Los Angeles Avengers game notes

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


QUICK FACTS:
Game: Los Angeles Avengers at Grand Rapids Rampage
Date: Sunday, March 14, 2004
Kickoff: 9 a.m. (Pacific)
Site: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Arena: Van Andel Arena (10,594)
Television: NBC (Bob Papa, Ray Bentley, Jack Doles)
Radio: XTRA Sports 690/1150 (Larry Kahn, Troy West)
Web Radio: http://www.xtrasportsradio.com
Line: Los Angeles by 17.5 (over/under 99)
Series Record: Avengers lead, 2-1
Last Meeting: Los Angeles 61, Grand Rapids 51 -- March 23, 2003, STAPLES Center
Officials: Perry Havener (R), Tom Laverty (U), Kelly Saalfeld (HL), David Meslow (LJ), Dino Paganelli (BJ)
Head Coaches: Los Angeles -- Ed Hodgkiss (third season, 21-13). Grand Rapids -- Bob Cortese (third season 12-21, first with Rampage 0-5).

THE AVENGERS: After a series of crucial injuries and two consecutive losses at STAPLES Center, last week's bye came at the right time for Los Angeles. The Avengers (2-2), who won their first two games of the season away from home, are back on the road and will face winless Grand Rapids (0-5) on Sunday. L.A. is determined to re-establish itself as one of the premier teams in the AFL and a strong ArenaBowl contender. Last year, the Avengers rode their quick-strike offense to an 11-5 regular season record, earning the first-round bye that goes along with the No. 4 postseason seed. This season, the L.A. defense keyed both victories, but looked much different in its past two games, starting three different rookies at the defensive specialist spots. 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, leads the AFL this season with an average of 6.5 scoring tosses per game and has yet to be intercepted. Offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who earned last season's AFL "Offensive Player of the Year" award, sat out L.A.'s last game, but is expected to be back in the lineup on Sunday. Another featured pass catcher, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has been a star in all three phases of the game, earning "Ironman of the Game" honors in both Avenger victories this season. OL/DL Al Lucas, WR/LB Greg Hopkins, FB/LB Josh Jeffries and OL/DL Silas Demary have led the L.A. defense.
THE RAMPAGE: One of two winless teams in the AFL after five weeks of play, Grand Rapids made it to the playoffs last year, but has lost its last 10 regular-season games, dating back to the end of the 2003 season. Quarterback Anthony Buich, who took over as the starter in Week 3, threw for six touchdowns in the loss to Dallas last week. His favorite targets are Steve Smith and Josh Bush. Defensive specialist Cecil Doggette, an 11-year veteran who led the team in tackles and interceptions last year, leads the Rampage defense.

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (2-2)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 @ Arizona Win 51-32
Feb. 14 @ Las Vegas Win 62-55
Feb. 22 San Jose Loss 61-55
Mar. 1 Georgia Loss 53-52 overtime
Rest of Season Opponent Time (PST) Television
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

GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE (0-5)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 @ Chicago Loss 30-50
Feb. 14 Colorado Loss 37-55
Feb. 22 Las Vegas Loss 14-51
Feb. 29 @ San Jose Loss 31-62
March 6 @ Dallas Loss 50-66
Next 7 games Opponent Time (PST) Television
Mar. 14 Los Angeles 9 a.m. NBC
Mar. 26 @ Indiana 4:30
April 4 Arizona 9 a.m.
April 10 @ Detroit 4:30
April 17 Indiana 4:30
April 23 @ Colorado 6:00
May 1 Austin 4:30

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) ... Bob Cortese is in his first season as head coach of the Rampage and third overall in the AFL. He posted a 12-16 mark in two seasons (2000-01) as the Oklahoma Wranglers head coach. A veteran coach with over 30 years of experience, he amassed 244 wins at the high school and collegiate levels. An assistant with the Portland Forest Dragons, Cortese moved with the team when it relocated to Oklahoma City in 2000. Cortese joined the af2's Wichita Stealth in 2002 as director of football operations and offensive coordinator. He became head coach prior to the 2003 season and went 4-3 before resigning for personal reasons.

THE SERIES: The Avengers lead the series 2-1. The Rampage won the first meeting and Avengers inaugural game, 51-31, on April 15, 2000, at Van Andel Arena. Since then the Avengers have taken the last two games, including a 68-61 upset in Grand Rapids on June 15, 2002, and a 61-51 victory at STAPLES Center last season (March 23).

