Avengers Destroy Buffalo, 65-14
by Tim Peterson, Mid Valley News
April 19, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Since six of the Los Angeles Avengers games this season have been decided on the last play this season, it was about time for a laugher. This one was over early. If it was a boxing match it would have been stopped in the first round. If Little League rules applied, the mercy rule would have been invoked.
The Avengers opened up a 35-0 lead in the second period and cruised to a 65-14 rout of the Buffalo Destroyers Friday night before 11,410 at Staples Center.
LA quarterback Tony Graziani threw for six touchdowns and 160 yards and continued his remarkable ability to avoid the turnover. He did not throw an interception for the seventh time this year.
The defense played a big part in the victory as they opened the game with five consecutive stops of the Destroyer offense. Buffalo finally got on the board with 16 seconds left in the fist half on a 13- yard touchdown pass from Chris Sanders to Jason Collins- Baker.
Meanwhile, the Avenger offense capitalized on every the opportunity provided by the defensive unit. Following the Buffalo score, Graziani countered with a 32-yard scoring strike to J.J. Washington to give the Avengers a 42-6 halftime advantage.
Chris Jackson was on the receiving end of five of Graziani's TD tosses and finished with six catches for 63 yards. Jackson has now caught 103 touchdown passes in his four year Arena Football League career and is only the 14th player in league history to surpass the century plateau.
LA has won six of its last seven games while improving to 9-3 on the year. The victory also established a new franchise record for wins in a season, eclipsing the eight of last season. The Avengers rebounded from a heartbreaking 82-76 overtime loss last week to Arizona and have four games remaining to secure home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Scott Dreisbach relieved Graziani in the fourth quarter and tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to La'Zerius White on his first attempt.
The Destroyers were frustrated by the suffocating defense all night long. Buffalo quarterbacks Sanders and Kevin Mason completed just 13 of 42 for 130 yards and one touchdown.
The Avengers will hit the road for three of their last four games beginning at Dallas on Sunday April 27.
Avenger coach Ed Hodgkiss was happy the way his team bounced back from last week's defeat. "That's the mark of a good team. To put our foot on their throats and win by a wide margin," he said.
Buff 0 6 0 8 - 14 LA 14 27 7 16 - 65
Total Yards: Buff- 141, LA - 186
Passing: Buff- Sanders 12-33-127-1-0, Mason 1-9-3-0-2, LA- Graziani 13-29-160-6-0, Dreisbach 1-3-15-1-0.
The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 19, 2003
- Avengers Destroy Buffalo, 65-14 - OSC Original by Tim Peterson, Mid Valley News
- Rattlers Edge Rampage in Overtime Thriller, 82-81 - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Buffalo Comes Up Short On West Coast - Buffalo Destroyers
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
