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Avengers Game Notes

May 7, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Game: Los Angeles Avengers at San Jose SaberCats
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2002
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (Pacific)
Site: San Jose, Calif.
Arena: Compaq Center at San Jose (14,041)
Television: Fox Sports Net 2 (Bill Macdonald, Artie Gigantino, John Jackson)
Radio: KMPC 1540-LA (Larry Kahn, Bob Golic)
Web Radio: http://radio.sportingnews.com/losangeles/
Series Record: San Jose leads 3-1
Last Meeting: Los Angeles 47, San Jose 44 (June 2, 2001 – STAPLES Center)
Officials: Joe Rider (referee), Nels Strickland (umpire), Rusty Spindel (head linesman), James Mello (line judge), Rich Wilborn (back judge)
Coaches: Avengers – Ed Hodgkiss (first season; 2-1). SaberCats – Darren Arbet (fourth season; 33-16).

THE AVENGERS: Playing their third consecutive game on the road, the Avengers can grab a share of the Western Division lead if they defeat the powerful San Jose SaberCats on Saturday night. But, L.A. will have to do it without the services of offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who is out for at least two weeks with a broken wrist suffered in the second quarter of last week's victory over the Dallas Desperados. Jackson currently leads the league in receptions (31), receiving yards (514) and scoring (78 points) and last week was selected as the AFL's "Offensive Play of the Month (April)." The 2002 Avengers bear little resemblance to the L.A. teams of the past two seasons. Under the direction of new head coach Ed Hodgkiss, who was previously a highly successful offensive coordinator with the Indiana Firebirds, the Avengers so far appear to be efficient on offense, tough on defense and crafty on special teams. The signing of two "All-Arena" free agents during the off-season -- fullback-linebacker Chad Dukes and wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins -- has greatly elevated play on both sides of the football for Los Angeles.

THE LONG ROAD HOME: Saturday night's game will conclude a three-game road swing through the rest of the Western Division for the Avengers, who lost a 63-59 thriller at Arizona on April 27, before outlasting Dallas, 52-51, in the Desperados first-ever home game last week at the American Airlines Center.

THE SABERCATS: The Arena Football League's only undefeated team, the San Jose SaberCats (3-0) are a perennial powerhouse. Under head coach Darren Arbet, San Jose has won the past two Western Division titles. SaberCat quarterback Mark Grieb leads the league in pass rating (151.0) and passing yards (936). The SaberCats have come up with late-game heroics in each of their three victories this season. In the season opener, rookie defensive specialist Clevan Thomas intercepted a pass in the end zone to preserve a 52-51 victory over Arizona. A week later, fullback-linebacker Bob McMillen returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown with 34 seconds remaining in a 61-54 win at Tampa Bay. And last week, the SaberCat defense stopped a late drive by the Georgia Force to win, 59-53.

THE HEAD COACHES: One of the brightest offensive minds in the Arena Football League, Ed Hodgkiss is in his first year as a head coach with the Avengers. He served as the offensive coordinator for the Indiana Firebirds during the previous three seasons (1999-2001). Last year, Hodgkiss' offense averaged 58.1 points and 301.6 yards per game. He defeated the New York Dragons, 43-25, in his head coaching debut on April 19, and currently owns a record of 2-1 ... Selected as the AFL's "Coach of the Year" following the 2000 season, Darren Arbet is the winningest coach in SaberCat history. He owns a 33-16 overall record. San Jose is 25-6 in the regular season under Arbet since the start of the 2000 campaign. He guided the SaberCats to an AFL record 15 consecutive regular-season victories during a span of games that bridged the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

THE SERIES: San Jose won the first three meetings and leads the series, 3-1. In L.A.'s inaugural 2000 season, the SaberCats won convincingly at home, 78-25, and then edged the Avengers, 75-72, at STAPLES Center. Last year, the SaberCats pounded the Avengers, 52-30, at home to kickoff the 2001 regular season. But, the Avengers got revenge at STAPLES Center, beating San Jose, 47-44, on June 2, 2001.

