Sports stats



Los Angeles Avengers game notes

February 15, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Game: San Jose SaberCats at Los Angeles Avengers
Date: Sunday, February 20, 2005
Kickoff: 3 p.m. (Pacific)
Site: Los Angeles, Calif.
Arena: STAPLES Center (17,942)
Television: KNBC Channel 4 (Bob Papa, Ray Bentley, Fred Roggin)
Radio: 1150-AM (Larry Kahn, Troy West)
Spanish Radio: KWKW 1330-AM (Edu Villamar, Mario Amaya)
Line: TBA
Series Record: San Jose leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: San Jose 55, Los Angeles 52 -- March 26, 2004, HP Pavilion
Officials: Perry Havener (R), Tom Laverty (U), Kelly Saalfeld (HL), David Meslow (LJ), Barry Anderson (BJ)
Head Coaches:
Los Angeles -- Ed Hodgkiss (fourth season, 30-19)
San Jose -- Darren Arbet (seventh season, 65-26)

2005 AVENGERS: Gunning for their fourth consecutive trip to the AFL Playoffs, the Avengers have a decidedly different look to them in 2005. On offense, head coach Ed Hodgkiss is working with a new quarterback in AFL veteran John Kaleo, who earned an ArenaBowl championship ring in 2003 with the Tampa Bay Storm, as the team looks to replace "All-Arena" QB Tony Graziani, who signed a free agent contract with Philadelphia during the offseason. Leading the way for the receivers are "All-Arena" WR/DB Kevin Ingram and Greg Hopkins, who is one of the best WR/LBs in league history and the 2002 AFL "Ironman of the Year." Second-year man Brian Sump, who caught two TD passes in the season opener, is Ingram's backup. At the offensive specialist spot, the Avengers are looking for someone to fill the shoes of Chris Jackson, who signed a free agent contract with Grand Rapids during the offseason. In the first two games of the season, the Avengers went with Jerome Riley at that spot. In Week 3, newcomer Rob Turner started there and Khori Ivy (currently on IR) could be added to the mix shortly. Los Angeles has perhaps the AFL's best pair of young FB/LBs in Lonnie Ford and Josh Jeffries, who scored a pair of rushing TDs in the Avengers' 46-41 victory over Georgia in Week 2. Seemingly perfectly suited for the rigorous nature of the multi-faceted position, Ford and Jeffries excel on both sides of the football. At the OL/DL spots, Al Lucas, Silas Demary, Sean McNamara (currently on IR) and free agent signee Fred Ray provide veteran stability. Lucas, Demary and McNamara combined for seven sacks last season. First-year linemen Tony Wragge, Richard Seals, Luis Almanzar and Bernard Riley have also made an impact up front. However, the biggest new addition for L.A. could be defensive coordinator Mike Wilpolt, who dramatically turned around the fortunes of the Indiana Firebirds last year after being named the head coach five games into the 2004 season. With Wilpolt overseeing a defense led by Lucas, Ford, Jeffries, Hopkins, Ingram and rookie defensive specialists Antuan Simmons (two interceptions and a fumble recovery for a touchdown already this season) and Traco Rachal (2004 af2 "Defensive Player of the Year" who had an interception in his AFL debut last week at Austin and was named the "ADT Defensive Player of the Game"), the Avengers have been more difficult to score against ... and could be even tougher in that regard when third-year DS Damen Wheeler returns from his current stay on the IR (hamstring). The Avengers are rock-solid at kicker with the return of Remy Hamilton, one of the AFL's all-time greats. Not only does he rank third in league history in scoring by kickers with 922 points, he also has a variety of onside kicks and is a sure-handed tackler. Hamilton (10-of-10 on FGs this season) has scored a total of 38 points in his last two games.

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (2-1)
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 30 @ Las Vegas Loss 46-37
Feb. 4 Georgia Win 46-41
Feb. 11 @ Austin Win 64-51
Rest of Season Opponent Time (PST) Television
Feb. 20 San Jose 3 p.m. NBC
Feb. 27 @ Colorado Noon NBC
Mar. 6 @ Arizona 5 p.m.
Mar. 18 Dallas 7:30
Mar. 26 Tampa Bay 7:30 FSN West
April 3 @ Orlando 9 a.m. NBC
April 10 New York Noon FSN West
April 17 @ Nashville 10 a.m. NBC
April 23 Chicago 7:30 FSN West
April 30 Arizona 7:30
May 7 @ San Jose 7:30 FSN West
May 14 Las Vegas 7:30 FSN West
May 21 @ Grand Rapids 4:30 FSN West

