Columbus And San Jose To Meet In ArenaBowl XXI

July 18, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release

NEW YORK - The Mitsubishi Motors Drive to ArenaBowl XXI New Orleans reaches its destination as the National Conference Champion Columbus Destroyers (7-9, 3-0) meet the American Conference Champion San Jose SaberCats (13-3, 2-0) at New Orleans Arena on July 29, at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN on ABC - HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 123).

Columbus (7-9, 3-0), the No. 6 seeded team heading into the National Conference playoffs, enters its first ArenaBowl in franchise history after an improbable run culminating in its 66-56 victory over the No. 2 ranked Georgia Force at Philips Arena on Saturday.

Destroyers QB MATT NAGY (755 YDs, 14 TDs) completed 23-of-34 passes for 209 yards with five touchdowns and added two on the ground as Columbus completed its sweep of the National Conference, defeating the two teams with the best regular-season records in the League in Dallas (15-1) and Georgia (14-2).

Nagy's second ArenaBowl appearance in three years (Georgia, 2005) could give the Destroyers their 50th win and first five-game winning streak since 2000. Ironically, that streak was snapped by San Jose in an 83-54 loss.

Columbus head coach DOUG KAY faces his former Albany Firebirds colleague in a teacher - student matchup with San Jose SaberCats head coach DARREN ARBET. In their only season with Firebirds (1994), Arbet served as one of Kay's assistants before leaving the next year to join San Jose.

"The record that he has supplied to the people of San Jose is phenomenal," said Kay. "To win two ArenaBowl Championships and appear in the Conference Championship Game seven of the last eight years is quite an accomplishment. I'm proud of him not only as a coach, but I'm also proud of him as a person. I think of him as a son."

Kay's defensive background paid dividends during the two biggest games of the postseason, limiting both Dallas (59) and Georgia (56) to less than their 63 and 62 points per game average, respectively.

The Mitsubishi Motors Western Division Champion San Jose SaberCats (13-3, 2-0) are making their third ArenaBowl appearance in the last six seasons and look to extend their winning-streak to an AFL record 13 games.

San Jose also looks to become the third team in AFL history to win at least three ArenaBowls in six years (Detroit Drive - 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992; Tampa Bay Storm - 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996).

SaberCats QB MARK GRIEB (596 YDs, 15 TDs) completed 27-of-37 passes for 292 yards with six touchdowns as San Jose defeated the defending ArenaBowl Champion Chicago Rush, 61-49, on Saturday.

Grieb notes that having been a part of two ArenaBowl Championships, the key players on San Jose's roster could be a factor against an inexperienced Destroyers team.

"In terms of talent level and focus I think this team is right there with the other ones," said Grieb, comparing the 2007 SaberCats to the previous San Jose championship teams.

"Veteran guys like WR JAMES ROE (24 REC, 243 YDs 5 TDs), DB CLEVAN THOMAS (14 TACKLES, 2 INTs, 3 PD) and DB OMARR SMITH (9 TACKLES, 2 PD) all played on those teams. There are a lot of key guys who have been here and know what it is like to be in a championship."

San Jose's season has mirrored its last two ArenaBowl Championship seasons (2002, 2004) in many ways. The last time the SaberCats opened their season with a road victory on opening day was 2004, the year they won ArenaBowl XVIII.

The last time San Jose posted a 12-game winning streak was 2002, the year they won ArenaBowl XVI. In both 2002 and 2004, San Jose had to defeat the team who knocked them out of the playoffs the year prior to advance to the ArenaBowl.

Chicago defeated the SaberCats, 59-56, in the 2006 American Conference Championship Game, and by defeating Chicago on Saturday, they are now one step away from another title.

San Jose head coach Darren Arbet also looks to become the second head coach in AFL history to record a third ArenaBowl Championship (Tim Marcum - 7), and credits much of his success to his former colleague, Doug Kay.

"Coach Kay was huge in what I do in the League right now and to my career," said Arbet. "I could tell you a little story. He had me do the scouting reports. We didn't have computers back then so it took a very long time. He just looked at it, the 30-page document, and said, ‘You're going to give this to your team?' He ripped it up and told me to do it over again."

"He was very detail oriented and taught me to be detailed. He is a very strong guy and demands a lot of respect. And that is something that I have here with the San Jose SaberCats and I learned that from him."

