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Chicago Rush Game Notes

March 11, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release


The Quick Facts
Radio: Radio Disney 1300 ... Marc Silverman, John Jurkovic
Overall Series Record: 1-0 (as New Jersery)
Last Meeting: June 2, 2002 ... Rush won 44-14
Coaches (regular season records): Mike Hohensee (62-60 — 10th season) Frank Haege (12-8 — 2nd season)
Officials: Perry Havener (Referee), Roy Ellison (Umpire), Derrick Bowers (Head Linesman), David Meslow (Line Judge), Greg Steed (Back Judge)

VIVA LAS VEGAS: The Rush and the Gladiators will be meeting for the second time. The teams met last season at Allstate Arena and the Rush was victorious over the New Jersey Gladiators 44-14. It was the season-low for points allowed by the Rush as the Gladiators only scored in the second quarter.

The Rush will be trying to get back in the win column this week after a 71-49 loss to San Jose last Sunday. Antonio Chatman, once again, led the Rush, racking up 333 all-purpose yards. Chatman had 263 combined return yards, including a 57-yard touchdown return, to set a Rush record. The Rush played without three starters — quarterback Billy Dicken, fullback/linebacker Jamie McGourty and kicker Keith Gispert.

Las Vegas defeated the Carolina Cobras 51-41 last Sunday. The Gladiators were led by wide receiver Sean Riley, who caught 9 passes for 133 yards and 2 scores. Quarterback Todd Hammel completed 16-of-23 passes for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns. Sedrick Robinson added a 53-yard kickoff return for touchdown.

Next week, the Rush will return to Allstate Arena for an 11 a.m. matchup against the high-scoring New York Dragons. The Gladiators will travel way east to take on division rival Buffalo.

COACH MIKE HOHENSEE is in his 10th season as a head coach in the Arena Football League. Hohensee was hired as the first coach in Rush history on September 26, 2000.

- has a regular-season record of 62-60 (including an 18-16 mark with the Rush) ... has a career 5-6 mark in the postseason.

- has a 3-3 record against the former New Jersey Gladiators/Red Dogs.

- signed a two-year contract extension through the 2005 season on August 1, 2002.

- became the sixth coach in league history to record 60 regular-season victories when the Rush defeated Dallas (58-52 in overtime) July 13, 2002.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN AND AGAIN: The Rush will play 4 of its next 5 games on the road. Chicago is 1-2 this season and 6-11 in franchise history on the road. After returning home to face the high-scoring New York Dragons next Sunday, the Rush will hit the road for three consecutive weeks, making trips to Grand Rapids, Detroit and Colorado.

IT'S TIME TO CHAT: Antonio Chatman must like playing the San Jose SaberCats. Last season against San Jose, Chatman had the best game of his career accumulating 354 all-purpose yards. Chatman caught 9 passes for 109 yards and 1 touchdown but really did his damage in the return game. He recorded 245 yards on 11 kick returns, both of which are Rush team records. The 11 kick returns tied the 2nd-best mark in league history.

Last Sunday against the SaberCats, Chatman racked up 263 combined return yards — a Rush record — which included a 57-yard touchdown return. Chatman accounted for 333 all-purpose yards, the 2nd-best game of his career. He added 5 receptions for 70 yards and a score.

TURN UP THE A.C.: Antonio Chatman has scored 8 touchdowns in his last 3 contests. As a receiver, Chatman has caught 20 passes for 249 yards (12.5 yards per catch) and 6 touchdowns. He is averaging 28.8 yards per kick return in the last 3 games (13-374) with 2 touchdowns. Chatman has also returned two missed field goals for an average of 28.0 yards.

For the season, Chatman has caught 47 passes for 439 yards and 7 touchdowns. He is on pace to record 125 receptions and 1,171 yards, both of which would shatter existing Rush records. Chatman is also on pace to record 1,827 combined return yards, which would break his own team record of 1,608.

