AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Drive to ArenaBowl XVIII continues on NBC Sunday

Published on April 7, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK – The Chicago Rush (6-2) look to strengthen their position as one of the leading contenders in the Drive to ArenaBowl XVIII when they host the defending champion Tampa Bay Storm (3-6) at Allstate Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

Philadelphia Soul president and former NFL quarterback RON JAWORSKI joins host AL TRAUTWIG and analyst GLENN PARKER in the studio for a preview of Sunday's match-ups, halftime game updates and postgame wrap-up interviews.

Chicago, who are led by Offensive Player of the Year candidate QB RAYMOND PHILYAW (124.3 passer rating, 28 passing touchdowns and nine rushing touchdowns) and Rookie of the Year candidate OS ETU MOLDEN (38 receptions and 10 touchdowns), hopes to keep pace with New Orleans and San Jose – both are 7-1 – for the AFL's top seed. The Rush, who are currently ranked No. 3 in the AFLWA poll, will be going for career win No. 80 for head coach MIKE HOHENSEE, who is No. 4 in all-time coaching victories.

On the other sideline is the AFL's all-time winningest coach, TIM MARCUM. With seven ArenaBowl titles, the veteran coach is fighting to keep his team focused for a playoff run as they are currently "on the bubble" for one of the top eight spots. WR/LB LAWRENCE SAMUELS (57 receptions for 670 yards) and OS FREDDIE SOLOMON (48 receptions and 19 touchdowns) provide the offensive punch for the Storm.

Elsewhere, the expansion Austin Wranglers (5-3), who are ranked No. 8 in the AFLWA poll, host the Georgia Force in a Southern Division showdown at Frank Erwin Center on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. The Wranglers, who currently own one of the coveted Top 8 spots in the AFL standings, are led by Rookie of the Year candidate OS TACOMA FONTAINE (16 touchdowns in five games), while QB JOHN KALEO has the Wranglers' offense (310.5 YPG, No. 1 in AFL) playing amongst the best in the league.

Georgia head coach MARTY LOWE looks to get his squad off the bubble and into the playoff mix with the help of former All-Rookie QB LEON MURRAY (2,115 yards and 33 touchdowns) and Rookie of the Year candidate FB/LB ROBERT THOMAS (138 rushing yards, No. 3 in the AFL and seven touchdowns).

The Arena Football League is expected to surpass the one-million mark in attendance for the ninth consecutive season when the Orlando Predators host the New Orleans VooDoo at TD Waterhouse Centre on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Through nine weeks, the League has drawn a total of 989,993 fans in 80 games, an average of 12,375 fans per game.

Games slated for Week 10 include: New Orleans at Orlando on Friday; New York at Columbus, Grand Rapids at Detroit, San Jose at Dallas, Las Vegas at Arizona and Colorado at Los Angeles on Saturday; Carolina at Indiana, Tampa Bay at Chicago (NBC) and Georgia at Austin (NBC) on Sunday. Philadelphia has a bye week.

NEW ORLEANS VOODOO (7-1) AT ORLANDO PREDATORS (3-5)
FRIDAY, APRIL 9, AT 7:30 P.M. ET
(TV: COX SPORTS, NEW ORLEANS – TODD KALAS, ASHLEY AMBROSE & HARRY MCCULLA)

The VooDoo, the No. 2 ranked team in the AFLWA poll, is 7-0 when they score at least 40 points... New Orleans FB/LB DAN CURRAN is tied for the AFL lead in rushing TDs (12)... In eight games, VooDoo OS AARON BAILEY has 47 receptions for 667 yards and 19 TDs... He is averaging more than 19 yards on 28 kickoff returns, including a long return of 55 yards for a TD... New Orleans K BRIAN SCHMITZ is tied for second with 24 touchbacks while the VooDoo are tied for the best kickoff coverage (11.2 average start)... Orlando FB/LB RUPERT GRANT leads all players in his position with 4.0 sacks... The Predators are 7-4 against expansion teams since 1997, but are 0-1 in 2004 (lost 49-48 to Austin in Week 2)... Orlando is 2-2 at home in 2004, while New Orleans is 3-1 on the road... Orlando DS KENNY MCENTYRE needs one INT to reach 50 career INTs and be first on the all-time list... WR/LB CORY FLEMING had 13 catches for 164 yards and three TDs last week against Columbus... Fleming's totals marked his fourth 100-yard game of the season and No. 32 career... He has now caught at least one TD pass in 17 consecutive games with the Predators... Fleming has also scored at least one TD in 23 of 25 games with Orlando... QB JOE HAMILTON (103-of-162 for 1,243 yards, 23 TDs and three INTs) is slated to return as starting QB after missing the last two games with injury.

