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Los Angeles Avengers game notes

March 31, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release


QUICK FACTS: Game: Austin Wranglers at Los Angeles Avengers Date: Saturday, April 3, 2004 Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (Pacific) Site: Los Angeles, California Arena: STAPLES Center (17,942) Television: Fox Sports Net 2 (Bill Macdonald, Ed Cunningham) Radio: XTRA Sports 690/1150 (Larry Kahn, Troy West) Web Radio: http://www.xtrasportsradio.com Line: Los Angeles by 4.5 Series Record: First Meeting Last Meeting: n/a Officials: David Lambros (R), Al Granado (U), Mike McCabe (HL), Arthur Lucky (LJ), David Cutaia (BJ) Head Coaches: Los Angeles -- Ed Hodgkiss (third season, 23-14). Austin -- Skip Foster (first season, 5-2).

THE AVENGERS: As they approach the midway point of the 2004 season, the Avengers find themselves at 4-3 and needing some victories to establish solid playoff position. Los Angeles does have a chance to put together a good run, playing its next three games at STAPLES Center, beginning with Saturday night's showdown with the expansion Austin Wranglers (5-2). In their last game at home, the Avengers were less than sharp in a 53-52 overtime loss to Georgia. Since then, they have played well, winning two of three on the road and falling just short of top-ranked San Jose last week, 55-52. L.A. turned the football over twice versus the SaberCats and that proved to be their undoing. Avenger QB Tony Graziani threw his first interception of the season on his first attempt of the second half versus the SaberCats. That miscue broke his string of 210 attempts without a pick and was L.A.'s first turnover in 22 quarters of plays. After enjoying a full roster of healthy players for a couple weeks, head coach Ed Hodgkiss is faced with another key injury this week as defensive specialist Damen Wheeler could be out with a knee injury. He missed three games earlier this season with a hamstring pull (L.A. lost two of those games). The Avengers are averaging 54.3 points per game and are second in the AFL in turnover margin (+10). Graziani, who has thrown 43 TD passes this year, is playing as well as anyone in the league at any position. The Avengers have not won a game at home since last season when they beat the Colorado Crush, 45-34, on May 10, 2003. THE WRANGLERS: The first-year franchise is second in the Southern Division and boasts of the league's third-best offense, averaging 53 points per game. Austin is led by QB John Kaleo, who earned an ArenaBowl championship ring last season with Tampa Bay. The Wranglers' offensive threats are veteran WR/DB Charlie Davidson, rookie Tacoma Fontaine and former Avenger OS Shannon "Skinny" Culver. The Austin defense is lead by 2003 "AFL Lineman of the Year" Tom Briggs.

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (4-3) 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 Mar. 14 @ Grand Rapids Win 48-33 Mar. 21 @ Dallas Win 60-44 Mar. 26 @ San Jose Loss 55-52 Rest of Season Opponent Time (PST) Television 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 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

AUSTIN WRANGLERS (5-2) Date Opponent Result Score Feb. 13 @ Orlando Win 49-48 Feb. 22 Tampa Bay Win 56-48 Feb. 27 @ Colorado Loss 37-35 Mar. 7 Carolina Win 56-55 Mar. 14 Indiana Loss 64-41 Mar. 18 @ Detroit Win 70-58 Mar. 28 Philadelphia Win 65-60 Next 7 games Opponent Time (PST) Television April 3 @ Los Angeles 7:30 Fox Sports Net 2 April 11 Georgia Noon NBC April 18 @ Tampa Bay Noon NBC April 25 New Orleans Noon NBC May 1 @ Grand Rapids 4:30 May 9 Dallas Noon NBC May 16 Orlando Noon NBC

THE HEAD COACH: 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).

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between the two teams. The Wranglers are in their inaugural season and are playing their first game against a Western Divisional opponent.

THE NEXT GAME: The Avengers will play the second game of their three-game homestand against John Elway's Colorado Crush on Saturday, April 10, in their first meeting as non-divisional opponents.

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).

TOPS IN TURNOVERS: The Avengers are second in the AFL in turnover margin with a +10. Los Angeles has turned the ball over just four times this season. Three of the Avenger turnovers this season have been fumbles and one interception. On the other side of the margin, Los Angeles has come up with eight interceptions (three by WR/DB Kevin Ingram [No. 2 in the AFL]) and six fumble recoveries (two by OL/DL Al Lucas and two by FB/LB Josh Jeffries [No. 2 in the AFL]).

