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Avengers Game Notes

May 21, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Game: Los Angeles Avengers at Georgia Force
Date: Friday, May 24, 2002
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. (Pacific)
Site: Atlanta, Geo.
Arena: Philips Arena (16,100)
Television: none
Radio: KMPC 1540-LA (Larry Kahn, Bob Golic)
Web Radio: http://radio.sportingnews.com/losangeles/
Series Record: First meeting
Last Meeting: n/a
Officials: Bill LeMonnier (referee), Tom Laverty (umpire), Allen Baynes (head linesman), David Meslow (line judge), Billy Beckett (back judge)
Coaches: Los Angeles Avengers – Ed Hodgkiss (first season; 3-2). Georgia Force – Marty Lowe (first season; 0-0).

THE AVENGERS: In each of their previous two seasons (2000 and 2001), the Los Angeles Avengers were winless after five games. In 2002, the Avengers are 3-2 and have the look of a playoff contender. Los Angeles will attempt to go two games above .500 for the first time in franchise history as they take on the Georgia Force on Friday, May 24, at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Geo. The Force will be playing its first game under the direction of new head coach Marty Lowe, who took over for Robert Lyles on Sunday (May 19). Lyles, who was L.A.'s interim head coach for 11 games last season, was relieved of his duties with the Force after winning just one of Georgia's first five games. The Avengers, who will be playing on the road for the fourth time in five games, could be without the services of star offensive specialist Chris Jackson (broken right wrist) for the third consecutive game. However, quarterback Tony Graziani has been utilizing the other weapons at his disposal very well. Wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins caught a season-high 11 passes from Graziani for 127 yards and four touchdowns in L.A.'s 38-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Storm last week (May 17). So far this season, Graziani has thrown for 24 touchdowns against only two interceptions. On the other side of the football, the Avenger defense established a new team record in holding the Storm to just 24 points and Hopkins came up with his second interception of the season. Earlier this year, the Avengers and Force met in Bakersfield, Calif., for a preseason game, which Georgia won in overtime, 51-44.

THE FORCE: The 2002 season marks the first year of play for the Georgia Force in the AFL. Georgia's core group comes from the Nashville Kats, who relocated to Atlanta and formed the Force. Last season the Kats reached the ArenaBowl for the second consecutive year. Former Avenger interim head coach Robert Lyles was at the helm of the Force until he was relieved of his duties on Sunday (May 19) and replaced by former Kats offensive coordinator Marty Lowe. After opening the season with a strong 67-49 victory over the Orlando Predators, the Force has lost its last four games. Last week in a 70-62 loss to the Chicago Rush, Donnie Davis replaced Kevin McDougal at quarterback in the second quarter and went on to complete 21-of-26 for 304 yards and seven touchdowns (four in the fourth quarter). Wide receiver-defensive back Ron Carpenter is currently ranked No. 4 in the league in all-purpose yards, averaging 142.2 per game. 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 3-2 ... Another coach who made a name for himself in the AFL as an offensive coordinator, Marty Lowe will make his head coaching debut on Friday, May 24, versus the Avengers. He served as the offensive coordinator for the Nashville Kats for two seasons (2000-01), helping the team to the ArenaBowl each year. Lowe joined the Kats after three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Louisville. Before taking over for Robert Lyles, who was relieved of his duties as the head coach of the Force on Sunday (May 19), Lowe was the running backs coach at the University of Texas El-Paso.

THE SERIES: First regular-season meeting.

THE LAST MEETING: PRESEASON GAME

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. The Avengers were playing their second consecutive preseason game (dating back to last season) at Centennial Garden, which is the home field of the Bakersfield Blitz of arenafootball2 (the developmental league established by the AFL in 1999). Almost exactly one year earlier (April 5, 2001), Arizona defeated Los Angeles, 51-38, at Centennial Garden. The Blitz are operated by L.A. Avenger owner and chief executive officer Casey Wasserman.