THE LAST MEETING: Defensive specialist Mark Ricks intercepted two passes and returned a missed field goal 52 yards for a touchdown, leading the Avengers to a 47-44 victory over the San Jose SaberCats in front of 6,874 at STAPLES Center on June 2, 2001. Ricks' touchdown return, which came at the halftime buzzer, gave Los Angeles a 27-14 lead at the break. Quarterback Eric Wilhelm threw four touchdown passes and completed 18-of-40 for 221 yards as the Avengers won their second consecutive game, after opening the 2001 season with five losses. L.A. appeared to be cruising to a victory when Wilhelm hit offensive specialist Travis Hannah from eight yards out to give the Avengers a 47-29 lead with 10:27 left. San Jose mounted a comeback to cut the Avenger lead to three points with 1:27 remaining, but the SaberCats' final attempt to win the game fell short when their onside kick bounced into the Avenger bench. Hannah had a team-high eight catches for 109 yards, while wide receiver-linebacker Chris Jackson hauled in seven passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns, earning "Ironman" honors. The Avenger defense kept San Jose off the scoreboard in the first period, marking the first time in franchise history that an L.A. opponent was held scoreless in a quarter.

THE FAMILIAR FACE: Avenger wide receiver-defensive back Anthony Rice began his AFL career with the SaberCats in 1999, playing in just five games. A year later, in L.A.'s inaugural 2000 season, he was one of the Avengers top offensive weapons, scoring touchdowns four different ways. Rice went on to be named the team's "Ironman" at the end of the 2000 campaign.

THE "IF" SECTION:

If the Avengers defeat the SaberCats, it would ...
· Give L.A. a share of the Western Division lead for the first time in franchise history
· Be L.A.'s second victory in a row over San Jose
· Trim San Jose's lead in the series to 3-2
· Give the Avengers their sixth victory in their past eight games against Western Division foes (dating back to last season)
· Be the third time in franchise history that the Avengers won consecutive games on the road (but the first time in successive weeks)

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss on last week's heart-stopping victory at Dallas: "I was happy to get out of there with a victory, but wasn't too happy with the way we played. I know we can play much better than we did. We'll need to cut out our mistakes and penalties if we plan on being successful this season."

Hodgkiss on this week's opponent, the San Jose SaberCats: "San Jose is the lone undefeated team at the top of the league. It's a divisional game, so it's very important to us. The SaberCats are a very good team with no weaknesses. Mark Grieb is leading the league in passing efficiency. He's off the charts at 151 and does a very good job for them. Defensively, we are going to have to put a lot of pressure on him. We can't let him sit back there and throw strikes all night long."

Hodgkiss on playing without the services of injured offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who was placed on the injured reserve list with a broken right wrist: "In the first three games, Chris has been a big part of our offense. Hopefully the players will rally around this and play at a high level. There is no doubt that we will miss him, but we have a lot of talented players and I'm looking for the other guys to step up and make plays."

AVENGER INJURY REPORT:

Pos. Name Injury Status
OS Chris Jackson Wrist Out
OL-DL Vince Amey Elbow Probable

THE NEXT GAME: The Avengers will return home to STAPLES Center on May 17, to face the Tampa Bay Storm. Five-thousand "Chris Jackson Bobbleheads" will be distributed in what will be the first of three "Bobblehead Nights" sponsored by Carl's Jr. (the other two will be on June 8, and July 6). All Avenger home games feature great promotional giveaways and post-game autograph sessions. Season and individual tickets are available by calling 1-888-AVENGERS.

LAST WEEK'S GAME:

AVENGERS OUTLAST DESPERADOS, 52-51

DALLAS, Tex. – Several fans of the Dallas Desperados had seen enough as they headed up the aisles of the American Airlines Center. Playing in its first-ever home game, their team had just turned over the football and trailed the Los Angeles Avengers, 45-37, with less than two minutes remaining.

Perhaps newcomers to the Arena Football League, they might have an excuse, but they'll not likely do that again.

Within a wild conclusion that could be considered bizarre yet typical of AFL action, 21 points were scored in the game's final 1:45 as the Avengers outlasted the Desperados, 52-51, on Saturday night before a sellout crowd of 15,196.