"RED-ZONE" SUCCESS: L.A. leads the AFL in "red zone" offense, scoring on 32 of its 33 trips (27 touchdowns [22 passing, five rushing] and five field goals).

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). WR/DB Russell Shaw, and linemen Chris Butterfield and Carlos Fowler are next in line as the only three players who have been with the Avengers for the past four full seasons.

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) 4-3

THE "IF" SECTION: If the Avengers defeat the Wranglers, it would ... · Give them a 6-5 record against expansion teams · Give them their first home victory of the season · Give them a 3-1 record versus non-divisional opponents · Give them their first victory over a Southern Divisional opponent since April, 4, 2003 (Carolina)

ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS:

AMERICAN CONFERENCE Western Division W L T Pct. Pts. OP San Jose 6 1 0 .857 420 342 AVENGERS 4 3 0 .571 380 333 Arizona 3 5 0 .375 381 388 Las Vegas 3 5 0 .375 408 407

Central Division W L T Pct. Pts. OP Colorado 6 2 0 .750 361 374 Chicago 5 2 0 .714 396 305 Detroit 3 4 0 .429 347 362 Indiana 3 5 0 .375 379 347 Grand Rapids 0 7 0 .000 237 377

NATIONAL CONFERENCE Eastern Division W L T Pct. Pts. OP Dallas 5 2 0 .714 386 355 New York 4 3 0 .571 359 319 Carolina 3 5 0 .375 394 422 Philadelphia 3 5 0 .375 363 360 Columbus 1 6 0 .143 300 379

Southern Division W L T Pct. Pts. OP New Orleans 7 1 0 .875 365 326 Austin 5 2 0 .714 372 370 Georgia 4 4 0 .500 370 433 Orlando 3 4 0 .428 317 335 Tampa Bay 3 5 0 .375 376 377

INTERCEPTION-FREE ZONE: Avenger QB Tony Graziani has thrown just one interception this season. He is currently 143-of-227 (63 percent) for 1,770 yards and 43 touchdowns. Graziani had his string of 210 attempts without an interception broken in the third quarter of last week's loss at San Jose. He threw 41 touchdown passes before being picked off. Last season, within a span of seven games, Graziani threw 185 passes without being intercepted. During that period, which stretched from the end of 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 213 touchdowns and been intercepted just 26 times.

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 sixth-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 * 59-20 .747 2. Perry Moss 75-28-1 .726 3. Tim Marcum * 136-52 .723 4. Danny White * 113-55 .673 5. Pat Sperduto 25-15 .643 6. Ed Hodgkiss * 23-14 .622 7. John Hufnagel 17-11 .607 8. Jay Gruden * 36-24 .600 9. Mike Dailey * 64-44 .593 10. John Gregory 66-48 .579

FIRST TIME FOES: The Avengers have won nine of their last 10 games against franchises they are facing for the first time. L.A. also has won each of its last six "first meetings" with teams in their first season of operation.

2001 June 30 CHICAGO RUSH * W 55-47 2002 April 19 NEW YORK DRAGONS W 43-25 May 4 at Dallas Desperados * W 52-51 May 17 TAMPA BAY STORM W 38-24 May 24 at Georgia Force * W 74-53 June 27 at Toronto Phantoms * W 58-44 July 14 at Indiana Firebirds L 56-53 2003 Feb. 2 LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS * W 60-48 Feb. 16 at Colorado Crush * W OT 59-53 Mar. 30 at Orlando Predators W 64-63 2004 April 3 AUSTIN WRANGLERS * ??? * first season of operation

PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WEEK:

Avenger OL/DL Silas Demary: One of the Avengers most valuable offseason additions is coming off an outstanding performance at San Jose, tying an all-time team record with two quarterback sacks. He also caused a fumble in the end zone that Avenger FB/LB Josh Jeffries recovered for a touchdown. Each week Demary is getting more pressure, which has to leave the Austin offensive line that has given up nine sacks worried. The third-year player is also a threat on offense with two catches for 25 yards and a touchdown this season. Demary looks to become a fixture with another outstanding game.

Wrangler QB John Kaleo: Fresh off of last year's ArenaBowl championship with the Tampa Bay Storm, the 12-year veteran has turned the expansion Austin team into a contender. With 159 completions on 243 attempts for 1,897 yards and 41 touchdowns thus far, Kaleo looks to surpass the 2,000-yard mark this weekend. He has excelled particularly on third down, converting 34-of-48 to give Austin a league-leading 70 percent success rate. If Austin looks to hang with the Avengers high-powered offense, Kaleo will have to be just as sharp on Saturday.

