For Starters Avengers Can't Catch Cats
by Tim Peterson
March 5, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers
(Los Angeles) - The Los Angeles Avengers found themselves down by a touchdown 33 seconds into the game after an onside kick attempt on the opening kick off failed. They played catch up the rest of the way but never got over the hump and fell to the San Jose Sabercats 66-58 Sunday night before 12,586 at Staples Center in the Arena Football League opener.
"We spent more time on special teams than anybody else in the league but that's what we got beat on tonight," said Avenger Coach Ed Hodgkiss. "I was disappointed in our special teams play tonight. We need to get better." The Avengers were penalized for off sides on the opening kick off attempt. San Jose took over on the six yard line and cashed in on the first play from scrimmage when Mark Grieb hooked up with Ben Nelson on a six yard touchdown pass. The Sabercats would score twice more in the first quarter to lead 21-7 after one. Sonny Cumbie fired a 19 yard scoring strike to Lenzie Jackson to get the Avengers even at seven with 9:58 left in the quarter but the Cats responded with two scores. Cumbie threw two more touchdowns passes in the second quarter and Lonnie Ford scored on a six yard run as the Avengers tried to keep pace with the high powered Sabercats with a 24 point quarter. San Jose scored 17 of its won including a nine yard spiral from Grieb to Nelson as time ran out in the quarter to give the Cats a 38-31 lead at the break. San Jose extended the lead to 14 at 59-45 in the third quarter. The Nelson- Grieb duo continued its onslaught on the LA defense. Nelson caught touchdown passes of 12 and 24 yards in the period. Nelson finished the night with 14 catches for 180 yards and 4 scores. Cumbie and Kevin Ingram connected on a 14 yard TD early in the quarter to again knot the game at 38 but San Jose's offense continued to click. The Avengers appeared to be finished when they fell behind 66-52 with just 2:46 left in the contest. But an interception by Damen Wheeler led to a 25 yard Cumbie touchdown pass to Rob Turner to get LA within eight. After San Jose kicker A.J. Haglund missed a field goal on the next possession, the Avengers had one more shot. They drove down to the four yard line with the help of a couple of San Jose penalties but Cumbie's pass to Turner fell incomplete as time ran out. The Sabercats came up big defensively with 6:42 left in the contest when Ingram was stopped on fourth and goal inside the one yard line. "I though talent wise we were right there able to compete with these guys but as a coaching staff we need to get some of our players up to speed with the arena league," Hodgkiss said. Cumbie, who had a big year last season, completed 25 of 41 passes for 315 yards and seven touchdowns without an interception. "We were playing catch up all night. We did a good job to battle but we just came up short," Cumbie said. Lenize Jackson hauled in 13 passes for 196 yards and three scores and Ingram had seven receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the loss Ingram liked the way the Avengers offense was running. "I think myself, Sonny, Lenzie and Rob Turner all worked hard in camp to get on the same page and we were able to do what we did tonight," Ingram said. The Avengers will now hit the road for the next three weeks before returning home Friday April 6 to face Arizona. "It will be tough but we're just going to have to battle. We'll rally around each other in practice and go from there," Cumbie added.
SJ 21 17 21 7 66
LA 7 24 14 13 58
Passing: SJ Grieb 25-37-258-6-2. LA- Cumbie 25-41-315-7-0.
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