Los Angeles, which improved to 2-1 on the season, seemed to have the game in control when offensive specialist Chris Jackson caught a spectacular 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Graziani to put the Avengers up, 52-45, with 13.5 seconds left.

"It was an incredible catch," said Graziani, who was 23-of-34 for 312 yards and five touchdowns. "The defender was in front of Chris and had him well covered, so I threw it high over both their heads. I was trying to give Chris a chance to make the play, but it was either going to be him or nobody. Under the circumstances, that was one of the best catches I've ever seen."

Before falling to 1-2 in its inaugural season, Dallas (an expansion team operated by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) fought back with lightning speed, driving to the Avenger two-yard line in two plays. From there, Desperado quarterback Andy Kelly hit offensive specialist Dialleo Burks on a fade pattern to the corner with only two-tenths of a second remaining. But, a bad snap on the point-after kick allowed Avenger fullback-linebacker Chad Dukes to tackle the holder, nullifying the attempt that could have tied the score.

With those two-tenths of a second still on the scoreboard clock, the game had not yet been decided as Dallas kicked off. Los Angeles still had to recover the kickoff, which took a crazy bounce off one of the uprights and remained loose until wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins recovered the free-ball in the left corner of the end zone for a touchback, preserving the victory.

A day after being selected as the AFL's "Offensive Player of the Month," Jackson continued his hot streak, catching eight passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. He has 31 receptions for 514 yards and 13 touchdowns in three games this season.

With the Avengers leading 42-37, Graziani was intercepted by Dallas wide receiver-linebacker Jake Hoffarth on the second play of the fourth quarter, giving the Desperados a chance take the lead for the first time since the game's opening minutes. But, the Avengers got the football right back when Kelly was intercepted by wide receiver-defensive back Kevin Ingram with 11:48 remaining.

Los Angeles could not take full advantage, however, and had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Remy Hamilton that put the Avengers up, 45-37, with 7:29 left.

On Dallas' ensuing possession, Kelly threw his third interception of the night, this time to defensive specialist Derek Grier, giving L.A. the football at its own nine-yard line. But, disaster struck on third down as Graziani was sacked in the end zone by Desperado lineman Bernard Holsey for a safety, making the score 45-39.

Then, the Avengers tried an onside kick. But, Dallas recovered and quickly scored on a three-yard pass from Kelly to Burks with a minute remaining. Avenger lineman Tony Plantin blocked the extra point and the game remained tied at 45-45, setting up the contest's climactic final seconds.

In moving above .500 for only the second time in franchise history, Los Angeles had to overcome a team-record 18 penalties for 96 yards. Dallas was flagged just seven times in the game that lasted nearly three hours.

Hopkins was outstanding for the Avengers in every phase of the game. While on defense in the opening minute of the second quarter, he recovered an errant lateral pass and minutes later was on the receiving end of a five-yard touchdown toss from Graziani that put L.A. up, 21-13.

Not only did Hopkins finish with a game-high nine catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, he also intercepted a Kelly pass and returned it for a score, giving the Avengers a 14-6 lead with 9:21 left in the first quarter. It was the sixth interception return for Hopkins in his seven-year AFL career, leaving him just one shy of teammate Mark Ricks' all-time league record.

Kelly completed 21-of-31 for 256 yards and four touchdowns, one of which sailed into a rebound net and into the hands of Hoffart, resulting in a nine-yard score that cut L.A.'s lead to 14-13 late in the first quarter.

The Desperados scored on the opening drive of the contest with a 24-yard pass from Kelly to wide receiver-defensive back Adrian Lunsford. Jason Wells' extra point attempt, however, was blocked when Plantin drove Dallas' Ronnie Washburn backwards into his own kicker.

The Avengers held a 28-27 halftime lead after Dallas scored on a three-yard run by fullback-linebacker Mike Osuna with 2:56 left until the intermission.

Next week, the Avengers will play their third consecutive road game on Saturday, May 11, against the defending Western Division San Jose SaberCats (3-0) at the Compaq Center.

