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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Final Four Teams Battle for Trip to Virgin Mobile Arenabowl XXII

July 9, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - The Mitsubishi Motors Drive to Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII New Orleans concludes with conference championship weekend as a Saturday doubleheader on ESPN determines who will punch their tickets to New Orleans.

The #1 Philadelphia Soul (14-3) welcome the #4 Cleveland Gladiators (11-7) to the Wachovia Center in the National Conference Championship game on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127).

The game will be immediately followed by the #6 Grand Rapids Rampage (8-10) traveling to HP Pavilion to face the #2 San Jose SaberCats (12-5) in the American Conference Championship game on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Saturday, July 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127).

The defending ArenaBowl champion SaberCats are making a remarkable eighth appearance in an AFL conference championship/semifinal game in nine seasons, and can advance to their second consecutive ArenaBowl with a victory.

After beginning its season 3-4, San Jose has won nine of its last 10 and can become the eighth team in AFL history to advance to consecutive ArenaBowls with a win. The SaberCats defeated the Rampage, 66-58, in Week 2 of the 2008 season at Van Andel Arena.

San Jose looks to become the first team to win back-to-back ArenaBowl titles since the Tampa Bay Storm (1995-96) and become only the third team to win four ArenaBowls (Tampa Bay - 5, Detroit - 4). The SaberCats hold a 3-4 all-time record in conference championship/semifinal games.

This game marks San Jose QB MARK GRIEB'S 17th postseason start for the SaberCats as he holds an 11-5 record and stands four touchdown passes from becoming the second player in AFL postseason history with 100 career. Grieb also needs 296 passing yards to pass JAY GRUDEN for second place all-time with 4,779 career.

San Jose WR/DB JAMES ROE can also climb the postseason receptions ladder as he needs one reception to break his tie with EDDIE BROWN and move into fifth place all-time with 116 career. Also with three touchdowns, Roe will become just the sixth player in AFL postseason history to register 200 points.

Head coaches DARREN ARBET (San Jose) and STEVE THONN (Grand Rapids) have met five times in the regular season over the course of their career with Arbet leading the series 4-1. Arbet can become the third coach in AFL history to notch 15 career postseason wins with a victory on Saturday. A win would also mark San Jose's 15th career postseason victory, which would rank third all-time.

After a 3-10 start, Grand Rapids ended its regular season on a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2001, and its first berth in the American Conference playoffs since 2003.

The Rampage is also making its first appearance in an AFL conference championship/semifinal game since 2001 when it went on to win ArenaBowl XV.

Led by second-year QB JAMES MACPHERSON, Grand Rapids can become the first American Conference six seed since the implementation of the new playoff format in 2005 to advance to an ArenaBowl with a win.

A victory would also make Grand Rapids the second six seed in consecutive seasons to accomplish the feat as the Columbus Destroyers advanced to ArenaBowl XXI from the National Conference as a six seed in 2007.

The SaberCats lead the all-time series 9-1, including a 6-0 record at home, winning by an average of 22 points.

The Soul and Gladiators split the season series in 2008 with each team winning at home. Cleveland ended Philadelphia's longest winning streak in team history at 11-games as the Gladiators defeated the Soul, 67-55, in Week 10 handing Philadelphia, then 9-0, its first loss of the season. The Soul defeated the Gladiators in the Week 16 rematch, 62-61, at the Wachovia Spectrum to elude the season sweep.

Philadelphia ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak to clinch the best record in the AFL (13-3) and earned the top seed in the playoffs. Throughout the AFL's history, the team with the best record in the regular season has advanced to the ArenaBowl that season 18 of 21 times (2000, 2006 and 2007).

The Soul is making its first appearance in an AFL conference championship game in the franchise's five-year history. However, Philadelphia has conference championship experience at the helm in QB MATT D'ORAZIO, who stepped in for injured QB TONY GRAZIANI and led the Soul to a 9-3 record in the regular season. D'Orazio led the Chicago Rush to a 59-56 victory over the San Jose SaberCats in the 2006 American Conference Championship game en route to an ArenaBowl XX Championship.

The Soul is 2-0 all-time at home in postseason play and has defeated its opponents by an average of eight points. Philadelphia can become the 13th team in AFL history and first since 2002 (San Jose SaberCats) as the last undefeated team in the regular season to advance to the ArenaBowl that season. The previous 12 teams hold a 6-6 overall record.

Offensive Player of the Year candidate and Soul WR CHRIS JACKSON can continue to climb the postseason receiving records ladder with hopes to make his second appearance in an ArenaBowl (ArenaBowl XIX with Georgia Force). Jackson needs three receiving touchdowns to tie CORY FLEMING and EDDIE BROWN for third place all-time with 37 career. He also stands five receptions shy of becoming the seventh player with 100 career and needs 48 receiving yards to pass STEVIE THOMAS and move into sixth place all-time with 1,421 career.

The Gladiators are making their second overall appearance in franchise history in an AFL conference championship game/semifinal and first since 1998.

Led by QB RAYMOND PHILYAW, the Gladiators became the fourth team in AFL history to advance to an AFL conference championship game/semifinal after posting the League's worst record the year before. Of the four, Cleveland would become the third team to advance to the ArenaBowl with a win. No team in AFL history has won an ArenaBowl after posting the League's worst record the year before.

This game marks Philyaw's second appearance in the AFL conference championship after leading the Chicago Rush against San Jose in 2004.

The Gladiators ended their regular season having won five of their last eight for the first time since 2004. Cleveland leads the all-time series against Philadelphia 4-1, including a 2-0 record on the road.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 9, 2008


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