AVENGER INJURY REPORT:

Pos. Name Injury Status
WR-LB Antonio Wilson Concussion Out
OL-DL John DeWitt Shoulder Out
OS J.J. Washington Ankle Questionable
OS Chris Jackson Wrist Questionable

THE "IF" SECTION:

If the Avengers defeat the Force, it would ...
· Give L.A. an all-time record of 7-10 versus non-Western Division foes, including 3-0 this season
· Move the Avengers two games over .500 for the first time in franchise history
· Even L.A.'s record on the road this season (2-2)
· Give the Avengers a 3-0 record in 2002 against teams they are playing for the first time (L.A. has already defeated the New York Dragons and Dallas Desperados in their first-ever meetings)

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss on last week's victory over Tampa Bay: "Our defense played very well, especially the guys up front. They put a lot of pressure on Tampa's quarterback and the guys in the secondary did a good job of carrying out their assignments. We went into it knowing that we had to stop their running game and the guys did a good job of that. Offensively, we got out to a slow start, which has become a pattern for us. That's definitely something that we are going to focus on and correct this week."

Hodgkiss on this week's opponent, the Georgia Force (formerly the Nashville Kats): "They're the team that has been to the last two ArenaBowls and have some very talented players on their roster. They'll have a new head coach this week and teams respond differently to that. Sometimes guys come out and feel that they have something to prove to the new coach and play extremely hard. It's going to be a tough game for us to play against a team like that, all the way on the East coast."

Hodgkiss on the difference between playing with and without star offensive specialist Chris Jackson: "Without Chris, we have guys playing in different positions. In some situations, it's like starting out from Day 1 all over again in training camp. Obviously, Chris is a great player, but he also has a full understanding of the role that the offensive specialist plays in our system. That's something new that somebody coming in to play that spot has to learn. That slows us down a little bit, but we have good receivers on this team and they just have to make it happen. However, not having Chris hasn't been our main problem. That has been dropped balls and our protection not being up to par with where we think it should be. Those are the things we will work on immediately."

THE NEXT GAME: The Avengers return home to STAPLES Center on Saturday, June 1, to face the Dallas Desperados, a team they beat in Week 3 in a one-point thriller (52-51). Five-thousand fans will receive a free "A-Team" 2002-2003 Calendar Poster. Season and group tickets are available by calling 1-888-AVENGERS. Individual tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets and the STAPLES Center box office.

LAST WEEK'S GAME:

AVENGERS WEATHER THE STORM, 38-24

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Avengers defeated the Tampa Bay Storm, 38-24, on Friday night before a crowd of 11,961 at STAPLES Center. Emerging victorious from the defensive battle, the Avengers improved their Arena Football League record to 3-2.

Avenger wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins was named the game's "M.V.P." after catching 11 passes for 127 yards and four touchdowns. He also intercepted a pass and made three tackles.

"We had a better attitude this week and didn't get down early, but it was still a sloppy game," Hopkins said.

Quarterback Tony Graziani completed 21-of-37 for 227 yards and five touchdowns, as the Avengers were able to overcome the absence of star offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who is on the injured reserve list with a broken right wrist.

Neither offense performed well in the first half, which ended with Los Angeles up, 14-10. But, after halftime the Avengers turned up the heat on both sides of the football to secure their second consecutive victory at home.

In allowing just 24 points, the Avenger defense established a new franchise record, surpassing its performance in the season opener on April 19, which resulted in a 43-25 victory over the New York Dragons.

"We struggled on offense, but the defense stepped up," Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss said. "And when we needed the offense, it stepped up too. I'm very proud of our defense. There's just something about defense at home."

Thirty-seven of Hopkins' 136 all-purpose yards came on a spectacular diving catch at the Los Angeles one-yard line that set him up for his fourth touchdown reception on the very next play, which put the Avengers up, 38-17, with just 1:12 remaining.

Avenger lineman Tony Plantin earned "Ironman of the Game" honors after batting down three passes and making 2.5 tackles. He also had a key third-down sack that led to an unsuccessful field goal attempt by Tampa Bay.

"We made three or four crucial plays on defense that gave us the opportunity to come back on offense," Hopkins said. "It's all about possessions."

Los Angeles outscored Tampa Bay, 21-7, in the fourth quarter. The Storm's only touchdown came on a five-yard pass from Shane Stafford to Carlos Johnson with 22 seconds left that proved to be too little too late.