RECORD HOLDER: Antonio Chatman set two Rush career records last Sunday against San Jose. Chatman bumped former offensive specialist Joe Douglass from the top spot in kick return touchdowns and touchdowns scored.

Chatman returned his fourth kickoff for touchdown Sunday night, a 57-yard return to get the Rush on the board in the first quarter. With his second score of the contest and the 35th of his career, a 25-yard touchdown reception from Chad Salisbury, Chatman passed Douglass for the career touchdowns scored mark. Douglass scored 34 touchdowns in his 1-plus year career with the Rush.

With his 263 combined return yards in Sunday's contest, Chatman broke his own Rush record of 245 yards.

KLEINHESSELINK LEADS: Lineman Riley Kleinhesselink leads all Rush lineman with 10.0 tackles. Last Sunday against San Jose, Kleinhesselink recorded a career-high 3.5 tackles. In addition to his 10.0 tackles, he has forced and recovered a fumble.

SACKMASTER: Rush lineman John Moyer has recorded sacks in each of the last two contests. With his 3.0 sacks this season, Moyer becomes the Rush's all-time leader. Moyer tied for 8th in the league last season with his 4.0 sacks. Moyer's 3.0 sacks this year have him tied for the 2nd-best mark in the league with Grand Rapids Israel Raybon.

Moyer is also second among Rush lineman with 9.5 tackles.

#2 DEFENSE: Despite allowing 71 points last week, the Rush defense is still ranks No. 2 in the league. In scoring defense, the Rush is only allowing 43.0 points per game just behind Buffalo's 41.7. In the total defense category, the Rush is allowing 232.8 yards per game (2nd) with Georgia leading the league at 228.5. Chicago still leads the league in passing defense at 211.0 yards per contest.

The Gladiators are averaging 47.5 points per game.

A STREAKING YOUNG LADD: Wide receiver/linebacker Anthony Ladd has caught a touchdown pass in each of the last five games. Ladd also scored a rushing touchdown February 23 against Los Angeles.

Ladd has scored 14 touchdowns in his last 13 regular-season games dating back to June 8, 2002.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rush lineman Frank Moore will turn 27 years old March 27. Moore has started all 6 games at center for Rush.

THAT'S T-BOWICK: Lineman Tony Bowick caught a career-long 29-yard pass against San Jose. It was the first pass Bowick had caught since June 30, 2001, at Detroit, while he was playing for Grand Rapids.

The 29-yard pass was not only the longest pass play for the Rush, it was the first time Chicago has completed a pass to the tight end this season.

GO U NORTHWESTERN: Rush fullback/linebacker Levelle Brown, a former Northwestern Wildcat, made his AFL debut Sunday against San Jose. Brown, filling in for the injured Jamie McGourty, scored his first career touchdown, forced a fumble and recorded 1.5 tackles.

AH YAT DEBUTS: Brian Ah Yat also made his AFL debut last Sunday, starting at quarterback. Ah Yat threw his first career touchdown pass to Lindsay Fleshman (11 yards). He struggled overall completing 3-of-12 passes for 43 yards and 1 interception.

MOVIN' ON UP: Cedric Walker is 4.5 tackles away from 450.0 career tackles. There have been only four players in league history to reach the 450-tackle mark. Las Vegas' Damon Mason made 1.0 tackle last week to become the newest member of the club with 450.5 stops. Walker is sitting in fifth place in AFL history with 445.5 tackles.

Walker led the league with 98.0 tackles last year. It was the second time in his career that he led the league in that category (93.0 in 1997). Walker has 7 career games with over 10.0 tackles, including a career high of 13.0 tackles (April 26, 2002, at Orlando and July 13, 2002, vs. Dallas).

KALAGNI FOR SHORT: Halakilangi Muagututia (hah-lah-kee-LAHN-gi moo-ah-goo-too-TEE-ah) has made a big play in each of his 2 contests. In his AFL debut two weeks ago in Buffalo, Muagututia intercepted a pass toward the end of the first half. Last week against San Jose, he recovered an Aaron Bailey fumble in the third quarter which the Rush turned into a touchdown.

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