Las Vegas Gladiators game notes

Published on May 4, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Las Vegas Gladiators News Release


GLADIATORS VS. SOUL: THE FACTS

Date: Saturday, May 8, 2004
Kickoff: 4:30 PM PT
Site: Wachovia Spectrum (Philadelphia, PA)
Officials Referee: Jerome Boger, Umpire: Rick Nelson, Head Linesman: Rusty Spindel, Line Judge: Dennis Lipski, Back Judge: Rich Wilborn


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


THE SERIES – GLADIATORS VS. SOUL

This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

- If the Gladiators win, it would give the Gladiators a 1-0 record vs. the Soul
- Give Las Vegas a 6-7 overall record
- Give Las Vegas a 2-5 road record

SCHEDULES

LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (5-7)
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 L 63-80
BYE
April 25 Detroit 12:00 W 60-34
May 2 Indiana 12:00 W 60-38
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

PHILADELPHIA SOUL (5-7)
Date Opponent Time Result Score
Feb. 8 New Orleans 3:00 L 34-42
Feb. 15 @ Dallas 4:00 L 47-51
Feb. 21 Columbus 7:30 W 56-34
Feb. 29 @ Tampa Bay 12:00 L 37-40
March 7 Chicago 12:00 W 53-47
March 13 @ Columbus 7:00 W 43-41
March 21 Colorado 12:00 L 33-40
March 28 @ Austin 3:00 L 60-65
April 4 Dallas 12:00 W 47-31
BYE
April 17 @ Carolina 7:30 L 59-63
April 24 New York 7:30 W 60-58
May 2 @ Colorado 3:00 L 40-58
May 8 Las Vegas 7:30
May 15 Carolina 7:30
May 22 @ San Jose 10:30
May 30 @ New York 4:00

GLADIATORS VS. SOUL
BY THE NUMBERS

Statistical GLADIATORS SOUL
Category (2004 Per Game) Rank Stat Rank Stat
Scoring Offense 3 53.8 14 47.4
Scoring Defense 13 51.3 8 47.5
Total Offense 1 299.4 10 261.5
Total Defense 3 250.2 16 275.0
Pass Offense 1 281.4 10 242.0
Pass Defense 2 221.2 17 257.0
Rushing Offense 11 18.0 10 19.5
Rushing Defense 16 28.9 7 18.0
Pass Rating 3 121.6 14 103.0
Pass Defense Rating 10 108.0 6 105.8
Turnover Margin 10 -1 17 -10
Sacks By 6 11 17 7
Sacks Against 1 3 7 9
3rd Down Conversion % 1 60.9 7 50.0
Opponent 3rd Down Conversion % 8 47.0 5 44.0
Red Zone Offense Scoring Percentage 3 88.5 10 83.6
Red Zone Defense Scoring Percentage 18 90.2 3 79.6

GLADIATORS LAST WEEK

GLADIATORS TAME THE FIREBIRDS 60-38

Las Vegas, NV, May 2, 2004 –Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game Clint Dolezel threw for 292 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Las Vegas Gladiators to a 60-38 victory over the Indiana Firebirds on Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV. Dolezel completed 22-of-37 passes without an interception and ran for another score as the Gladiators won their second straight.

Marcus Nash led the Gladiator receiving core hauling in 11 passes for 129 yards and three touchdowns. His three touchdown catches puts Nash at 224 points scored on the season, surpassing former Gladiator Mike Horacek's Gladiator record for points scored his season.

Gladiators' fullback Frank Carter was named the Army Ironman of the Game, rushing the ball three times for 24 yards and three touchdowns, catching two passes out of the backfield for 21 yards and recording three total tackles on defense.

The Gladiator defense put extreme pressure on Firebirds phenom quarterback Adrain McPherson, sacking him two times and picking him off twice. The first pick, by defensive specialist Cornelius Bonner, helped him earn ADT Defensive Player of the Game honors. In addition to his interception, Bonner led the Gladiators with five tackles and one pass breakup.

McPherson ended the day with 17-of-31 for 240 yards and three touchdowns to go along with one rush for three yards.

THE COACHES


Frank Haege (Third Season 22-20 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.

