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AFL I Arizona Rattlers

Arizona Rattlers game notes

April 5, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Arizona Rattlers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Game: Arizona Rattlers at Utah Blaze
Date: Friday, April 7, 2006
Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. (Pacific)
Site: Salt Lake City, Utah
Arena: Delta Center (16,400)
Television: FSN Arizona - tape delay (Steve Brown, Alema Harrington, Chris Harris)
Radio: ESPN Radio 860 AM (Kent Derdivanis, Dale Hellestrae)
Series Record: Arizona leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Arizona 45, Utah 38 - February 12, 2006 at US Airways Center
Officials: Dennis Lipski (R), Rick Nelson (U), Kavin McGrath (HL), Darrel Leftwich (LJ), Rich Wilborn (BJ)
Head Coaches: Arizona - Gene Nudo (first season, 5-5) Utah - Danny White (14th season overall, 124-62, 20-10 in playoffs, first in Utah, 1-2)

2006 RATTLERS: Despite starting the season with three losses in a row, Arizona fought their way to the top of a wide-open Western division by winning five of their next six. Last week, the team's four-game win streak was snapped against San Jose. Even though the loss put the Rattlers back to .500, they still tied with Las Vegas for first place. This week, the Rattlers aim for their second road victory of the season when they take on the Utah Blaze, who they already defeated earlier this season. 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 above .500 once again. QB Sherdrick Bonner has stayed healthy since returning from a shoulder injury in Week 3, throwing for 2,345 yards and 48 TD's in his last nine games. Bonner is one win shy of 100 career victories. WR/LB Randy Gatewood has recorded touchdown receptions in eight games, including seven in the last two games. The "Ironman of the Year" candidate also leads the team in interceptions (3) and tackles (41). OS Damien Groce looks to return to the lineup after missing three games with a shoulder injury. Other key offensive weapons include WR/LB Cosmo DeMatteo, who has caught 38 passes in the last six games, and WR/DB Curtis Fagan, who had a career high 11 catches for 187 yards and three touchdowns last week. Defensively, the team has relied on DS Erin Damond and DS Joe Todd in the backfield. Linemen Kelvin Ingram and Wendall Gaines have six of the team's nine sacks.

THE SERIES: This will be the second meeting between the two teams, as Arizona took the first-ever contest, 45-38, earlier this season at US Airways Center. Blaze Head Coach Danny White coached the Rattlers during their first 13 seasons, while assistant Hunkie Cooper played with the Rattlers for the same tenure. The Blaze also have eight ex-Rattlers on their roster: FB/LB Orshawante Bryant, OS Siaha Burley, WR/DB Ryan Dennard, QB Joe Germaine, DS Kelvin Hunter, WR/LB Tom Pace and WR/DB Justin Taplin.

ARIZONA RATTLERS (5-5)
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. 4 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 Loss 61-49
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)

UTAH BLAZE (3-7)
Date Opponent Time(M) TV
Jan. 28 @San Jose Win 48-35
Feb. 4 Dallas Loss 53-56
Feb. 11 New York Loss 81-84
Feb. 18 @Arizona Loss 45-38
Feb. 25 @Los Angeles Win 68-66
Mar. 4 San Jose Loss 65-50
Mar. 10 Nashville Win 63-34
Mar. 16 @Grand Rapids Loss 59-49
Mar. 24 Las Vegas Loss 49-47
Apr. 1 @Tampa Bay Loss 56-41
Apr. 7 Arizona 7:00 FSN
Apr. 15 Los Angeles 7:00 KJZZ
Apr. 21 @Colorado 7:00 None
Apr. 29 @Las Vegas 8:30 None
May 6 @Chicago 6:00 FSN
May 12 Kansas City 7:00 KJZZ


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 loss to San Jose: "We dug ourselves in a hole that we were unable to overcome. I was happy that our guys got themselves back into the game, but the bottom line is they made the plays when they had to and we didn't. They are a championship caliber team. We did not play up to their level. We have to regroup and get ready for another divisional test next week."

Nudo on Utah: "They are playing much better and have solidified their team. Even though they haven't produced the results they've wanted, they have been playing inspired football. They have numerous offensive threats and are well coached. They played Tampa straight up last week, so we must be prepared. It will be a hard-fought divisional battle."

Nudo on the state of the season: "It's an extremely balanced league. Everyone wants to be critical of our division, but the whole league has experienced parity. Free agency has really taken over. The teams that gain momentum down the stretch of the season with be the ones that keep continuity and chemistry. There is still a lot of football to be played, and nothing has really been decided."

