Sports stats



Los Angeles Avengers game notes

March 7, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers News Release


QUICK FACTS:

Game: Los Angeles Avengers at Orlando Predators

Date: Monday, March 12, 2007

Kickoff: 4 p.m. (Pacific)

Site: Hummer Field at Amway Arena (16,613)

Television: ESPN2 live (Ron Jaworski, Merril Hoge)

Radio: AM 570 KLAC delayed until 7 p.m. (Isaac Lowenkron, Troy West)

Spanish Radio: KWKU 1220 AM live (Edu Villamar, Mario Amaya)

Internet Radio: www.xtrasportsradio.com

Line: TBA

Series Record: Orlando leads 3-1

Last Meeting: Orlando 59, Los Angeles 34 - March 5, 2006, TD Waterhouse Centre

Officials: Bill Athan (R), Matt Jordan (U), Tim Podraza (HL), Tom Symonette (LJ), Greg Wilson (BJ)

Head Coaches:

Los Angeles -- Ed Hodgkiss (sixth season, 43-36)

Orlando -- Jay Gruden (eighth season, 66-39)

THE AVENGERS:

After opening the 2007 AFL season at home and absorbing a 66-58 setback at the hands of the San Jose SaberCats, the Avengers will play their next three games on the road. Their travels begin with a trip to Orlando to face the Predators on Monday, March 12, in the inaugural ESPN2 telecast of "Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Monday." The remainder of the road swing includes trips to New Orleans (March 24) and Chicago (April 1). When the Avengers finally return to STAPLES Center to face the Arizona Rattlers on April 6, they will have been away from their home field for 32 days and traveled more than 12,800 miles. After missing the playoffs for the first time in five years, Avenger head coach Ed Hodgkiss is gunning to put last season's 5-11 showing behind him and re-establish the franchise as one of the league's elite. Unlike last season, when the Avengers began the season with some uncertainty at quarterback, Sonny Cumbie has solidified himself as the team's leader on offense. He was an impressive 25-of-41 for 315 yards and seven touchdowns in the season opener on March 4. After entering the 2006 campaign as the third-stringer, Cumbie started the final 12 games of the season and passed for 3,241 yards and 59 touchdowns (with only 10 interceptions), on his way to earning AFL All-Rookie honors. Cumbie's main targets are split end Kevin Ingram, slot receiver Lenzie Jackson and flanker Rob Turner. Last season, that trio combined for 160 receptions for 1,864 yards and 41 touchdowns. Jackson caught 13 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener. Another offensive weapon is veteran fullback Lonnie Ford, who was the AFL's No. 3 rusher last season. He gained 168 yards on the ground in 2006 and his per carry average of 3.8 yards led the league. Defensively, the Avengers added a lot of new faces during the offseason. Half of the eight starters on that side of the football were rookies in the season opener. Defensive end Silas Demary, who set the AFL's all-time single-season sack record (13.5) in 2005, returns to lead a formidable front that includes second-year men Jason Stewart and Reggie Rhodes. In the defensive back field, safety Damen Wheeler is back to provide veteran leadership to a young but talented group. Los Angeles is rock-solid in the kicking department with the return of Remy Hamilton, who has won the past two AFL "Kicker of the Year" awards. Last season, he hit 27 of his 34 field goal attempts (.750) to break the single-season league record for accuracy that he set in 2005.

STORYLINES:

4 Avenger-Predator series has featured fantastic finishes

... see "Thrilling Series" note on Page 2

4 Five Avenger rookies made their AFL debuts last week

... see "Eight are Rookies" note on Page 2

4 Quarterback Sonny Cumbie gets off to great start

... see Cumbie notes on Page 3

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS

2007 SCHEDULE (0-0)

Date Opponent Result Score

March 4 San Jose Loss 66-58

Rest of season Opponent Time (PT) Television

March 12 @ Orlando 4 p.m. ESPN2

March 24 @ New Orleans 5 p.m.

April 1 @ Chicago 10:30 a.m. ESPN2

April 6 Arizona 7:30 p.m.

April 13 @ Utah 6 p.m.

April 21 @ San Jose 7:30 p.m. Prime (d)

April 28 Grand Rapids 7:30 p.m. FSN West

May 6 @ Las Vegas 3 p.m. Prime

May 12 Tampa Bay 7:30 p.m. Prime (d)

May 19 Georgia 7:30 p.m. FSN West

May 26 @ Kansas City 3 p.m.

June 2 Chicago 7:30 p.m.