NEW YORK DRAGONS (5-3) AT COLUMBUS DESTROYERS (2-6)
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, AT 7 P.M. ET

The Dragons, ranked No. 6 in the AFLWA poll, are on a four-game winning streak... Since head coach TODD SHELL took over the Dragons on Feb. 24 last season, the team is 9-1 on the road in the regular season... Last time against the Destroyers, New York QB AARON GARCIA threw for seven TDs and was named the Offensive Player of the Game... Dragons OS WILL HOLDER had three TD receptions... WR/LB RICHMOND FLOWERS intercepted Columbus QB JOHN RAYBORN and returned it for a TD... The Dragons defense has recorded 18 stops and four FG's in the four-game winning streak... New York DS DONVETIS FRANKLIN is six tackles shy of 200... The Dragons defense is averaging 45 PPG, No. 4 in the AFL... The last time the Destroyers met the Dragons, Columbus WR/LB CORNELIUS WHITE led his team in receiving yards (154) and receptions (11), for three TDs... Entering week 10, White has recorded 53 catches (No. 10 in AFL) for 738 yards (No. 8 in AFL) and 16 TDs (No. 14 in AFL)... Destroyers DS JOJO POLK was named the ADT Defensive Player of the Week last Sunday in a win against the Predators... He had a game-high 8.0 total tackles (seven solo), two pass deflections and one forced fumble... He also recorded his second INT of the season in helping Columbus to their first-ever home win... The Destroyers have scored 36 TDs this season, six via returns... Columbus' six returns for TDs are currently tied for No. 1 in the League.

GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE (0-8) AT DETROIT FURY (4-4)
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, AT 7:30 P.M. ET

Grand Rapids OS STEVE SMITH leads the AFL in KO return yardage (978) and is No. 2 in KO return TDs (3)... Grand Rapids QB MICHAEL BISHOP had an impressive debut as he came off the bench to complete 12-of-21 for 132 yards, four TDs and no INTs... The last time these two Michigan rivals faced in the regular season, the Rampage came away with the 63-60 victory on July 19, 2002... Grand Rapids is 18-4 all-time in games that they score at least 60 points... The Fury is 2-2 in home games this season and this marks their first Saturday game of 2004... Detroit is on a two-game winning streak... With an opponents winning percentage of 63.2% (43-25 combined record), the Fury have played the toughest schedule to start the season... QB ANDY KELLY has accumulated four passing games of over 300 yards in 2004... Detroit is 1-3 when Kelly passes for more than 300 yards, with the win at Chicago being his only +300 victory... Last week, Kelly passed an AFL milestone, becoming the first QB in League history to pass the 30,000 passing yards mark.

SAN JOSE SABERCATS (7-1) AT DALLAS DESPERADOS (5-3)
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, AT 8:30 P.M. ET

Ranked No. 1 in the AFLWA poll, if the San Jose SaberCats win against Dallas, they will have a 90-45 all-time regular season record... The SaberCats had 32 first downs at Dallas on 4/6/04, the AFL's highest total that season... San Jose OS JAMES HUNDON needs 1 TD reception for 90 career.... Last week, Hundon became the second player in franchise history to register 4,000 career-receiving yards... San Jose FB/LB KEALA KEANAAINA needs 6 yards for 300 career-rushing yards... QB MARK GRIEB needs 128 passing yards for 16,000, eight completions for 1,200 career and 7 TD passes for 300 in his San Jose career... At Dallas last year, Grieb completed 28 passes for 329 yards and 7 TDs... San Jose's offense leads the League with an average of 60.3 PPG... Last week, WR/LB JAMES ROE tied an AFL record with seven TD receptions... Grieb tied a franchise record and career-high with nine TD passes in the win and is now No. 10 on the AFL's career TD pass list... Grieb has now thrown 111 consecutive passes without an INT... Through eight games, Desperados WR/DB BOBBY SIPPIO is No. 2 among all AFL rookies in receiving yards (544) and receiving TDs (15) and No. 5 in receptions (32)... Dallas WR/DB WILL PETTIS leads the team in all-purpose yards this season and is No. 2 in rushing yards (28), receptions (47) and receiving yards (641)... Against San Jose last season, Pettis scored the game-winning TD on a 1-yard run, caught 4 passes for 61 yards and two scores and intercepted a Mark Grieb pass to earn game Ironman honors... The Desperados victory in 2003 snapped San Jose's six-game winning streak.

LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (3-6) AT ARIZONA RATTLERS (4-5)
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, AT 10 P.M. ET
(TV: FOX SPORTS ARIZONA – KENT DERDIVANIS and GENE NUDO)

The Gladiators are 1-7 all-time against teams in the Western Conference, but their only win came against the Rattlers in a 65-64 OT victory in Week 6... In that game, Las Vegas QB CLINT DOLEZEL had 334 yards and eight TDs while Rattlers QB SHERDRICK BONNER threw for 239 yards and five TDs... The Gladiators are 8-1 in OT games dating back to 1997... Las Vegas OS MARCUS NASH is currently No. 1 in receptions (82), receiving yards (969) and No. 2 in the League in scoring (140 points)... Nash has caught a TD in every game this season... OS TERRILL SHAW needs two more receptions to reach 300... Arizona WR/LB HUNKIE COOPER is 21 yards away from 20,000 all-purpose yards... Rattlers OS SIAHA BURLEY is No. 2 in receptions (76) and tied for No. 4 in the League for receiving yards (865) and scoring (126 points)... Burley has scored a TD in every game that he has played with the Rattlers this season.

COLORADO CRUSH (6-3) AT LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (5-3)
SATURDAY, APRIL 10, AT 10:30 P.M. ET
(TV: FOX SPORT WEST 2 – BILL MACDONALD and ED CUNNINGHAM)

The Crush and Avengers are entering Week 10 tied for No. 4 in the AFLWA Poll... Crush OS DAMIAN HARRELL leads the AFL in scoring this season (24 TDs, 144 points)... He ranks No. 2 in the League in first downs (54) and receiving yards (905), and is tied for No. 6 in third-down receptions (11) ... Harrell has caught 21 TDs in his last seven games ... Harrell has a TD catch in all 23 games as a member of the Crush... Colorado QB JOHN DUTTON (179-of-289 passes for 2,196 yards, 38 TDs, 5 INTs) ranks No. 4 in the AFL in passing yards, No. 5 in pass attempts, No. 6 in completions and No. 8 in TD passes... Crush WR/DB KEVIN MCKENZIE is tied for No. 3 in the AFL in INTs (3) and is one of only two players in the AFL with two INTs returned for TDs (44, 9)... DS RASHAD FLOYD, who was named AFL Defensive Player of the Month for March, leads the League in INTs (5) and tackles (75.5)... Avengers QB TONY GRAZIANI has thrown just one INT this season... He is currently 162-of-252 (64.3 percent) for 2,102 yards and 51 TDs... L.A. is No. 1 in red-zone offense, scoring on 38 of its 39 trips (33 TDs and five field goals)... Last week, OS CHRIS JACKSON hauled in 11 receptions for 210 yards and tied the all-time AFL single-game record with seven TDs... He also established new Avengers records for points in a single game (44) and the most receiving yards in the AFL this season (210)... The Avengers are tied for the lead (with Chicago) in the AFL with a +11 turnover margin... Los Angeles has turned the ball over just four times this season (three fumbles, one INT). On the other side of the margin, L.A. has come up with eight INTs.

