Gladiators Defeat Detroit to Claim First Place in the East
Published on April 27, 2003 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Las Vegas Gladiators News Release
Las Vegas, NV, April 27, 2003 â The Las Vegas Gladiators scored the first 20 points of the game and never looked back en route to a 58-45 victory over the Detroit Fury on Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center. Jay McDonagh threw for 248 yards on 20-of-29 completions with six touchdowns and no interceptions as the Gladiators took over sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division. The Fury was down 14-0 before they even got a chance for an offensive play. On the opening kickoff, Damon Mason, the games Ironman, stripped the ball from Ron Carpenter and recovered the fumble to give the Gladiators the ball at the six-yard line. Three plays later, McDonagh hit Mike Horacek to give the Gladiators the 7-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Mason again came up big as he jumped on a loose ball off the net at the one yard line to give the Gladiators possession. McDonagh, who was named the games' MVP, pushed the ball over for a 14-0 advantage. The Gladiators defense got in the mix on the next Fury drive as defensive specialist, Jeroid Johnson, who returned after sitting out two games with an injury, picked off quarterback Andy Kelly in the end zone. Not wasting any time, McDonagh hit Sean Riley for a 31-yard touchdown strike to increase the Gladiator lead to 20. The Fury got on the board near the end of the first quarter when Kelly hit John Kaiser for a touchdown. Horacek, who led the Gladiators with nine receptions for 98 yards, established a new Gladiator record for receiving yards in a season with 1,358. Kelly finished the game 25-of-42 for 252 yards with six touchdowns and one interception. The Gladiators return home next Saturday night, May 3, when they take on division rival New York Dragons at 7:00 p.m. at the Thomas & Mack Center. Often recognized as one of the nation's most affordable and fan-friendly sports leagues, the Arena Football League kicked off its 17th season and the first on NBC on Sunday, February 2, 2003. NBC will provide the AFL with unprecedented exposure by televising up to 70 games, including playoff contests and ArenaBowl XVII on June 22.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 27, 2003
- Week 13 AFL Game Summaries - AFL I
- Rush Hand Rampage Second Straight Defeat, 54-46 - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Gladiators Defeat Detroit to Claim First Place in the East - Las Vegas Gladiators
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- Rush stays alive with 54-46 win over Grand Rapids - Chicago Rush
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