SAN JOSE SABERCATS (1-2)
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 29 @ Tampa Bay Loss 63-33
Feb. 5 Las Vegas Win 66-31
Feb. 13 @ New Orleans Loss 62-61


AVENGER HEAD COACH: One of the brightest offensive masterminds in the AFL, Ed Hodgkiss is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Avengers. In his three previous seasons, he compiled a record of 28-18 and advanced to the AFL Playoffs each year. In his first two seasons at the helm, he directed the Avengers to a 19-11 record. No head coach in league history has won more games in his first two seasons than Hodgkiss. Last season, the Avengers went 9-7 and led the AFL in scoring, averaging 56.5 points per game. Under Hodgkiss' direction, three major team records were broken as QB Tony Graziani threw 99 touchdown passes and OS Chris Jackson caught 125 passes for 1,803 yards. In 2003, the Avengers won a franchise-best 11 games and earned a first-round playoffs bye. Hodgkiss, who was the runner-up for the 2003 AFL "Coach of the Year" award, 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 and Jackson tied an AFL record with 46 TD receptions, earning him the league's "Offensive Player of the Year" award. 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 and into the postseason for the first time in franchise history. In his first season as a head coach at any level, he instantly established the Avenger offense as one of the most feared in the AFL, scoring an average of 52.2 points per game. In addition, WR/LB Greg Hopkins took home the AFL's "Ironman of the Year" award that goes to the league's top two-way player. Prior to joining the Avengers, Hodgkiss was the Indiana Firebirds' offensive coordinator for three seasons (1999-2001).


THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Head coach Ed Hodgkiss on the at Austin: "We were happy to be able to go down there and leave with a win. It's a tough place to play, with the dimensions of their field. Our special teams played well and was the reason we were able to win. Remy Hamilton led the way with his field goals and kickoffs. And our guys ran down hard on the kickoffs and were able to cause some turnovers."

Avenger kicker Remy Hamilton on kicking a career-high five field goals in last week's victory at Austin and being named the "U.S. Army Ironman of the Game": "This means a lot to me. I didn't even know that kickers could win the 'Ironman' award. I want to thank my holder and snapper because I couldn't do it without them. These last two weeks have just been amazing (9-of-9 on field goals in wins over Georgia and Austin)."

Hodgkiss on the SaberCats: "San Jose is the defending world champions and have been the best team in the league for the last four or five years. They are always tough, but we are looking forward to the challenge. It's a divisional game and that's our focus this year, so it will be a crucial game and gives us a chance to stay on top of the division. We are really looking forward to Sunday."

Avenger WR/DB Kevin Ingram on playing San Jose: "It's a good rivalry and I always enjoy playing San Jose. It should be a physical, up-tempo game. We really need to get our first division win."

SERIES INFO: The SaberCats lead the series between the AFL's only California teams, 8-2. Both of L.A.'s victories have come at STAPLES Center (47-44 in 2001 and 73-72 in 2003).

A FIRST: Sunday's game marks the first time in 11 games that the Avengers (2-1) will face the SaberCats (1-2) with a better record than their Western Division rivals. In three of the previous 10 games in the series, the teams had identical records (1-1 and 11-4 in 2003; and 2-0 in 2004).

NEXT GAME: The Avengers hit the road next week to face the Colorado Crush on Sunday, Feb. 27, at the Pepsi Center. Kickoff is set for noon (Pacific) and the game will be televised on KNBC Channel 4.

YOUNG GUNS: Twelve of the 23 players who have seen action for the Avengers this year (OL/DLs Luis Almanzar, Richard Seals, Jerome Stevens, Tony Wragge and Bernard Riley, DSs Antuan Simmons, Jermaine Smith and Traco Rachal, FB/LB Michale Spicer, WR/DB Brian Sump, WR/LB Lance Young and OS Rob Turner), have experienced their first taste of the AFL this season. Two other players participated in the season opener with just one previous season of AFL experience under their belt (FB/LB Josh Jeffries and OS Jerome Riley). In their most recent game (a 64-51 victory at Austin), 11 of the 20 players that suited up had less than two seasons of AFL experience.

QUICK STRIKE OFFENSE: 148 of L.A.'s 258 offensive touchdowns over the course of the last three seasons have been scored on "drives" of three plays or less. In fact, 44 of them are one-play "drives." Last season, opposing defenses made it tougher for L.A. to score quickly, as the Avengers were able to get in the end zone in three plays or less on just 48.7 percent of their touchdown drives. However, the Avengers just missed that qualification 21 times last season, scoring a touchdown on their fourth play.