To aid local TV stations, the Arena Football League will produce one half hour satellite feed containing ArenaBowl XXI highlights. The feed will be available on July 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The feed coordinates are: Galaxy 26, Transponder 21 (C-Band), Downlink Frequency: 4120 Vertical, Audio: 6.2/6.8.

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS (7-9, 3-0) AT SAN JOSE SABERCATS (13-3, 2-0)

SUNDAY, JULY 29 AT 3:00 P.M. ET

LOCATION: NEW ORLEANS ARENA

TV: ESPN ON ABC - LIVE (HD); ESPN360.COM

SIRIUS RADIO - CHANNEL 123

ANNOUNCERS: MIKE GREENBERG & MIKE GOLIC

First appearance by team from either Eastern or Western Divisions in ArenaBowl since playoff format began in 2005...DESTROYERS: Away team wearing white jerseys...Won four straight road games...Win would be 50th in franchise history...4-0 on national TV this season...QB MATT NAGY needs seven touchdown passes to become seventh player with 50 in postseason career. Leads AFL with five postseason rushing touchdowns in 2007. Needs one rushing touchdown to tie for third all-time in postseason career (9)...WR DAMIEN GROCE needs 132 receiving yards to become 13th player with 1,000 in postseason career. Ranks first in 2007 postseason receiving yards (355)...WR JOSH BUSH ranks second in 2007 postseason all-purpose-yards (397)...Defense leads AFL in 2007 postseason in takeaways (8)...WR/DB BJ BARRE leads AFL in 2007 postseason defensive fumble recoveries (2)...DB JERALD BROWN recorded longest INT return for TD in postseason history with 54-yd TD return against Georgia...DB BRANDON HEFFLIN needs three tackles to break single-postseason record (34.0)...Both Brown (5) and Hefflin (4) rank second and third in 2007 postseason passes defensed...SABERCATS: Home team wearing dark green jerseys...2007 Mitsubishi Motors Western Division Champions...Have won 12 consecutive games...Head Coach DARREN ARBET has 11-3 record as home team coach in postseason. Can become second head coach with three ArenaBowl victories (Tim Marcum - 7)...Offense has scored 13-of-14 times in red zone in postseason (92.9)...QB MARK GRIEB would become third quarterback with 10 postseason wins with victory. Leads AFL in 2007 postseason fourth-quarter passer-rating (153.8). Needs five touchdown passes to become second player with 90 in postseason career. Needs 14 completions to become third player with 350 in postseason career...WR JAMES ROE needs six touchdown receptions to become sixth player with 30 in postseason career...Lead AFL in point differential (15.1), including postseason...WR/DB RODNEY WRIGHT leads AFL in 2007 postseason all-purpose yards (403)...DB CLEVAN THOMAS needs one interception to tie teammate DB OMARR SMITH for fifth in career postseason interceptions (5). Smith needs six tackles for 75 in postseason career.

2007 LEADERS DESTROYERS SABERCATS SERIES LEADER LEADS 6-0

LAST FIVE GAMES 4-1 5-0

LAST GAME Won at Georgia: 66-56 Won vs. Chicago: 61-49

2007 LEADERS DESTROYERS SABERCATS PASSING Nagy: 62-92-755-14-2 Grieb: 57-78-596-15-1

RECEIVING Groce: 23-355-5 Roe: 24-243-5

RUSHING Wells: 21-39-1 Glover: 5-3-2

TACKLES Hefflin: 34.0 Thomas: 14.0

SACKS Jones/Riley/Thompson: 1 Glover: 2

INTERCEPTIONS Brown: 2 Floyd/Thomas: 2

KICKING Martinez: 24-25 PAT; 2-4 FG: 30 PTS Haglund: 17-19 PAT; 0-1 FG: 17

TEAM OFFENSE 62.7 PPG (2nd); 276.3 YPG (10th) 68.5 PPG (1st); 302.0 YPG (T-7th)

TEAM DEFENSE 56.7 PPG (8th); 337.7 YPG (11th) 58.0 PPG (9th); 373.0 YPG (12th)

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 18, 2007

• Columbus And San Jose To Meet In ArenaBowl XXI - AFL I
• Destroyers Weekly: ArenaBowl XXI New Orleans vs. San Jose SaberCats - Columbus Destroyers
• Rush Announces 2007 Team Award Winners - Chicago Rush

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