Jackson, who came into the game leading the AFL in scoring (78 points) and receiving (514 yards), will have his wrist reevaluated on Monday. Hodgkiss predicts he will be out for two to six weeks.

"Our offense has to get better without Chris," Hodgkiss said.

Last week, the Avengers were pounded, 78-44, at San Jose (5-0).

"We felt a little embarrassed in San Jose, so the defense came back this week to show what they were made of," Hodgkiss said.

TAMPA BAY (1-4) 3 7 7 7 -- 24
LOS ANGELES (3-2) 0 14 3 21 -- 38

PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Avenger WR-LB Greg Hopkins: Avenger fans are quickly realizing why Hopkins has been widely regarded as one of the best all-around players in the AFL. With OS Chris Jackson missing his second consecutive game, Hopkins exploded with 11 receptions for 127 yards and four touchdowns. However, Hopkins' value on the defensive side of the ball was just as daunting as he made a key interception, deflected another pass that almost became another interception, and made three unassisted tackles. On the season, Hopkins now leads the team with 36 catches, and is second on the team with eight touchdowns and 378 yards receiving.

Force WR-DB Jarrick Hillery: An "All-Arena" performer as a second-year player last season, Hillery got off to a slow start this year, but he has since put together back-to-back big games for the Force. In last week's loss to the Chicago Rush, Hillery caught 10 passes for 138 yards and found the end zone four times. In the previous game against the Arizona Rattlers, he had seven receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Last year, Hillery became only the fourth player in AFL history to rush for over 100 yards and have over 400 yards receiving in one season.

Avenger QB Tony Graziani: Graziani had yet another impressive week, throwing for five touchdowns and no interceptions, while amassing 227 yards through the air. After five games, Graziani is No. 5 in the league with 1,362 yards passing. 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 at Dallas. He is currently 103-of-177 (58.2 percent) with 24 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Force QB Donnie Davis: With the Force trailing 28-7 in last week's game against the Chicago Rush, Davis replaced starting quarterback Kevin McDougal and almost rallied the Force to a come-from-behind victory as he threw for seven touchdowns and 304 yards. Davis' passer rating of 158.3 is near perfect and he has made his case to become Georgia's new starter. Davis is no stranger to having success in relief. He led the Arizona Rattlers to victory in ArenaBowl XI after replacing an injured Sherdrick Bonner in the semifinals. A graduate of Georgia Tech, Davis is back in his old college stomping grounds of Atlanta.

Avenger FB/LB Chad Dukes: After breaking out with a huge game the previous week at San Jose, Dukes was slowed by Tampa Bay's tough defense as he was held to minus–1 yard rushing on six carries. However, he continued to make his presence felt on the defensive side of the football as he had two tackles and recovered a key fumble. Despite his slow week on the ground, Dukes still leads the AFL in rushing with 82 yards and is second with four rushing touchdowns.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: The 24 points allowed by the Avengers in last week's victory over the Tampa Bay Storm is a new all-time best for the L.A. defense. It surpasses the effort in the 2002 season opener, which saw the Avengers defeat the New York Dragons, 43-25, on April 19. Prior to that, the franchise record was set on May 26, 2001, in a 36-33 victory over the Oklahoma Wranglers. Currently L.A. is ranked at No. 6 in the AFL in scoring defense, allowing 48.2 points per game. But, in their two losses this season, the Avengers have given up an average of 70.5 points. 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 season -- 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 12 times in its brief history in the AFL.

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.

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 249 receptions since the 2000 season (Jackson is fourth with 184).

"IN THE CLUTCH": Tony Graziani has been an exceptionally clutch quarterback this season. In 23 third-down-and-long situations during the first five games of the season, he has completed 11 passes for first downs and four for touchdowns. That gives Graziani success rate of 65.2 percent, which ranks him first in the AFL in that situational statistic. OFFENSIVE TURNAROUND: 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 five games of the 2002 season, the numbers are up as L.A. is averaging 47.2 points and 291.0 yards per game.