Avenger Touchdown Drives (2003-05)
Total TDDrives Quick Strikes (percent) 1 Play Scores
2003 124 81 (65.3 %) 25
2004 117 57 (48.7 %) 18
2005 17 10 (58.8 %) 3
Total 258 148 (57 %) 46

L.A. STORY: The Avengers had their most successful season in franchise history in 2003, winning 11 games. After combining for eight wins in the franchise's first two seasons, L.A. had its first winning season in 2002, under the direction of head coach Ed Hodgkiss. Building upon each season from 2000 to 2003, the Avengers are the only team in AFL history to post four consecutive years of improvement. Last year, L.A. slipped to 9-7.

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) 9-7 (playoffs 0-1)
2005 (Ed Hodgkiss) 2-1

TOP BOSSES: Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss is currently in eighth-place on the AFL's all-time winning percentage chart (regular season only, minimum 30 games, * active coaches).

All-Time AFL Top Winning Percentages
Head Coaches Record Winning %
1. Perry Moss 75-28-1 .726
2. Tim Marcum * 144-55 .724
3. Darren Arbet * 65-26 .714
4. Danny White 121-55 .688
5. Jay Gruden * 48-27 .640
6. Fran Papasedero 19-11 .633
7. Pat Sperduto * 28-17 .622
8. Ed Hodgkiss * 30-19 .612
9. Mike Dailey * 70-49 .588
10. John Gregory 67-51 .578

KEEPING IT CLOSE: Only five of the 19 losses that Ed Hodgkiss has suffered as the head coach of the Avengers have been by more than seven points. He is 30-19 at the helm of the Avengers.

RARE DIP BELOW .500: Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss had never been at the helm of a team with a losing record until Los Angeles lost the 2005 season opener at Las Vegas (46-37), leaving the Avengers at 0-1. That broke a string of 46 games in which Hodgkiss had the Avengers at .500 or better.

SECRET IS SCORING 60: Dating back to last season, the Avengers are 6-0 when they scored 60 or more points. The team did not score more than 55 points in all seven of its losses in 2004 and its first defeat in the 2005 season opener at Las Vegas. The Avengers did manage to win two games last season without reaching the 60-point mark, but relied on defense in those contests -- shutting down Arizona, 51-32, and stopping Grand Rapids, 48-33.

TURNOVER TALE: The Avengers currently rank second in the AFL in turnover margin at +3. Los Angeles leads the league with four fumble recoveries and also has four interceptions this season (two by rookie DS Anutan Simmons). The Avengers have turned over the ball five times this season, but only once in their two victories (one fumble vs. Georgia, no turnovers at Austin). In 16 games last season, the Avengers turned the ball over just 11 times (the fewest in the AFL) and played eight "turnover-free" games (however, L.A. was only 5-3 in those contests). The Avengers tied the Chicago Rush for an AFL-best turnover margin of +15 last season.

"IRONMAN" INGRAM: In his last 29 games for the Avengers, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has been selected as the "U.S. Army Ironman of the Game" nine times. L.A. won each of those games, which includes five victories last season.

ROAD WARRIOR: In his last 16 games away from STAPLES Center, WR/DB Kevin Ingram has caught 65 passes for 794 yards and 24 TDs. Despite playing alongside a constellation of AFL stars for much of his career, Ingram's contributions have not gone unnoticed, winning the "Ironman of the Game" award in six road games over the course of the previous two seasons, including three of eight in 2004.

AVENGER NEWCOMERS TO WATCH:

QB John Kaleo: The starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Storm during their 2003 ArenaBowl championship season, Kaleo was acquired by Los Angeles in a trade with the Austin Wranglers on Nov. 2, 2004. After four years with the Storm, he quarterbacked the Wranglers to an 8-8 record last season in their inaugural campaign. The Avengers are the ninth team Kaleo has played for in his 12 seasons in the AFL. He ranks among the all-time greats in league history with 26,730 passing yards (No. 5 on the AFL career chart), 437 TD passes (No. 5) and 2,214 completions (No. 5). Kaleo has also rushed for 44 scores in his AFL career. He signed a two-year free-agent contract with the Wranglers on Oct. 22, 2003, only four months after the Storm won ArenaBowl XVII. In 2004, Kaleo completed 352-of-565 for 4,020 yards and 80 touchdowns (with only 11 interceptions). He played against the Avengers last season, passing for 387 yards and seven scores, in an 81-70 loss at STAPLES Center.