In their next home game, the Avengers will take on the Tampa Bay Storm on Friday, May 17, at STAPLES Center. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m., and 5,000 fans will receive a free "Chris Jackson Bobblehead" compliments of Carl's Jr. Tickets are still available at all Ticketmaster outlets and the STAPLES Center box office.

LOS ANGELES (2-1) 14 14 14 10 -- 52
DALLAS (1-2) 13 14 10 14 -- 51

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Avenger WR-LB Greg Hopkins: Coming of an outstanding performance that saw him catch a game-high nine passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to recovering a key fumble and returning his first interception of the season for a touchdown, wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins could be L.A.'s "go-to" guy now that offensive specialist Chris Jackson is on the injured reserve list (wrist). Hopkins is the AFL's top receiver since the start of the 2000 season with 230 catches for 2,755 yards. Now, he also has six interception returns for touchdowns in his seven-year AFL career, leaving him one shy of the all-time league record (currently held by teammate Mark Ricks).

SaberCat QB Mark Grieb: The AFL's all-time leader in career passing efficiency (123.2), Mark Grieb is one of the top quarterbacks in league history. Last season, he posted a passer rating of 133.9, which is another league record. However, it might not stand long. So far this season, Grieb is 68-of-99 for 936 yards and 19 touchdowns, and has yet to throw a single interception, which gives him a passing efficiency rating of 151.0. He has no shortage of talented receivers to throw at with James Hundon, Barry Wagner and Jerry Reese at his disposal.

Avenger QB Tony Graziani: Quickly establishing himself as one of the AFL's top quarterbacks this season, Tony Graziani has passed for 914 yards already this year (No. 3 in the AFL). While the Avengers had no 300-yard passing games in all of last season, Graziani has already recorded two such performances, racking up 329 yards against Arizona on April 27, and then following up with 312 yards last week at Dallas. He is currently 65-of-107 (60.7 percent) for 914 yards and 16 touchdowns, with only two interceptions.

SaberCat OL-DL Sam Hernandez: With a grand total of 49.5 quarterback sacks, Sam Hernandez is the AFL's all-time leading pass rusher. In a game that doesn't lend itself to a lot of quarterbacks getting brought down, Hernandez incredibly has recorded more than one sack in 14 games in his nine-year career. He is not alone, however, in harassing passers so far this season. Three other SaberCats have recorded sacks this year, giving San Jose a total of five, for losses of 31 yards.

Avenger kicker Remy Hamilton: With 60 field goals and 273 extra points to his name entering this season, kicker Remy Hamilton is closing in on 500 points in his AFL career. Currently at 487 points in his first season with the Avengers, he has converted on three of his six field goal attempts and is 19-of-21 on PATs this year. Hamilton has been perfect on his last 15 extra points, which should not be underestimated. Los Angeles needed every last point in its most recent 52-51 victory at Dallas and Hamilton's 8-of-8 performance on extra points at Arizona allowed the Avengers to take a three-point lead into the final seconds, before losing to the Rattlers on a last-second touchdown pass.

WESTERN DIVISON SUCCESS: Five of L.A.'s seven victories over the course of the past two seasons have come at the expense of divisional foes. Last year, the Avengers beat each of the other four occupants of the Western Division (Arizona Rattlers, Houston ThunderBears, Oklahoma Wranglers and San Jose SaberCats). The division has a new look in 2002 after deleting Houston and Oklahoma, and adding the Dallas Desperados, who the Avengers defeated last week in a 52-51 thriller.

TWO PLAYERS FROM TWO YEARS AGO: Only two players -- wide receiver-defensive back Anthony Rice and offensive specialist Chris Jackson -- on L.A.'s 2002 roster played for the Avengers in the team's first-ever regular-season game on April 15, 2000, at Grand Rapids. And with Jackson currently on the injured reserve list, Rice is the only "Original Avenger" on the active 24-man roster.

HALF FROM LAST YEAR: Only 12 of the 24 players currently on the Avengers' active roster played in at least one game for L.A. last season. Among the new additions is a pair of "All-Arena" performers -- wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins and fullback-linebacker Chad Dukes.

