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AFL I Arizona Rattlers

Arizona Rattlers game notes

March 29, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Arizona Rattlers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Game: Arizona Rattlers at San Jose SaberCats
Date: Sunday, April 2, 2006
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. (Pacific)
Site: San Jose, Calif.
Arena: HP Pavilion (14,041)
Television: NBC (Ted Robinson, John Jackson, Raaj Mathai)
Radio: ESPN Radio 860 AM (Kent Derdivanis, Dale Hellestrae)
Series Record: Arizona leads 13-10 (1-3 in postseason)
Last Meeting: San Jose 58, Arizona 50 - February 12, 2006 at US Airways Center
Officials: Perry Havener (R), Tom Laverty (U), Rusty Baynes (HL), David Meslow (LJ), Barry Anderson (BJ)
Head Coaches: Arizona - Gene Nudo (first season, 5-4) San Jose - Darren Arbet (eighth season, 76-37, 9-4 in playoffs)

2006 RATTLERS: After starting the season with a franchise-worst three losses, Arizona now finds themselves at the top of the Western Division after winning five of their last six, including four straight. This week, the newly charged Rattlers aim for their fifth consecutive win when they take on the San Jose SaberCats, who beat them in their first meeting in Phoenix. Head Coach Gene Nudo, who is on the sidelines this season for the first time since 1995 when he was an assistant, looks to get his team two games above .500. QB Sherdrick Bonner has stayed healthy since returning from a shoulder injury, throwing for 1,998 yards and 42 TD's in his last eight games. Bonner, who threw his 700th career TD in last week's victory, is one win shy of 100 career victories. WR/LB Randy Gatewood has recorded touchdown receptions in seven games including five in last week's win. The "Ironman of the Year" candidate also leads the team in interceptions (3) and tackles (40). OS Damien Groce, who is the team's top receiver, returns to the lineup after missing two games with a shoulder injury. Other key offensive weapons include WR/LB Cosmo DeMatteo, who has caught 35 passes in the last six games, and WR/DB Curtis Fagan, who has had TD receptions in each of the last three wins. Defensively, the team has relied on DS Erin Damond and DS Joe Todd in the backfield and linemen Kelvin Ingram and Wendall Gaines, who have six of the team's nine sacks, up front. Rookie WR/DB Talib Wise is an emerging star that has caught 14 passes while tallying 21.5 tackles this year.
THE SERIES: The Rattlers will meet their division rival for the 28th time. Only Orlando and Tampa Bay have met more often. Arizona holds a 13-10 regular season advantage, with a 7-6 record at San Jose. The SaberCats hold a 3-1 postseason advantage. Two of the four Rattler playoff losses to the SaberCats were in ArenaBowls (2002, 2004). Last season, the teams split with each team winning at home. The last time a team swept the regular season series was in 2004 when the Rattlers took both regular season battles but lost to San Jose in the championship.

ARIZONA RATTLERS (5-4)
Date Opponent Time(P) TV
Jan. 29 @ Los Angeles Loss 40-31
Feb. 3 Austin Loss 53-34
Feb. 12 San Jose Loss 55-50
Feb. 18 Utah Win 45-38
Feb. 24 @ Columbus Loss 42-26
Mar. 6 Nashville Win 51-49
Mar. 10 Orlando Win 60-57
Mar. 17 @ Las Vegas Win 47-33
Mar. 24 Los Angeles Win 58-45
April 2 @ San Jose 3:00 NBC
April 7 @ Utah 6:00 FSAZ(delay)
April 15 Chicago 7:00 OLN
April 23 @ G. Rapids 11:00a None
April 29 @ Dallas 5:00 None
May 6 Las Vegas 7:00 None
May 12 @ Colorado 6:00 FSAZ(delay)