DS Antuan Simmons: A hard-hitting playmaker, Simmons had a spectacular AFL debut, intercepting two passes at Las Vegas. In the Week 2 win over Georgia, he recovered a fumble in the end zone for a key touchdown. He originally signed with the Avengers on Dec. 3, 2003, but did not join the team for the 2004 season, opting instead to train with the San Francisco 49ers. He signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers following the 2002 NFL Draft, performed well in preseason games, but was released in the final cut. A year later, Simmons went through the same routine with the 49ers. He played in 10 games for the Barcelona Dragons of NFL Europe in 2003, finishing with 44 tackles, eight pass deflections, one INT and a kickoff return for a touchdown. In an outstanding and inspirational five-year career at USC, Simmons had a nose for the ball and a knack for the big play, coming up with 208 tackles and six blocked kicks. He also had nine INTs and returned three of them for scores. As a senior in 2001, Simmons was USC's captain and college football's "comeback player of the year," battling back from an abdominal tumor that hospitalized him for six weeks, stripped him of 40 pounds and nearly took his life three times.

OL/DL Luis Almanzar: A ferocious pass rusher who has participated in several NFL training camps, Almanzar was acquired by Los Angeles in a trade with the Philadelphia Soul on Feb. 18, 2004. He got his first AFL sack in the Week 2 win over the Georgia Force. Almanzar signed his first AFL contract on Nov. 21, 2001, coming to terms with the New Jersey Gladiators, for whom he never played. On Feb. 2, 2004, he was traded to the Soul by the Gladiators (who had been relocated to Las Vegas). In 2003, Almanzar played for the Frankfurt Galaxy and helped lead the team to a 35-16 World Bowl XI victory over the Rhein Fire.

OL/DL Tony Wragge: An NFL veteran with a background based on the offensive side of the ball, Wragge will be an AFL rookie this season. He spent two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. After signing with the team as a free agent following the 2002 NFL Draft, Wragge played in three games during his rookie year, starting one game at right guard. He spent most of the 2003 season on the Cardinals' practice squad. Wragge remained with Arizona until being released on Sept. 5, 2004, just prior to the start of the regular season.

PERFECT 10: The first three games of the 2005 season have been nothing short of amazing for Avenger kicker Remy Hamilton. He is a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals this season and is fresh off a performance in which he kicked a career-high five field goals to help the Avengers beat Austin, 64-51. Only three other players in Arena Football League history have kicked more field goals in a single game and Hamilton's five are the most since Jason Wells booted five for the Dallas Desperados on June 16, 2002. Hamilton scored a total of 22 points in the victory at Austin and also came up with a key fumble recovery in the third quarter. For his efforts, he was selected as the "U.S. Army Ironman of the Game," becoming the first kicker in AFL history to earn that honor. In Week 2, he kicked four field goals and scored 16 points in a 46-41 victory over Georgia and was named the "Offensive Player of the Game." With 10 field goals already this season, Hamilton is on pace to break his personal single-season record of 19 (set during his rookie season with the Grand Rapids Rampage in 1998) and his own Avenger franchise record of 16 (set in 2002). He kicked a total of 14 field goals in 2004 and didn't boot his 10th until the 12th game of the season.

MAKING HIS POINTS: Avenger kicker Remy Hamilton currently ranks at No. 3 on the AFL's all-time scoring by kickers chart. He is only the fourth player in league history to boot over 100 field goals.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Scoring By Kickers
1. Mike Black (1993-2004) 1,253
2. Steve Videtich (Columbus) 1,123
3. Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 922
4. Daron Alcorn (1997-2004) 770
5. Steve McLaughlin (1998-2004) 770

All-Time AFL Leaders –Field Goals Made
1. Mike Black (1993-2004) 178
2. Steve Videtich (Columbus) 144
3. Kenny Stucker (1994-99) 118
4. Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 114
5. Daron Alcorn (1997-2004) 100

SLOW STARTERS: The Avengers have trailed their opponents at halftime in every game this season -- 26-17 at Las Vegas; 27-24 vs. Georgia; and 24-23 at Austin.

THIRD-QUARTER KARMA: The final result of an Avenger game can often be predicted before the start of the fourth quarter. L.A. is 33-8 all-time when leading or tied after three quarters of play. Furthermore, in the "Ed Hodgkiss Era," the Avengers are 19-7 when they score two or more TDs in the third quarter. In games that the Avengers don't score at least two TDs in the third quarter, they are 11-12 since 2002.