TOP-RANKED DEFENSE: The Avengers have a "title" of sorts to defend this year. The L.A. defense finished the 2001 regular-season ranked No. 1 in the AFL in total defense (249.4 yards per game) and No. 2 in passing defense (231.5). This season, the Avengers opened the 2002 campaign by shutting down the New York Dragons, limiting them to only 25 points (an all-time best for the L.A. defense). The Avengers are currently ranked No. 3 in scoring defense (allowing 46.3 points per game) and No. 4 in total defense (268.0 total yards per game). As a point of comparison, L.A. allowed opponents an average of 301.0 total yards per game during its inaugural 2000 season.

THE PRESSURE IS BUILDING: After notching five quarterback sacks in the first three games of the season, the Avengers have had 10 sacks in their last four games, dating back to last season's finale versus the Oklahoma Wranglers on July 22, 2001. Amazingly enough, prior to that game in Oklahoma City, the Avengers had only four sacks for the entire 2001 season and didn't get their first one until the eighth game (June 16, vs. Detroit). Playing in his first game for the Avengers on April 19, offensive-defensive lineman Tony Plantin sacked New York Dragon quarterback Danny Ragsdale twice on his way toward earning "Ironman of the Game" honors. Fellow lineman Carlos Fowler, who led L.A. with 3 ½ sacks last year, and wide receiver-linebacker J.J. Washington chipped in with one sack apiece. Two weeks ago, offensive-defensive lineman Mathias Vavao was credited with a sack on Arizona quarterback Sherdrick Bonner. The Avengers currently lead the AFL with their five sacks for losses totaling 25 yards and have surrendered two sacks to the opposition (both in last week's game at Dallas).

THE MILLENNIUM'S FINEST: Wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins and offensive specialist Chris Jackson are not only L.A.'s top pass catchers, they're also among the most productive in the AFL since the dawning of the new millennium. In fact, Hopkins leads the way with a grand total of 230 receptions since the 2000 season (Jackson is third with 184).

OFFENSIVE TURNAROUND: New Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss has his sights set on making a big improvement with the L.A. offense. Last year, the Avengers ranked near the bottom of the AFL in many categories – scoring offense (18th - 40.3), total offense (17th - 245.6), pass offense (17th - 228.1), pass rating (19th - 76.4), touchdowns (18th - 77) and kickoff return average (19th -14.9). So far, after three games of the 2002 season, the numbers are up as the Avengers are averaging 51.3 points and 315.3 yards per game.

RUSHING UP THE CHARTS: Avenger fullback-linebacker Chad Dukes is currently tied with Major Harris at No. 3 on the AFL's all-time rushing chart. He is second among active players, trailing only Andre Bowden of the Carolina Cobras, who is currently in his ninth season in the league. Dukes, who is beginning just his fourth AFL season, passed former Avenger Travis Pearson this past week with 12 rushing yards (and a touchdown) in the victory at Dallas. It is very possible that Dukes could become the third player in AFL history to break the 1,000-yard barrier during the 2002 campaign.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Yards Gained Rushing
Les Barley (1992-2000) 1,390
Andre Bowden (Carolina Cobras) 1,114
Chad Dukes (Los Angeles Avengers) 837
Major Harris (1991-92, 94) 837
Travis Pearson (1994-99, 2001) 831
Cedric McKinnon (1992-2000) 793
Michael "Bo" Kelly (Arizona Rattlers) 755
Lincoln Coleman (1993, 97, 99-2001) 740

THE INTERCEPTION KINGS: Avenger defensive specialist Mark Ricks is the AFL's all-time leader in interception returns for touchdowns with a grand total of seven. Another Avenger, wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins is just one behind in second place (along with Hunkie Cooper of the Arizona Rattlers).