Avenger DS Ben Kelly: The NFL veteran could be getting his first AFL experience this weekend against the Wranglers. With Damen Wheeler's knee ailing, expect Kelly to see some playing time at a position that has been a revolving door for the Avengers this season. Jason Moore, another rookie who will be in the backfield with Kelly, has been solid since starting in Week 5, which could mean that many balls will come Kelly's way. If he can help the Avengers get a couple of stops, Kelly could be the unexpected difference in this expected high scoring affair.

Wrangler OL/DL Tom Briggs: The 2003 AFL "Lineman of the Year" seems to be picking up where he left off last season, leading the Wranglers with four sacks. Briggs even has also showcased his talents on the offensive side, catching three balls for 41 yards and one touchdown. Against Philadelphia last week, he had two tackles, two quarterback hurries and a pair of forced fumbles. Briggs has given the Avengers problems in the past (as a member of the Dallas Desperados) and may find the same sort of success in his return to STAPLES Center.

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE: Ninety-eight of L.A.'s 174 offensive touchdowns over the course of the past two seasons were scored on "drives" of three plays or less. In fact, 32 of them were one-play "drives," including 12 touchdowns by offensive specialist Chris Jackson. So far this season, opposing defenses are making it tougher for L.A. to score quickly, as the Avengers have been able to get in the end zone in three plays or less on just 34 percent of their touchdown drives. However, the Avengers just missed that qualification 13 times this season, scoring a touchdown on their fourth play.

Avenger Touchdown Drives (2003-04) Total TDDrives Quick Strikes (percent) 1 Play Scores 2003 124 81 (65.3 %) 25 2004 50 17 (34 %) 7 Total 174 98 (56.3 %) 32 LAST WEEK'S GAME

SABERCATS NIP AVENGERS, 55-52

SAN JOSE (March 26) -- Leading by two touchdowns after a quarter and 10 points at halftime, it seemed as if the Avengers were on their way to ending their drought versus San Jose. But, in the end, the SaberCats displayed their championship savvy and handed the Avengers their fifth consecutive defeat at HP Pavilion, 55-52, before 13,172.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver/linebacker Greg Hopkins, leading to a 45-42 lead for the visitors. San Jose, however, scored the next 13 points to improve to 6-1 on the season.

Los Angeles closed the scoring on a five-yard touchdown run by Graziani with two seconds left, was unable to recover a loose ball in the end zone on the ensuing kickoff and fell to 4-3.

Graziani was 24-of-36 for 232 yards and five touchdowns, but threw his first interception of the season on his first attempt of the second half. San Jose WR/LB James Roe returned that errant pass seven yards for a touchdown that gave the SaberCats their first lead of the game at 35-31 with 11:29 remaining in the third quarter.

San Jose quarterback Mark Grieb was 19-of-28 for 230 yards and six touchdowns. Ten of his completions were to Roe, who finished with 100 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches.

The Avenger receiving corps was led by offensive specialist Chris Jackson, who caught eight passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, and WR/DB Kevin Ingram, who finished with four receptions, 171 all-purpose yards and a pair of scores.

OL/DL Silas Demary tied an Avenger record with two quarterback sacks and also forced Grieb to fumble in his own end zone, which led to a recovery and touchdown for FB/LB Josh Jeffries, which gave L.A. a 21-7 lead just prior to the end of the first quarter.

After San Jose kicker Dan Frantz booted a 29-yard field goal to tie the game at 45-45 with 8:14 left, Jeffries figured in two more key plays.

As the Avengers were driving to potentially retake the lead, they faced a third-and-one at their own 18-yard line. Jeffries was sent up the middle on two consecutive carries, but was not able to gain the necessary yardage.

San Jose cashed in with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Grieb to WR/LB Fred Coleman to go up, 52-45.

The Avengers still had a chance to tie on their ensuing possession, but that attempt came to end when Graziani was sacked for the first time and fumbled the ball over to San Jose.

From there the SaberCats attempted to run out the clock, but were prevented in doing so by a clutch tackle for loss by Avenger FB/LB Lonnie Ford, which forced Frantz to attempt and make a 19-yard field goal with 27 seconds left, giving L.A. one final chance to perhaps come up with a miracle victory.