SAN JOSE SABERCATS (3-6)
Date Opponent Time(M) TV
Jan. 28 Utah Loss 48-35
Feb. 3 @ Las Vegas Loss 51-48
Feb. 12 @ Arizona Win 58-50
Feb. 19 @ Grand Rapids Loss 66-52
Feb. 26 @ Chicago Loss 54-48
Mar. 4 @ Utah Win 65-50
Mar. 12 Los Angeles Loss 75-61
Mar. 17 Georgia Win 56-55
Mar. 25 @ Nashville Loss 51-48
Apr. 2 Arizona 3:00 NBC
Apr. 7 @ Tampa Bay 4:30 WB
Apr. 14 Las Vegas 7:30 FSN
Apr. 22 Austin 7:30 None
Apr. 29 @ Los Angeles 7:30 WB
May 6 Colorado 7:30 None
May 13 Columbus 7:30 None


RATTLER HEAD COACH: Gene Nudo enters his first season as head coach to become the third head coach in franchise history. Nudo joined the Rattlers coaching staff in 1995 as an assistant head coach before becoming a part of the team's front office in 1996. A true pioneer in the AFL, Nudo coached the first-ever Arena Football games in Rockford, Ill. (1986) as well as its "Showcase Game" in Rosemont, Ill. (1987). He would later serve as the Director of Player Personnel and assistant coach for the Chicago Bruisers (1987-88), helping guide them to a berth in ArenaBowl II.

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Rattler head coach Gene Nudo on last week's win against Los Angeles: "It was an encouraging victory, but I still think there are a lot of areas that we can improve upon. I was happy to see our guys play with a no-quit attitude and that they were able to come out re-charged and focused in the second half. There were numerous players that stepped up for us and had a great game."

Nudo on San Jose: "They are fighting for consistency just like we have been. A major reason for some of their problems has been because they have been playing with so many new people. We know their record is not a direct reflection of their team, especially since they beat us earlier in the year by eight points. They have a lot of talented guys that are just starting to get on the same page."

Nudo on what to focus on this week: "This game is no bigger than the last four games that we have won. We just need to continue to prepare one game at a time and not look ahead. Even though we have been winning, we still need to address areas where we have been weak. We need to improve our kick coverage and our running game, especially in goaline situations."

ARIZONA RATTLERS
2005 Results (7-9)
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 28 @ G. Rapids Win 58-38
Feb. 3 Orlando Loss 51-40
Feb.12 @ Georgia Loss 61-47
Feb. 19 Colorado Loss 69-74
Feb. 27 @ New York Loss 61-37
Mar. 6 Los Angeles Loss 33-29
Mar. 13 @ Tampa Bay Loss 59-56
Mar. 19 Las Vegas Loss 66-63
Mar. 26 @ Nashville Win 48-35
April 3 @ San Jose Loss 48-27
April 8 Columbus Win 70-53
April 22 Austin Win 52-26
April 30 @ Los Angeles Loss 59-56
May 6 Chicago Win 61-43
May 14 San Jose Win 54-44
May 22 @ Las Vegas Win 49-42

NEXT GAME: The Rattlers will stay on the road to play their last of four consecutive divisional games when they travel to Utah to take on the Blaze on April 7. It will be the second of two meetings this season, as the Rattlers look to pull the season sweep after taking the first contest in Phoenix. The game is set to kick off at 6:00 p.m. (PST) and can be heard on ESPN 860AM.
THE "IF" SECTION
If the Rattlers defeat San Jose it would:
- be their fifth consecutive overall victory
- be their second consecutive road win
- be their 12th win in their last 17 games
- give them a 5-2 record in the Western Division
- give them a three game lead over San Jose
- give them their first victory on Sunday

Rattlers Coaching HistorySeason - Head Coach Record
1992-2004 Danny White 122-57 (playoffs 20-10)
2005 Todd Shell 7-9
2006 Gene Nudo 5-4

DIVISION ADDITION: The league's Western division took new shape this year with the addition of the expansion Utah Blaze. The Blaze are coached by former Rattler head coach Danny White, who is the team's head coach, while former Rattler WR/LB Hunkie Cooper is an assistant.

SLOW STARTERS: The Rattlers have hardly been known for breaking out of the gates quickly in recent years. In their last four seasons, Arizona has a combined 12-20 record during the first half of the season. Despite the slow starts, the Rattlers were still able to make championship runs in 2003 and 2004.

