Los Angeles Avengers game notes

Published on February 10, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Game: Los Angeles Avengers at Las Vegas Gladiators
Date: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2004
Kickoff: Noon (Pacific)
Site: Las Vegas, Nevada
Arena: Thomas & Mack Center (16,606)
Television: NBC (Bob Papa, Ray Bentley, Mitch Roberts)
Radio: KLAC 570-AM (Larry Kahn, Troy West)
Web Radio: None
Line: TBA
Series Record: Los Angeles leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Los Angeles 60, Las Vegas 48 – Feb. 2, 2003, STAPLES Center
Officials: Bill LeMonnier (R), Rick Podraza (U), Allen Baynes (HL), Dana McKenzie (LJ), Billy Beckett (BJ)
Head Coaches: Los Angeles -- Ed Hodgkiss (third season, 20-11). Las Vegas -- Frank Haege (third season, 17-14).


THE AVENGERS: Displaying a new-look defense that actually overshadowed their usual offensive excellence, the Avengers opened their 2004 season in style, defeating the Arizona Rattlers, 51-32, on Sunday at America West Arena in Phoenix. Next up is another road game in Las Vegas, where the Avengers are now listed as the favorites to win ArenaBowl XVIII. Last year, the Avengers went 11-5 in the regular season, earning a first-round bye that went along with its No. 4 postseason seed. However, they lost in the quarterfinals to the Rattlers. One of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league, the Avengers averaged 57.8 points last season and could be even more potent in 2004. Quarterback Tony Graziani, who threw 96 touchdowns last year, tossed six in the season opener. Offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who earned last season's AFL "Offensive Player of the Year" award, caught two touchdown passes and threw one in the victory at Arizona. Another star pass catcher, WR/DB Kevin Ingram, also had a pair of touchdown receptions and came up with one of the team-record four interceptions the Avenger defense had at Arizona. The Avenger defense forced the Rattlers into five turnovers and finished with three tackles for losses, including two sacks. Leading the way were linemen Al Lucas, Silas Demary, Arnold Miller, and linebackers Lonnie Ford and Josh Jeffries, who were a constant presence in the Ratter offensive backfield.

THE GLADIATORS: In the season opener, the Gladiators suffered a heart-breaking defeat to the Colorado Crush in Denver, as they were unable to hold on to an 11-point lead with 12 seconds remaining. It was the first look at the revamped Las Vegas team that added 15 new players, including quarterback Clint Dolezel and his main target offensive specialist Terrill Shaw, who played with him in Grand Rapids. Head coach Frank Haege also acquired deep threats Marcus Nash, who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and Cornelius Bonner. Former Avenger OL/DL John DeWitt is one of Las Vegas' top linemen.

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (1-0)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 @ Arizona Win 51-32
Rest of Season Opponent Time (PST) Television
Feb. 14 @ Las Vegas Noon NBC
Feb. 22 San Jose Noon NBC
Mar. 1 Georgia 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
Mar. 14 @ Grand Rapids 9 a.m. NBC
Mar. 21 @ Dallas 1 p.m. Fox Sports Net 2
Mar. 26 @ San Jose 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
April 3 Austin 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
April 10 Colorado 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
April 16 Detroit 7:30
April 25 @ Chicago Noon NBC
May 1 Arizona 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
May 9 @ Tampa Bay Noon NBC
May 16 @ New York Noon NBC
May 22 Las Vegas 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2
May 30 Orlando 1 p.m. NBC

LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (0-1)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 6 @ Colorado Loss 42-43
Next 10 games Opponent Time (PST) Television
Feb. 14 Los Angeles Noon NBC
Feb. 22 @ Grand Rapids Noon NBC
Feb. 29 New Orleans Noon NBC
Mar. 7 @ Georgia 9 a.m. NBC
Mar. 14 Arizona 3 p.m.
Mar. 20 @ San Jose 7:30
Mar. 27 @ Orlando 4:30
April 4 Chicago 3 p.m.
April 10 @ Arizona 7 p.m.
April 25 Detroit Noon NBC

