Dragons Hot Streak Has Turned Season Around
April 21, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons News Release
The New York Dragons head into this Saturday's match-up against the division rival Cleveland Gladiators at the Nassau Coliseum riding a three-game winning streak that has propelled them to a 4-4 record. New York is currently one of the hottest teams in the AFL. Saturday's game will be broadcast live on MSG Plus with Jonathan Coachman (play-by-play), Wayne Morris (analyst) and Tina Cervasio (sideline reporter).
After a heartbreaking loss to Dallas on March 30th that dropped the Dragons record to 1-4, they have since surged, winning three straight games. It has not only moved the team back to a .500 record, but has also put them right in the middle of the playoff picture with half the season remaining.
Friday night's 66-47 win over the Tampa Bay Storm was New York's third consecutive dominant win. The Dragons have scored over 60 points in each of the three wins and the average margin of victory during the current hot streak is 22 points.
The offensive outburst has a lot to do with the return of star quarterback Aaron Garcia to the lineup. Garcia was hampered by a sprained knee followed by a rib fracture early in the season. He played his first complete game in nearly a year in Week 5 vs. Dallas, a game which the Dragons narrowly lost in the final minutes of play. Since then, Garcia has thrown for 863 yards and 22 touchdowns and became only the fourth player in AFL history to throw for over 39,000 yards in his career along the way.
Garcia's experienced receiving corps of Chris Anthony, Kevin Swayne and Jason Willis has not disappointed either. The three have combined for 1,779 receiving yards and 40 of the Dragons' 54 touchdowns on the season.
While the offense has come alive, it has been the defense that has provided the spark and the main key to the Dragons turnaround. In the last four games, the Dragons defense has given up an average of 39.0 points, which is the lowest in the league over that time period. This season, the defense ranks third in the league is total defense (269.2 yards per game), second in pass defense (246.5 yards per game), third in takeaways (23) and first in red zone defense (72.2%).
The defense also ranks second overall in interceptions (15) and sacks (13). Rookie defensive backs Levy Brown and John Walker each have five interceptions on the season, which leads all rookies and is good for fourth in the league overall. Veteran DL Henry Taylor leads the league in sacks with 7.5 and tackles for loss with 8.0. All five of Walker's interceptions and all 7.5 of Taylor's sacks have come in the last four games, igniting the Dragons on their way to three straight wins.
The Dragons look to continue their recent dominant hot streak this Saturday, April 26th in a rematch against the Cleveland Gladiators at the Nassau Coliseum. The division rivals beat the Dragons 61-49 in the first game of the season but will have their hands full with a rejuvenated Dragons team in Week 9.
Great seats are still available for Saturday's Dragons/Gladiators game at the Nassau Coliseum. Fans should call 1-866-AFL-TIXX to speak to a Dragons ticket representative to get information on how to purchase tickets or logon to ticketmaster.com. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 21, 2008
- Soul stay unbeaten with 76-55 win over Columbus - Philadelphia Soul
- Columbus Destroyers Fall to Philadelphia Soul 76-55 on ESPN Arena Football Monday Night - Columbus Destroyers
- Dragons Hot Streak Has Turned Season Around - New York Dragons
- Garcia Hits Career Milestone - New York Dragons
- Soul Look to Stay Unbeaten - Philadelphia Soul
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