Record Year- Seson Result 1st Half 2nd Half Final record
2003 lost ArenaBowl XVII 4-4 6-2 13-7
2004 lost ArenaBowl XVIII 3-5 8-0 13-6
2005 missed playoffs 1-7 6-2 7-9
2006 ???? 4-4 1-0 ???

25 PERCENT OF THE TOP 20: The league's historical committee announced the top 20 players in AFL history on January 18, 2006. A total of five players with Rattler ties made the list, including current Rattler QB Sherdrick Bonner and WR/DB Randy Gatewood. Former Rattlers included WR/LB Hunkie Cooper, QB Aaron Garcia, and FB/LB Bob McMillen.

Top 20 Players of All-time
1. Eddie Brown - Albany, Indiana
2. Barry Wagner - Orlando, San Jose
3. George LaFrance - Detroit, Tampa Bay, New Jersey
4. Jay Gruden - Tampa Bay, Orlando
5. Hunkie Cooper - Arizona
6. James Baron - Chicago, Nashville
7. Sylvester Bembery - New England, Albany, Tampa
8. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona
9. Stevie Thomas - Tampa Bay, Orlando, New Jersey
10. Dwayne Dixon - Washington, Detroit
11. Aaron Garcia - Arizona, Iowa, New York
12. Kurt Warner - Iowa
13 Sam Hernandez - Las Vegas, Anaheim, San Jose
14. Cory Fleming - Carolina, Orlando, Nashville
14. Greg Hopkins - Albany, Indiana, Los Angeles
16. Alvin Rettig - Detroit
17. Randy Gatewood - Arizona
17. Gary Mullen - Denver, Detroit, Cincinnati
19. John Corker - Detroit, Miami
20. Bob McMillen - Arizona, San Jose, Chicago
13 = 8 = GREAT: Arizona quarterback Sherdrick Bonner is one of the league's best all-time field generals, as he was honored as eighth-greatest on the league's top 20 of all-time. In addition to owning every Rattler passing record, he is steadily working his way up the league charts. Currently, Bonner ranks in the top four in four different all-time passing stats with 35,085 passing yards (No. 4 on the AFL career chart), 702 touchdowns (No. 4), 4,534 pass attempts (No. 3), and 2,777 completions (No. 4). Bonner has also won more games than any other quarterback in AFL history with 99 regular season victories and 17 playoff wins.

Career Passing Yards
1. Andy Kelly - Kansas City Brigade 38,546
2. Aaron Garcia - New York Dragons 36,102
3. Clint Dolezel - Dallas Desperados 35,403
4. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona Ratters 35,085

Career Touchdowns
1. Aaron Garcia - New York Dragons 759
2. Andy Kelly - Kansas City Brigade 739
3. Clint Dolezel - Dallas Desperados 722
4. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona Ratters 702

Career Attempts
1. Andy Kelly - Kansas City Brigade 5,665
2. Clint Dolezel - Dallas Desperados 4,566
3. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona Ratters 4,534
4. Aaron Garcia - New York Dragons 4,468

Career Completions
1. Andy Kelly - Kansas City Brigade 3,506
2. Clint Dolezel - Dallas Desperados 2,981
3. Aaron Garcia - New York Dragons 2,833
4. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona Ratters 2,777

SCORING MACHINE: WR/DB Randy Gatewood scored a touchdown in 13 of his 16 games last season. He has scored touchdowns in seven of nine games this season and has a total of 181 touchdowns in his career as a Rattler.

PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

San Jose WR/LB Ben Nelson: In just five games, Nelson has broke out as San Jose's top offensive threat, catching 40 passes for 542 yards and eight touchdowns. In his last three games, he has hauled in 33 catches for 465 yards and seven touchdowns. With those kinds of numbers, the emerging star could become a strong candidate for "Rookie of the Year". This week, Nelson could pose the biggest challenge for a Rattler secondary that has shut down big name receivers in recent weeks.