THE NEXT GAME: The Avengers will stay on the road for another week and head to Texas to face the Dallas Desperados at the American Airlines Center. It will be the second of three consecutive road games for the Avengers, who won't play at STAPLES Center again until April 3 (versus another Texas team, the Austin Wranglers).

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 (playoffs 0-1)
2004 (Ed Hodgkiss) 2-2

THE "IF" SECTION:
If the Avengers defeat the Rampage, it would ...
· Be their third consecutive win over Grand Rapids
· Be L.A.'s first victory after having a week off
· Be the first non-divisional win for the Avengers since April, 4, 2003
· Make Grand Rapids the second team the Avengers beat three times
· Give L.A. a 5-2 record in the month of March


THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss on Grand Rapids' good offensive output versus Dallas: "They played like a team that really wants to get that first win. They are getting better and better each week on both sides of the ball. They have a young quarterback, who will just get better as the season goes on."

Hodgkiss on L.A.'s three-game road swing: "We're just concerned about Grand Rapids right now. We need to get back to our winning ways, and just focus on this game. We can't get caught up in looking beyond that right now."

Hodgkiss on what will be important in Sunday's game: "We will need to establish a pass rush early. They are a team that has had some trouble with protection in their first few games, so it would be to our advantage to exploit that. They have two really good defensive backs who are extremely experienced. We will have to be careful not to turn the ball over on offense."

Hodgkiss on the play of the Avenger defense: "We need to learn how to cause some turnovers on defense. We have struggled in finding a way to get some stops. Our new guys are learning more every week, so we should be able to establish some more continuity. In our last game, it didn't seem as if everyone was on the same page on defense a lot of times."


NO ACTION JACKSON: The Avengers have struggled when Chris Jackson, their main offensive weapon, has been out of the lineup. L.A. has won just two of the 10 games in franchise history that have been played without him in uniform. Both those victories came during the 2002 season and one was against Grand Rapids.

2001 SEASON
April 14 -- San Jose 52, Avengers 30 (with NFL team)
April 19 -- Houston 58, Avengers 48 (with NFL team)
April 27 -- Arizona 49, Avengers 21 (with NFL team)
July 13 -- Carolina 66, Avengers 28 (broken foot)
July 22 -- Oklahoma 60, Avengers 42 (broken foot)

2002 SEASON
May 4 -- San Jose 78, Avengers 44 (broken wrist)
May 17 -- Avengers 38, Tampa Bay 24 (broken wrist)
June 15 -- Avengers 68, Grand Rapids 61 (hamstring)
July 6 -- Arizona 52, Avengers 46 OT (hamstring)

2004 SEASON
March 1 -- Georgia 53, Avengers 52 OT (sprained knee)




IN THE ZONE OUT EAST: As the Avengers make their way to Grand Rapids this weekend, they should feel good about their chances. L.A. has won six of its last seven games in the Eastern Time Zone, including victories over Orlando, New York and Indiana last year. L.A.'s thrilling last-second victory at Orlando on March 30, 2003, marked a third consecutive road game within the Eastern Time Zone for the Avengers, which all ended with a win.

AMONG THE ELITE: Ed Hodgkiss' first two seasons as a head coach in the AFL placed 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 after two seasons was 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 seventh-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. Darren Arbet * 56-20 .736
2. Tim Marcum * 135-50 .730
3. Perry Moss 75-28-1 .726
4. Danny White * 113-52 .684
5. Pat Sperduto 25-15 .643
6. Jay Gruden * 35-21 .625
7. Ed Hodgkiss * 21-13 .618
8. John Hufnagel 17-11 .607
9. Mike Dailey * 62-43 .590
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 46.8 points per game at STAPLES Center (797 points in 17 games).

"IRONMAN" INGRAM: In his last 14 games for the Avengers, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has been selected as the "U.S. Army Ironman of the Game" six times. L.A. won each of those games, which includes both victories this season. In the victory at Las Vegas on Valentine's Day, Ingram doubled up, also earning "ADT Defensive Player of the Game" honors.

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE: Ninety-one of L.A.'s 153 offensive touchdowns over the course of the past two seasons were scored on "drives" of three plays or less. In fact, 28 of them were one-play "drives," including 10 touchdown catches by offensive specialist Chris Jackson. Ironically, two of the 62 "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.