June 11 @ Arizona 7 p.m. ESPN2

June 17 Las Vegas 3:30 p.m. FSN West

June 23 Utah 7:30 p.m. FSN West

AVENGER HEAD COACH: One of the brightest offensive masterminds in the AFL, Ed Hodgkiss is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Avengers. He has compiled a record of 43-36, advanced to the AFL Playoffs four times and finished as the runner-up in the AFL "Coach of the Year" balloting twice (2003 and 2005). Last season, the Avengers slipped to 5-11, but developed quarterback Sonny Cumbie, who earned AFL All-Rookie honors. Under Hodgkiss' direction, the Avengers captured their first Western Division championship in 2005 and compiled a 10-6 record. In 2004, the Avengers went 9-7 and led the AFL in scoring, averaging 56.5 points per game. In 2003, the Avengers won a franchise-best 11 games and earned a first-round playoff bye. In his first two seasons in Los Angeles, Hodgkiss directed the Avengers to a 19-11 record. He is one of only five head coaches in AFL history who has won 21 or more of his first 32 games (the other four are Darren Arbet, John Gregory, Lary Kuharich and Tim Marcum). 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. Prior to joining the Avengers, Hodgkiss was the Indiana Firebirds' offensive coordinator for three seasons (1999-2001) and was part of an ArenaBowl championship in 1999.

THRILLING SERIES: Aside from last year's lopsided Orlando 59-34 victory, the Avenger-Predator series has been incredibly exciting. The first three matchups were decided on the final play of the game. The Avengers won the first meeting, 64-63, on March 30, 2003, in Orlando. In that game, the Avengers overcame a 12-point deficit in the final 35 seconds, culminating on a miraculous "Hail Mary" reception off the net by Greg Hopkins as time expired (that play is generally regarded as the most memorable in Avenger history and has been recognized as one of the Top 20 plays in AFL history). The Predators got some revenge, beating Los Angeles, 52-50, at STAPLES Center in the 2004 regular-season finale. Orlando kicker Jason Wells booted a 30-yard field goal as time expired to provide the winning margin in that one. In 2005, the visiting Avengers staged a 19-point second half comeback to send the game into overtime, but fell short in the extra period. Lonnie Ford scored his team record third rushing touchdown of the game to put L.A. up in overtime, but Remy Hamilton pushed his extra point attempt wide left after an errant snap. The Predators answered with a touchdown of their own and a successful PAT ended the contest. Last season, Orlando scored 21 unanswered points in the first half on its way to building a 38-14 halftime lead over the visiting Avengers.

All-Time Orlando vs. Los Angeles Series

Score Date Site

Avengers 64, Predators 63 3-30-03 Orlando

Predators 52, Avengers 50 5-30-04 STAPLES

Predators 55, Avengers 54 (overtime) 4-3-05 Orlando

Predators 59, Avengers 34 3-5-06 Orlando

EIGHT ARE ROOKIES: Eight of the 22 players on L.A.'s active roster are rookies. They are DB James Bethea, LB Michael Craven, OL Branden Hall, QB Tim Hicks, OL Matt McGhghy, DB Arnold Parker, LB Brandon Perkins and WR/DB LaShaun Ward. Five of those players -- Bethea, Hall, Parker, Perkins and Ward -- started in the season opening loss to San Jose (Craven and McGhghy did not dress, and Hicks did not get into the game). Last season, 11 of the 32 players, who suited up for the Avengers experienced their first taste of AFL action in 2006 (including four players that are still with the club -- QB Sonny Cumbie, WR/LB Robert Quiroga, DL Reggie Rhodes and DL Jason Stewart).

IRONMAN INGRAM: Avenger WR/DB Kevin Ingram, the 2005 AFL "Ironman of the Year" and a two-time First Team All-Arena selection (2004 and 2005), had perhaps the best campaign of his career in 2006, but only garnered Second Team All-Arena honors for his efforts. Last season, he finished with 111 catches, 1,354 receiving yards, 34 total touchdowns, five interceptions and averaged 111.7 all-purpose yards per game. During his "Ironman of the Year" season in 2005, Ingram led Los Angeles with 88 receptions, accounted for 1,052 receiving yards and scored 24 touchdowns. Defensively, he had a team-high six interceptions (and also made 68 tackles) two seasons ago. In addition, he led the team in kickoff returns and averaged 104.1 all-purpose yards per game in 2005.