Arizona OL/DL Wendall Gaines: Gaines, who came off the injured reserve list last week, made an impact in a major way by applying constant pressure on L.A.'s quarterback and recording two sacks in the fourth quarter. On his final sack, he stripped the ball away to seal Arizona's victory. Offensively, the Ratters may look to Gaines, especially in redzone situations, as they have struggled to get the ball into the endzone from short yardage. San Jose's front line will face a big challenge trying to keep Gaines, who is sixth in the league in sacks with four, away from their quarterback.
LAST GAME:
RATTLERS OUTLAST AVENGERS, 58-45

Phoenix, Ariz. (March 24, 2006) - Guided by new Rattlers in the past weeks, it was the old Rattlers that stepped up and extended Arizona's winning streak to four during a 58-45 victory over the Los Angeles Avengers in front of 10,075 at US Airways Center.

Going into the contest, Rattler quarterback Sherdrick Bonner needed five touchdowns to become the fourth quarterback in AFL history to throw for 700. Bonner responded by taking "Offensive Player of the Game" honors with seven touchdowns passes, including five to Randy Gatewood, who was named "Ironman of the Game."

"I am fortunate to have a guy like Randy around to help me achieve this milestone," said Bonner. "More importantly, we got the win. This was a real testament to what happens when we play as a team."

The win gives Arizona (5-4) a two-game lead in the Western Division and puts them above .500 for the first time this season.

"We pulled it together after a rough first half," head coach Gene Nudo said. "Our guys really took things into their own hands tonight."

The Rattlers struck first when Bonner, who was under intense pressure from Avenger lineman Silas Demary, scrambled out of the pocket and dropped a 24-yard lob pass to wide receiver/defensive back Curtis Fagan, who was able to keep both feet inbounds. The catch gave Arizona an early 7-0 lead.

Faced with a third-and-long on their first drive, the Avengers' opening series was capped by a two-yard touchdown run by fullback/linebacker Lonnie Ford to tie the game at seven.

The Rattlers were held to a field goal on the next possession when Los Angeles return man Antoine Burns took the ensuing kickoff back 52 yards to give the Avengers the lead back, 14-10, with 1:45 left in the first quarter.

After forcing Arizona to attempt a 43-yard field goal that sailed wide right on the next series, the Avengers overcame two more third-and-longs on the ensuing drive to set up a 16-yard touchdown pass from Cumbie to wide receiver/defensive back Kevin Ingram to give them an 11-point lead, 21-10. Rattler defensive specialist Joe Todd nearly intercepted a Cumbie pass two plays before the score.

Wide receiver/defensive back Randy Gatewood caught touchdowns on the next two Arizona possessions. The first was a two-yard reception and the second was an eight-yard score to cut the Avenger lead to 28-24 with under a minute to go in the half

Ingram caught his second touchdown, which appeared to be the final points of the half with four seconds left to give L.A. a 34-24 lead, but Gatewood appeared to score his third-straight touchdown of the half when he caught a dump pass from Bonner, running it in from 49 yards out as time expired.

Emotions were high after the play was negated by a holding penalty on offensive/defensive lineman Wendall Gaines, giving Los Angeles a 10-point halftime lead.

The Rattlers went into the second half without offensive specialist Darrell Jones, who was lost with an ankle injury.

The half opened with two consecutive stops, as Arizona forced the Avengers into a four-and-out to take over at the L.A. one-yard line on the first series, but Ingram intercepted Bonner on a fourth-and-goal in the endzone to give Los Angeles possession back.

Los Angeles kicker Remy Hamilton broke the nine-and-a-half-minute third quarter scoring drought when he nailed a 17-yard field goal to give the Avengers their biggest lead, 38-24.

The Rattlers scored two consecutive touchdowns before the quarter ended. The first was a 24-yard strike from Bonner to wide receiver/line backer Cosmo DeMatteo. The Rattler defense forced their first turnover of the game when offensive/defensive lineman Zach Rupp sacked Cumbie in the endzone while stripping the ball loose. Offensive/defensive lineman Kelvin Ingram recovered the ball to tie the game at 38.