INTERCEPTION-FREE ZONE: Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani has not thrown an interception this season. He is currently 80-of-133 (60.2 percent) for 1,021 yards and 26 touchdowns, and one of only two quarterbacks in the AFL to be "pickless" this year (the other one is Chicago's Raymond Philyaw, who set the all-time AFL single-season record last year with the Indiana Firebirds by tossing 247 passes without an interception). Last season, within a span of seven games, Graziani threw 185 passes without being intercepted. During that period, which stretched from the end a victory at Orlando on March 30, 2003, to the beginning of a win over Colorado on May 10, 2003, he threw 45 touchdowns passes between picks. In his four-year AFL career, Graziani has passed for 196 touchdowns and been intercepted just 25 times.



PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Avenger FB/LB Josh Jefferies: The AFL rookie is coming off his best rushing performance against Georgia, which included a 15-yard touchdown run. Jeffries could see more carries on Sunday. Playing a Grand Rapids team that has allowed the most points in the AFL, the Avengers figure to be in the red zone quite a bit and might feature more of a balanced attack as they near the goal line. On defensive side of the football, Jeffries has been even more comfortable and made an immediate impact, recording seven tackles and a sack.

Rampage QB Anthony Buich: After having a respectable performance last week, completing 22 of 32 passes for 302 yards and six touchdowns, Buich has given the struggling Rampage offense new life. Just two weeks ago, Buich was on the Grand Rapids practice squad. He was called up before the Week 3 game against Las Vegas and entered that contest to relieve the now released Robert Hall. Buich threw for 59 yards and a touchdown. He started against San Jose the following week and threw a touchdown and ran for a pair of scores. With one full game under his belt, expect Buich to be even more efficient in his second start on Sunday.

Avenger WR/DB Kevin Ingram: L.A.'s triple threat looks to continue to make his case as a prime "Ironman of the Year" candidate. Against Georgia, Ingram had another stellar game defensively with six tackles and recorded his second interception of the year. On offense, he didn't score a touchdown for the first time this season as he caught four passes for 27 yards. Going up against a defense that has allowed more points than any other team in the league, Ingram should find himself back in the end zone.

Rampage OS Steve Smith: While his team has had a slow start, Smith has had anything but that. In his first two games of the season, he returned two kicks for touchdowns and is the league's top return man, with 741 yards on 31 runbacks. In addition to his special teams success, Smith has been very productive on the receiving end with 25 catches for 295 yards and four touchdowns. Against Colorado in Week 2, Smith posted his career-high with 238 all-purpose yards. The fourth-year specialist had his best receiving game last week, catching six passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

LAST WEEK'S GAME

GEORGIA FORCES OT BEFORE BEATING L.A.

LOS ANGELES (March 1) -- Performing with a flair for the dramatic, the Georgia Force used a 50-yard field goal to send the game into overtime, where they upset the Avengers, 53-52, before a crowd of 10,236 at STAPLES Center.

The result left both teams at 2-2 on the season and winless at home.

After matching L.A.'s touchdown that opened the extra period, Force quarterback Leon Murray found wide receiver/linebacker Dialleo Burks in the left corner of the end zone for the game-winning two-point conversion. Murray shook off an interception on Georgia's first possession of the game to finish 27-of-38 for 297 yards and six touchdowns.

Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani had a strong game as well, completing 23-of-36 for 253 yards and six scores. He has now passed for 26 touchdowns this season, against no interceptions.

Subbing for Avenger offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who sat out the game with a sprained left knee, Joe Douglass caught a game-high nine passes for 126 yards and three touchdowns. Los Angeles WR/LB Greg Hopkins also had three scoring grabs among his eight receptions for 79 yards.

Early in the second quarter the Avengers took a 21-7 lead on a eight-yard toss from Graziani to Douglass, but the Force fought back to tie the game at 28-28 on their first possession of the second half.

The lead see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the half until Force kicker Steve McLaughlin booted a 50-yard field goal just barely over the 15-foot crossbar as the final buzzer sounded.

After a pass interference penalty on the Force, the Avengers scored on their first official play in overtime as Graziani connected with Douglass on a 35-yarder down the right sideline.

Georgia responded with a six-play, 45-yard drive that ended with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Murray to wide receiver/defensive back Dameon Porter, who also scored two touchdowns during regulation play and finished with a team-high eight catches for 96 yards.


