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Las Vegas Gladiators game notes

April 6, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Las Vegas Gladiators News Release


Date: Saturday, April 10, 2004
Kickoff: 7:00 PM PT
Site: America West Arena (Phoenix, AZ)
Officials Referee: Dennis Lipski, Umpire: Rick Nelson, Head Linesman: Rusty Spindel, Line Judge: Gary Cavaletto, Back Judge: Rich Wilborn

THE GAME CAN BE HEARD...
On ESPN Radio 920 in Las Vegas with Andrew Siciliano handling play-by-play and Mike Pritchard with color commentary.



THE SERIES – GLADIATORS VS. RATTLERS

This will be the second meeting of 2004 and the fourth regular season meeting overall between the Rattlers and the Gladiators. The Gladiators took the first meeting this year, scoring a 65-64 win in overtime on March 14.


WHAT'S AT STAKE

· If the Gladiators win, it would give the Gladiators a 2-2 record vs. the Rattelrs
· Give Las Vegas a 4-6 overall record
· Give Las Vegas a 2-4 road record

SCHEDULES


LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (3-6)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
Feb. 6 @ Colorado 6:00 L 42-43
Feb. 14 Los Angeles 12:00 L 55-62
Feb. 22 @ Grand Rapids 12:00 W 51-14
Feb. 29 New Orleans 12:00 W 50-30
March 7 @ Georgia 9:00 AM L 40-55
March 14 Arizona 3:00 W 65-64 (ot)
March 20 @ San Jose 7:30 L 62-79
March 27 @ Orlando 4:30 L 43-60
April 4 Chicago 3:00 L 55-57
April 10 @ Arizona 7:00
BYE
April 25 Detroit 12:00
May 2 Indiana 12:00
May 8 @ Philadelphia 4:30
May 16 San Jose 12:00
May 22 @ Los Angeles 7:30
May 30 Columbus 12:00
All times PST


ARIZONA RATTLERS (3-2)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
Feb. 8 Los Angels 1:00 L 32-51
Feb. 13 Detroit 7:00 L 31-48
Feb. 21 @ Carolina 5:30 W 45-38
Feb. 29 New York 1:00 W 53-41
March 5 Columbus 7:00 W 65-42
March 14 @ Las Vegas 4:00 L 64-64 (ot)
March 18 New Orleans 7:00 L 45-49
March 27 @ Colorado 7:00 L 46-54
April 4 @ Grand Rapids 12:00 W 51-41
April 10 Las Vegas 7:00
April 18 Dallas 12:00
April 25 @ Indiana 12:00
May 1 @ Los Angeles 7:30
May 9 San Jose 12:00
May 15 @ Detroit 4:30
BYE
May 30 @ San Jose 1:00
All times AZ time

GLADIATORS VS. RUSH
BY THE NUMBERS

Statistical GLADIATORS RATTLERS
Category (2004 Per Game) Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 7 51.4 10 48.0
Scoring Defense 15 51.6 7 47.7
Total Offense 2 309.3 12 252.1
Total Defense 2 238.7 3 240.3
Pass Offense 1 292.6 9 238.3
Pass Defense 2 210.6 3 214.9
Rushing Offense 13 16.8 17 13.8
Rushing Defense 16 28.1 15 25.4
Pass Rating 5 117.2 11 103.7
Pass Defense Rating 11 111.8 6 104.9
Turnover Margin 13 -4 11 -2
Sacks By 6t 7 6t 7
Sacks Against 1t 3 3t 5
3rd Down Conversion % 1 63.6 8 51.7
Opponent 3rd Down Conversion % 12 51.0 3 41.5
Red Zone Offense Scoring Percentage 6 87.0 7 85.4
Red Zone Defense Scoring Percentage 18 89.8 14 86.0

GLADIATORS LAST WEEK

GLADIATORS FALL TO RUSH 57-55

Las Vegas, NV, April 4, 2004 – Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game Etu Molden caught a pass off the net from Raymond Philayaw with no time remaining as the Chicago Rush shocked the Las Vegas Gladiators 57-55 at the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday.

Gladiators quarterback Clint Dolezel led Las Vegas into the fourth quarter with a 35-28 advantage, but the Gladiators could not stop the Rush from scoring 29 points in the final quarter. Dolezel finished the game throwing for 285 yards on 23-of-32 completions and five touchdowns.

In the fourth quarter, ADT Defensive Player of the Game John Moyer blocked Ian Howfield's extra point with 1:00 remaining in the game and it was picked up by Jaime McGourty of Chicago and returned for a defensive PAT to get the Rush to within four at 48-44.

The Rush offense was led by Philyaw as he completed 20-of-34 passes for 235 yards and five touchdowns and his first interception of the season. Molden caught eight passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, including the final reception of the game.

The Army Ironman of the Game was Las Vegas' Dennison Robinson after he caught a season-high nine receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns. He also intercepted his first pass of the season.

GLADIATORS NEXT WEEK

The Gladiators will be on a bye week in week 11.

THE COACHES


Frank Haege (Third Season 20-19 regular season, 0-2 in playoffs)

The Las Vegas Gladiators third-year head coach can look back upon his first two seasons 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 in 2002.

The 2003 season was the first for the Gladiators in Las Vegas and Haege led them to a second consecutive playoff appearance and an 8-8 record.

In 2002 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.

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.

Previously, he spent two years as the head coach and director of football operations with the Quad City Steamwheelers (af2) in 2000 and 2001. Haege posted a remarkable 37-1 record, including an undefeated 2000 season.

Haege is in his tenth season in the Arena Football League.