THE HEAD COACHES: One of the brightest offensive masterminds in the AFL, Ed Hodgkiss is in his third season as the head coach of the Avengers. In his first two seasons at the helm, he directed Los Angeles to a 19-11 record. No head coach in AFL history has won more games in his first two seasons than Hodgkiss, who was the runner-up for the 2003 AFL "Coach of the Year" award. Last season, the Avengers won a franchise-best 11 games and earned a first-round bye in the AFL Playoffs. Hodgkiss oversaw the league's most efficient offense, which scored 122 touchdowns (most in the AFL) on only 619 total plays (least in the AFL). Particularly lethal through the air, the 2003 Avengers averaged a league-leading 13.8 yards per reception. Hodgkiss became the head coach of the Avengers on Oct. 5, 2001, and signed a five-year contract extension shortly after a 2002 season that saw him adroitly pilot the team to an 8-6 mark. In 2002, Hodgkiss not only led the Avengers into the postseason for the first time in franchise history, he also instantly established the L.A. offense as one of the most feared in the AFL. In the final 2002 league statistics, the Avengers ranked at No. 2 in passing efficiency (115.0) and No. 5 in scoring (52.2). Prior to his arrival in Los Angeles, Hodgkiss served as the offensive coordinator for the Indiana Firebirds for three seasons (1999-2001) ... Two years ago, in his rookie season at the helm of the Gladiators, Frank Haege led the club to the biggest single season turnaround in AFL history. His 9-5 record in 2002 (while the team was based in New Jersey) was seven games better than the 2-12 record the Gladiators posted in 2001. Haege led the Quad City Steamwheelers of arenafootball2 to a 37-1 record over two seasons, including a perfect 19-0 as they won the ArenaCup in 2000 (two Avengers – OL/DL Sean McNamara and DS Cornelius Coe – were on that team). He also served as the offensive coordinator at Augsburg College (1996-98) and coached at Bemidji (MN) State University (1992-95).

THE SERIES: The Avengers won the only meeting between the two teams, 60-48, in last season's opener at STAPLES Center (Feb. 2, 2003). Las Vegas is the newest member of the AFL's rugged Western Division. This road game represents the shortest distance the Avengers have ever traveled to play a game.

All-Time Las Vegas vs. Los Angeles Series
Score Date Site
Avengers 60, Gladiators 48 2-2-03 STAPLES

ANOTHER "PERFECT GAME"?: Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani will be attempting to toss his second consecutive "perfect game" against the Gladiators. In last season's opener versus Las Vegas (Feb. 2, 2003), he posted a passer rating of 158.3, which is the highest mark possible and ties an AFL record. In the 60-48 victory, Graziani was 18-of-23 for 288 yards. He threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to offensive specialist Chris Jackson on the first play of the 2003 season and went on to throw for a total of seven scores. Graziani also rushed for a touchdown from three yards out to cap the scoring with 53 seconds remaining.

THE NEXT GAME: After opening the season with a pair road games, the Avengers will play their home opener on Sunday, Feb. 22, against the San Jose SaberCats, their third consecutive encounter with a Western Division rival.

AMONG THE LEAGUE'S HOTTEST: Winners in nine of their last 12 regular-season games, the Avengers are now 16-7 in their past 23 outings. Only the San Jose SaberCats, who are 18-5, own a better mark over that span of time.

STEADY IMPROVEMENT: The Avengers had their most successful regular season in franchise history last year, winning 11 games. After combining for eight wins in the franchise's first two seasons, Los Angeles had its first winning season in 2002, under the direction of head coach Ed Hodgkiss.

Avenger HistorySeason (head coach) Record
2000 (Stan Brock) 3-11
2001 (Stan Brock/Robert Lyles) 5-9
2002 (Ed Hodgkiss) 8-6 (playoffs 0-1)
2003 (Ed Hodgkiss) 11-5
2004 (Ed Hodgkiss) 1-0


THE "IF" SECTION:
If the Avengers defeat the Gladiators, it would ...
· Be the Avengers' second straight 2-0 start
· Give L.A. its second consecutive victory over the Gladiators
· Be L.A.'s 10th victory in their last 14 road games


THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss on the defensive effort in Arizona: "I was encouraged and impressed by the way our defense played. I have to give a lot of credit to our defensive coordinator Doug Kay and line coach Bill Dobson. The pass rush we looked to upgrade this year showed up in this first game, and I'm hoping it continues to make our defense a dominant force."