IN THE ZONE OUT EAST: When the Avengers make three trips to the East Coast later this season, they shouldn't feel too uncomfortable. L.A. has won eight of its last 10 games in the Eastern Time Zone, including a thrilling 64-63 victory at Orlando in 2003 and 48-33 decision last year at Grand Rapids. The Avengers will make a return visit to Orlando on April 3, and then conclude the regular season with trip to Grand Rapids on May 21. L.A. will also play at Nashville on April 17.

HOPPING UP THE CHARTS: With 11 catches for 110 yards in the season opener at Las Vegas, Avenger WR/LB Greg Hopkins moved past Arizona's Hunkie Cooper into the sixth spot on the AFL's all-time receiving yards chart. He currently has gained 8,717 receiving yards in his 10-year career. Hopkins is one of only eight players in AFL history to have 8,000 or more receiving yards.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Receiving Yards
1. Barry Wagner (San Jose) 12,885
2. Eddie Brown (1994-2003) 12,730
3. Gary Compton (1992-2004) 10,247
4. George LaFrance (1988-2000) 9,004
5. Cory Fleming (Orlando) 8,778
6. Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles) 8,717
7. Hunkie Cooper (Arizona) 8,580
8. Calvin Schexnayder (San Jose) 8,311
9. Stevie Thomas (1991-2001) 7,906
10. Darryl Hammond (Nashville) 7,863

MILLENNIUM MEN: WR/LB Greg Hopkins ranks among the most productive pass catchers in the AFL since the dawning of the new millennium. Only former teammate Chris Jackson has had more receptions than Hopkins since the start of 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 – (2000-05)
Catches – Receiving Yards
2000-04 2005 Total
Chris Jackson(Rampage) 480 – 6,795(157 TDs) 17 - 166 497 – 6,961(159 TDs)
Greg Hopkins(Avengers) 466 – 5,633(116 TDs) 17 - 152 483 – 5,785(118 TDs)
Damian Harrell(Crush) 457 – 6,724(138 TDs) 21 – 263 478 – 6,987(146 TDs)
Mike Horacek(Dragons) 399 – 5,248(121 TDs) 8 - 137 407 – 5,385(125 TDs)

THE INTERCEPTION KINGS: In addition to being the AFL's 2002 "Ironman of the Year," WR/LB Greg Hopkins is nearly the league's all-time leader in interception returns for touchdowns. Hopkins returned his 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. Hopkins and McEntyre were tied on the AFL's all-time list until "The Glove" scored on an 18-yard interception return against the New Orleans VooDoo on May 9, 2004.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Interception Returns for Touchdowns
Kenny McEntyre (Orlando Predators) 10
Greg Hopkins (Los Angeles Avengers) 9
Darryl Hammond (Nashville Kats) 8
Mark Ricks (1996-2004) 7
Hunkie Cooper (Arizona Rattlers) 7



AMONG THE GAME'S GREATS: Avenger quarterback John Kaleo rates alongside the best passers in AFL history. After throwing for 197 yards and five touchdowns in the season opener, he moved into fifth-place on the league's all-time chart for passing yards. Kaleo also ranks at No. 5 in completions and touchdowns. If he can throw 63 more touchdown passes this season, Kaleo would become the fifth player in AFL history to reach the 500 mark.

All-Time AFL Leaders –Passing Yards
1. Andy Kelly (New Orleans) 33,006
2. Sherdrick Bonner (Arizona) 30,820
3. Aaron Garcia (New York) 30,980
4. Clint Dolezel (Las Vegas) 29,633
5. John Kaleo (Los Angeles) 26,730
6. Todd Hammel (Chicago) 26,258

All-Time AFL Leaders –Passing Completions
1. Andy Kelly (New Orleans) 2,958
2. Clint Dolezel (Las Vegas) 2,497
3. Sherdrick Bonner (Arizona) 2,477
4. Aaron Garcia (New York) 2,404
5. John Kaleo (Los Angeles) 2,214
6. Todd Hammel (Chicago) 2,100

All-Time AFL Leaders –Passing Touchdowns
1. Aaron Garcia (New York) 642
2. Andy Kelly (New Orleans) 640
3. Sherdrick Bonner (Arizona) 618
4. Clint Dolezel (Las Vegas) 589
5. John Kaleo (Los Angeles) 437
6. Todd Hammel (Chicago) 408


FIRST TIME IN 50: When John Kaleo took L.A.'s first offensive snap from center in the season opener at Las Vegas, it marked the first time since July 22, 2001, that somebody other than Tony Graziani was the Avenger starting quarterback. Since Wally Richardson started that game, a 62-40 loss at Oklahoma in the 2001 regular-season finale, Graziani had started 49 consecutive contests for the Avengers, including three playoff games.