Arizona's defense recorded another stop when Hamilton missed a 38-yard attempt, giving them a chance to take the lead with 12:28 left.

Two plays later, Bonner tallied the 700th touchdown pass of his career, a 35-yard strike to Gatewood that gave the Rattlers their first lead since the first quarter, 45-38, with 11:02 remaining in the game.

Arizona never relinquished the lead while extending it to 14, 52-38, when Bonner hooked up with Gatewood for the fourth time after another defensive stop.

The Avengers scored their first touchdown of the half when Cumbie hit Burns from seven yards out to cut the Rattler lead to 52-45 with 3:35 left, but Bonner hooked up with Gatewood for a fifth time after Travis Cole recovered an onside kick. Kral missed the extra-point attempt to keep it at 58-45 with less than two minutes left.

"It was great to come out and make some big plays," said Gatewood. "We just need to keep this positive momentum going."

DeMatteo recovered a fumble after Gaines sacked Cumbie for a second time to seal the Rattler victory.

Defensive specialist Joe Todd earned "Defensive Player of the Game" honors with six and half tackles and seven pass breakups. Bonner finished 16-of-29 for 236 yards while Gatewood was the leading receiver with seven catches for 112 yards.

LOS ANGELES (3-6) 14 21 3 7 -- 58
ARIZONA (5-4) 10 14 14 20 -- 45

QUEST FOR 100: Rattler quarterback Sherdrick Bonner needs just one win to become the first QB in AFL history to win 100 games.

GETTING PASS DEFENSIVE: The Rattlers rank second in the league in pass defense, allowing just 2105 yards in nine games (233 yards/per game average).

Passing Defense Avg. Yds per game
1. Kansas City Brigade 2041 226.8
2. Arizona Rattlers 2105 233.9
3. Nashville Kats 2117 235.2
4. Columbus Destroyers 2146 238.4

SNAKES STACK STOPS: Arizona has been one of the league's stingiest teams when it comes to giving up touchdowns. Opponents have found the endzone on just 52.83 percent of their possessions.

Defense Touchdown %Rank Team Opp Poss. TD's TD %
1. Columbus Destroyers 108 49 45.37
2. Nashville Kats 104 54 51.92
3. Arizona Rattlers 106 56 52.83
4. Austin Wranglers 105 56 53.33

NFL RATTLERS: Twelve Rattlers have spent time on NFL rosters - OL/DL Vince Amey (1998 Oakland), OL/DL Sebastian Barrie (1992 Green Bay, 1994 San Francisco and Arizona), QB Sherdrick Bonner (1998 Atlanta), DS Wendell Davis (1996-99 Dallas, 1999 Washington), WR/DB Curtis Fagan (2005 Tampa Bay), OL/DL Wendall Gaines (1993-96 Arizona, 1997 Kansas City, 1998-99 Philadelphia), WR/DB Randy Gatewood (1995 Miami), OL/DL Kelvin Ingram (1995-96 New Orleans, 1996-97 Seattle), WR/DB Jeremiah Pope (2004 Philadelphia), WR/DB Wilson Thomas (2003 Kansas City, 2004 Green Bay Packers), OL/DL Mark Tucker (1991 Atlanta, 1992 Indianapolis, 1993-94 Arizona, 1995 Jacksonville), and WR/DB Talib Wise (2005 Chicago). Three Ratters -- Amey (7th round), Davis (6th round), and Tucker (7th round) -- were NFL Draft picks. Davis is the most experienced, having played in 34 NFL games.

ARIZONA CONNECTIONS: The Rattlers have four players with local connections: OL/DL Vince Amey (Arizona State alum), and QB Dennis Gile (prepped at Cortez High in Phoenix). Two Rattlers - OL/DL Wendall Gaines and OL/DL Mark Tucker - played for the Arizona Cardinals.

