Drive to ArenaBowl XIX hits high gear

May 25, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release

NEW YORK – The Colorado Crush and Georgia Force secured the top seeds in the American and National Conference, respectively, and will host during the Divisional Round this weekend as Honda's Drive to ArenaBowl XIX Las Vegas heads down the final stretch.

AFL on NBC studio host AL TRAUTWIG and analyst GLENN PARKER will be in the studio for halftime commentary, game look-ins and interviews from all four first-round games.

In the National Conference, Coach of the Year candidate DOUG PLANK and the No. 1-seeded Force (11-5) will host seven-time ArenaBowl champion head coach TIM MARCUM and the No. 4-seeded Tampa Bay Storm (10-6) at Philips Arena on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Georgia's "Thunder and Lightning" combo of WR/LB DEREK LEE (6-5, 225, Tennessee Tech) and OS TROY BERGERON (6-2, 190, Middle Tennessee State), who were both named to the All-Rookie Team, highlight the offensive attack that is guided by All-Arena second-team selection MATT NAGY (6-2, 220, Delaware).

Tampa Bay's All-Arena second-team WR/LB LAWRENCE SAMUELS (6-2, 220, Livingston) will team up with Week 17 Offensive Player of the Week QB SHANE STAFFORD (6-3, 210, Connecticut) for the Storm, who are in search of their record-setting sixth title.

In Denver, All-Arena first-team selection QB MARK GRIEB (6-3, 208, Cal-Davis) and the defending ArenaBowl champion, No. 4-seeded San Jose SaberCats (9-7) travel to Pepsi Center to faceoff against All-Arena first-team OS DAMIAN HARRELL (6-3, 200, Florida State) and the No. 1-seeded Colorado Crush (10-6) this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Grieb, who was ArenaBowl XVIII Offensive Player of the Game, set the single-season passing yards record with 4,803 surpassing JIM KUBIAK's old mark of 4,762 passing yards in 2003 while playing with Dallas. Harrell, who is a candidate for Offensive Player of the Year, led the Crush in receptions (122), receiving yards (1,486) and touchdowns (41).

In the National Conference's other divisional game, All-Arena first-team selections WR/LB CORY FLEMING (6-3, 215, Tennessee) and DS KENNY MC ENTYRE (5-11, 180, Kansas State) and the No. 3-seeded Orlando Predators (10-6) head to Nassau Coliseum to square-off against former Offensive Player of the Year QB AARON GARCIA (6-1, 195, Sacramento State) and All-Arena First team DS BILLY PARKER (6-0, 195, William & Mary) this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

In the American Conference matchup, All-Arena second-team OL/DL JOHN MOYER (6-3, 265, Eastern Illinois) and All-Ironman candidate WR/LB ETU MOLDEN (6-2, 195, Montana) lead the No. 3-seeded Chicago Rush (9-7) to STAPLES Center to play All-Arena selections OL/DL SILAS DEMARY (6-3, 285, Virginia State) and WR/DB KEVIN INGRAM (6-0, 195, West Chester) and the No. 2-seeded Los Angeles Avengers (10-6) this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE WRITERS' ASSOCIATION (AFLWA) POLL
RANK TEAM RECORD VOTES (FIRST PLACE)
1 Georgia Force 11-5 87 (7)
2 Los Angeles Avengers 10-6 61
3 Orlando Predators 10-6 59
T-4 Colorado Crush 10-6 58
T-4 Tampa Bay Storm 10-6 58 (2)
6 New York Dragons 10-6 57 (2)
7 San Jose SaberCats 9-7 33
8 Chicago Rush 9-7 13
Also receiving votes: New Orleans VooDoo 5 and Arizona Rattlers 1.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 25, 2005

• Drive to ArenaBowl XIX hits high gear - AFL I
• Grieb named to All-Arena First Team - San Jose SaberCats
• Arena Football League names All-Arena Teams - AFL I
• Three Crush players named to 2005 All-Arena Team - Colorado Crush
• Siaha Burley Named Second Team All-Arena - Arizona Rattlers
• San Jose SaberCats game notes - San Jose SaberCats
• Billy Parker named First Team All-Arena DS - New York Dragons
• VooDoo OL/DL B.J. Cohen named to Arena Football League's 2005 All-Arena Team - New Orleans VooDoo
• Moyer named second team All-Arena - Chicago Rush
• Frank Carter earns First-Team All-Arena honors - Las Vegas Gladiators
• Force have four named to 2005 All-Arena teams - Georgia Force
• Soul re-sign Sean Scott - Philadelphia Soul
• Watch The Longest Yard with the Storm - Tampa Bay Storm
• Carter Named Second-Team All-Arena - Nashville Kats
• Numerous AFL records broken - AFL I
• Colorado Crush game notes - Colorado Crush
• Two former ArenaBowl MVP QBs to battle Sunday - AFL I
• New York Dragons game notes - New York Dragons

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