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AFL Arizona Rattlers

Arizona Rattlers Game Notes

April 23, 2003 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Arizona Rattlers News Release


The Stakes: The Rattlers are in search of their fourth straight win, after outlasting Grand Rapids 82-81 in overtime. Carolina is seeking their first win of 2003. The Cobras fell 59-19 to Georgia last week.

The Series: Arizona and Carolina will meet for the fourth time. Arizona is 3-0 against the Cobras, including last season's 61-59 playoff victory.

TV: Tonight's game will be seen locally on WB-61. Tom Leander and Gene Nudo will call all the action.

Radio: All Rattler games are broadcast on KMVP 860 AM. Kent Derdivanis and Ron Wolfley will provide the commentary.

Head Coaches: Head Coach and General Manager Danny White (122-57 overall, 107-49 regular season) is in his 12th season with the Arizona Rattlers. The 2002 Arena Football Hall of Fame inductee is second all-time in coaching victories, with 117 wins. White is only the second coach in AFL history to notch 100 wins. White's career-winning percentage of .681 ranks fifth all-time in AFL history. He is a two-time ArenaBowl Champion (1994, 1997).

Mike Hold is in his first season as Head Coach of the Cobras. Hold spent the previous two years with af2's Augusta Stallions, earning a career record of 22-10. Hold is a former Rattlers quarterback, spending the 1996 season in the Black and Copper.

Last Meeting: The last time these two teams met, the Rattlers had perhaps their most amazing ending ever. Trailing by as many as 19 points in the second round of the playoffs, the Rattlers rallied back. With three seconds remaining, Sherdrick Bonner's desperation pass off the net landed in Chris Horn's arms for a 61-59 win, sending the Rattlers to the semi-finals of the AFL Playoffs.

Grand Kelly: On the strength of his 44 yard rushing day against Grand Rapids, FB/LB Bo Kelly is now only nine yards away from reaching the 1,000 career rushing yards mark. Kelly would join Les Barley, Andre Bowden, and Chad Dukes as the only men to rush for 1,000 yards in a career. Kelly is Arizona's all-time rushing leader.

The Legend: WR/LB Hunkie Cooper cements his status as an AFL legend on a weekly basis. Cooper added five catches and 87 yards against Grand Rapids to his already impressive season numbers. Cooper ranks first all-time in kickoff returns, second all-time in all-purpose yards, third in kickoff return touchdowns, and fourth in pass receptions.

You Sed It: Rattlers Quarterback Sherdrick Bonner is third all-time in Arena Football history with 510 touchdown passes. He is also third in passing yards (25,842) and pass completions (2,040). Bonner also ranks fourth for pass attempts (3,304).

New INT Record: With his interception against the SaberCats on 3/23, WR/DB Randy Gatewood set a new franchise record with his seventh interception of the season. Gatewood broke the record shared by himself and Cecil Doggette. It was the 22nd interception of Gatewood's career, tying him with Doggette for the most in franchise history.

Deja Vu: For the second straight week, the Rattlers scored 82 points in an overtime victory. Arizona tied the franchise record set the previous week with 82 points, and set a new record for points given up (81). Arizona and Grand Rapids combined for 163 points, the second highest total in AFL history. Only New York and Carolina scored more, combining for 167 points in 2001. New York set the AFL record by scoring 99 points in that game.

Career Day (Again): One week after tying his career high for touchdown passes in a game, Sherdrick Bonner did it again. Bonner's nine scoring tosses against the Rampage tied his career high, and put him at 510 in his career. Bonner has thrown 64 touchdowns this season in ten games.

Next Week: The Rattlers close out their regular season home schedule when they take on the Los Angeles Avengers. The NBC game will start at Noon, and the first 3,000 fans through the doors will receive a Sherdrick Bonner Bobblehead Doll.

Last Week: The Rattlers continued their offensive surge, posting their second consecutive 82 point effort in an 82-81 overtime victory over the Grand Rapids Rampage. Bo Kelly led the attack with 44 rushing yards on five carries with a touchdown, and 60 yards on three catches and the game-winning touchdown. Sherdrick Bonner was 26-43 for 358 and nine touchdowns. Randy Gatewood hauled in six catches for 55 yards and four scores.

Officials: Officials for today's game are: Wes Fritz (Referee), Tony Payne (Umpire), Rich Grube (Head Linesman), Kent Payne (Line Judge), and James Cole (Back Judge). Snakes Alive: The Cobras and the Rattlers have more in common than just the snake moniker. Clarence Lawson, Terence Davis, and Bo Kelly all spent time with the Cobras. Lawson spent the 2002 season in Carolina, scoring a touchdown on an INT return against the Rattlers in the playoffs last season. Davis was in the Cobras training camp this season, and Kelly spent the 2000 season in Cobra red. Carolina Head Coach Mike Hold spent the 1996 season as a quarterback for the Rattlers. Ben Crosland and Robert Stewart both were with Arizona at the beginning of this season, but now line-up for the Cobras. Derek Stingley spent 2002 with the Rattlers. Kelvin Ingram is also a former Rattler.

The Rocket Man: Orshawante Bryant had another stellar day for Arizona against the Rampage. Bryant caught five balls for 79 yards and a career high four touchdowns. "O" also returned eight kickoffs for 175 yards, and had a touchdown called back by penalty. Bryant finished the game with 276 all-purpose yards.

Weekly Awards: Sherdrick Bonner was named the AFL's Offensive Player of the Week following his 358 yard, nine touchdown performance against the Rampage. Bonner also won the award following the Los Angeles and Indiana games. The Rattlers have won six weekly awards so far this season. WR/DB Randy Gatewood has earned two of them, being named the ADT Defensive Player of the Week against the Fury on 3/7 and Ironman of the Week for his play versus Las Vegas. WR/LB Hunkie Cooper was named Ironman of the Week following the Indiana game.

IR: FB/LB Frank Trentadue is on Injured Reserve. OL/DL Lindsay Hassell is on Injured Reserve and expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. K Nelson Garner was placed on Injured Reserve prior to the Rampage game with a broken arm. Chris Sailer, who kicked for the Rattlers for part of 2002, was signed to fill in for the injured Garner.

Monster 80's: The Rattlers became the first team in the history of the Arena Football League to score 80 or more points in consecutive games.



Arena Football League Stories from April 23, 2003


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