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 return home for the first time in two weeks to take on the Chicago Rush on Saturday, April 15. It will be Arizona's second-to-last home game of the regular season. The contest is set to kick off at 7:00 p.m. (PST) and can be heard on ESPN 860 AM.

THE "IF" SECTION
If the Rattlers defeat Utah it would:
- be their sixth victory in their last eight games
- be their second consecutive win over Utah
- be their 12th win in their last 18 games
- give them a 5-3 record in the Western Division
- give them a 4-2 record on Friday
- keep them with a share of first place in the division

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

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.

SECOND HALF SURGE: 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, but the team boasts a 21-5 record during the second half of the season, making 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 1-1 ???

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 35,432 passing yards (No. 4 on the AFL career chart), 708 touchdowns (No. 4), 4,575 pass attempts (No. 3), and 2,798 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 35,682
4. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona Ratters 35,432

Career Touchdowns
1. Aaron Garcia - New York Dragons 759
2. Andy Kelly - Kansas City Brigade 739
3. Clint Dolezel - Dallas Desperados 727
4. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona Ratters 708

Career Attempts
1. Andy Kelly - Kansas City Brigade 5,665
2. Clint Dolezel - Dallas Desperados 4,603
3. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona Ratters 4,575
4. Aaron Garcia - New York Dragons 4,468

Career Completions
1. Andy Kelly - Kansas City Brigade 3,506
2. Clint Dolezel - Dallas Desperados 3,003
3. Aaron Garcia - New York Dragons 2,833
4. Sherdrick Bonner - Arizona Ratters 2,798

SCORING MACHINE: WR/DB Randy Gatewood scored a touchdown in 13 of his 16 games last season. He has scored touchdowns in eight of ten games this season and has a total of 183 touchdowns in his career as a Rattler.

PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Utah QB Jason Gesser: Despite dropping the three games he has started in, Gesser has posted impressive numbers, including a 315-yard, five-touchdown performance in last week's lost against Tampa Bay. The rookie quarterback has thrown for at least five touchdowns in all three of his starts. As Utah returns home to take on a Rattler defense that struggled last week against San Jose, Gesser may put up the same type of numbers while looking for a different result.

Arizona WR/DB Jeremiah Pope: Pope had just two catches for 28 yards in his return from a finger injury that put him out for over a month. As the Rattlers look for performers to fill the void of injured Darrell Jones and injured Talib Wise, Pope's production on both sides of the ball will be something to keep an eye on. The former af2 standout is also a dangerous kick returner, as he tallied 127 yards on nine returns last week against San Jose. If Arizona is able to get Pope involved in an offense that has struggled to score over 50 points on a consistent basis, he could compliment other receivers and help them win a shootout against the potent Blaze.
LAST GAME:
ARIZONA STUNG IN SAN JOSE, 61-49

San Jose, Calif. (April 2, 2006) - The Rattlers four-game win streak came to an end, as the San Jose SaberCats never relinquished an early 13-0 lead to defeat Arizona 61-49, in front of 13,462 at HP Pavilion.

The loss puts the Rattlers (5-5) in a first place tie with Las Vegas in the Western Division, while San Jose (4-6), who swept the season series with Arizona, is one game back.

The Rattler offense, which was held scoreless in the first quarter, did not record a score until quarterback Sherdrick Bonner found wide receiver/defensive back Randy Gatewood for a 34-yard touchdown on their third possession with 14:46 left in the second quarter.

Bonner, who was 2-of-10 on the Rattlers' first two drives, finished the game 21-of-41 for 347 yards and six touchdowns.

"Early on we couldn't get it into gear," said Bonner. "San Jose is an arch-rival, a team that you don't want to get into a hole with early."

Arizona's first series ended with a 40-yard Gary Kral field goal attempt that went wide left, while their second drive ended with a turnover on downs on four plays.

While the Rattler offense struggled, San Jose scored touchdowns on each of their first four possessions. Three of the four touchdowns were to wide receiver/linebacker Ben Nelson, including a 40-yarder to give the SaberCats a 19-7 lead with 13:04 left in the first half.

Nelson earned "Offensive Player of the Game" honors with 11 catches for 203 yards and five scores.

The two teams traded touchdowns on their next four possessions. The two Rattler scores were to offensive specialist Curtis Fagan, who was filling in for Damien Groce, who was de-activated before the game. Fagan ended up with a career-high 11 catches for 187 yards and three touchdowns, including scores form 30 and 15 yards out in the second quarter.

