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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Dallas can clinch Eastern Division, tie AFL record for road wins

April 19, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - The Dallas Desperados, again the top-ranked team in this week's AFLWA Schutt Sports Top 12 Poll, can clinch the Eastern Division title and a first-round postseason bye with a win over the Georgia Force (7-5) at Philips Arena in Atlanta on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET on OLN and losses by both Philadelphia (7-5) and New York (7-5) this week.

Dallas has won all six of its road games this year and, with a win at Georgia this week, will become just the second team in AFL history to win its first seven road games in a season tying the 2000 Arizona Rattlers.

The defending ArenaBowl champion Colorado Crush (9-3), ranked second in this week's AFLWA Schutt Sports Top 12 Poll, also clinched a postseason berth last week and can wrap up the Central Division title and earn a first-round bye with a win over the Utah Blaze (3-9) at Pepsi Center in Denver on Friday at 9:00 p.m. ET on FSN Rocky Mountain (tape delay at midnight ET) and a loss by Nashville (7-5) to Kansas City (2-10) on Saturday.

Also this week, the Orlando Predators (8-4), Arizona Rattlers (7-5), Nashville Kats (7-5) and San Jose SaberCats (6-6), can clinch playoff berths with wins and help from other teams.

Colorado OS DAMIAN HARRELL has several AFL records in his sites after earning AFL Offensive Player of the Week honors following a five-touchdown performance in the Crush's 55-49 win over Kansas City last week. Harrell has 43 receiving touchdowns thus far, including 13 in the last three weeks, and needs four more to set a new AFL mark. He also is poised to break the League record for total touchdowns (51) set by Albany's EDDIE BROWN in 1996 and matched by Orlando's BARRY WAGNER in 1997.

Following is a game-by-game breakdown of Harrell's 43 touchdowns this season:

WEEK OPPONENT TDS
1 Chicago 4
2 At Georgia 5
3 Las Vegas 2
4 At Nashville 1
5 At Philadelphia 4
6 Grand Rapids 5
7 At Chicago 3
8 At Los Angeles 4
9 Columbus 2
10 Nashville 5
11 At Grand Rapids 3
12 At Kansas City 5

The "War on I-4" between the Orlando Predators (8-4) and Tampa Bay Storm (6-6) writes another chapter this week when the teams meet at the TD Waterhouse Center in Tampa Bay on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on CSS, Brighthouse and CSN West. The Predators won the first meeting of 2006, 67-64, in overtime on February 19 in Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay leads the all-time regular-season series 16-15. Orlando, who defeated Georgia last week to grab a share of first place in the Southern Division, holds a 4-3 lead in postseason meetings. The Storm have made the playoffs in all 15 years of existence and the Predators have put together a string of 14-consecutive playoff appearances.

"As a professional player, these are the type of games you live for," offered Predators Head Coach JAY GRUDEN. "This is a late season game against your arch-rival which has enormous playoff implications. If you aren't excited about playing this game, you are not alive."

Gruden will make his 35th appearance in a rivalry he has seen from both sides. As quarterback of the Tampa Bay Storm, Gruden was 7-7 against the Predators. As Orlando's head coach, he is 8-8, winning seven of the last 11 to even his record.

Two of the AFL's most exciting rookies will face off when OS DERRICK LEWIS and the Austin Wranglers (8-4) visit WR/LB BEN NELSON and the San Jose SaberCats (6-6) on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET at the HP Pavilion at San Jose on CSN West (tape delay Sunday at 7:00 p.m. ET), Time Warner Austin Channel 77 (tape delay on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. ET), CSN Philadelphia, CSN Mid-Atlantic (tape delay on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. ET). Lewis leads all rookies with 18 touchdowns and ranks second with 90 catches. Nelson, who did not start a game until March, has posted 150-or-more receiving yards in four of the seven games he has played in 2006 and has 17 touchdowns.

Chicago Head Coach MIKE HOHENSEE could become only the third AFL head coach, joining Tampa Bay's TIM MARCUM (180 wins) and Utah's DANNY WHITE (145 wins), to reach the 100-victory mark this week when the Rush (4-8) host Las Vegas (5-7) at Allstate Arena on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET on CSN Chicago (tape delay at 8:00 p.m. ET), Comcast Local, CSN West, CSS and INHD.

Other games this week: Columbus at Philadelphia on Friday, Kansas City at Nashville on Saturday, New York at Los Angeles on Saturday and Arizona at Grand Rapids on Sunday.

This Week in AFL History
April 23, 1995: The San Jose SaberCats hold their first-ever training camp at Patrick Henry Junior High School in San Jose, Calif.

AFLWA Schutt Sports Top 12 Poll
1. Dallas Desperados (17) 10-2 237
2. Colorado Crush (3) 9-3 223
3. Orlando Predators 8-4 195
4. Austin Wranglers 8-4 182
5. Arizona Rattlers 7-5 147
6. Georgia Force 7-5 120
7. Nashville Kats 7-5 119
8. Philadelphia Soul 7-5 112
9. New York Dragons 7-5 82
10. San Jose SaberCats 6-6 65
11. Tampa Bay Storm 6-6 54
12. Las Vegas Gladiators 5-7 11
Others receiving votes: Columbus Destroyers 9, Utah Blaze 3.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 19, 2006


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