Kevin Ingram -Year-by-Year Ironman Comparison

2007 Seven catches, 67 yards, two touchdownsOne kickoff return for 41 yards, one tackleHad 107.0 all-purpose yards in opener

2006 111 catches, 1,354 receiving yards, 34 TDsFive INTs, averaging 111.7 all-purpose yards - Second Team All-Arena selection

2005 88 catches, 1,052 receiving yards, 24 TDsSix INTs, averaged 104.1 all-purpose yards- AFL "Ironman of the Year"- First Team All-Arena selection

2004 67 catches, 848 receiving yards, 23 TDsFour INTs, averaged 116.9 all-purpose yards- First Team All-Arena selection

ALL-TIME LEADING RUSHER: Avenger FB/LB Lonnie Ford finished the 2006 season ranked at No. 3 in the AFL in rushing. He gained 168 yards and scored 10 touchdowns on only 44 carries last season. His per carry average of 3.8 yards was also the best in the league among players with more than 27 carries. Ford, L.A.'s all-time leading rusher with 515 yards in his five seasons, is also the only Avenger to ever record two 100-yard seasons.

Avenger Record Book -Rushing Yards in a Season

1. Chad Dukes (2002) 223

2. Lonnie Ford (2005) 193

3. Lonnie Ford (2006) 168

4. Mathias Vavao (2003) 126

5. Ed Smith (2001) 113

THE TEXAS GUNSLINGER: Avenger quarterback Sonny Cumbie, opened the 2007 season with an impressive performance versus San Jose, completing 25-of-41 for 315 yards and seven touchdowns. He is one of only eight starting quarterbacks in the AFL that has yet to throw an interception. Cumbie, who was a finalist for the AFL's 2006 "Rookie of the Year" award, started the last 12 games of the 2006 season and was 268-of-450 (59.6 percent) for 3,241 yards and 59 touchdowns, with only 10 INTs. His passer rating of 105.2 ranked him at No. 9 in the AFL (minimum 400 attempts), putting him ahead of veterans such as Philadelphia's Tony Graziani (98.4), Utah's Andy Kelly (97.6) and Columbus' John Kaleo (96.6), and all rookies. Furthermore, Cumbie's interception percentage of 2.2 was fifth best among the league's starters. On March 12, 2006, he was 23-of-34 for 348 yards and six TDs in L.A.'s 75-61 victory at San Jose. Those 348 passing yards rank fifth on the all-time Avenger chart. Cumbie threw 17 TD passes in his first three starts, the most by any QB in Avenger history, beating the previous mark set by Graziani, who was in his second AFL season when he tossed 16 in his first three starts for Los Angeles. In his AFL starting debut on Feb. 25, 2006, Cumbie completed 29 passes (second most in Avenger history), seven of which went for scores (first among all QBs making their first Avenger start).

Avenger Record Book -Passing Yards in a Single Game

1. Todd Marinovich (at Houston, 2000) * 469

2. Tony Graziani (vs. Detroit, 2004) 359

3. Tony Graziani (at New York, 2003) 355

4. Tony Graziani (at Georgia, 2002) 352

5. Sonny Cumbie (at San Jose, 2006) * 348

6. Tony Graziani (vs. San Jose, 2003) 345

7. Sonny Cumbie (at Utah, 2006) * 337

8. Tony Graziani (vs. Austin, 2004) 332

9. S. Semptimphelter (vs. Carolina, 2000) 331

* AFL rookie season

NOT YOUR AVERAGE QB: Although just a rookie at the time, Avenger QB Sonny Cumbie finished the 2006 season with numbers very similar to those posted by former Avenger QB Tony Graziani in terms of average passing yards per game as a starter.

Avenger Record Book -Average Passing Yards as a Starter

1. Sonny Cumbie, 2007 (1 start, 315 yds.) 315.0

2. Tony Graziani, 2003 (16 starts, 4,290 yds.) 268.1

3. Sonny Cumbie, 2006 (12 starts, 3,206 yds.) 267.2

4. Tony Graziani, 2004 (16 starts, 4,254 yds.) 265.9

INTERCEPTION-FREE STREAK: Avenger QB Sonny Cumbie broke Tony Graziani's team record for attempts without an interception last season, passing 212 times between picks. During that hot streak, Cumbie tossed 28 TD passes. He was not intercepted in six of the 12 games he started in 2006. Graziani set the previous Avenger record at 210 in 2004.

Avenger Record Book -Pass Attempts without an Interception

1. Sonny Cumbie, 2006 (span of 6 games) 212

2. Tony Graziani, 2004 (span of 7 games) 210

3. Tony Graziani, 2003 (span of 7 games) 185

FIRST ON THIRD: Avenger quarterback Sonny Cumbie currently leads the AFL in third-down passing, having completed 4-of-5 for 66 yards and two touchdowns in those key situations in last week's season opener versus San Jose.