Arizona looked as if they were going to go into the half down five, 33-28, as Fagan's second touchdown came with 15 seconds left in the half, but SaberCat quarterback Mark Grieb connected with Nelson for his fourth touchdown, a 41-yarder with three seconds left, to give San Jose a 40-28 halftime lead.

Grieb finished the contest 26-of-37 for 361 yards and nine touchdowns.

San Jose extended their lead to 19, 47-28, when Grieb found wide receiver/linebacker James Roe for his second score, three minutes into the third quarter.

On the next possession, the Rattlers were faced with a fourth-and-long when wide receiver/linebacker Cosmo DeMatteo caught an acrobatic 29-yard reception up against the wall to keep the drive alive. On the next play, Bonner hit Gatewood for his second touchdown to pull Arizona to 47-35.

After a successful onside kick attempt that was recovered by DeMatteo, Arizona seemed to have some momentum going their way, but the recovery was negated by an offsides penalty on Gatewood. Despite the missed opportunity, Arizona's defense would make their first stop, forcing the SaberCats to go four-and-out.

The Rattlers responded with a scoring drive that was aided by two pass interference penalties on defensive specialist Clevan Thomas. The drive was capped when Bonner, who was under pressure, ran in a touchdown from four yards out to pull the Rattlers back to within five, 47-42 with 1:58 left in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter scoring started when Roe caught his third score of the game on the next possession, while Fagan answered with his third touchdown of the contest, a 40-yarder that cut the deficit back to five.

Grieb hooked up with Nelson for a fifth time with 5:18 to go, putting the SaberCats up 61-49. It was Grieb's ninth touchdown of the contest, which tied his career-high.

Down two scores with 1:17 left, the Rattlers faced a fourth-and-23 on their own 15-yard line, but Bonner's pass to DeMatteo was caught two yards short of the first down marker, allowing San Jose to take over with a minute left to seal the victory.

"[San Jose] is a championship team," said head coach Gene Nudo. "To spot them that many points and get back in the game was a tough task. I thought our guys fought to get back in it, but every time we seemed to get momentum, [the SaberCats] were the ones making the big plays."

ARIZONA (5-5) 0 28 14 7 -- 49
SAN JOSE (4-6) 13 27 7 14 -- 61

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 fourth in the league in pass defense, allowing just 2456 yards in ten games (245 yards/per game average).

Passing Defense Avg. Yds per game
1. Kansas City Brigade 2336 233.6
2. Nashville Kats 2391 239.1
3. Columbus Destroyers 2425 242.5
4. Arizona Rattlers 2456 245.6

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 195 2688 13.8
2. Dallas Desperados 243 3023 12.4
3. Nashville Kats 188 2313 12.3
3. Orlando Predators 201 2450 12.2

RECENT ROSTER MOVES:
Date Action Player
4/1 Activated from IR OS Damien GroceWR/DB Jeremiah PopeWR/DB Wilson Thomas
Placed on IR OL/DL Anthony HutchOS Darrell JonesWR/DB Talib Wise
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

THE RATTLERS ARE ...
- 4-2 at US Airways Center
- 1-3 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
- 4-2 when a player scores three or more touchdowns
- 0-1 when they score two or more TDs on the ground
- 4-2 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
- 1-3 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
- 1-4 when trailing at halftime

LAST MEETING WITH UTAH
SNAKES SNAP LOSING STREAK, 45-38

Phoenix, Ariz. (Feb. 18, 2006) - The Arizona Rattlers (1-3) found their first win of the season in an unexpected defensive battle, 45-38, over the expansion Utah Blaze (1-3) in front of 11,206 at US Airways Center Saturday night.

The win broke a three-game losing streak for the Rattlers, which was the longest drought to start the season in franchise history.

"We're still not where we should be," said Rattler head coach Gene Nudo. "This is a good step in the right direction though."

The victory also put the Rattlers in a three-way tie in the division with Las Vegas and Utah. They trail the division-leading San Jose SaberCats by a half of a game.

Offensive specialist Damien Groce earned "Offensive Player of the Game" honors, recording 11 catches for 194 yards and four touchdowns. His fourth score was a 23-yard grab that put the game out of reach, 45-31, with 26 seconds left.

"The Rattlers brought me here to make plays," Groce said. "All week we were trying to stay focused and get our first win."

Defensive specialist Joe Todd was "Defensive Player of the Game", finishing with seven tackles and five pass breakups. Todd was also responsible for two key stops, intercepting a Joe Germaine pass in the second quarter while the game was tied at 14 and breaking up a pass intended for Blaze wide receiver/defensive back Orshawante Bryant on a Blaze fourth down while Utah was trailing by three points with 7:28 to go in the contest.