Hodgkiss on the offensive effort in the season opener: "The offense was streaky at best. We executed well at times, then at other times, we didn't execute at all. We put ourselves in the hole with some third-and-long situations and part of that is on me as a coordinator. We need to do a better job on first and second down. I have great confidence in our offensive players and scheme. We will get it going."

Hodgkiss on the new guys: "Al Lucas played extremely well, getting that push up the middle and getting some things opened up for our linebackers. Josh Jeffries played great on both sides of the ball for a rookie. Silas Demary and Arnold Miller provided some good pressure. All in all, I was very pleased with the new guys."

Hodgkiss on the revamped Gladiators: "Clint Dolezel and Terrill Shaw have been a successful tandem for a few years, they're always on the same page and tough to stop. It's a quarterback-dominated league and Dolezel is one of the best. Marcus Nash is an NFL prototypical receiver who has good speed that we need to contain. They've got a very explosive offense. It's going to come down to what it comes down to every week, rushing the quarterback well. To neutralize their offense we are going have to apply some pressure."

AMONG THE ELITE: Ed Hodgkiss' first two seasons as a head coach in the AFL places his name among some of the game's all-time greats. The Avenger head coach nearly won more games in his first two seasons than any head coach in AFL history. His record currently stands at 19-11. John Gregory won 19 games in his first two seasons with the Iowa Barnstormers (1995-96). Both Darren Arbet of the San Jose SaberCats (1999-2000) and Lary Kuharich of the Tampa Bay Storm (1992-93) won 18 games in their first two seasons in the league.

TOP CATS: Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss is currently in fifth-place on the AFL's all-time winning percentage chart, which follows below (regular season only, minimum 25 games, active coaches *):

All-Time AFL Top Winning Percentages
Head Coaches Record Winning %
1. Tim Marcum * 134-47 .740
2. Darren Arbet * 54-19 .739
3. Perry Moss 75-28-1 .726
4. Danny White * 110-51 .683
5. Ed Hodgkiss * 20-11 .645
6. Pat Sperduto 25-15 .643
7. Jay Gruden 35-21 .625
8. John Hufnagel 17-11 .607
9. Mike Dailey * 59-42 .584
10. John Gregory 66-48 .579

DEFENDING THE HOME FRONT: In the "Ed Hodgkiss Era," which began at the beginning of the 2002 season, the Avengers have been particularly stingy on defense at home, allowing just 45.5 points per game at STAPLES Center (683 points in 15 games).

"IRONMAN" INGRAM: In his last 11 games for the Avengers, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has been selected as the U.S. Army "Ironman of the Game" five times. L.A. won each of those games.

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE: Eighty-five of L.A.'s 131 offensive touchdowns over the course of the past two seasons were scored on "drives" of three plays or less. In fact, 25 of them were one-play "drives," including 10 touchdown catches by offensive specialist Chris Jackson. Ironically, two of the 46 "long" drives were quite notable as well. One was the six-play, 13-yard game-winning march in the victory over San Jose that consumed 25 of the final 26 seconds (Feb. 9, 2003). The other was the eight-play, 30-yard touchdown drive that killed off the final 34 seconds at New York (March 9, 2003). The Avengers scored on six "zero-play drives" last season, including the longest play in franchise history, which came on a 57-yard kickoff return by Siaha Burley (currently a member of the Arizona Ratters) in the regular-season finale at San Jose.

IN THE ZONE OUT EAST: When their travels take them cross-country this season, the Avengers could feel good about their chances, having won six of their last seven games in the Eastern Time Zone, including victories over Orlando, New York and Indiana last year. L.A.'s victory at Orlando on March 30, 2003, marked a third consecutive road game within the Eastern Time Zone.




PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Avenger OS Chris Jackson: Coming off another big performance in Arizona, Jackson looks to continue his success against another Western Division opponent. Last Sunday versus the Rattlers, he accounted for three touchdowns, catching two from quarterback Tony Graziani and throwing one to Kevin Ingram off an end-around play. Jackson finished with seven catches for 96 yards and became just the 24th player in AFL history to surpass 5,000 receiving yards in a career. In last season's opener against the Gladiators, he had one of his best performances of 2003, catching nine passes for 164 yards and five touchdowns.

Gladiator QB Clint Dolezel: Having already passed for over 4,000 yards for two other AFL teams, Dolezel is looking to produce the same results for Las Vegas this season. He had a solid performance against the Colorado Crush in the season opener, completing 22-of-31 for 206 yards and four touchdowns, against one interception. Last year, against the Avengers, Dolezel was 29-of-43 for 290 yards and six touchdowns for the Grand Rapids Rampage in a losing effort. He is only 10 touchdown passes shy of 500 in his AFL career.

Avenger DS Cornelius Coe: In his fourth year in the league (second as an Avenger), Coe was a huge part of L.A.'s defensive efforts on Sunday versus the Arizona Rattlers in Phoenix, leading the team with seven tackles. He also was one of four Avengers to have an interception. With some success against two of the league's most dangerous receivers (Arizona's Randy Gatewood and Siaha Burley), Coe is looking to become a household name in the AFL. Last season, after joining the Avengers early in the year, he led the team with 77 tackles and also had four interceptions.

Gladiator WR/LB Marcus Nash: As an AFL rookie last season with the Detroit Fury, Nash led the team with 69 receptions for 866 yards and 24 touchdowns. Selected by the Denver Broncos in 1998 NFL Draft, he returned to the Mile High City with avengeance as Dolezel's favorite target last week, catching nine passes for 72 yards and three touchdowns. With all eyes on Las Vegas offensive specialist Terrill Shaw look for Nash to get some excellent opportunities again this week.


MAKING HIS POINTS: Avenger placekicker Remy Hamilton currently ranks at No. 5 on the AFL's all-time scoring by kickers chart. In his first year with the Avengers in 2002, he set nine team records, while scoring 131 points on 16 field goals and 83 extra points. Hamilton booted the longest field goal in Avenger history on July 6, 2002, blasting a 52-yarder versus Arizona.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Scoring By Kickers
Mike Black (1993-2003) 1,221
Steve Videtich (Columbus) 1,000
Daron Alcorn (Las Vegas) 753
Kenny Stucker (1994-99) 742
Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 741
Steve McLaughlin (Georgia) 675


CHRIS' COLUMN

THE TOUCHDOWN MAKER: Offensive specialist Chris Jackson has scored a touchdown in every game he has played in for the Avengers except for one. His stunning numbers now stand at 121 touchdowns accounted for in 50 games. Jackson's streak of scoring at least one touchdown in every game of his AFL career ended at 47 games on May 10, 2003, against the Colorado Crush. No player in league history has scored touchdowns in more consecutive games to begin a career than he has. All but six of Jackson's scores have come as a pass receiver. His other touchdowns were as a runner, kickoff returner and passer (four times). Jackson has caught a touchdown pass in all but two of his games with the Avengers, but in one of those contests (June 8, 2002, vs. San Jose), he ran back the opening kickoff 51 yards for a score. Jackson is L.A.'s all-time leading receiver and scorer. He has racked up 359 receptions for 5,027 yards and has scored 704 points in his five-year Avenger career.

THE ORIGINAL AVENGER: Offensive specialist Chris Jackson is the only player on L.A.'s 2004 roster who played for the Avengers in their inaugural 2000 season (he was a WR/LB at the time).

THE CENTURY MARK: Although he was held scoreless for the first time in his career against Colorado on May 10, 2003, offensive specialist Chris Jackson has scored 117 touchdowns in his 49-game AFL career. Only 16 other players in AFL history, including teammate Greg Hopkins (169), are members of the "Century Club." ("C.J." has also passed for four touchdowns (three in 2003, one this season, but they don't count in his official scoring totals.)