THE PRESSURE IS BUILDING: After notching six quarterback sacks in the first five games of the season (No. 4 in the AFL), the Avengers have had 11 sacks in their last six 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. Plantin, who added a key third-down sack for a loss of six yards in last week's victory over the Tampa Bay Storm, is currently No. 2 in the AFL with 3.0 sacks this season. L.A.'s six sacks in 2002 have totaled 31 yards in losses. On the flipside, the Avengers have surrendered six sacks to the opposition (three at San Jose two weeks ago) for a loss of 27 yards. RUSHING UP THE CHARTS: Avenger fullback-linebacker Chad Dukes has moved into sole possession of the No. 3 spot 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 in just his fourth AFL season, needs 115 more yards to become the third player in AFL history to break the 1,000-yard barrier.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Yards Gained Rushing
Les Barley (1992-2000) 1,390
Andre Bowden (Carolina Cobras) 1,179
Chad Dukes (Los Angeles Avengers) 885
Major Harris (1991-92, 94) 837
Travis Pearson (1994-99, 2001) 831
Cedric McKinnon (1992-2000) 793
Michael "Bo" Kelly (Arizona Rattlers) 764
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

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.

"HOME SWEET HOME": The Avengers has been inhospitable hosts at STAPLES Center this season while defeating the New York Dragons and Tampa Bay Storm. The L.A. defense is allowing an average of 24.5 points in two home games so far this season.

Opposition Points Allowed Margin of Victory
New York Dragons 25 18 points (43-25)
Tampa Bay Storm 24 14 points (38-24)

WESTERN DIVISON SUCCESS: Five of L.A.'s eight 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 two weeks ago in a 52-51 thriller.

"GAME M.V.P." AWARD: Voted on by the media, the "Game M.V.P." award goes to the player who was determined to be the most valuable to his team's success during the game in question. The following is a list of the winners of this award during the 2002 Avenger season: Week Opp. Award Winner
1 New York OS Chris Jackson (L.A.)12 catches, 145 yards, 5 TDs
2 Arizona QB Sherdrick Bonner (Arizona)25-of-32 for 344 yards, 7 TDs
3 Dallas QB Tony Graziani (L.A.)23-of-34 for 312 yards, 5 TDs
4 San Jose OL-DL Sam Hernandez (S.J.)2 sacks, 3.5 tackles, 1 pass def.
5 Tampa Bay WR-LB Greg Hopkins (L.A.)11 catches, 127 yards, 4 TDs, INT

"IRONMAN OF THE GAME": Voted on by the media, the "Iromnan of the Game" award goes to the two-way player who best demonstrated the ideals of the AFL's style of ironman football. The following is a list of the winners of this award during the 2002 Avenger season:

Week Opp. Award Winner
1 New York OL-DL Tony Plantin (L.A.)2 sacks for a loss of 8 yards
2 Arizona WR-DB Chris Horn (Arizona)9 catches, 151 yards, 2.5 tackles
3 Dallas WR-LB Greg Hopkins (L.A.)9 catches, 123 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
4 San Jose WR-DB Omarr Smith (S.J.)2 catches, 1 TD, 5 tackles
5 Tampa Bay OL-DL Tony Plantin (L.A.)3 pass def., 2.5 tackles, 1 sack

"BUILT FORD TOUGH AWARD": Voted on by the coaches, the "Built Ford Tough Award" is a national recognition award given after every game to the player or players on each team best demonstrating determination and toughness in that game. The award honors the players who made a game-saving tackle or score-saving tackle, threw a key block on the big play or exhibited physical sacrifice or consistent tough blocking and tackling on both sides of the ball. The honored players receive a helmet sticker that recognizes the Built Ford Tough Player of the Game. The following are the award winners for the Avengers this season:

Week Opp. L.A. Award Winners
1 New York Chris Butterfield, Greg Hopkins, Tony Plantin, Anthony Rice, J.J. Washington
2 Arizona Carlos Fowler, Derek Grier, Greg Hopkins, Sean McNamara, Mathias Vavao
3 Dallas John DeWitt, Chad Dukes, Greg Hopkins, Kevin Ingram, Tony Plantin
4 San Jose Chad Dukes, Greg Hopkins
5 Tampa Bay Chris Butterfield, Carlos Fowler, Greg Hopkins, Terrance Joseph, Tony Plantin

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).

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).

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).



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 21, 2002


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