Arizona, who led 28-21 at halftime, ended the first half scoring with a 16-yard Randy Gatewood touchdown from Sherdrick Bonner. Gatewood earned "Ironman of the Game" honors with three catches for 32 yards and three tackles on defense.

It looked to be a long night for the Rattlers early as Bonner's second pass of the game was intercepted by former Rattler wide receiver/linebacker Tom Pace.

The Blaze took advantage of the turnover when Kevin Clemens ran in a seven-yard score to give Utah a 7-0 lead.

"We couldn't get a break offensively most of the game," said Bonner, who finished the game 22-of-33 for 315 yards and five touchdowns. "Fortunately, our defense kept us in it."

The teams traded touchdowns before the Todd interception. It was the Rattlers' only defensive stop of the first half.

During the second half, Arizona recorded four stops and their first two sacks of the season.
Lineman Wendall Gaines recorded the first one on a third down that forced Utah into a missed 54-yard field goal with the game tied at 21.

The second sack was by lineman Kelvin Ingram on a third down late in the fourth quarter that forced the Blaze into a 35-yarder that cut their deficit to seven, 38-31.

After an unsuccessful onside attempt on the proceeding kickoff, Arizona took a 45-31 lead with under a minute left when Groce caught his fourth score.

The win over former Rattler head coach Danny White, marked the first of new head coach Gene Nudo's young career.

"I have a lot of respect for him," said Nudo. "To come in here and hold a team that scored 80 points last week was a big accomplishment."

UTAH (1-3) 14 7 7 10 -- 38
ARIZONA (1-3) 7 21 0 17 -- 45

ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS:

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Western Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Arizona 5 5 0 .500 451 476
Las Vegas 5 5 0 .500 512 519
San Jose 4 6 0 .400 532 549
Los Angeles 3 7 0 .300 489 575
Utah 3 7 0 .300 538 549

Central Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Colorado 7 3 0 .700 545 534
Nashville 6 4 0 .600 499 464
Chicago 4 6 0 .400 487 520
Grand Rapids 3 7 0 .300 458 524

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Dallas 8 2 0 .800 582 463
New York 6 4 0 .600 536 548
Columbus 5 5 0 .500 447 420
Philadelphia 5 5 0 .500 461 459

Southern Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Austin 7 3 0 .700 511 453
Georgia 6 4 0 .600 563 463
Orlando 6 4 0 .600 508 486
Tampa Bay 6 4 0 .600 539 539
Kansas City 1 9 0 .100 397 514

THIS WEEK IN THE AFL (all times EST):
Friday, April 7
San Jose at Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m.
Arizona at Utah 9:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 8
Colorado at Grand Rapids 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 9
Los Angeles at Kansas City 1:00 p.m.
Dallas at New York 1:00 p.m.
Chicago at Philadelphia 1:00 p.m.
Orlando at Columbus 3:00 p.m.
Nashville at Las Vegas 3:00 p.m.
Georgia at Austin 4:00

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS

Friday, March 31
Austin 43, Philadelphia 38

Saturday, April 1
Grand Rapids 24, New York 48
Utah 41, Tampa Bay 56
Columbus 30, Dallas 51
Georgia 55, Kansas City 47
Nashville 47, Colorado 77

Sunday, April 2
Chicago 27, Orlando 55
Los Angeles 49, Las Vegas 63
Arizona 49, San Jose 61

PLAYOFF PICTURE:

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
x-Dallas 8-2
x-Austin 7-3
Georgia 6-4 (win head-to-head vs. NYD, ORL & TAM)
Orlando 6-4 (win common opponents vs. NYD & TAM)
Tampa Bay 6-4 (win head-to-head vs. NYD)
New York 6-4
--------------------
Columbus 5-5 (win head-to-head vs. PHI)
Philadelphia 5-5
Kansas City 1-9

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
x-Colorado 7-3
x-Arizona 5-5 (win head-to-head vs. LVG)
Nashville 6-4
Las Vegas 5-5
Chicago 4-6 (win head-to-head vs. SJS)
San Jose 4-6
--------------------
Grand Rapids 3-7 (win head-to-head vs. LAA & UTA)
Utah 3-7 (win head-to-head vs. LAA)
Los Angeles 3-7

x-division leader

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
10 @ San Jose WR/LB Ben Nelson (S.J.)11 catches, 203 yards, 5 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's, 3.5 tackles
10 @ San Jose WR/DB James Roe (S.J.)10 catches, 111 yds, 4 TD's, 1.5 tack

"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
10 @ San Jose DS Joe Todd (ARI)8 tackles, 2 pass breakups



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