LOS ANGELES (4-3) 21 10 7 14 -- 52 SAN JOSE (6-1) 7 14 21 13 -- 55

HOPPING UP THE CHARTS: Avenger WR/LB Greg Hopkins is one of only seven players in AFL history to have 8,000 or more receiving yards in a career. He is currently fourth among active players with 8,080 receiving yards in his nine-year career. Teammate Chris Jackson, who is in his fifth season in the AFL, is currently at No. 20 on the all-time chart with 5,526 receiving yards.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Receiving Yards 1. Eddie Brown (1994-2003) 12,736 2. Barry Wagner (San Jose) 12,496 3. Gary Compton (Philadelphia) 10,279 4. George LaFrance (1988-2000) 8,888 5. Hunkie Cooper (Arizona) 8,288 6. Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles) 8,080 7. Calvin Schexnayder (San Jose) 8,061 8. Stevie Thomas (1991-2001) 7,892 9. Cory Fleming (Orlando) 7,633 10. Alvin Ashley (1994-2004) 7,561 20. Chris Jackson (Los Angeles) 5,526

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 133 touchdowns accounted for in 55 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 seven of Jackson's scores have come as a pass receiver. His other touchdowns were as a kickoff returner, runner (twice) 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 389 receptions for 5,429 yards and has scored 768 points in his five-year Avenger career.

MAKING HIS POINTS: Avenger placekicker Remy Hamilton currently ranks at No. 3 on the AFL's all-time scoring by kickers chart. He also needs only one more three-pointer to become just the fifth player in league history to boot 100 or more field goals.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Scoring By Kickers Mike Black (1993-2004) 1,230 Steve Videtich (Columbus) 1,024 Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 805 Daron Alcorn (1997-2004) 770 Kenny Stucker (1994-99) 742 Steve McLaughlin (Georgia) 720

All-Time AFL Leaders –Field Goals Made Mike Black (1993-2004) 178 Steve Videtich (Columbus) 135 Kenny Stucker (1994-99) 121 Daron Alcorn (1997-2004) 100 Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 99

"IRONMAN" INGRAM: In his last 17 games for the Avengers, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has been selected as the "U.S. Army Ironman of the Game" seven times. L.A. won each of those games, which includes the first three 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.

ROAD WARRIOR: In his last 11 games away from STAPLES Center, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has caught 46 passes for 623 yards and 17 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 six road games over the course of the last two seasons, including three of five 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 14, in Grand Rapids, Ingram had a career-high 121 yards receiving, two touchdowns and an interception. At Dallas on March 21, he caught a career-high three touchdown passes (all in the first half).

THE MILLENNIUM'S FINEST: WR/LB Greg Hopkins and offensive specialist Chris Jackson are not only L.A.'s top pass catchers, they're also among the most productive in the AFL since the dawning of the new millennium. Hopkins ranks first with 433 receptions since the 2000 season for a grand total of 5,248 receiving yards. Jackson is tied for third with 397 catches for 5,429 yards. 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 Greg Hopkins(Avengers) 400 –4,888 33 – 360 433 – 5,248(111 TDs) Mike Horacek(Indiana) 363 –4,735 36 – 513 399 – 5,248(121 TDs) Chris Jackson(Avengers) 355 –4,992 42 – 534 397 – 5,526(126 TDs) Damian Harrell(Colorado) 348 –4,851 49– 738 397 – 5,589(116 TDs)

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. In games that the Avengers don't score at least two touchdowns in the third quarter, they are 10-10 since the start of the 2002 season.

QUICK TO 200: Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani has thrown 213 touchdown passes in his 40-game AFL career. That averages out to 5.3 scoring tosses per game. Graziani is only the 14th player in league history to pass for 200 or more touchdowns. He also is the second fastest to do so, falling just one game shy of the mark set by Mike Perez in 1996 (203 touchdown passes in 37 games for the Albany Firebirds).

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 129 touchdowns in his 55-game AFL career. Only 16 other players in AFL history, including teammate Greg Hopkins (176), 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) 129 774 Greg Hopkins (2002-present) 69 418 Remy Hamilton (2002-present) 0 353 Kevin Ingram (2002-present) 31 186 Travis Hannah (2000-01) 27 162

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. The Avengers are 29-25 with C.J. active.

