs in his last five regular-season games... The Predators are 3-1 against expansion teams during the regular season with JAY GRUDEN as head coach... With an Austin victory, coupled with New Orleans win last week against Philadelphia, would mark the first time since 1997 (Nashville and New Jersey) that two expansion opened their existence with victories in the same season... Austin QB JOHN KALEO, who is coming off an ArenaBowl championship with the Tampa Bay Storm, has at least four TD passes in each of his last four games... Wrangler WR/LB DARRYL HAMMOND has scored at least one TD in his last eight games, including one in the 2003 regular-season finale with Georgia.

DETROIT FURY (0-1) AT ARIZONA RATTLERS (0-1)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, AT 9 P.M. ET

Winless against the Arizona Rattlers franchise and plagued by turnovers in Week 1, the pressure is on for QB ANDY KELLY and the Detroit Fury to clinch their first victory of the season... Last week against the San Jose SaberCats, Kelly led the Fury offense, completing 23-of-48 passes for 217 yards, four TDs and two INTs... In the last match-up of the two teams, the Rattlers beat the Fury 51-41 when SHERDRICK BONNER completed 24-of-41 passes for 259 yards, five TDs and 1 INT... In that same game, WR/DB RANDY GATEWOOD received Ironman of the Game honors for his two INTs against Kelly... Arizona has not started a season 0-2 since 1993, the franchise's second season... Arizona OL/DL BRYAN HENDERSON'S fantastic opener helped him to put his name in the record books. Henderson, who had three sacks last season, got to Los Angeles QB TONY GRAZIANI twice, tying a franchise record for sacks in a game. He tied STACY EVANS, who recorded two sacks against Indiana in 2002.

COLORADO CRUSH (1-0) AT GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE (0-1)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, AT 12 P.M. ET

On a high after their first win at home, QB JOHN DUTTON and the Crush travel to Grand Rapids for a Central division showdown... Last week, Dutton connected with OS DAMIAN HARRELL for two TDs in the final 15 seconds of the game for a 43-42 victory over the Las Vegas Gladiators... In 2003, formidable Grand Rapids OS STEVE SMITH had at least three catches for all 16 regular season games, including four catches for 27 yards and two TDs against the Crush... Grand Rapids QB ROBERT HALL will get the start in the home opener... Hall passed a combined 400 yards and six TDs in his last two starts with Carolina in 2003... Rampage OS STEVE SMITH has caught at least one TD in six of his last seven games... In last year's meeting in Colorado, Smith recorded two TDs in the 57-55 victory.

CHICAGO RUSH (1-0) AT NEW YORK DRAGONS (1-0)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, AT 3 P.M. ET
(TV: NBC - TOM HAMMOND, PAT HADEN and LEWIS JOHNSON)

New York has edged Chicago in their last two meetings by only six points combined... The Dragons are on a four-game regular-season winning streak heading into the Valentine's Day matchup. New York QB AARON GARCIA has recorded at least six touchdowns in each of his last six games stretching back the 2003 season... Garcia's all-time pass completion percentage vs. Chicago is 70.8 percent, averages 314.3 YPG and more than 6 TDs/game vs. Chicago in his career and was sacked five times in those three games... The last time Chicago and New York met - a Dragons' win in the 2003 playoffs - Garcia connected with WILL HOLDER and CHRIS ANTHONY for 239 yards and five TDs. In that contest, New York did not run the ball once... In team history, Chicago's pass defense has allowed only six 300-yard games with the Rush, two of those were vs. New York's AARON GARCIA, who passed for 300-plus yards in each of his regular season games against Chicago... The 92 passing yards and 107 total yards given up by the Chicago defense were the fewest given up in team history... In addition to a pair of passing touchdowns, Chicago QB RAYMOND PHILYAW had a career-best three rushing scores last week... In his five-year career, Philyaw has faced New York three times and won each game. He has recorded 20 touchdowns against the Dragons all-time (5 rushing; 15 passing), no interceptions and been sacked just twice.

INDIANA FIREBIRDS (0-1) AT NEW ORLEANS VOO DOO (1-0)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, AT 3 P.M. ET
(TV: NBC - ELI GOLD, CHARLES DAVIS and RICH LENZ)

Rushing seven times for 29 yards and a TD against Columbus last week, Indiana FB/LB LEROY THOMPSON became the Firebirds all time leading rusher, with 804 career rushing yards... Firebirds DS and return man ANTHONY DERRICKS put up impressive numbers in Week 1, and is currently sixth in the AFL in kickoff return average at 22 yards per return.... That same game, Firebirds QB TONY ZIMMERMAN completed 3-of-7 passes for 46 yards, including a 29-yard TD strike to BRETT BECK after KEVIN DAFT left the game with an arm injury after completing 14-of-22 passes for three TDs and an interception... The New Orleans VooDoo defense was among the League leaders in takeaway margin in Week 1 (+2) and was led by DS CHRIS POINTER'S 11 total tackles.... Leading the New Orleans ground attack was FB/LB DAN CURRAN, who put up 45 yards and two TDs on only five carries last week... In 2003 Curran rushed 53 times for 117 yards and 8 TDs... VooDoo QB JOHN FITZGERALD finished with solid numbers last week, throwing for four TDs and 206 yards on his way to a 42-34 victory over the Soul.

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (1-0) AT LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (0-1)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, AT 3 P.M. ET
(TV: NBC - BOB PAPA, RAY BENTLEY and MITCH ROBERTS)

This will be the second meeting ever between the Gladiators and Avengers... In the first meeting, Avengers QB TONY GRAZIANI threw for seven TDs and ran for one more as the Avengers topped the Gladiators 60-48... Graziani completed 14-of-27 for 214 yards and six TDs against the Arizona Rattlers last week, hitting five different receivers for scores... Graziani did not throw an interception for the sixth time in his last eight games, dating back to last season... Also last week, WR/DB KEVIN INGRAM recorded an interception and gathered a pair of TD receptions for the Avengers, including a catch in the endzone from OS CHRIS JACKSON... Throwing for 290 yards, six TDs and one 1 INT against the Avengers in 2003, former Grand Rapids Rampage QB CLINT DOLEZEL will be looking for his first win wearing a Gladiators uniform this Saturday... Dolezel is currently winless (0-2) against the Avengers franchise.

PHILADELPHIA SOUL (0-1) AT DALLAS DESPERADOS (0-1)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, AT 4 P.M. ET

Dallas WR/LB JASON SHELLEY hauled in 10 receptions for 122 yards and two TDs has caught at least one TD in his last four games... Desperados WR/DB WILL PETTIS has a three-game TD streak... Philadelphia OS TYRONNE JONES has nine TDs in his last four games, dating back to his time with Georgia in 2003... The Desperados are 2-0 all-time against expansion teams, including last year 's victory over the Colorado Crush... CHRIS "SOUL TRAIN" RYAN leads the AFL in third-and-one rushing by converting on both of his attempts in Sunday's loss to New Orleans.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 11, 2004


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