CAROLINA COBRAS (3-6) AT INDIANA FIREBIRDS (4-5)
SUNDAY, APRIL 11, AT 3 P.M. ET

Carolina QB MATT NAGY has completed 177-of-265 passes for 1,845 yards and 42 scores... In the League, he is No. 2 in pass completions (200) and No. 4 for completion percentage (65.6%) and passing TDs (44)... OS TODD DOXZON has a team-high 15 TDs this season and leads the team with 67 receptions for 741 yards... He is No. 3 in the AFL for receptions (75)... Firebirds QB ADRIAN MCPHERSON has led the ground game with 146 yards and 12 TDs, and is the No. 1 QB in rushing... Last week, McPherson was 28-for-45 for 332 yards and 5 TDs in an OT victory... In the week following OT games, the Firebirds are 6-1 all-time... Indiana OL/DL CHRIS SNYDER needs one sack to tie him for No. 4 in team history (currently has 14)... Indiana has four consecutive victories after starting 0-5...The Firebirds rank No. 3 in the AFL in turnover differential (+9)... Indiana's defense is ranked No. 4 in combined first downs allowed (161)... The Firebirds are No. 2 in the League in team rushing (305)... McPherson has not thrown an INT in the four-game winning streak.

TAMPA BAY STORM (3-6) AT CHICAGO RUSH (6-2)
SUNDAY, APRIL 11, AT 3 P.M. ET
(TV: NBC – TOM HAMMOND, PAT HADEN and LEWIS JOHNSON)

Chicago scored 29 points in the fourth quarter against the Gladiators last week... Chicago is 3-1 when scoring more than 25 points in the fourth quarter... The most points the Rush have scored in the fourth quarter is 34... The Rush have a 17-9 record at home... Last time against Tampa Bay, Chicago was shut out in the third quarter and lost 66-53... The Rush is 21-7 when they score 50 points or more... Last week against Las Vegas, Rush QB RAYMOND PHILYAW threw his first INT of the season... The Rush are No. 2 in the league with 14 QB sacks and tied for No. 1 in the league in sacks against, giving up only three... Chicago is led defensively by JOHN MOYER, who is tied for No. 3 in the league with 4.0 sacks. In last week's game against San Jose, Storm QB SHANE STAFFORD threw for 309 yards, the most passing yards thrown this season by a Storm QB... It marked the third time this season that Stafford has thrown for more than 300 yards in a game... Tampa Bay is 0-3 this season when Stafford throws for 300 or more yards... Storm WR/DB T.T. TOLIVER had career highs in receptions (7), receiving yards (118), and receiving TDs (3) last week against San Jose... On defense, he added 98 KOR yards and 2.0 tackles and a forced fumble... Toliver had a game-high 216 all-purpose yards, the second-highest total of his career... Tampa Bay (including seasons played in Pittsburgh) owns a league-record streak of 17 consecutive post-season appearances.

GEORGIA FORCE (4-5) AT AUSTIN WRANGLERS (5-3)
SUNDAY, APRIL 11, AT 3 P.M. ET
(TV: NBC – ALLEN BESTWICK, RAY BENTLEY and ROGER WALLACE)

Averaging 29.9 YPG rushing, the Force is No. 4 in the league in rushing offense... Georgia FB/LB ROBERT THOMAS (27 carries for 138 yards, 7 TDs) is No. 2 among all rookies in rushing, and No. 3 in the League... QB LEON MURRAY is No. 2 on the ground among all QBs with 26 carries for 82 yards and seven TDs... This season, K STEVE MCLAUGHLIN is 50-for-52 on PAT kicks... Last week, Austin QB JOHN KALEO completed 29-of-40 passes for 387 yards and seven TDs... He is two TD passes away from 50 TDs on the season and seven TDs from 400 career TD passes... Kaleo (188-of-282 for 2,284 yards and 48 TDs, 7 INTs) is currently ranked No. 4 of leading passers in the league and has three 300-yard passing games this season. In 2004 he has already recorded his sixth 2,000 passing yard season... Austin has averaged 309.9 yards of total offense per game, accumulating a total of 2,479 yards on the season... Austin scores 91.4 percent of the time inside the 10-yard line... They have scored 225 of their 442 points under pressure... With 16 TDs and one two-point conversion in only five games, OS TACOMA FONTAINE has accounted for 98 of the team's 246 points in that span... WR/DB CHARLIE DAVIDSON and Fontaine combined have accumulated 1,827all-purpose yards this season and on average account for 124.3 and 166.6 all-purpose YPG, respectively. As a team, the Wranglers have posted 3,297 total yards on the season, averaging 412.1 all-purpose yards per game and are ranked No. 8 in the AFLWA Poll.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 7, 2004


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