ARENABOWL CHAMPIONS: Four Avenger players and a pair of coaches have experienced championship seasons in the AFL. QB John Kaleo and OL/DL Al Lucas earned ArenaBowl championship rings with the Tampa Bay Storm in 2003. As a rookie with the Orlando Predators in 2000, OL/DL Fred Ray hoisted the ArenaBowl trophy. WR/LB Greg Hopkins was with the Albany Firebirds when they won the AFL title in 1999; along with Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss, who was the Firebird offensive coordinator at the time, and L.A. defensive coordinator Mike Wilpolt, who was the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator.






LAST GAME:

LOS ANGELES POWERS PAST AUSTIN, 64-51

AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 11) -- Kicker Remy Hamilton made sure that quarterback John Kaleo had a happy homecoming in his return to Austin. Hamilton's record-breaking five field goals and superb play on special teams helped Los Angeles ride out of the Lone Star State with a 64-51 victory before 9,441 at the Frank Erwin Center.
"Once again Remy showed why he is so valuable," Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss said. "The special teams play was no doubt the difference in the game."
Hamilton was also a perfect 7-of-7 on extra point kicks. His 22-point performance came seven days after booting four field goals in a 46-41 victory over Georgia. He also recovered a key fumble after kicking off and was honored as the "U.S. Army Ironman of the Game" for the first time in his eight-year AFL career.
Hamilton's night featured field goals from 17, 26, 28, 39 and 50 yards out. He is a perfect 10-for-10 on field goal attempts this season.
It was also a big night for Kaleo as he got a chance to play against the team that traded him to Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2004. He caught fire after halftime and finished 17-of-27 for 235 yards and five touchdowns on his way to "Offensive Player of the Game" honors.
Wrangler quarterback John Fitzgerald was 26-of-40 for 366 yards with five touchdowns, but he also threw a costly interception. On the first series of the game, he tried to flip the ball into the end zone after being flushed from the pocket. The ball was tipped and then picked off by rookie defense specialist Traco Rachal, who also made a game-high eight tackles and earned "ADT Defensive Player of the Game" honors in his first AFL game.
The Avenger offense wasted no time in capitalizing on the turnover, as Kaleo threw a strike to wide open WR/LB Jerome Riley for a 48-yard touchdown on L.A.'s first play of the game.
Hamilton's third field goal of the night, a 39-yarder, cut the Wrangler lead to one, 24-23, at the halftime buzzer. It would be the last time that Austin would have the lead because the second half was all Los Angeles.
The Avengers were able to score a touchdown on the first drive of the second half when Kaleo found WR/DB Kevin Ingram from five yards out.
Then, Los Angeles was able to get gain possession on back-to-back kickoffs. On the first one, FB/LB Josh Jeffries forced a fumble and Hamilton jumped on the ball for the recovery, which led to his fourth three-pointer and a 33-24 advantage. On the next kickoff, Hamilton booted the ball high off the left rebound net. The ball tumbled to the turf untouched, bounced high into the air and back down to OL/DL Bernard Riley, who snatched it out of the air with one hand and carried it into the end zone, giving the Avengers a 40-24 lead with 7:18 left in the third quarter.
Hamilton got his record-breaking fifth field goal late in the fourth quarter from 17 yards out.


LOS ANGELES (2-1) 7 16 24 17 -- 64
AUSTIN (0-3) 3 21 6 21 -- 51

RECENT ROSTER MOVES:
Date Action Player
2/10 Activated from injured reserve OL/DL Fred RayWR/LB-OS Rob Turner
2/10 Signed from practice squad DS Traco Rachal
2/10 Placed on injured reserve DS Jermaine Smith
2/10 Waived OL/DL Jerome StevensWR/LB Lance Young
2/3 Signed from practice squad OL/DL Bernard Riley
2/3 Placed on injured reserve OL/DL Sean McNamara
1/22 Placed on injured reserve OS Khori IvyOL/DL Fred RayOL/DL John SchlechtWR/LB Rob TurnerQB Ryan Van DykeDS Damen Wheeler
1/22 Released OS Ben Bronson
1/22 Waived WR/DB Aleric ClarkOL/DL Asi FaoaWR/LB Lal KnightWR/DB Chris MartinFB/LB Wes OursDS Traco RachalOL/DL Bernard Riley
1/22 Waived injured OL/DL Ken KocherFB/LB Jeff MacreaOL/DL Johnathan Taylor
1/22 Re-signed OL/DL Al Lucas
1/22 Retired OL/DL Chris Butterfield
1/15 Signed WR/DB Lance Young
1/15 Placed on other team exempt QB Gibran Hamdan(Seattle Seahawks)