GEORGIA (2-2) 7 14 14 10 8 -- 53
LOS ANGELES (2-2) 14 14 3 14 7 -- 52




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). Linemen Chris Butterfield and Carlos Fowler are next in line as the only two players who have been with the Avengers for the past four full seasons.


GUNNING FOR 200: Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani is four touchdown passes shy of 200 in his AFL career. When he reaches that mark, he will become the 14th player in league history to do so and only the second to do it within his first four seasons in the AFL, joining Mike Perez who threw 255 from 1994 to 1997.


THIRD-QUARTER KARMA: The final result of an Avenger game can often be predicted by what happens in the third quarter. In the "Ed Hodgkiss Era," the Avengers are 13-4 when they score two or more touchdowns in the third quarter. Two of the losses came against Arizona and the other two were at the hands of Dallas.

MAKING HIS POINTS: Avenger placekicker Remy Hamilton currently ranks at No. 3 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 (Tampa Bay) 1,225
Steve Videtich (Columbus) 1,024
Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 778
Daron Alcorn (1997-2004) 770
Kenny Stucker (1994-99) 742
Steve McLaughlin (Georgia) 704

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 126 touchdowns accounted for in 52 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 375 receptions for 5,261 yards and has scored 732 points in his five-year Avenger career.

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 122 touchdowns in his 52-game AFL career. Only 16 other players in AFL history, including teammate Greg Hopkins (175), 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) 122 732
Greg Hopkins (2002-present) 67 407
Remy Hamilton (2002-present) 0 325
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 5,261 receiving yards on 375 catches. Hopkins is second with a grand total of 5,136 yards on 421 receptions 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 20 – 269 375 – 5,261
Greg Hopkins(Los Angeles) 400 – 4,888 21 – 248 421 – 5,136
Damian Harrell(Colorado) 348 – 4,851 16 – 227 364 – 5,078
Mike Horacek(Indiana) 363 – 4,735 21 – 268 384 – 5,003

ONE OF THE LEAGUE'S HOTTEST TEAMS: Winners in 10 of their last 15 regular-season games, the Avengers are now 17-9 in their past 26 outings. Only the San Jose SaberCats, who are 20-6, own a better mark over that span of games.

ARENABOWL CHAMPION AVENGERS: Three Avenger players and a pair of coaches own a total of six ArenaBowl world championship rings. OL/DL 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. WR/LB 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 eight games away from STAPLES Center, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has caught 30 passes for 376 yards and 10 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 five road games over the course of the last two seasons, including both games so far this season. In the 2004 season opener, Ingram caught a pair of touchdown passes and also had an interception. In the victory at Las Vegas on Feb. 14, he scored three times, made 5.5 tackles and a game saving pass deflection as time expired. 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.

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)

THE "D" IN L.A.: Avenger defensive coordinator Doug Kay has a six specific goals for his unit to strive for this season. If the Avengers are able to achieve them, it would put the L.A. defense in the Top-5 in each category, based on last season's final AFL team statistics. The following is a look at how the Avengers are currently doing in this regard.

Avenger Defensive Goals
Category Goal Current Total
Average points allowed 45.0 50.25
Opponent third-down % 40% 40.9% (9-of-22)
Opponent fourth-down % 40% 66.0% (4-of-6)
Quarterback sacks 25 5 (pace for 20)
Interceptions 25 5 (pace for 20)
Fumble recoveries 16 2 (pace for 8)








LAST MEETING WITH THE RAMPAGE:

LOS ANGELES GROUNDS GRAND RAPIDS, 61-51

LOS ANGELES (March 23, 2003) -- In a dominant all-around performance, the Avengers defeated the Grand Rapids Rampage, 61-51, before a crowd of 13,849 at STAPLES Center.

The Avengers improved to 6-2, while the Rampage fell to 5-3.

Avenger WR/DB Kevin Ingram finished with two touchdown receptions, an interception, a fumble recovery and five tackles, on his way to "Ironman of the Game" honors. Ingram, who led Los Angeles with 94 all-purpose yards, caught four passes for 36 yards.

Quarterback Tony Graziani was outstanding once again for the Avengers, completing 20-of-27 for 222 yards and seven touchdowns, and for the fourth time this season, he did not throw an interception.

