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Dragons win comes at right time

by David Holusha
March 11, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons


There's nothing like a win to cure all that ails you. That's how the New York Dragons feel after defeating the San Jose SaberCats 64-50. The win snapped a two-game home losing streak (three overall) and put confidence back into everyone involved with this team. "I've never been as proud after a win as am I today," said a relieved head coach Todd Shell. "It was probably one of the biggest wins I've been associated with."

A solid opening kickoff tackle made by Richmond Flowers (WR/LB), clearly showing the natural wide receiver has been working hard on his defensive game. However both Flowers and fellow offense-minded newcomer Chuck Wesley (WR/DB) seemed to be late in their pursuit on the running play that led to San Jose's first touchdown. Allowing fullback Matt Kinsinger to lumber past them both for the score. The Dragons would catch their first break when kicker Dan Frantz would miss the point after.

The ensuing kickoff saw the speedy and slashing Donvetis Franklin run the ball back to the San Jose 20. Had he not lost his balance at one point, he could have taken it all the way in. QB Aaron Garcia quickly went to work and moved the Dragons even closer, delivering the ball to newly signed WR Chuck Wesley. Unfortunately, sometime fullback Rodney Filer lost the handle on the ball trying to dive into the endzone, and instead fumbled out of bounds at the goal line, turning the ball over. Now it was QB Mark Grieb's turn to move the ball downfield, delivering the ball to WR Jerry Reese. On one play, Reese was leveled on a violent smack from the unbreakable DB Donvetis Franklin. To the Dragons credit their defense held the SaberCats from scoring on this drive with a crucial 4th down and goal stop, broken up by DS Terrance Joseph.

As the arena league has the good fortune to be on network television, there are surely the inevitable breaks in play while sponsors are satisfied. During these tv timeouts, an array of activities go on inside the arena. At one end of the stands is the "Dragons Cove", where three drummers pound out rhythms, providing in-house entertainment. There are also the lovely "Firedancers". A team of curvy kickdancers with varying shades of blonde tresses. They pump, bumb and groove to modern rock and dance hits. Their popularity with the fans is not hard to understand. In fact, the local fans often find themselves on the field during these timeouts, engaging in some kind of contest, all under the direction of the lead firedancer and on-mike hostess named Dina. Dina herself showed great skill during the pregame dance routine by not missing a beat, despite an untied shoelace.

Returning to the play, with the Dragons pinned deep in their own zone, Aaron Garcia used the great protection given to him by his line to unleash a bomb to WR Will Holder, putting the ball on the San Jose 15 yard line. The very next play had Garcia hitting Wesley deep in the right corner for the touchdown. Newly signed kicker Gary Kral provides the automatic point after that had recently been missing from the Dragons arsenal.

The second quarter found both sides stretching out the field and putting up near matching points. After a quick SaberCat TD, KR Donvetis Franklin flashed mad skills by first catching – then dropping the ball in his own endzone – only to pick it up and slice his way through the field, eventually winding up on the opposing 9 yard line. It was an impressive display of athleticism. Top gun Garcia quickly hit rising star WR Richmond Flowers for his first career AFL touchdown. Kral's point after kept the pressure on San Jose.

The much improved Dragons defense battled valiantly on the next series, holding the ‘Cats from pushing it in on consecutive running plays. However, on 4th and 1they finally punched it in. The resulting kickoff produced a blistering hit delivered by new addition Cosmo DeMatteo. The newly signed defensive back leveled Fred Coleman, which in turn sprung Donvetis Franklin who advanced the ball to the Dragons 16 yard line. But the Dragons would again turn the ball over when Joey Dozier fumbled away a clean reception from Garcia. The Dragons defense would come up big yet again on the very next drive. A crucial holding call on OL George Williams pushed the ‘Cats progress back from one yard out of the endzone to the 11. Grieb would cough the ball up on the very next play and Dragons recovered. With the Dragons back on offense (and despite Garcia getting sacked once), WR Lincoln Dupree exerted his influence on the drive, pulling in crucial passes, including the eventual touchdown. Both teams traded touchdowns within the final minutes of the half, but again San Jose's kicker would miss a point after attempt. The Dragons benefited from penalty at end of half, giving them one final play before the end of the half. Kral did not waste the opportunity and slotted away the field goal.

The second half picked up right where the first had left off with yet another electrifying kickoff return from the Dragons Franklin, this time to midfield. The very next play had Garcia airing out a high arcing pass to Richmond Flowers, who under extremely tight coverage made a spectacular fingertip catch. But now the Dragons failed to convert the point after. San Jose quickly struck back with a score of their own, and then the Dragons put themselves deeper into a hole when in a rare occurrence, Franklin failed to recover the loose ball off the nets, allowing the SaberCats Rashied Davis to recover for another touchdown. Suddenly it appeared the tide was turning and the Dragons found themselves in a 10 point hole.

Determined to make amends for the quick points given, Garcia and Co. quickly struck back for a score. With both defenses stepping up and producing interceptions on the next two drives, the see-saw battle continued. Eventual game Ironman Lincoln Dupree showed equal skill on offense and defense by picking off Grieb at the start of the fourth quarter. Garcia then hit ‘Will the Thrill' Holder for a touchdown play, as the standout receiver made a one-handed catch, out maneuvering safety Clevan Thomas. The Dragons now had the lead again and wouldn't relinquish it again. Sensing what would be necessary to seal the victory, the Dragons defense took it up another notch. With just over eight minutes remaining, hulking lineman Marcus "Snowball" Owen delivered his first sack of the season, dropping Grieb for a 7-yard loss. "Snowball's" subsequent sack dance had the nearby Firedancers shaking their pom-poms in approval.

With the defense now playing well, but the Dragons only nursing a one point edge, it was time for the offence to contribute once again. They did to the tune of a Garcia to Holder touchdown play, but disturbingly, the trend of missed extra points creeped in again and the Dragons held only a 7 point advance. But the defense would not let the team down on this day, as they stepped up the pressure and made big plays at crucial moments. The SaberCats were forced to turn the ball over on downs after a sack from LB Josh White, and suffocating coverage from Donvetis Franklin. With seconds ticking off the clock, Garica hit DeMatteo on the final play of the game for a touchdown.

Winning certainly does cure all ills. Next week the Dragons head down to Tampa Bay, where they will face the once mighty and now somewhat shaky defending champions. The Storm have strugged to a 2-3 record so far, and were taken down by the expansion New Orleans VooDoo 55-43 last week. The Dragons look forward to continuing the progress they've made.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 11, 2004


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