Top Scorers in Avenger History
Player TDs Points
Chris Jackson (2000-present) 117 710
Greg Hopkins (2002-present) 61 370
Remy Hamilton (2002-present) 0 288
Travis Hannah (2000-01) 27 162

THE MILLENNIUM'S FINEST: Offensive specialist Chris Jackson and WR/LB Greg Hopkins are not only L.A.'s top pass catchers, they're also the most productive in the AFL since the dawning of the new millennium. Jackson ranks first with 355 receptions for 5,088 and Hopkins is second with a grand total of 405 for 5,038 yards since the 2000 season. The following chart lists the AFL's top receivers over the course of the last five seasons:

AFL's Top Pass Receivers – (2000-04)
Catches – Receiving Yards
2000-03 2004 Total
Chris Jackson(Los Angeles) 355 – 4,992 7 – 96 362 – 5,088
Greg Hopkins(Los Angeles) 402 – 4,998 3 – 40 405 – 5,038
Damian Harrell(Colorado) 348 – 4,851 4 – 52 352 – 4,903
Mike Horacek(Indiana) 363 – 4,735 6 – 59 369 – 4,794




ARENABOWL CHAMPION AVENGERS: Three Avenger players and a pair of coaches own a total of six ArenaBowl world championship rings. Offensive/defensive lineman Al Lucas is a defending world champion, having earned an ArenaBowl title last season as a rookie with the Tampa Bay Storm. Fellow lineman Mike Ulufale was a key member of the San Jose SaberCats team that won ArenaBowl XVI in a rout in 2002. Wide receiver/linebacker Greg Hopkins was with the Albany Firebirds when they took the title in 1999; along with Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss, who was the Firebird offensive coordinator at the time. Avenger defensive coordinator Doug Kay has been part of two ArenaBowl championship teams. He was the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Storm when they won the title in 1993, and then got his second championship ring in 1997 while working with the Arizona Rattlers in the same capacity.

THE INTERCEPTION KING: In addition to being the AFL's 2002 "Ironman of the Year," WR/LB Greg Hopkins is tied with Orlando's Kenny "The Glove" McEntyre as the league's all-time leader in interception returns for touchdowns. Hopkins returned his record-setting ninth pick for a score on April 13, 2003, in L.A.'s 82-76 overtime loss to the Arizona Rattlers. Hopkins jumped to grab a pass from Sherdrick Bonner and returned it nine yards for the score. McEntyre was alone atop the list for just two days after he picked off a pass and returned it 45 yards for a score in Orlando's 66-23 drubbing of the Buffalo Destroyers on April 11, 2003.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Interception Returns for Touchdowns
Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles Avengers) 9
Kenny McEntyre (Orlando Predators) 9
Darryl Hammond (Georgia Force) 8
Mark Ricks (Grand Rapids Rampage) 7
Hunkie Cooper (Arizona Rattlers) 7

ROAD WARRIOR: In his last seven games away from STAPLES Center, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has caught 24 passes for 283 yards and eight touchdowns. Despite playing alongside a constellation of AFL stars, his contributions have not gone unnoticed, winning the U.S. Army "Ironman of the Game" award in four road games over the course of the last two seasons. In the 2004 season opener, Ingram caught a pair of touchdown passes and also had an interception. On March 30, 2003, at Orlando, he had 127 all-purpose yards, including a 50-yard kickoff return in the final minute of the game to set up a touchdown, scored three touchdowns (one rushing) and made one tackle. At Chicago (Feb. 23, 2003), Ingram had 101 all-purpose yards, one touchdown catch and an interception. At New York (March 9, 2003), he had 140 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns, 3.5 tackles and a touchdown-saving pass deflection. He followed up those performances by having a standout game at home versus Grand Rapids on March 23, 2003. Not only did he earn "Ironman of the Game" honors, but he was named the AFL's "Ironman of the Week," as he had four catches for 36 yards and two touchdowns, returned two kickoffs for 34 yards, made five tackles, had an interception, broke up a pass and recovered a fumble.