For the second consecutive week, the Avengers played well on defense, forcing two turnovers and stopping the Rampage on downs in the first half. After allowing Grand Rapids to score on the second play of the game, the Rampage got shut out for the next 25 minutes as the Avengers built a 20-6 lead.

Grand Rapids quarterback Clint Dolezel did have some success through the air, passing for 290 yards and six touchdowns. He was 29-of-43 and threw one interception. Dolezel completed passes to seven different Rampage receivers, with WR/LB Damon Hodge leading the way with eight catches for 82 yards.

One of the keys coming into the game was who was going to win the special teams battle. The Rampage featured one of the top units in the league, however, the Avenger special teams unit outshined them.

The Rampage wound up with 139 yards on seven kickoff returns, but they were unable to recover any of their four onside kick attempts and the Avengers answered by scoring each time.

Kicker Remy Hamilton led the Avenger special teams with a successful onside kick and 13 points. He was 2-for-2 on his field goal attempts and also made two solo tackles. Hamilton's first three-pointer, a 17-yarder as time expired in the first half, put Los Angeles up 30-13 at the intermission.

The second half began with the Graziani finding offensive specialist Chris Jackson from 18-yards out. The score extended Jackson's scoring streak to 41 consecutive games.

Down 37-13 with 12:48 left in the third quarter, Grand Rapids did fight back to get within 10 points at 61-51, but only three seconds remained after Dolezel hit Terrill Shaw for a touchdown and Hodge for a two-point conversion.


GRAND RAPIDS (5-3) 6 7 16 22 -- 51
LOS ANGELES (6-2) 14 16 14 17 -- 61


NFL AVENGERS: Twenty-one 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), DS Keith Heyward (2002 Seattle, 2003 San Francisco), 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), OL/DL Al Lucas (2000-01 Carolina), DS Jason Moore (1999 Denver, 2001 San Francisco, 2003 Cleveland), 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), and DS Damen Wheeler (2000 San Diego, 2001 Jacksonville). Six Avengers -- Staat (2nd round), Ulufale (3rd round), Taylor (4th round), Bean (5th round), Wheeler (6th round) and Graziani (7th round) -- were NFL Draft picks. Staat is the most experienced, having played in 29 NFL games, Bean is second with 27, Lucas is third with 20 games and Graziani is next with 19 games of action (including five starts) for the Falcons.


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


RECENT ROSTER MOVES:
Date Action Player
2/27 Signed DS Jason Moore
2/27 Signed from practice squad OL/DL Ryan Nielsen
2/27 Played on injured reserve DS Jeroid Johnson
2/28 Signed FB/LB Lenny Lucas
2/28 Activated off injured reserve WR/DB Jerome Riley
2/28 Placed on injured reserve OS Chris Jackson, OL/DL Ryan Nielsen
2/29 Activated off injured reserve OL/DL Ken Kocher, OL/DL Jeremy Staat
2/29 Placed on injured reserve WR/DB Henry Douglass
3/1 Placed on injured reserve FB/LB Lenny Lucas


"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 offensive success in the game, win or lose.

Week Opp. Offensive Player of the Game
1 Arizona OS Chris Jackson (L.A.)7 catches, 2 TDs, 1 TD pass
2 Las Vegas QB Tony Graziani (L.A.)23-of-30, 265 yards, 7 TDs
3 SanJose WR/LB-OS Joe Douglass (L.A.)8 catches, 104 yards, 2 TDs
4 Georgia OS Joe Douglass (L.A.)9 catches, 126 yards, 3 TDs

"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
2 Las Vegas WR/DB Kevin Ingram (L.A.)3 TDs, game-winning break-up
3 San Jose WR/DB Rashied Davis (S.J.)187 all-purpose yards, 2 TDs
4 Georgia WR/LB Greg Hopkins (L.A.)3 TD catches, 4.5 tackles, 1 sack

"ADT DEFENSIVE 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 defensive success in the game, win or lose.

Week Opp. Defensive Player of the Game
1 Arizona OL/DL Bryan Henderson (Ariz.)3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 fumble rec.
2 Las Vegas WR/DB Kevin Ingram (L.A.)Crucial pass break-up, 5.5 tackles
3 San Jose OL/DL Sam Hernandez (S.J.)2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection
4 Georgia WR/DB Kevin Ingram (L.A.)6 tackles, 1 pass break-up, 1 INT

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


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