CATCH RATTLE AND ROLL: The Rattlers lead the league in yards per catch, averaging over 13 yards per reception.
Passing Yards per catchRank Team Comp Yards Avg.
1. Arizona Rattlers 174 2349 13.5
2. Dallas Desperados 221 2744 12.4
3. Orlando Predators 184 2259 12.3
3. Philadelphia Soul 193 2366 12.3
RECENT ROSTER MOVES:
Date Action Player
3/23 Activated from IR OL/DL Wendall Gaines
Signed to practice squad QB Dennis Gile
3/22 Waived QB Dennis Gile
3/16 Signed from practice squad DS Art Smith
Signed to practice squad WR/DB Johnny Marshall
Placed on IR OS Damien Groce
3/14 Signed from practice squad QB Dennis Gile
3/9 Signed from practice squad DS Erin Damond
Signed to practice squad OL/DL Tim CroffWR/DB Arthur Smith
Placed on IR DS Wendell Davis
3/3 Activated from IR DS Wendell DavisOL/DL Steve MascorroFB/LB Frank Trentadue
Placed on IR OL/DL Wendall GainesDS Clarence LawsonOL/DL Mark Tucker
Signed to practice squad DS Erin Damond
2/27 Released OL/DL Ethan Banning
Activated from IR OL/DL Ethan Banning
2/23 Signed from Practice Squad WR/DB Darrell Jones
Activated from IR OL/DL Asi Faoa
Placed on IR WR/DB Jeremiah PopeFB/LB Steve Warren
2/17 Re-signed QB Sherdrick BonnerWR/LB Randy GatewoodOL/DL Mark Tucker

THE RATTLERS ARE ...
- 4-2 at US Airways Center
- 1-2 on the road
- 3-0 when they score more than 50 points
- 1-0 when they score 60 or more points
- 5-4 when they allow less than 60 points
- 4-2 when they allow less than 50 points
- 2-0 when they allow less than 40 points
- 3-2 when they score first
- 2-0 when they commit fewer turnovers
- 1-3 when they commit more turnovers
- 4-1 when a player scores three or more touchdowns
- 0-1 when they score two or more TDs on the ground
- 4-1 when Sherdrick Bonner throws five or more TDs
- 2-1 when Damien Groce scores two or more TDs
- 2-0 when Damien Groce catches seven or more passes
- 0-1 when Bo Kelly scores two or more TDs
- 1-3 when they commit fewer penalties
- 3-1 when they record at least one sack
- 1-2 when they go scoreless for at least one quarter
- 0-0 when they pitch a shutout in a quarter
- 2-0 when the game is decided by 7 or fewer points
- 3-1 when leading at halftime
- 1-3 when trailing at halftime

LAST MEETING WITH SAN JOSE
RATTLERS LOSE THIRD STRAIGHT, 58-50

Phoenix, Ariz. (Feb. 12, 2006) -- For the third-consecutive week the Arizona Rattlers (0-3) went down in defeat, but unlike their past two battles, their defense was the weak link, as they were unable to record a stop through the first three quarters in a 58-50 loss to the San Jose SaberCats (1-2) in front of 8,315 at US Airways Center.

The 0-3 start is the worst in Arizona franchise history, while San Jose's win puts them in a four-way tie for the division lead as Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Utah are all at 1-2 after losses this week.

"I look at our team and we have some blood under our nails," said Rattler head coach Gene Nudo. "We are still out there fighting."

The story of the Rattlers' young season could be summed up by the first play of the fourth quarter.

On a fourth-and-three at midfield while facing a 16-point deficit, quarterback Sherdrick Bonner threw for offensive specialist Damien Groce, who was wide open in the endzone after burning by his defender. As Groce extended for the apparent touchdown, the ball went through his hands.

"I shouldn't have dropped that ball," Groce said. "I don't usually do things like that."

San Jose capitalized on the stop, converting their ninth-straight offensive score, a 24-yard touchdown strike to Calvin Schexnayder that helped put San Jose up, 58-35 with 13 minutes left.

It was San Jose's final points, but enough to seal the deal.

Arizona made an effort to get back in the game with two consecutive touchdowns, but an onside kick attempt was knocked out of bounds with 28 seconds left, to make the final 58-50.

