Las Vegas Gladiators Game Notes
April 29, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Las Vegas Gladiators News Release
GLADIATORS VS. DRAGONS: THE FACTS
Date: Saturday, May3, 2003
Kickoff: 7:00 PM PT
Site: Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, NV)
Television: None
Radio: ESPN Radio 920 (Las Vegas) â Andrew Siciliano (play-by-play), Mike Pritchard (color commentary)
Officials: Referee: Bill Athan, Umpire: Rick Nelson, Head Linesman: Tim Podroza, Line Judge: Thomas Symonette, Back Judge: Rob Vernatchi
THE SERIES â GLADIATORS VS. DRAGONS
The series between the Gladiators and Dragons dates back to 2001 with the Gladiators winning the last meeting, on February 22, to take a 3-2 series lead (Both clubs also met three times since 1997 when the Gladiators were the New Jersey Red Dogs and the Dragons were the Iowa Barnstormers). In the meeting earlier this year, game MVP Mike Horacek led the Las Vegas offense with seven catches for 147 yards and four touchdowns as the Gladiators defeated the Dragons 46-35 in Uniondale, NY. On the Gladiators' final drive, quarterback Jay McDonagh scored the go-ahead touchdown with 22.2 seconds to play giving Las Vegas a one-point lead. NY had the chance for a winning field goal, but Kenny Stucker's kick sailed wide left.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Las Vegas is currently one game ahead of Detroit for first place in the Eastern Division and look to improve their playoff position with a victory.
If the Gladiators win, it would...
⢠Give Las Vegas a 4-2 record against the Dragons
⢠Give Las Vegas an 8-6 record
⢠Give Las Vegas a 5-2 home record
GLADIATORS LAST WEEK
GLADIATORS DEFEAT DETROIT TO CLAIM FIRST PLACE IN THE EAST
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.
GLADIATORS NEXT WEEK
The Gladiators hit the road for their final regular season road game when they travel to Detroit to take on the Fury on Sunday, May 11. Kickoff is schedule for 3:00 PM ET/12:00 PM PT and can be heard on ESPN Radio 920 in Las Vegas.
THE COACHES
Frank Haege (Second Season 16-11, 0-1 in playoffs)
The Las Vegas Gladiators second-year head coach Frank Haege can look back upon his rookie year in the AFL and boast about his wide array of accomplishments. Haege led the Gladiators to the fourth-best record in the AFL and their first-ever playoff berth in franchise history. Haege believes that there is still a lot of work to do and will not rest until the job is complete. Haege also serves as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks, and wide receivers coach. The Gladiators 9-5 record and first place finish in the Eastern Division of the National Conference was the biggest turnaround in AFL history. The Gladiators finished the 2002 regular season with seven more victories than the previous season. The Gladiators set franchise marks in almost all offensive categories and earned five road victories in seven tries. In all five victories, New Jersey came back to win after entering the fourth quarter either tied or trailing their opponent. In one of the wildest games of the season, the Gladiators scored 34 points against the New York Dragons in the fourth quarter to tie the game before winning in OT. Haege was named the second head coach of the New Jersey Gladiators on August 23, 2001. Haege brought with him six players and an assistant coach from the Steamwheelers. Haege earned a bachelor's degree in marketing education from UW-Stout in 1992, before completing his master's degree in physical education at Bemidji in 1995. Haege was born on Oct 11, 1968 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. He is married (Michele) and resides in Las Vegas.
Todd Shell (Fifth Season, First with Dragons, 34-27 regular season, 0-3 playoff record)
Serving as the first head coach in Sabercats history, Shell led his 1995 squad to a record of 8-4 and a Western Division Championship. His team became the first expansion franchise in AFL history to win a division title. After four seasons at the helm in San Jose, Shell compiled a record of 29-25 earning a playoff berth in three of four seasons.
Shell was the San Francisco 49ers' 1984 first-round draft pick out of BYU where he proceeded to win two Super Bowl rings (1984 and 1988). Shell played five seasons in San Francisco before retiring due to injuries. He most recently worked as the color commentator for the Arizona Rattlers, where he served as defensive coordinator from 1992-1994.
GLADIATORS' NOTES AND TRENDS
The Comeback Kid
DS Jeroid Johnson had his seventh interception of the season to tie a team record when he picked off Andy Kelly's pass in the end zone on Sunday. After missing the previous two games, Johnson came back into the lineup and contributed with six total tackles to lead the team.
Shattering The Books
OS Mike Horacek established a new Gladiator record for receiving yards in a season with 1,358. Horacek also tied the Gladiator records for receiving touchdowns in a season with his 31st and scoring his 186th point of the season.
Hot Coco
WR Coco Blalock was the Gladiators' MVP in 2001 when he had 51 receptions for 768 yards and 10 touchdowns in only eight games. Blalock missed the entire 2002 season after injuring his Achilles tendon in a 2002 preseason game. Against the Fury, Blalock saw his first action in a regular season game since his injury and caught three passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns.
The National Anthem
Going into the final three games of the season, the Gladiators face three teams in the National Eastern Division (vs. New York 5/3, @ Detroit 5/11 and vs. Buffalo 5/18). Las Vegas has faired well, as they have a perfect record of a 3-0 mark against the National Eastern and a 6-1 record overall against the National Conference.
The 500 Club
Currently in his seventh season in the AFL, DS Damon Mason has his eyes set on a milestone. Mason is currently 20.5 tackles shy of breaking the barrier of 500. A standard met by only two players in arena football history (Barry Wagner of San Jose and Darryl Hammond of Georgia).
Respect The Rook
DS T.J. Hill's rookie season is turning out to be one to remember. Hill is leading the Gladiators in tackles with 52.5, breakups at 12 and has contributed with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
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