2001 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 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 March 1 Georgia 53, Avengers 52 OT (sprained knee)

THE "D" IN L.A.: Avenger defensive coordinator Doug Kay has 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 47.6 Opponent third-down % 40% 51%(23-of-45) Opponent fourth-down % 40% 70% (7-of-10) Quarterback sacks 25 12 (pace for 27) Interceptions 25 8 (pace for 18) Fumble recoveries 16 6 (pace for 14)

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. WR/LB Joe Douglass was the offensive specialist for the Orlando Predators as a rookie in 2000, the year they beat the Nashville Kats, 41-38, in ArenaBowl XIV. 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.

SUPER BOWL AVENGERS: A pair of Avengers -- quarterback Tony Graziani and defensive specialist Ben Kelly -- have been on Super Bowl teams. Graziani played in five games for the "Dirty Bird" Atlanta Falcons in 1998 when they made it to Super Bowl XXXIII, where they lost, 34-19, to the Denver Broncos who were quarterbacked by current Colorado Crush owner John Elway. Graziani was the third string QB for the Falcons that season, playing behind Chris Chandler and Steve DeBerg, the former Indiana Firebirds head coach (and Arizona Ratters QB Sherdrick Bonner was on the Falcons practice squad). Three years later, Kelly earned a ring with the New England Patriots when they beat the St. Louis Rams, 20-17, in Super Bowl XXXVI. He played in four games that season for the Patriots.

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), 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), DS Ben Kelly (2000 Miami, New England 2001-02 New England), 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). Five Avengers -- Staat (2nd round), Kelly (3rd round), Taylor (4th round), Wheeler (6th round) and Graziani (7th round) -- were NFL Draft picks. Staat is the most experienced, having played in 29 NFL games, Lucas is second with 20 and Graziani is third with 19 games of action (including five starts).

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

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)

IN THE ZONE OUT EAST: L.A. has won seven of its last eight 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.

THE AVENGERS ARE ... · 0-2 at STAPLES Center · 4-1 on the road · 3-3 when they score more than 50 points · 2-0 when they score 60 or more points · 0-0 when they score 70 or more points · 4-3 when they allow less than 60 points · 3-0 when they allow less than 50 points · 2-0 when they allow less than 40 points · 0-0 when they allow less than 30 points · 3-2 when they record at least one sack · 3-1 when they make at least one interception · 3-3 when they score first · 3-1 when they commit fewer turnovers · 0-1 when they commit more turnovers · 3-2 when a player scores three or more touchdowns · 1-1 when Chris Jackson catches 8 or more passes · 4-2 when Tony Graziani throws for at least 6 TDs · 0-0 when Tony Graziani passes for 300+ yards · 4-2 when Tony Graziani doesn't throw an INT · 4-1 when Kevin Ingram scores two or more TDs · 1-0 when OL/DL Silas Demary scores a TD · 1-2 when Greg Hopkins catches six or more passes · 2-2 when they commit fewer penalties · 0-2 when they commit five or less penalties · 0-0 when they go scoreless for at least one quarter · 1-0 when they pitch a shutout in a quarter · 1-3 when the game is decided by 7 or fewer points · 4-2 when leading at halftime · 3-1 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 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 3/11 Waived DS Keith Heyward 3/11 Signed DS Ben Kelly 3/12 Activated off injured reserve OS Chris Jackson, DS Damen Wheeler, WR/DB Henry Douglas 3/12 Placed on injured reserve OL/DL Ken Kocher, FB/LB Kevin Clemens 3/15 Signed DS Ben Kelly 3/25 Signed to the practice squad 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 5 Grand Rapids QB Tony Graziani (L.A.)18-of-25, 266 yards, 6 TDs 6 Dallas QB Tony Graziani (L.A.)21-of-33, 251 yards, 6 TDs 7 San Jose QB Mark Grieb (S.J.)19-of-28, 230 yards, 6 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 5 Grand Rapids WR/DB Kevin Ingram (L.A.)163 all-purp. Yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT 6 Dallas WR/LB Greg Hopkins (L.A.)3 catches, 41 yards, 1 TD, 1 tackle 7 San Jose WR/LB James Roe (S.J.)10 rec., 100 yd., 2TDs, 1 INT (TD)

"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 5 Grand Rapids OL/DL Rod Manuel (G.R.)2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles 6 Dallas FB/LB Josh Jefferies (L.A.)1 tackle, 1 interception 7 San Jose OL/DL Silas Demary (L.A.)2.5 tackles, pass break-up, 2 sacks

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 31, 2004


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