Bonner, who returned after missing a week with a sprained shoulder, had a solid performance, connecting on 24-of-36 passes for 339 yards and five touchdowns.

The Rattlers struck first in the contest, opening with a Bo Kelly one-yard touchdown run, to take a 7-0 lead three minutes into the first quarter.

After a Schexnayder four-yard touchdown grab tied it at seven, the Rattlers committed a costly turnover - a Steve Warren fumble inside SaberCat territory before the end of the first quarter.

The Rattlers scored touchdowns on their next two possessions, but the SaberCats responded with three-consecutive scoring drives of their own, which were all capped by touchdown runs.

The two teams traded touchdowns in the final minute to give San Jose a 34-28 halftime lead.
The SaberCats opened the second half with their fourth rushing touchdown, a six-yard scamper by Phil Glover, extending their lead to 13.

After an interception by San Jose wide receiver/defensive back Charles Pauly on the Rattlers' first second half possession, Glover ran another one in, this time from two yards to cap a 28-7 scoring run and give the Sabercats a 48-28 lead.

It was the ninth rushing touchdown given up in two games by the Rattlers at US Airways Center.

The Rattlers wide receiver/defensive back Jeremiah Pope caught a 12-yard touchdown to cut it to 35-48 with 2:31 left in the third, but the next offensive series ended with the Groce drop on fourth down.

The teams traded touchdowns down the stretch while the Rattlers defense recorded their first stop in the final minute after San Jose missed a 29-yard field goal attempt.

Shexnayder earned "Offensive Player of the Game" honors with nine catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns while Pauly was named "Ironman of the Game".

SaberCat defensive specialist Clevan Thomas earned "Defensive Player of the Game" honors with eight tackles.

SAN JOSE (1-2) 13 21 17 7 -- 58
ARIZONA (0-3) 7 21 7 15 -- 50

GATEWOOD NAMED "IRONMAN OF THE WEEK" FOR THIRD TIME

Phoenix, Ariz. (March 28, 2006) - Rattler wide receiver/defensive back Randy Gatewood has been named "Ironman of the Week" for the third time in four weeks, the Arena Football League announced today.

Gatewood (6-0, 185 pounds), who is in his 11th season in the AFL, helped carry the Rattlers offense in their 58-45 win over the Los Angeles Avengers on Friday night. Offensively, he caught seven passes for 112 yards and five touchdowns. He also tallied three tackles on defense.

The 2003 "Ironman of the Year" has 39 catches for 507 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. Defensively, he leads the team in tackles (40) and interceptions (3).

This marks the fourth time this year that the Rattlers have had an AFL weekly award winner. In addition to Gatewood winning the same honor back-to-back in Weeks 6 and 7, offensive specialist Damien Groce was named "Offensive Player of the Week" in Week 4.

ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS:

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Western Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Arizona 5 4 0 .555 402 415
Las Vegas 4 5 0 .444 449 470
Los Angeles 3 6 0 .333 440 512
San Jose 3 6 0 .333 471 500
Utah 3 6 0 .333 497 493

Central Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Colorado 6 3 0 .666 452 387
Nashville 6 3 0 .666 468 487
Chicago 4 5 0 .444 460 465
Grand Rapids 3 6 0 .333 434 476

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Dallas 7 2 0 .777 531 433
Columbus 5 4 0 .555 417 369
New York 5 4 0 .555 488 524
Philadelphia 5 4 0 .555 423 416

Southern Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Austin 6 3 0 .666 468 415
Georgia 5 4 0 .555 508 416
Orlando 5 4 0 .555 453 459
Tampa Bay 5 4 0 .555 483 498
Kansas City 1 8 0 .111 350 459

THIS WEEK IN THE AFL (all times EST):
Friday, March 31
Austin at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 1
Grand Rapids at New York 7:00 p.m.
Utah at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Columbus at Dallas 8:00 p.m.
Georgia at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Nashville at Colorado 9:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 2
Chicago at Orlando 12:00 p.m.
Los Angeles at Las Vegas 6:00 p.m.
Arizona at San Jose 6:00 p.m.