FAMILIAR FACE, DIFFERENT PLACE: Gladiator lineman John DeWitt, who played three years with the Avengers (2001-03), will line up against his former team for the first time since July 14, 2000, when he was a member of the Buffalo Destroyer team that beat the Avengers 60-52.

HOT TICKET: Five of the six largest crowds to ever see the Avengers play came last season. In consecutive games (at Colorado and Chicago), the Avengers played before their two largest crowds in team history. The Avengers averaged 13,220 fans at home in 2003.

Top Crowds in Avenger History
Date Opponent Attendance
2/16/03 @ Colorado 17,417 (Pepsi Center)
2/23/03 @ Chicago 16,132 (Allstate Arena)
5/17/03 @ San Jose 15,407 (HP Pavilion)
5/4/02 @ Dallas 15,196 (American Airlines)
2/9/03 San Jose 14,992 (STAPLES Center)
2/2/03 Las Vegas 14,827 (STAPLES Center)


LOS ANGELES AVENGERS
2003 REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS (11-5)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 2 Las Vegas Win 60-48
Feb. 9 San Jose Win 73-72
Feb. 16 @ Colorado Win 59-53 OT
Feb. 23 @ Chicago Loss 54-53
Mar. 2 Georgia Loss 46-35
Mar. 9 @ New York Win 65-61
Mar. 16 @ Indiana Win 42-20
Mar. 23 Grand Rapids Win 61-51
Mar. 30 @ Orlando Win 64-63
April 4 Carolina Win 63-48
April 13 Arizona Loss 82-76 OT
April 18 Buffalo Win 65-14
April 27 @ Dallas Loss 60-57
May 4 @ Arizona Win 63-49
May 10 Colorado Win 45-34
May 17 @ San Jose Loss 47-43



NOTES FROM 2003

HEART-STOPPING HEROICS: Four of L.A.'s 11 victories last season came on the final play of the game. On Feb. 9, 2003, the Avengers defeated San Jose, 73-72, on a one-yard touchdown blast by FB/LB Mathias Vavao and a two-point conversion pass from Tony Graziani to WR/LB Greg Hopkins with one second left. The following week in a game on the road against Colorado, L.A. forced overtime with a field goal by Remy Hamilton on the final play of regulation and then won on a TD pass from Graziani to Hopkins. On March 9, 2003, the Avengers defeated New York, 65-61, on a one-yard touchdown run by FB/LB Kevin Clemens with no time remaining. Their most amazing victory of the 2003 season came on March 30, at Orlando, as the Avengers rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final 35 seconds to defeat the Predators, 64-63. The "miracle" occurred as Graziani hit offensive specialist Chris Jackson to cut the lead to five with 19 seconds remaining and defensive specialist Cornelius Coe recovered an onside kick five seconds later. That set up another Graziani-to-Hopkins game-winning TD on a "Hail Mary" pass off the rebound net as time expired. Four of L.A.'s five losses in 2003 also came in the final seconds (at Chicago on Feb. 23, vs. Arizona on April 13, at Dallas on April 27 and at San Jose on May 17).

EARLY FIREWORKS: In addition to late-game heroics (four victories on the final play of the game in 2003), the Avengers have also been good at the start, scoring on their first offensive snap of the game five times during the 2003 season -- in the season opener against Las Vegas (Feb. 2, Chris Jackson), at Chicago (Feb. 23, Kevin Ingram), at Indiana (March 16, Jackson), against Carolina (April 4, Jackson) and against Colorado (Greg Hopkins). On April 4, 2003, against Carolina, the Avengers scored touchdowns on their first three offensive plays, the other two going to Hopkins.

OFFENSIVE EFFICENCY: In their final 11 regular-season games of the 2003 season, the Avengers turned the football over on downs only three times. Two of those stalled drives came in L.A.'s 60-57 loss at Dallas on April 27, 2003. The other one came in the 47-43 loss at San Jose in the 2003 regular-season finale. Los Angeles won eight of the nine games in which it didn't turn the football over on downs, scoring 544 points in those victories. That averages out to 60.4 points per game during that span of offensive effectiveness.