All-Time AFL Leaders –Interception Returns for Touchdowns
Mark Ricks (Los Angeles Avengers) Seven
Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles Avengers) Six
Hunkie Cooper (Arizona Rattlers) Six
Gary Compton (Indiana Firebirds) Five
Darryl Hammond (Georgia Force) Five
Jai Hill (1995-97, 99-2001) Five
Adrian Lunsford (Dallas Desperados) Five
Kenny McEntyre (Orlando Predators) Five
Lawrence Samuels (Tampa Bay Storm) Five
Stevie Thomas (1991-2000) Five

GETTING DEFENSIVE: The 25 points allowed by the Avengers in their season-opening victory over the New York Dragons on April 19, was an all-time best for the L.A. defense, surpassing the mark set on May 26, 2001, in a 36-33 victory over the Oklahoma Wranglers. Last season, the Avenger defense held eight of their opponents under 50 points (which amazingly includes two overtime games). L.A.'s three game winning streak in the middle of the 2001 campaign -- Oklahoma (36-33), San Jose (47-44) and Houston (48-45) -- represented the first three times in Avenger history that a foe was held to 45 points or less. Los Angeles has held an opponent under 50 points only 10 times in its brief history in the AFL.

NFL AVENGERS: Nine Avengers have spent time on NFL rosters -- OL/DL Vince Amey (1998 Oakland), OL/DL John DeWitt (1995 Houston), FB/LB Chad Dukes (1998 San Diego, 1998-99 Washington, 2000 Jacksonville, 2000 St. Louis, 2001 Carolina), QB Tony Graziani (1997-99 Atlanta, 2000 Cleveland), FB/LB Malcolm Hamilton (1998-2000 Washington, 1998 Atlanta), OS Chris Jackson (1998-99 Seattle, 1998 Tampa Bay, 2000 Tennessee), OL/DL Tony Plantin (2000 San Francisco, 2000 Carolina), WR/DB Anthony Rice (1997-98 Philadelphia) and WR/DB Russell Shaw (1998 St. Louis). Two Avengers -- Amey and Graziani -- were NFL Draft picks (both in the seventh round). Graziani is the most experienced, having played in 19 games (including five starts) for the Falcons. Dukes has been with the most teams (five).

PICKED FROM THE PAC: Four Avengers hail from Pacific-10 Conference schools – OL/DL Vince Amey (Arizona State), QB Tony Graziani (Oregon), OS Chris Jackson (Washington State) and WR/DB Mel Miller Jr. (Washington). Three of those Avengers played in the Rose Bowl – Graziani (1995), Amey (1997) and Jackson (1998). In addition, OL/DL Carlos Fowler played in the 1994 Rose Bowl for Wisconsin (against UCLA).

AVENGERS ON TELEVISION: The Avengers will have nine of their 14 regular-season games broadcast on television this season. Fox Sports Net 2 will televise eight games, with Bill Macdonald and Artie Gigantino in the booth and John Jackson reporting from the sidelines. "The New TNN" (The National Network) will carry the Avengers' final road game of the regular-season on Sunday, July 14, against the Indiana Firebirds as the "AFL Game of the Week."

AVENGERS ON RADIO: All Avenger games are broadcast live on the radio in the Los Angeles area on KMPC 1540-LA "Sporting News Radio," with Larry Kahn and Bob Golic calling all the action. The games are also available live over the Internet at www.kmpc1540.com.

NFL EUROPE AVENGERS: Six Avengers have spent time on NFL Europe (formerly "World League") rosters – OL/DL John DeWitt (1996, 1998 Scottish Claymores), OL/DL Carlos Fowler (1998 England), QB Tony Graziani (2000 Barcelona), OS Chris Jackson (2000 Berlin), OL/DL Tony Plantin (1999 Amsterdam) and WR/DB Anthony Rice (1998 England).

THE 2002 PRESEASON:

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (April 4, 2002) -- Los Angeles Avengers quarterback Tony Graziani threw for a touchdown and two-point conversion in the final seconds of regulation play to dramatically tie the game, but the Georgia Force went on to earn a 51-44 overtime victory in the first preseason contest of the 2002 season for both teams. After the Force scored a touchdown on its first possession of the extra period, Graziani was intercepted on the second play of L.A.'s drive, ending the game played before 2,002 screaming fans at Centennial Garden. Wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins led the Avengers with five catches for 78 yards and three touchdowns, while kicker Remy Hamilton booted three field goals and had a game-high five tackles.