ACTION JACKSON: Avenger slot receiver Lenzie Jackson opened the 2007 season in impressive fashion, catching 13 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns versus San Jose. His 13 catches is one shy of the team record set by Chris Jackson in 2004. Lenzie Jackson's 196 receiving yards against the SaberCats ranks him at No. 4 on the Avengers' all-time chart. He currently leads the AFL in receiving yardage (196) and yards from scrimmage (196), and is tied for third in receptions (13).

Avenger Record Book -Receptions in a Single Game

1. Chris Jackson (vs. Orlando, 2004) 14

2. Lenzie Jackson (vs. San Jose, 2007) 13

2. Chris Jackson (vs. Colorado, 2004) 13

2. Greg Hopkins (at Grand Rapids, 2002) 13

2. Chris Jackson (at Georgia, 2002) 13

6. Chris Jackson (vs. New York, 2002) 12

6. Chris Jackson (at Arizona, 2001) 12

Avenger Record Book -Receiving Yards in a Single Game

1. Chris Jackson (at Arizona, 2002) 242

2. Chris Jackson (vs. Austin, 2004) 210

3. Shannon Culver (at Houston, 2000) 209

4. Lenzie Jackson (vs. San Jose, 2007) 196

5. Chris Jackson (at Georgia, 2002) 194

6. Chris Jackson (vs. Detroit, 2004) 192

7. Tony Locke (at San Jose, 2005) 174

TURNOVER MARGIN: The Avengers have yet to commit a turnover and are currently tied for third in the AFL in turnover margin at +2. This season, the Avengers have come up with two takeaways (two interceptions). While going 5-11 last season, the Avengers finished the 2006 campaign -1 in turnover margin (tied for 10th in the AFL). That's a far cry from where Los Angeles was in the previous two seasons. The Avengers led the AFL in turnover margin in 2005 with an amazing +17 (two teams finished way back in second at +8). In 2005, Los Angeles had a league-leading 37 takeaways, turned over the football only 20 times (fewest in the AFL), finished 10-6 and won the Western Division title. In 2004, the Avengers turned the ball over just 11 times (fewest in the AFL) and tied the Chicago Rush for an AFL-best turnover margin of +15.

LOOKING AHEAD: Following Monday's game in Orlando, the Avengers will enjoy a bye week before playing two more games on the road -- at New Orleans (March 24) and Chicago (April 1). The Avengers will not return home to STAPLES Center until they host the Arizona Rattlers on Friday, April 6.

MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Avenger kicker Remy Hamilton is now tied for second on the AFL's all-time kicking points chart. With 10 points (seven extra points and one field goal) against San Jose in the season opener, he tied Mike Black with 1,246 points. Hamilton already owns the AFL's single-season record for kicking points with 185 in 2005 (he also posted the second-best mark with 173 kicking points in 2006).

All-Time AFL Leaders -Kicking Points

1. Steve Videtich (Utah) 1,394

2. Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 1,246

2. Mike Black (1993-2004) 1,246

KICKING UP A STORM: Avenger kicker Remy Hamilton had yet another standout season in 2006. Displaying stunning accuracy and consistency, he was 27-of-36 (.750) on his field goal attempts last year. Hamilton was a near-perfect 25-of-26 on three-pointers inside of 38 yards. He was a perfect 4-for-4 in the 2006 season opening victory over Arizona and duplicated the feat in the 60-57 win over Colorado. Hamilton also connected on 92 of his 98 extra point attempts this season (.939). He led all AFL kickers in scoring with 173 points. In 2005, Hamilton led the AFL in field goals (29), field-goal percentage (.744) and kicking points (185). He opened the 2005 campaign by hitting his first 11 three-pointers and dating back to the end of the 2004 season, he converted on 12 consecutive field goal attempts, which is an all-time AFL record. Hamilton kicked a career-high five field goals to help the Avengers beat Austin, 64-51, on Feb. 11, 2005. He scored a total of 22 points versus the Wranglers, came up with a key fumble recovery and was selected as the "Ironman of the Game," becoming the first kicker in AFL history to earn that honor.

ANOTHER RECORD SETTING SEASON?: Last season, Remy Hamilton broke his own AFL record for field goal percentage and was selected as the AFL's "Kicker of the Year" for the second consecutive year. Hamilton, who is the first kicker in league history to win the award in back-to-back seasons, also has been honored as an All-Arena First Team selection in both 2005 and 2006. He was 27-of-36 on field goals in 2006, which translates to a record-breaking 75 percent success rate. In 2005, Hamilton cashed in on 74.4 percent (29-of-39) of his field goal attempts, breaking the previous record of 72 percent (18-of-25) set by Jay Taylor of the Orlando Predators in 2004. He is one of only three players in league history to boot over 125 field goals.