LONG SUNDAY DRIVE: The Avengers put together what might have been the longest drive in the history of the Arena Football League versus the Indiana Firebirds on March 16, 2003, using 17 plays to march 47 yards. The touchdown drive consumed an incredible 10 minutes and 14 seconds. Furthermore, 11 plays occurred after L.A. reached Indiana's one-yard line.

RECORD "D" DAY: On April 18, 2003, the Avengers held the Buffalo Destroyers to just 14 points, establishing a new team record. That eclipsed the record set earlier in the 2003 season, when the Avengers limited the Indiana Firebirds to 20 points.



LAST MEETING WITH THE GLADIATORS:

L.A. HITS JACKPOT
VERSUS LAS VEGAS

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 2, 2003) -- After scoring a touchdown on their first play of the 2003 season, the Los Angeles Avengers went on to defeat the Las Vegas Gladiators, 60-48, at STAPLES Center before 14,827.

The 31-yard pass play to open the game, from quarterback Tony Graziani to offensive specialist Chris Jackson, was the first of five touchdown connections between the two.

Graziani was outstanding, throwing for seven touchdowns without an interception. He was 18-for-23 for 288 yards.

Jackson's performance earned him MVP honors as he made nine catches for 164 yards.

The biggest question coming into the season for the Avengers was their defense, as a pair of rookies, Damen Wheeler and Wasswa Serwanga, started at the defensive specialist spots. However, they got off to a great start, forcing the Gladiators to turn the ball over on downs on their first possession and made enough big plays during the game to bring home a victory.

Both Wheeler and Serwanga made interceptions on the night, as did returning wide receiver/linebacker Greg Hopkins, who earned "Ironman of the Game" honors after catching four passes for 44 yards.

The Gladiators' dynamic duo also had a big night as quarterback Jay McDonagh and offensive specialist Mike Horacek (11 catches for 97 yards) hooked up for four touchdown strikes, the last one coming with 1:22 remaining, which closed the gap to 54-48.

However, after the Gladiators were offside on the ensuing onsides kick attempt, the Avengers took over on the Gladiator 6-yard line and Graziani's 3-yard touchdown sneak up the middle closed out the scoring.

McDonagh, who threw a whopping 61 passes, completed 36 of them for 381 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for a score.

The Avengers went into halftime with a 34-20 lead as Graziani and Jackson connected for the third time, on a 4-yard touchdown, after Wheeler went high in the air to recover an onside kick at the 11-yard line.

In a third quarter that featured a touchdown on each offensive possession, the Gladiators got things going as WR/LB Sedrick Robinson capped a long scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown rush, which made the score 34-27.

Graziani and Jackson answered for the Avengers, scoring once again on their first offensive play of the half. This time from 45 yards out.