Danny White (13th Season, 132-64 record)

If there is one name that is synonymous with Arizona Rattlers Football, it is Danny White. A living legend of football in Arizona, Danny is the first and only Head Coach and General Manager of the Rattlers. Danny has lead the Rattlers to ArenaBowl berths in 1994, 1997, 2002 and 2003, emerging as the World Champion in 1994 and 1997. White was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997, and had his #11 jersey retired by Arizona State University. On Christmas 1999, White was named the Arizona Athlete of the Century by the Arizona Republic newspaper. White was also inducted into the Arena League Hall of Fame in 2002.

It took only three seasons for White to reach the pinnacle of the Arena Football League. He was hired on October 10, 1991 and on September 2, 1994 he became a World Champion, as the Rattlers defeated Orlando 36-31.

Danny and the Rattlers became World Champions for the second time after ArenaBowl XI, when the Rattlers beat the Iowa Barnstormers 55-33. The Rattlers returned to the ArenaBowl in 2002, but fell to the San Jose Sabercats. In 2003, Arizona lost to the Tampa Bay Storm in the ArenaBowl. White finished the 2003 season with an overall record of 128-59 (.685).

The Arena Football League Coach of the Year in only his second season (1993), Danny's 128 wins rank him second all time, and his .694 regular season winning percentage is fourth best in Arena Football history. He also ranks second all time with 18 postseason victories, trailing only Tim Marcum.

Coach White became the second coach in AFL history to win 100 games when the Rattlers defeated the Houston Thunderbears on June 30, 2001. He was an inductee for the Arena Football Hall of Fame class of 2002.



THE 2004 SEASON


Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 @ CO Damian Harrell (COL)
2 LA Tony Graziani (LA)
3 @ GR Clint Dolezel (LV)
4 NO Clint Dolezel (LV)
5 @ GEO Leon Murray (GEO)
6 ARI Marcus Nash (LV)
7 @ SJ Marcus Nash (LV)
8 @ ORL Connell Maynor (ORL)
9 CHI Etu Molden (CHI)

ADT Defensive Player of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 @ CO Ahmed Hawkins (COL)
2 LA Kevin Ingram (LA)
3 @ GR TJ Hill (LV)
4 NO Marvin Taylor (LV)
5 @ GEO Morris Anderson (GEO)
6 ARI Chameion Sutton (LV)
7 @ SJ Omarr Smith (SJ)
8 @ ORL Doug Miller (ORL)
9 CHI John Moyer (CHI)

Army Ironman of the Game
Week Opp. Player
1 @ CO Kevin McKenzie (COL)
2 LA Kevin Ingram (LA)
3 @ GR Dennison Robinson (LV)
4 NO Cornelius Bonner (LV)
5 @GEO Dameon Porter (GEO)
6 ARI Maurice Bryant (LV)
7 @ SJ Rashied Davis (SJ)
8 @ ORL Cory Fleming (ORL)
9 CHI Dennison Robinson (LV)

AFL TOP 10: League Leaders after Week 7
GLADIATORS
Player Rank Category Stat
Clint Dolezel 1 Completions 221
1 Attempts 332
1 Yards 2590
1 Passing Yards Per Game 287.8
1t Touchdowns 51
3 Completion Pct. 65.6
5 Rating 117.7
1 Total Offense 291.7
1 Had Intercepted 8
Marcus Nash 1 Receptions 82
1 Receiving Yards 969
2 Receiving TDs 21
2 Scoring 140
3 Receiving Yards Per Game 107.7
1 Yards from Scrimmage 988
Frank Carter 6 Yards per Rush 4.5
Marvin Taylor 3t Interceptions 3
John DeWitt 4 Tackles for Loss 2.0



MILESTONE WATCH

PLAYER MILESTONE CURRENT NUMBER TO GO
Terrill Shaw 300 receptions 298 2
100 receiving TDs 87 13


GLADIATORS' NOTES AND TRENDS


Big Game James

For the first time since 1993 when assistant coach Ron James was the head coach of the Moscow Giants, he will be a head coach again. With the suspension on head coach Frank Haege being enforced on this game, James will take the reins. He has been the assistant head coach/offensive line/fullbacks/ special teams coach for the Gladiators since 2002.

Vegas Vets

Hunkie Cooper and Randy Gatewood will be playing Las Vegas yet again. Both stared at UNLV during the 1990's while Cooper graduated in 1991 and was a two-time All Big-West Conference selection. He was also an All-American selection as a punt returner as a senior and played six different positions. Gatewood was an All-American honorable mention and first team all-conference selection his senior season in 1994. He holds the UNLV record for most receptions in a season with 88. In a game against Idaho (9-17-94), Gatewood caught a UNLV record 23 receptions for 363 yards and one touchdown.

The Dreaded West

The Red and Black are 1-7 all-time against teams in the Western Conference (Arizona 1-3, Los Angeles 0-2 and San Jose 0-2) and there only victory came earlier this season in week six against the Rattlers.

Run Frank Run

In the longest run from scrimmage in the league so far this season, Gladiators fullback Frank Carter rumbled 31 yards for a touchdown last week against the Chicago Rush. He finished the game with a season-high 49 yards on five carries with two TD's. On the season he has 12 rushes for 64 yards and five TD's.

Three's Not A Charm

The Gladiators have lost three consecutive games in a row. It is the first time since 2001 when the Red and Black finished a dismal 2-12 in there first season as the Gladiators. The most consecutive loses in team history is six and that occurred during that same season (2001).

Millennium Man

Marcus Nash finds himself approaching the 1,000 receiving yards barrier for the first time in his career. He currently has 969 yards on 82 receptions and 21 TD's. All three are tops in the AFL and he has also caught a TD in every game this season.

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