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Las Vegas Gladiators game notes

January 24, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Las Vegas Gladiators News Release


GLADIATORS VS. WRANGLERS: THE FACTS

Date: Friday, January 27, 2006
Kickoff: 5:30 PM PT
Site: Frank Erwin Center (Austin, TX)
Officials: Referee: Tom McCabe, Umpire: Paul Frerking, Head Linesman: Brent Durbin, Line Judge: Bob McElwee, Back Judge: Keith Washington

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 GAME CAN BE SEEN...
On FSN with Kevin Eschenfelder and Gary Reasons.

THE SERIES - GLADIATORS VS. WRANGLERS
Wranglers lead 1-0
This will be the second meeting between the teams. The only other meeting took place in Week 6 of the 2005 season when Austin scored a touchdown as time ran out to defeat the Gladiators 43-42 in Las Vegas.

WHAT'S AT STAKE

If the Gladiators win, it would
- Give the Gladiators a 1-1 record vs. the Wranglers
- Give Las Vegas a 1-0 overall record
- Give Las Vegas a 1-0 road record

GLADIATORS PREVIOUS GAME (2005 Season Finale)

GLADIATORS GET SNAKE BITTEN BY RATTLERS

May 22, 2005 - Arizona Rattlers quarterback Sherdrick Bonner completed 20-of-29 passing for 217 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions to lead Arizona over the Las Vegas Gladiators 49-42, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV in front of 9,823.

Las Vegas' hopes of a playoff berth came to an end as Gladiators' quarterback Clint Dolezel threw two interceptions in the first half and were unable to rebound. Dolezel finished the day completing 26-of-50 passing for 327 yards and five touchdowns.

The Gladiators found themselves in a hole early, after two Arizona touchdowns, 14-0. The Gladiators and Rattlers traded scores for the rest of the half, and Las Vegas trailed after two quarters, 28-14.

On the first drive of the game for Las Vegas, Dolezel was intercepted by Rattlers' OL/DL Wendall Gaines and was returned for a 21-yard touchdown.

Gladiators' WR/LB Joe Douglass caught five balls for three touchdowns in the game. He also recovered two fumbles, one of which he returned for a touchdown and OS Marcus Nash caught eight passes for 120 yards with two touchdowns.

For the second game in a row, the Gladiators lost despite winning the turnover battle; the Gladiators threw only two interceptions while the Rattlers lost three fumbles. The Rattlers were also penalized more than Gladiators, seven times for 77 yards opposed to five times for 30 yards.

THE COACHES

Ron James (Second Season, 8-8)

Ron James is entering his second season as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Gladiators. In his first year as head coach the Gladiator teams ranked #1 in total offense and #1 in total defense Arena Football League and finished with an 8-8 record.

Prior to becoming the head coach, James served as assistant head coach/line coach and special team's coordinator for the Gladiator organization from 2001-2004.

Coach James has nine years of AFL experience having served as the line coach and player personnel director with the Houston Thunderbears from 2000-2001 and as an assistant with the Albany Firebirds in 1990 and 1991.

In addition to coaching in the AFL, James has coached a combined total of 14 years on the collegiate level.

In 1998 and 1999 Coach James served as the Admissions Support officer and assistant football coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

From 1993 thru 1998 James coached at Kentucky Wesleyan College. While at KWC James served as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in 1993. The following season James was promoted the assistant head coach/defensive coordinator and coached the secondary. He remained in that position until 1998.

Among the other college stops were stints as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Hartwick College from 1992-1993. Prior to that, James was the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at St. Lawrence University from 1989-1992. Additionally James coached at Siena College from 1986-1989 as the linebacker coach and also served as JV Head Coach in 1989.

James was a four-year starter at Siena College where he achieved First-Team All N.C.F.A. All - America honors in 1985 and was named a first-team all conference selection twice. Upon completion of his college football career, James had brief NFL stops with the NY Giants, New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals. He earned a BA from Siena and a MPA from the State University of New York at Albany.

Born on April 28, 1964, James is a native of Albany, New York. He is married to wife, Lynn and has two children Brady and Alexis. They live in Henderson, NV. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association and the Order of Kentucky Colonels.