CHICAGO (April 12, 2002) -- In the final preseason game for both teams, the Chicago Rush beat the Los Angeles Avengers, 64-38, before 8,624 at Allstate Arena. Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani was 13-of-18 for 145 yards and three touchdowns, while wide receiver-defensive back Russell Shaw led Los Angeles with six catches for 36 yards and a score. Chicago quarterback Billy Dicken threw three touchdowns in the second half as the Rush pulled away. Chicago jumped all over Los Angeles in the first half, but Avenger kicker Remy Hamilton nailed a 45-yard field goal at the halftime buzzer to cut the Rush lead to 34-24 at the intermission. Fullback-linebacker Chad Dukes scored his first touchdown as an Avenger on a one-yard blast early in the second quarter, cutting Chicago's advantage to 21-14. On the night, Dukes also returned four kickoffs for 125 yards.

2001 SEASON IN REVIEW: Their second season in the Arena Football League could have easily been divided into three segments for the Los Angeles Avengers. The 2001 campaign began with a 52-30 loss on the road to the San Jose SaberCats and unfortunately four more defeats followed. After the third loss in that five-game stretch, head coach Stan Brock was relieved of his duties and defensive coordinator Robert Lyles was installed as the interim head coach. In his third game at the helm, Lyles led the Avengers to their first victory of the season, beating the Oklahoma Wranglers in a 36-33 thriller. The return of WR-LB Chris Jackson, the 2000 AFL "Rookie of the Year" who went on to join the Tennessee Titans of the NFL, also had a positive effect on the club. The Avengers went on to win four of their next five games, becoming one of the hottest teams in the league. After defeating three consecutive Western Division foes (Oklahoma, 36-33; San Jose, 47-44; Houston, 48-45), Los Angeles came up a point short in a 49-48 overtime loss to the Detroit Fury. The Avengers, however, were not shaken and responded with perhaps their biggest victory in franchise history, defeating the powerful Arizona Rattlers, 54-48, in overtime at America West Arena in Phoenix. Then, L.A. kept the good times rolling and stayed in contention for a playoff berth with a 55-47 victory over the Chicago Rush back at STAPLES Center. At 5-6 and with three games remaining in the season, the red-hot Avengers were suddenly one of the most talked about teams in the AFL. Unfortunately, however, a rash of injuries hit the squad like a ton of bricks. Quarterbacks Todd Marinovich (elbow, wrist, knee), Tony Graziani (knee) and Harry Leons (shoulder) were all placed on the injured reserve list at some point amid the final three contests. At one point, WR-DB Shannon Culver was forced to play quarterback and then, Wally Richardson and Jim Druckenmiller were activated to call the signals in the final two games of the season. In addition, Los Angeles lost Jackson to a stress fracture in his left foot. The Avengers ended up losing their last three games and barely missed qualifying for the post-season.

2002 RULE CHANGES: There are a few rule changes for the 2002 regular season and the AFL is also testing a few rules changes during the preseason. Rule changes for the 2002 regular season include:

· Kick returner may have one foot on the end line (out of bounds) when retrieving kickoffs and missed field goals off the end zone rebound net or the soft net

· On PAT attempts, if the kick is blocked and behind the line of scrimmage, the ball is live and can be recovered for a two-point conversion by either team. In the event that the ball is kicked, crosses the line of scrimmage and/or strikes any part of the goal system, whether deflected or not, it is whistled dead immediately.

· Free substitution (kicking team only) on all scrimmage kicks (field goals and PAT)

· For free kicks (field goals and PATs), there can be four down lineman (must be helmet to helmet with offensive lineman (excluding center) and they may rush outside and may twist. CALIFORNIA TIES: Twelve of the 24 Avengers on the current active camp roster have ties to California high schools and/or colleges. Eight attend high schools located within the Los Angeles basin, while four played at universities or junior colleges in the Southern California area.

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