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Chicago Rush game notes

February 10, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release


The Quick Facts
TV: NBC ... Tom Hammond, Pat Haden, Lewis Johnson
Radio: ESPN Radio 1000 ... Tom Dore, John Jurkovic
Overall Series Record: 1-2
Last Meeting: May 25, 2003 – NY 48, Rush 45 (AFL Playoffs – 1st round)
Coaches (regular season records):
Mike Hohensee (69-64 — 11th season)
Todd Shell (37-29 — 6th season)
Officials: Pat Garvey (Referee), Tony Payne (Umpire), Bill Ward (Head Linesman), James Mello (Line Judge), Jim Anderson (Back Judge)

2004 Chicago Rush Schedule
February 8 Grand Rapids* W 50-30 15,552
February 14 @ New York 2 p.m. NBC
February 22 Colorado* 2 p.m. NBC
February 29 @ Indiana* 2 p.m. NBC
March 7 @ Philadelphia 11 a.m. NBC
March 14 BYE
March 21 Orlando 11 a.m. NBC
March 28 Detroit* 2 p.m.
April 4 @ Las Vegas 5 p.m.
April 11 Tampa Bay 2 p.m. NBC
April 16 @ San Jose 9:30 p.m.
April 25 Los Angeles 2 p.m. NBC
May 2 @ Detroit * 2 p.m. NBC
May 8 @ Grand Rapids* 6:30 p.m.
May 16 Dallas 2 p.m. NBC
May 23 Indiana* 2 p.m. NBC
May 30 @ Colorado* 3 p.m. NBC

*Central Division Game ... All times Central


American Conference — Central Division
2004 Standings
W-L-T PF PA Division
RUSH 1-0-0 50 30 1-0-0
Colorado 1-0-0 43 42 0-0-0
Detroit 0-1-0 43 58 0-0-0
Grand Rapids 0-1-0 30 50 0-1-0
Indiana 0-1-0 48 54 0-0-0


VALENTINE'S DAY MATINEE: This week the Rush takes a three-game regular season road winning streak to Long Island, New York for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the New York Dragons. Chicago is looking to avenge two 2003 losses to the Dragons, a 54-51 regular-season loss at Allstate Arena and a 48-45 loss at Nassau Coliseum in the opening round of the AFL playoffs. In the playoff loss, the Rush blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead, before an Ian Howfield 30-yard field goal with no time remaining, won the game for New York.

NICE START: The Rush opened the 2004 season in impressive fashion, defeating the Grand Rapids Rampage 50-30 in front of 15,552 fans at Allstate Arena. The Rush defense recorded three sacks and forced three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble), while holding the Rampage to just 92 passing yards and 107 total yards.

Offensively, the Rush scored on its first seven possessions of the game, and eight of 10 overall. New QB Raymond Philyaw completed 16 of 24 passes for 235 yards and two TDs. Philyaw also carried the ball seven times for 13 yards and three scores.

WR/LB Lindsay Fleshman recorded six catches for a career-best 110 yards and one touchdown on offense, and added a tackle and an interception return for a TD on defense.

NEXT WEEK: The Rush returns home next week for a Central Division battle against John Elway's Colorado Crush. Last season the Rush defeated Colorado 76-58 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

MUST SEE TV: Sunday's opener was a success for NBC in Chicago as well. The Rush posted an impressive 3.2 overnight rating for the game, up 52% from the 2.1 rating for last season's opener vs. Orlando. This week's game also will be broadcast by NBC 5 Chicago, beginning at 2 p.m. Central.

DADDY'S LITTLE GIRL: It was an especially sweet weekend for Rush offensive specialist Jeremy McDaniel. Saturday evening McDaniel's girlfriend, Natalie Benjamin, gave birth to the couple's first child, daughter Journee Dakota, weighing 6 pounds 11 ounces. Jeremy then went out Sunday and scored the first Rush TD of the season with a two-yard rush. McDaniel finished the game with five catches for 55 yards.

LARRIMORE BANGED UP: DS Kareem Larrimore is ailing. Larrimore sprained his right ankle in the first half of Sunday's game against Grand Rapids and is listed as questionable for this week against New York.

TEAM RECORDS SET VS. RAMPAGE: The 92 passing yards and 107 total yards given up by the Rush defense are the fewest given up in Rush franchise history. In addition the 15 rushing attempts and 44 yards rushing are also Rush team records. Raymond Philyaw's seven rushing attempts and three rushing touchdowns tied team records.

CAREER HIGHS: Several Rush players had career-best efforts in Sunday's game against Grand Rapids:
· Raymond Philyaw had a career-high three rushing TDs.
· Lindsay Fleshman had a career-high 110 yards receiving.
· DeJuan Alfonzo had a career-long 39-yard TD catch.
· Corey Sawyer equaled his career high with eight tackles.