Skip Foster (Third Season, 14-18)

Head Coach Skip Foster is entering his third AFL season with the Austin Wranglers. Foster, deemed the second most winning coach in arenafootball2 history with a 44-10 record including an ArenaCup Championship, will again act as the Wranglers offensive coordinator in addition to carrying the head coaching duties. Following a disappointing 6-10 record in 2005, Foster hopes to lead the much improved 2006 squad to an ArenaBowl XX championship.

In the Wranglers second season, the offense, led by quarterback John Fitzgerald, scored 109 touchdowns, with 18 different players recording points on the year. Fitzgerald posted 300 or more yards in five games and surpasses all his career bests as he threw for 354 completions for 3,960 yards and 72 touchdowns. Five of his receivers combined for 11 games in which they had 100 or more receiving yards. Rookie Kevin Nickerson was honored with a spot on the AFL All-Rookie Team after leading the team in receiving yards with 1,028. Receiver Darrin Chiaverini led the team and posted a career-high in receptions with 114. He also posted career-highs in receiving yards (951), touchdowns (18), tackles (25.5) and interceptions (3). The team finished with a 6-10 record in their second year.

In the team's inaugural season performance, Foster's offense scored 104 touchdowns, an average of 47.8 points per game, led the AFL in total offense for five weeks and remained one of the League's top three total offenses for a total of fifteen weeks in 2004. The Wranglers offensive unit gained more than 300 yards in five different performances and had two 200+ receiving-yard games for AFL All-Rookie Tacoma Fontaine. Quarterback John Kaleo posted career-highs in attempts with 565 and completions with 352. Kaleo passed for more than 4,000 yards for his second consecutive season bringing his career total to 26,077 passing yards. Fontaine and veteran WR/DB Charlie Davidson led the Wranglers receivers combining for 1,959 of the teams 4,045 yards receiving and 37 of the team's 82 receiving touchdowns.

Prior to joining the Wranglers, Foster served as the head coach for the 2003 af2-Champion Tulsa Talons. Foster led the team to a 13-3 regular season record while accumulating 3,995 yards in total offense, 3,679 yards passing and 316 yards rushing. This offensive effort also concluded with Tulsa outscoring their opponents 823-690 in regular season play. The Talons totaled 745 yards in offense and outscored their postseason opponents 179-130 on their way to winning the 2003 ArenaCup. Foster made history in Tulsa as he became the only af2 coach to go undefeated at home over three consecutive regular seasons.

Foster compiled a record of 82-39-2 at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas before moving to arena football. Foster coached the Red Ravens to six conference championships during his 12 seasons as the head coach. In 1990, Foster led Coffeyville to a national championship and an undefeated season. He was selected as Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference Coach of the Year in both 1990 and 1991.

After serving as an assistant to his father, Dick Foster, for four seasons at Coffeyville, Skip took over the head coaching duties where Dick won a national championship in 1983. They are the only father/son pair in the National Junior College Athletic Association to win a national championship at the same school. Skip played football for his father from 1979-1980 at Coffeyville.

A graduate of Missouri Western State College, Foster earned a bachelor of science in education. Foster and his wife, Gay, have three children.

GLADIATORS' NOTES AND TRENDS


KNOW WHEN TO HOLD EM'
The Gladiators new face at offensive coordinator is no stranger to the AFL. Mike Hold brings more than 15 years of Arena Football experience to the Las Vegas. He was the head coach of the Macon Knights in af2 for the previous two seasons and was the head coach of the Carolina Cobras (AFL) in 2003. Hold also enjoyed a 12-season career in the AFL beginning in the League's inaugural season in 1987 with the Chicago Bruisers. In 2000, when Hold retired from the AFL as a player, he was the only player remaining from the League's inaugural season. Hold began his coaching career with the Augusta Stallions of af2 in 2001. While in Augusta, Hold guided one of the most efficient offenses in the League. In 2002, Hold and the Stallions finished with the best record in af2 at 13-3 and qualified for the playoffs.

BIG
The Gladiators OL/DL on the opening day roster weighs an average of 297 lbs. That does not include 300-lb. Steve Konopka, who opens the season on the IR with a sprained ankle. In comparison, the OL/DL from the 2005 team on opening day averaged 294 lbs.