L.A. IN O.T.: The Avengers have an all-time record of 3-4 in overtime games. Strangely enough, Los Angeles is a perfect 3-0 when playing the extra period on the road and a winless 0-4 within the usually friendly confines of STAPLES Center. In three of the seven overtime games, the Avenger opponent has been the Arizona Rattlers (L.A. is 1-2 in those contests). In all three overtime victories, Los Angeles won by six points and held the opponent scoreless (twice getting the ball on downs and once benefiting from a missed field goal). The Avengers have played in at least one overtime game in each of their previous five seasons of play in the AFL (once in 2000, 2002 and 2004, and twice in 2001 and 2003).

Avengers in OvertimeCategory Record
All-time 3-4
At home 0-4
On the road 3-0
When getting the ball first 1-2
When getting the ball second 2-2
When scoring a touchdown 3-2
When scoring first 3-1
When scoring second 0-1
When a field goal is attempted 0-2
When missing a PAT kick 1-1
When getting a two-point conversion 0-0
When allowing a two-point conversion 0-1


THE AVENGERS ARE ...
· 1-0 at STAPLES Center
· 1-1 on the road
· 1-0 when they score more than 50 points
· 1-0 when they score 60 or more points
· 2-1 when they allow less than 60 points
· 1-1 when they allow less than 50 points
· 0-0 when they allow less than 40 points
· 0-1 when they record at least one sack
· 1-0 when they score first
· 2-0 when they commit fewer turnovers
· 0-0 when they commit more turnovers
· 0-0 when a player scores three or more touchdowns
· 1-0 when they score two or more TDs on the ground
· 1-1 when John Kaleo throws for at least 5 TDs
· 2-0 when John Kaleo passes for 200+ yards
· 2-0 when John Kaleo doesn't throw an INT
· 2-0 when Kevin Ingram scores two or more TDs
· 1-0 when Kevin Ingram catches 6 or more passes
· 0-1 when Greg Hopkins scores two or more TDs
· 1-1 when Greg Hopkins catches six or more passes
· 1-0 when Josh Jeffries scores at least one TD
· 2-0 when Remy Hamilton scores at least 12 points
· 0-1 when Antuan Simmons makes at least one INT
· 1-1 when they commit fewer penalties
· 0-0 when they go scoreless for at least one quarter
· 0-1 when they pitch a shutout in a quarter
· 1-0 when the game is decided by 7 or fewer points
· 0-0 when leading at halftime
· 2-1 when trailing at halftime


DISRUPTION AT DS: In 16 games last season, the Avengers lined up with eight different pairs of starting defensive specialists. Eight players started at one of the DS positions in 2004 and only Damen Wheeler, who earned AFL "All-Rookie" honors in 2003, and Kevin Ingram, who is normally a WR/DB, remains with the club on the 2005 roster. Last season, Wheeler spent time of the injured reserve list twice.

NIFTY NICKNAMES: Several Avengers played college football at schools with interesting nicknames ... Kevin Ingram, West Chester (Pa.) University Golden Rams; Brian Mann, Dartmouth College Big Green; Sean McNamara, Pittsburg (Kan.) State University Gorillas and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Golden Norsemen; Michale Spicer, Western Carolina University Catamounts; Brian Sump, Colorado School of Mines Orediggers and Rob Turner, Central Michigan University Chippewas.

TROJAN SACKS: There must be something about being a "Trojan" and getting after the quarterback. Over the course of the past two Avenger seasons (17 games), three collegiate "Trojans" have combined for 8.5 sacks. Lineman Silas Demary, who played for the Virginia State University Trojans, leads the way with four sacks for a loss of 27 yards. Fellow lineman Al Lucas, who was a standout for the Troy State University Trojans, has three sacks for losses of 20 yards. And FB/LB Lonnie Ford, who was a defensive end and tight end for the hometown USC Trojans, has 1.5 sacks for a loss of 10 yards. Demary, Lucas and Ford were the only three players on the 2004 Avenger team with more than one quarterback sack, besides FB/LB Josh Jeffries (two sacks for losses of 16 yards ... he incidentally is a Mountaineer from Appalachian State University).