All-Time AFL Leaders -Field Goals Made in a Career

1. Mike Black (1993-2004) 177

2. Steve Videtich (Utah) 168

3. Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles) 161

All-Time AFL Leaders -Field Goals Percentage in a Single Season

1. Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles, 2006) .750

2. Remy Hamilton (Los Angeles, 2005) .744

3. Jay Taylor (Orlando, 2004) .720

4. Steve McLaughlin (Nashville, 2001) .639

HOW MUCH STATS ARE BACK: Thirteen of the 28 players currently with the Avengers (22 on the active roster and six on injured reserve) were with the team last season. The table below illustrates to what level those returning players contributed to last season's statistics.

How Much is Coming Back?

Stat Category 2006 Total 2007 Players %Back

Passing yards 4,191 3,241 77.3%

Passing TDs 75 59 78.7%

Interceptions thrown 16 10 62.5%

Receptions 358 169 47.2%

Receiving yards 4,337 1,950 45.0%

Receiving TDs 75 41 54.7%

Rushes 101 72 71.3%

Rushing yards 321 240 74.8%

Rushing TDs 18 15 83.3%

Kickoff returns 94 27 28.7%

Kickoff return yards 1,540 352 22.9%

Missed FG returns 8 3 37.5%

Missed FG ret. yards 134 33 24.6%

Touchdowns scored 104 61 58.7%

Field goals 27 27 100%

Extra point kicks 92 92 100%

Points scored 809 543 67.1%

All-purpose yards 6,539 2,623 40.1%

Total-offense yards 4,512 3,481 77.1%

Total tackles 462 224 48.5%

Tackles for losses 29 20.5 70.7%

Quarterback sacks 11 8 72.8%

Interceptions 14 9 64.3%

Pass breakups 58 34 58.6%

Fumbles forced 15 12 80.0%

Fumbles recovered 12 6 50.0%

Kicks blocked 3 3 100%

SECRET IS SCORING 60: Dating back to 2004, the Avengers are 12-4 when they score 60 or more points. The team did not score more than 55 points in 21 of its 25 losses since the start of the 2004 season.

... WHEN THEY DO GET AHEAD: The Avengers have held the lead at halftime in only 12 of their last 33 games and went on to win 10 of those games.

... AND AFTER THREE QUARTERS: The Avengers are 44-13 all-time when leading or tied after three quarters.

NIFTY NICKNAMES: Several Avengers played college football at schools with interesting nicknames ... Kevin Ingram, West Chester (Pa.) University Golden Rams; Sean McNamara, Pittsburg (Kan.) State University Gorillas and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Golden Norsemen and Rob Turner, Central Michigan University Chippewas.

BACK IN THE DAY: With the AFL's move to "free substitution" this past offseason, the days of stunning two-way "Ironman" performances could become quite rare. A good example of that kind of impact occurred last season. In the final six seconds of the first half of game at Utah on April 15, 2006, Avenger WR/DB Kevin Ingram displayed what it really means to be an "Ironman." With the Blaze already leading, 35-27, and driving deep into Avenger territory once again, Ingram intercepted an Andy Kelly pass with six seconds remaining until halftime. On L.A.'s ensuing possession, Ingram caught a seven-yard pass from Sonny Cumbie and quickly got out of bounds, giving the Avengers a second-and-three play from their own 11-yard line with 1.7 seconds left. Then, Cumbie threw a "Hail Mary" pass off the rebound net system and into Ingram's arms for a touchdown as time expired in the first half. His work not yet done, Ingram then successfully fielded a bad snap and expertly got the football set for Remy Hamilton's extra point kick, which brought the Avengers to within a point at the break ... when just moments before, it seemed as if they were about to go down by two touchdowns.

AFL WEEK 2 SCHEDULE (all times Pacific):

Thursday, March 8

Las Vegas at Grand Rapids, 4 p.m. (AFL Net)

Friday, March 9

Columbus at New Orleans, 5 p.m. (SIRIUS Chan. 119)

Philadelphia at Nashville, 5 p.m. (AFL Net)

San Jose at Chicago, 5 p.m. (FSN Bay Area)

Saturday, March 10

Tampa Bay at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. (SIRIUS Chan. 119)

Kansas City at Colorado, 6 p.m. (AFL Net)

Utah at Arizona, 6 p.m. (FSN Arizona, FSN Rocky Mountain)

Sunday, March 11

Austin at Georgia, 12:30 p.m. (FSN Southwest, FSN Sports South)

Monday, March 12

Los Angeles at Orlando, 4 p.m. (ESPN2)

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

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 7, 2007


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