LAST WEEKS RESULTS
Friday, March 24
Kansas City 48, New York 54
Los Angeles 45, Arizona 58
Las Vegas 49, Utah 47

Saturday, March 25
Orlando 47, Austin 37
Philadelphia 55, Dallas 51
San Jose 48, Nashville 51
Columbus 65, Colorado 21

Sunday, March 26
Grand Rapids 44, Chicago 51
Tampa Bay 51, Georgia 61

INDIVIDUAL GAME-BY-GAME AWARDS

"OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME": Voted on by the media, the award goes to the player who was the most valuable to his team's offensive success in the game, win or lose.

W Opp. Offensive Player of the Game
1 @ Los Angeles K Remy Hamilton (L.A.)4-for-4 on FG's, 3-of-3 on XP's, 15 pts
2 Austin QB John Fitzgerald (AUS)16-of-29, 122 yds, 2TD's, 1 rush TD
3 San Jose WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder (S.J.)9 catches, 147 yards, 2TD's
4 Utah OS Damien Groce (ARI)11 catches, 194 yards, 4TD's
5 @ Columbus OS Damien Groce (ARI)5 catches, 84 yards, 3TD's
6 Nashville OS T.T. Toliver (NAS)8 catches, 132 yards, 4TD's
7 Orlando WR/DB Darrell Jones (ARI)9 returns, 203 yards, 2 TD KO returns
8 @ Las Vegas WR/DB Darrell Jones (ARI)8 catches, 144 yards, 3TD's
9 Los Angeles QB Sherdrick Bonner (ARI)16-of-29, 236 yards, 7 TD's

"U.S. ARMY IRONMAN OF THE GAME": Voted on by the media, the award goes to the two-way player who best demonstrated the ideals of the AFL's style of ironman football

W Opp. Ironman of the Game
1 @ Los Angeles WR/DB Kevin Ingram (L.A.)7 catches, 126 yards, 1TD, 1 INT
2 Austin FB/LB Dane Krager (AUS)9 rushes, 22 yds, 3TD's, 2 tackles
3 San Jose WR/DB Charles Pauly (S.J.)3 catches, 78 yds, 1TD, 1INT
4 Utah WR/DB Randy Gatewood (ARI)3 catches, 32 yds, 1TD, 3 tckls, 1PB
5 @ Columbus FB/LB Leroy Thompson (CBS)10 carries, 28 yds, 1TD, 1tackle, 1PB
6 Nashville WR/DB Randy Gatewood (ARI)8 catches, 88 yds, 2 TD's, 2 INT's
7 Orlando WR/DB Cosmo DeMatteo (ARI)7 catches, 70 yards, 1TD, 3.5 tackles
8 @ Las Vegas WR/DB Talib Wise (ARI)6 catches, 39 yards, 3 tackles
9 Los Angeles WR/DB Randy Gatewood (ARI)7 catches, 112 yds, 5 TD, 3.5 tackles

"ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME": Voted on by the media, the award goes to the player who was the
most valuable to his team's defensive success in the game, win or lose.

W Opp. Defensive Player of the Game
1 @ Los Angeles WR/DB Kevin Ingram (L.A.)2 tackles, 1 interception
2 Austin DS Damon Mason (AUS)4 tackles, 3 pass breakups, 3 INT's
3 San Jose DS Clevan Thomas (S.J.)9 tackles, 1 forced fum., 1 breakup
4 Utah DS Joe Todd (ARI)7 tackles, 5 pass breakups, 1 INT
5 @ Columbus DS Jerald Brown (CBS)1 tackle, 2 INT's, 1 pass breakup
6 Nashville DS Monty Montgomery (NAS)7.5 tackles, 2 INT's, 1 pass breakup
7 Orlando DS Jeroid Johnson (ORL)2 INT returns for TD's, 4 tackles
8 @ Las Vegas DS Erin Damond (ARI)7 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 INT
9 Los Angeles DS Joe Todd (ARI)6.5 tackles, 7 pass breakups

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 29, 2006


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