PREVIOUS MEETING WITH SABERCATS:

SABERCATS NIP
AVENGERS, 55-52

SAN JOSE (March 26, 2004) – 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



LOS ANGELES AVENGERS
2004 RESULTS (9-7, 0-1)
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 OT
Mar. 14 @ Grand Rapids Win 48-33
Mar. 21 @ Dallas Win 60-44
Mar. 26 @ San Jose Loss 55-52
April 3 Austin Win 81-70
April 10 Colorado Loss 57-55
April 16 Detroit Win 62-55
April 25 @ Chicago Win 71-35
May 1 Arizona Loss 42-38
May 9 @ Tampa Bay Loss 63-55
May 16 @ New York Win 58-53
May 22 Las Vegas Win 54-51
May 30 Orlando Loss 52-50
June 6 @ Arizona (Playoffs) Loss 59-42


TIGHT LOSSES: L.A.'s seven regular-season losses last year were by a combined total of 26 points.


"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 @ Las Vegas WR/DB Dameon Porter (L.V.)5 catches, 37 yards, 1 interception
2 Georgia WR/DB Brian Sump (L.A.)1 INT, 7 tackles, 4 receptions
3 @ Austin K Remy Hamilton (L.A.)5 field goals, fumble recovery

"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 @ Las Vegas DS Antuan Simmons (L.A.)2 interceptions, 4 solo tackles
2 Georgia DS Antuan Simmons (L.A.)Fumble recovery for TD, 6 tackles
3 @ Austin DS Traco Rachal (L.A.)8 tackles, 1 interception

"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 @ Las Vegas OS Marcus Nash (L.V.)7 catches, 116 yards, 1 touchdown
2 Georgia K Remy Hamilton (L.A.)4 field goals, 16 points, 1 tackle
3 @ Austin QB John Kaleo (L.A.)17-of-27, 240 yards, 5 TD passes


ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS:

AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Western Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Las Vegas 2 1 0 .667 118 140
AVENGERS 2 1 0 .667 147 138
Arizona 1 2 0 .333 145 150
San Jose 1 2 0 .333 160 156

Central Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Chicago 2 1 0 .667 167 155
Colorado 1 2 0 .333 156 146
Nashville 1 2 0 .333 129 156
Grand Rapids 0 2 0 .000 94 130

NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Eastern Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Dallas 2 1 0 .667 146 151
Philadelphia 2 1 0 .667 166 134
New York 1 1 0 .500 92 86
Columbus 0 2 0 .000 69 82

Southern Division
W L T Pct. Pts. OP
Orlando 3 0 0 1.000 151 122
Georgia 2 1 0 .667 148 137
New Orleans 2 1 0 .667 165 141
Tampa Bay 2 1 0 .667 171 139
Austin 0 3 0 .000 131 192


NEXT THREE WEEKS (all times Pacific):

WEEK 4
Thursday, February 17
Orlando at Dallas - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 19
Chicago at Columbus - 4 p.m.
Nashville at New York - 4 p.m.
Austin at Grand Rapids - 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 20
Philadelphia at New Orleans - 9 a.m.
San Jose at Los Angeles - 3 p.m.
Georgia at Las Vegas - 3 p.m.
Colorado at Arizona - TBA
Bye: Tampa Bay

WEEK 5
Friday, February 25
Tampa Bay at New Orleans - 5 p.m.
Georgia at Austin - 5:30 p.m.
Orlando at Chicago - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 26
Las Vegas at Nashville - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 27
Los Angeles at Colorado - 12 p.m.
Columbus at Grand Rapids - 12 p.m.
Arizona at New York - 12 p.m.
Dallas at Philadelphia - 12 p.m.
Bye: San Jose

WEEK 6
Friday, March 4
Austin at Las Vegas - 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 5
New Orleans at Dallas - 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 6
Columbus at Georgia - 9 a.m.
San Jose at Orlando - 9 a.m.
New York at Philadelphia - 9 a.m.
Grand Rapids at Tampa Bay - 10 a.m.
Nashville at Chicago - 12 p.m.
Los Angeles at Arizona – 5 p.m.
Bye: Colorado

• Discuss this story on the Arena Football League (1987-2008) message board...

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 15, 2005


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Los Angeles Avengers Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central