HEAD COACH MIKE HOHENSEE enters his 11th season as a head coach in the Arena Football League. Hohensee was hired as the first coach in Rush history on September 26, 2000. He
· has a regular-season record of 69-64 (including a
25-20 mark with the Rush) ... has a career 5-7 mark in the postseason.
· has led the Rush to three-consecutive playoff berths and a 2002 Central Division title
· became the sixth head coach in AFL history to achieve 70 career wins (postseason wins included) ... his 70th win was April 13, 2003, at Colorado (76-58).
· is 1-2 vs. the New York Dragons as Rush coach and 2-5 all-time vs. the New York Dragons franchise (including 1-3 vs. Iowa Barnstormers)

All-Time Winningest AFL Coaches
Including Postseason
Coach Team Wins This Week
Tim Marcum Tampa Bay 156 vs. Georgia
Danny White Arizona 123 vs. Detroit
Perry Moss 86
Mike Hohensee Rush 73 at New York
Michael Trigg Philadelphia 73 at Dallas
John Gregory 72

JUST 12 REMAIN: As the Rush begins its fourth season, only 12 players remain from the squad that finished the 2003 season. A 13th player, Salem Simon, started the 2003 season with the Rush before leaving for NFL Europe.

In addition, only four players remain from the team that won the Central Division title and advanced to the AFL semifinals in 2002.

MANAGING THE GAME: Philyaw's performance Sunday was exactly what the Rush coaches were looking for. Philyaw spread the ball around to six different receivers, while completing 16 of 24 passes for 235 yards, two TDs and no interceptions. Philyaw also carried the ball seven times for 13 yards and three TDs. His only mistake came early in the fourth quarter when he fumbled on the Grand Rapids 8-yard line while rolling to his right.

FIREBIRDS WEST CONTRIBUTE: The four players who followed Philyaw from Indiana to Chicago in the off-season turned in solid performances on Sunday. OS Jeremy McDaniel recorded five catches for 55 yards and a rushing touchdown; WR/DB Donnie Caldwell added 2.5 tackles and a pass broken up; DS Greg Williams recorded two tackles and an interception; and OL/DL John Sikora recorded one tackle and helped anchor a line that did not allow a sack.

PROTECT THAT QB: The Rush opened the 2004 season without allowing a sack of QB Raymond Philyaw. Chicago has become one of the better teams in the league in protecting its quarterback. In 2002 the Rush led the league, allowing only three QB sacks all season. Last season, the Rush ranked fifth in the AFL, giving up 12 sacks.

SACK ATTACK: The Rush defense recorded three sacks in the opener against Grand Rapids, with James Baron, Riley Kleinhesselink and Jamie McGourty each getting their first sacks of the season. Baron, a six-time All-Arena performer ranks 5th on the AFL's career sack leaders list with 34.5 career sacks, while McGourty recorded his first sack since July 13, 2002 (Dallas).

Here are Chicago's season and career sack leaders:
Player Season Player Career
John Moyer 9.0 (2003) John Moyer 13.0
Anthony Hutch 5.5 (2001) James Baron 8.0
John Moyer 4.0 (2002) Anthony Hutch 6.5
James Baron 4.0 (2003) Riley Kleinhesselink 4.5
Tony Henderson 4.0 (2001) Tony Henderson 4.0
James Baron 3.0 (2002) Jamie McGourty 3.5
Riley Kleinhesselink 2.5 (2001)

300-YARD PASSERS: The Rush has played 45 regular season games in its three-plus year history. Chicago's pass defense has allowed only six 300-yard games with the Rush going 3-3 in those six games. Aaron Garcia has passed for 300-yards in each of his regular season games against the Rush.

Player Date Yards
Clint Dolezel 7/7/01 @ Grand Rapids 342
Aaron Garcia 3/23/03 vs. New York 339
Clint Dolezel 5/4/02 vs. Grand Rapids 321
Clint Dolezel 3/29/03 @ Grand Rapids 317
Donnie Davis 5/18/02 vs. Georgia 304
Aaron Garcia 6/30/02 vs. New York 303

TOPPING THE CENTURY MARK: Lineman James Baron has played in 101 consecutive regular season AFL games, having never missed a game in his seven-year career. Including postseason, Baron's consecutive game streak stands at 114 games.

Baron has played in more AFL games than any other Rush player. Next on the Rush list for AFL service are Bob McMillen (96 regular season games), John Moyer (65), John Sikora (61), Frank Moore (60) and Jamie McGourty (54).



RUSH PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Practice for the week of February 9:
Tuesday, February 10 – Player Meetings only.
Wednesday, February 11 – 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 12 – 10:15 a.m. to Noon
Friday, February 13 – 2 p.m., Nassau Coliseum

All practices will be held at the team's Palatine practice facility, Soccer Enterprise, except Saturday's walk-thru, which will be held at Nassau Coliseum.

INDIVIDUAL LEAGUE LEADERS: The following Rush players are among the 2004 AFL league leaders.

Raymond Philaw: average gain (1st—9.79 yards), scoring (T-1st—18), passer rating (5th—126.2), completion percentage (6th—66.7), passing yards (7th—235)

Lindsay Fleshman: scoring (T-7th—12 points), receiving yards (4th—110), interceptions (T-1st—1), interception return for TD (T-1st—1)

Keith Gispert: field goal percentage (T-1st—100)

Bob McMillen: rushing yards (4th—26)

James Baron: sacks (T-2nd—1)

Riley Kleinhesselink: sacks (T-2nd—1)

Jamie McGourty: sacks (T-2nd—1)

John Moyer: fumble recoveries (T-2nd—1)

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