LAS VEGAS (0-1) 7 13 21 7 -- 48
LOS ANGELES (1-0) 14 20 14 12 -- 60


NFL AVENGERS: Twenty-two Avengers (nearly the entire team) have spent time on NFL rosters -- FB/LB Kevin Clemens (2001 Jacksonville, 2002 Seattle, 2003 Philadelphia), WR/DB Henry Douglas (1999-2001 Detroit, 2002 Jacksonville, 2003 Carolina), WR/LB Joe Douglass (1998 New Orleans), FB/LB Lonnie Ford (2002 Carolina), QB Tony Graziani (1997-99 Atlanta, 2000 Cleveland), K Remy Hamilton (2003 Seattle), OS Ryan Hoag (2003 Oakland), OS Chris Jackson (1998 Seattle, 1998 Tampa Bay, 1999 Seattle, 2000 Tennessee, 2002 Green Bay, 2003 Miami and Green Bay), FB/LB Josh Jeffries (2003 Tennessee), OL/DL Ken Kocher (2002 Green Bay, 2003 New England), WR/DB Brian Leigeb (2002 Indianapolis), OL/DL Al Lucas (2000-01 Carolina), OL/DL Arnold Miller (1999-2001 Cleveland), FB/LB Wes Ours (2001 Tennessee and Indianapolis, 2002 Indianapolis), WR/DB Jerome Riley (2003 Denver), WR/DB Russell Shaw (1998 St. Louis), OL/DL Jeremy Staat (1998-2000 Pittsburgh, 2001-2002 Seattle and Oakland), WR/DB Brian Sump (2003 San Diego), OL/DL Johnathan Taylor (2002 Detroit), WR/DB Scott Thomas (1999 and 2000 Indianapolis), OL/DL Mike Ulufale (1996 Dallas) and DS Damen Wheeler (2000 San Diego, 2001 Jacksonville). Six Avengers -- Staat (2nd round), Ulufale (3rd round), Taylor (4th round), Wheeler (6th round), Graziani (7th round) and Hoag (7th round) -- were NFL Draft picks. Staat is the most experienced, having played in 29 NFL games, Lucas is second with 20 games and Graziani is next with 19 games of action (including five starts) for the Falcons.

THE AVENGERS ARE ...
· 0-0 at STAPLES Center
· 1-0 on the road
· 1-0 when they score more than 50 points
· 0-0 when they score 60 or more points
· 0-0 when they score 70 or more points
· 1-0 when they allow less than 55 points
· 1-0 when they allow less than 50 points
· 1-0 when they allow less than 40 points
· 0-0 when they allow less than 30 points
· 1-0 when they record at least one sack
· 1-0 when they make at least one interception
· 1-0 when they score first
· 1-0 when they commit fewer turnovers
· 0-0 when they commit more turnovers
· 0-0 when a receiver scores three or more touchdowns
· 0-0 when Chris Jackson catches 8 or more passes
· 1-0 when Tony Graziani throws for at least 5 TDs
· 0-0 when Tony Graziani passes for 300+ yards
· 1-0 when Tony Graziani doesn't throw an INT
· 1-0 when Kevin Ingram scores a touchdown
· 1-0 when OL/DL Silas Demary scores a TD
· 0-0 when Greg Hopkins catches six or more passes
· 0-0 when they commit fewer penalties
· 0-0 when they commit five or less penalties
· 0-0 when they go scoreless for at least one quarter
· 0-0 when they pitch a shutout for at least one quarter
· 0-0 when the game is decided by 7 or fewer points
· 1-0 when leading at halftime
· 1-0 on NBC
· 0-0 on Fox Sports Net 2
· 1-0 on Sunday

RECENT ROSTER MOVES:
Date Action Player
1/30 Signed DS Kyle Grove
1/30 Waived QB Ryan Helming
1/30 Waived QB Lon Sheriff
1/30 Waived WR/LB Brian Haugabrook
1/30 Placed on injured reserve WR/DB Brian Leigeb
1/31 Traded for WR/LB Joe Douglass
2/2 Placed on injured reserve DS Kyle Grove, OS Ryan Hoag, OL/DL Ken Kocher, FB/LB Wes Ours, WR/LB Jerome Riley, OL/DL Johnathan Taylor, WR/LB Scott Thomas and OL/DL La'Zerius White.


BABY RUTH REAL DEAL "OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Voted on by the media, the award goes to the player who was determined to be the most valuable to his team's success in the game, win or lose.

Week Opp. Most Valuable Player
1 Arizona OS Chris Jackson (L.A.)7 catches, 2 TDs, 1 TD pass

U.S. ARMY "IRONMAN OF THE GAME": Voted on by the media, the award goes to the two-way player who best demonstrated the ideals of the AFL's style of ironman football.

Week Opp. Ironman of the Game
1 Arizona WR/DB Kevin Ingram (L.A.)2 TD receptions, 1 interception

ADT "DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME": Voted on by the media, the award goes to the two-way player who best demonstrated the ideals of the AFL's style of ironman football.

Week Opp. Ironman of the Game
1 Arizona OL/DL Bryan Henderson (Ariz.)3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 fumble rec.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 10, 2004


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