REVOLVING DOOR
The Gladiators have only 10 players who were on the opening day roster last season. The remaining ten Glads who opened the 2005 season in the Red & Black are: Wilky Bazile, Coco Blalock, Joe Douglass, Rodney Filer, TJ Hill, Steve Konopka, Junior Lord, William Mayes, Marcus Nash and Dameon Porter.

FRESH FACES
The Gladiators roster for the 2006 season includes eight rookies (nine counting Ivory McCann -IR). That is a major difference from last seasons roster which did not see a rookie on the opening day roster. The rookies include four players from the af2, Kevin Prentiss, Nick Davis, Anthony Arceneaux and Eric Houle, one player from NFL Europe, Jason Fife, and three ex NFL players, Alonzo Spellman, Tupe Peko and Chukie Nwokorie.



MAY BE CALLED ROOKIES BUT...
Three lineman for the 2006 Gladiators may be classified as rookies, but they are not rookies in terms of professional football experience. Alonzo Spellman, Chukie Nwokorie and Tupe Peko all started at times in the NFL, combining to play 18 total NFL years.

FAMILIAR FACES
The Gladiators and Wranglers have several players who have worn both uniforms during their time in the AFL. For Las Vegas, WR/DB Dameon Porter played five games for Austin during their inaugural season in 2004. For the Wranglers, Sedrick Robinson, who is still the Gladiators all-time leader in kick returns, Damon Mason, Marcus McKenzie and Ramon Rihardson have all at one time been a member of the Gladiators organization.

MR. MARCUS
OS Marcus Nash returns to the Gladiators for his third season in 2006. After being named the League's Offensive Player of the Year in 2004 when he shattered the record books with 154 receptions for 1,771 yards and 46 receiving touchdowns, Nash totaled 131 receptions for a league leading 1769 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2005. Nash leads all AFL players over the past two seasons in receptions with 277, yards with 3540 and touchdowns with 87.

THE WHEELS ON THE BUS
Gladiators starting quarterback Craig Whelihan is no stranger to being a team's No. 1 signal caller. Wheels was the starting quarterback for the San Diego Chargers (NFL) during the 1997-1998 seasons and led the Orlando Predator (AFL) to the playoffs as the starting quarterback in the 2001 season. In two starts for the Gladiators last season, Whelihan threw for 544 yards and 10 touchdowns against only two interceptions.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
When the Gladiators take the field on Friday, January 27th, against the Wranglers in Austin, it will mark the third time in four years that the Glads have opened the season on the road. The only season they opened at home since moving to Las Vegas was the 2005 season, when the beat the LA Avengers in Week 1 46-37 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

INJURY BUG
Las Vegas got hit relatively hard by the injury bug during their 2006 training camp. Out with injuries for at least the first two weeks will be WR/LB Joe Douglass, OL/DL Steve Konopka (ankle), OL/DL Paul LaQuerre (ankle), WR/LB Junior Lord (ankle), WR/DB Ivory McCann (hamstring) and DS Kevin Williams (hamstring).

KICKERS EDGE
Following a season where Las Vegas' kicker missed 18 extra points, Special Teams Coach Gary Gussman brought in new blood to challenge for the job. AFL rookie, but af2 veteran, Eric Houle emerged from camp as the the Red & Black's No. 1 kicker, prompting the Glads to trade incumbent Mark Lewis to the Columbus Destroyers during the last week of camp. Houle converted on 86% of his PAT attempts and made 11 field goals in 2005 while playing for the Rio Grande Dorados.

CENTURY MARK
Gladiators OL/DL Wilky Bazile is only one of 23 players in the AFL with at least 10 years experience in the league. Bazile broke into the AFL in 1996 with the Charlotte Rage. He has played for nine teams throughout his career, including the Gladiators twice (2002-03, 05-06).

HILL TOPPER
After spending the past two seasons as mainly a two-way player, missing more than half the games with a knee injury, TJ Hill will return to his natural position at defensive secialist in 2006. Playing a full season at DS in 2003, Hill finished second on the Gladiators with 63.5 tackles and second with four interceptions.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 24, 2006


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