Micheal Trigg (11th Season, 75-73 regular season record, 3-7 playoffs)
In his 16th year of Arena football, Trigg will be faced with the challenge of building an Arena football team from the ground up, a task he has excelled at in the past. In his first season with the Grand Rapids Rampage, 1998, Trigg took a 3-11 expansion team to 7-5 in 1999 and directed the Rampage to their first ever playoff appearance, tying the second-best single season turnaround in AFL history.
Trigg enjoyed continued success with the Rampage, guiding the AFL's smallest market team to an Arena Bowl berth, and earned his third Arena Bowl ring in 2001 as the Rampage finished the season 11-3 and claimed a 64-42 victory over the Nashville Kats in Arena Bowl XV. Trigg guided the Rampage to five straight playoff appearances and became just the fifth Arena Football League Coach to reach the 70-win plateau, making him the fourth winningest coach in AFL history.
In 1996, Trigg's second year with the Milwaukee Mustang's, he set the AFL record for single-season turnaround as he guided the Mustang's from 4-8 in 1995 to 10-4 in 1996.
Prior to joining the Mustang's, Trigg spent 1994 as the head coach and general manager for the expansion Fort Worth Calvary of the AFL. From 1991-93, Trigg was the offensive coordinator and director of pro scouting for the AFL's Dallas Texans, and served at his alma mater, East Texas State University, as their quarterbacks coach in 1990.
Trigg has also enjoyed success on the AFL field as a player. While with the Detroit Drive, Trigg led the team to their championship seasons in 1989 and 1990. In 1989, Trigg was the league's top rated passer.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Trigg earned a degree in marketing and management and a teaching certificate in secondary education from East Texas State, while being a three-year starter at quarterback. In addition to numerous athletic accolades, Trigg graduated on the dean's list and served two years as vice president for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He and his wife, Susan, have two sons, Tanner (6), and Tyler (4).


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)
10 @ ARI Sherdrick Bonner (AZ)
11 BYE
12 DET Marcus Nash (LV)
13 IND Clint Dolezel (LV)

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)
10 @ AZ Hunkie Cooper (AZ)
11 BYE
12 DET Marvin Taylor (LV)
13 IND Cornelius Bonner (LV)

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)
10 @ AZ Wendall Gaines (AZ)
11 BYE
12 DET Coco Blalock (LV)
13 IND Frank Carter (LV)

GLADIATORS' NOTES AND TRENDS

The Good Old Boys

Philadelphia Soul head coach Michael Trigg and Gladiators' Clint Dolezel, Terrill Shaw and Brian Gowins go back a long way in the Arena Football League. From 2000 to the start of the 2004 season Gowins played under the tutelage of Trigg as a member of the Grand Rapids Rampage and the Philadelphia Soul prior to being traded to the Gladiators. Dolezel and Shaw played for Trigg from 2001-2003 with Grand Rapids. All three players played integral roles in leading the Rampage to their only ArenaBowl championship in 2001.

Sgt. Carter

Las Vegas' Frank Carter had a stellar game against the Indiana Firebirds last week with three carries for 24 yards. All three carries calumniated in touchdowns and he tied a team record for rushing touchdowns in a game. Carter also surpassed the 100-yard-rushing plateau (105) for the first time in his three-year career. Carter is 31 yards away from the Gladiators' single season rushing record of 135 yards set in 2001 by then-quarterback Connell Maynor. Carter is averaging 9.5 yards per game on the ground, meaning the record is within reach.

Inter-NASH-onal Man of Mystery

Marcus Nash has excelled on the football field throughout the season and last week was no exception. Nash caught 11 passes for 129 yards with three touchdowns to bring his season totals to 115 receptions for 1,333 yards and 35 TD's. To break the league record of 138 receptions set by Eddie Brown in 1999, Nash must average six receptions per game over the final four games. Also, Nash is within range of breaking the league record of 46 receiving touchdowns in a season (Mike Horacek 2001, Chris Jackson 2003, Mike Furrey 2003). Nash needs to average three touchdowns per game to reach the record. He is currently one TD shy of tying the Gladiators team record of 36 receiving touchdowns set by Mike Horacek last season.

Dazzlin Dolezel

Dolezel has completed 286-of-429 for a league leading 3,364 yards with 70 touchdowns. His 70 touchdowns marks the sixth consecutive season he has thrown for 70 or more TD's (1998-81, 1999-80, 2001-80, 2002-79 and 2003-89), making him the only player in Arena Football League history to achieve such a goal.

On The Road Again

Las Vegas is a dismal 1-5 on the road this season as they head to Philadelphia. The Gladiators lone victory on the road came in week three when they defeated the Grand Rapids Rampage 51-14.

Hammel & Eggs

Vegas will see a familiar face when they play the Soul this week as Philadelphia quarterback Todd Hammel will take the snaps. Hammel played for the Gladiators last season and went 80-of-137 for 979 yards, 17 TD's with five interceptions in six games of action.

Offensive Explosion

The Gladiators are tops in the league when it comes to average yards per game (301.5), passing net yards per game (283.5), first downs per game (22) and third (60.9) and fourth down efficiency (86.4). Vegas is also leading the league in total offense after week thirteen with 3,618 total yards (216 rushing, 3,402 passing).

Ye Old Mustangs

During the ‘95 and '96 seasons Clint Dolezel and Todd Hammel played together with the Milwaukee Mustangs. Hammel was the starting quarterback during both seasons and Dolezel was his back up. Dolezel was traded to the Texas Terror following the '96 season, yet it was not the last time Dolezel and Hammel would meet. In 2002, Hammel became the backup to Dolezel in Grand Rapids and saw limited action at QB, but he was the holder on PAT's.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 4, 2004


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