Pred upend Avengers in OT
April 3, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Orlando Predators News Release
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Three times the Orlando Predators have faced the Los Angeles Avengers and three times the game has gone down to the final play. This time, the Predators prevailed as Joe Hamilton threw for a career-high 362 yards and seven touchdowns to give the Orlando Predators a thrilling 55-54 overtime win over the Los Angeles Avengers. The win lifted the Predators to 7-3 on the season, Los Angeles fell to 5-4.
Los Angeles rallied from a 22-point second half deficit -- using two Greg Hopkins interceptions and a defensive stand -- to take a 42-40 lead with 28 seconds remaining. Joe Hamilton would then lead the Predators on a long touchdown march, hitting Cory Fleming on a 7-yard pass with seven seconds remaining to tie the score at 42-42. But Brian Gowins missed the extra point after a high snap to force the game into overtime.
The Predators won the toss and elected to defer. Avenger quarterback John Kaleo hit Tony Locke on a 28-yard pass to set up a 1-yard touchdown run. But Remy Hamilton, the most accurate kicker in the Arena Football League, missed his own extra point and LA had a six point lead at 54-48,
Jerrian James returned the ensuing kickoff 22 yards to the Orlando 19. After a false start penalty, Joe Hamilton side-stepped a fierce LA pass rush and found James streaking down the right side for a 36-yard touchdown reception. This time, Gowins tucked the extra point inside the left upright to send 13,075 fans at Hummer Field home happy.
"To some extent, we let them back in the game," Orlando Predators head coach Jay Gruden said referring to his team's 42-26 lead late in the third quarter. "But great teams find a way to fight back and LA never quit. The key play to the comeback was Hopkins second interception. We had Jimmy Fryzel wide open for a touchdown and Hopkins just made a super play on the ball."
But Gruden also said his team deserved the win. "These guys never quit and even after Brian missed the extra point with a few seconds left, our guys just said it was okay -- we'll win it in overtime,"
Fleming threw 29 passes in the game. Counting the two interceptions, only three of his passes hit the ground as he completed a season-high 24 passes. Fleming had 159 yards on 11 receptions and four touchdowns. Fryzel posted his fourth 100-yard game in six career games -- catching nine passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. For the first time ever, the Predators had two players go over the 150-yard mark in receptions and also had three players with more than 100 all-purpose yards.
The overtime effort spoiled several outstanding efforts in the Los Angeles. In addition to Hopkins two interceptions, Tony Locke torched the Preds defense for 115 yards on just six receptions. Ford ran for three touchdowns and Kaleo passed for 277 yards.
For the second week in a row, the Predators gave up a touchdown on the first play of the game as John Kaleo hit Tony Locke on a 37-yard scoring pass. Remy Hamilton converted the extra point and Los Angeles led 7-0 at the 13:44 mark. Orlando answered back with a game-tying drive of its own. Marlon Moye-Moore covered the final four yards of the drive with his third touchdown run of the season and Brian Gowins extra point tied it at 7-7 at the 9:18 mark.
On LA's next possession, Kaleo completed a 36-yard pass to Kevin Ingram but the drive stalled and Remy Hamiltons 28-yard field goal made it 10-7 at the 5:50 mark of the first. Orlando took its first lead of the game on its next possession. Cory Fleming's 7-yard touchdown reception from Joe Hamilton capped the 38-yard drive. The key play of the drive came on a 4th and one, when Fryzel drew a pass interference penalty.
Remy Hamilton's 43-yard field goal cut the Orlando lead to 14-13 at the 13:11 mark. Orlando answered on its next possession as Fleming caught his second touchdown pass on an 20-yard grab as the Predators were able to convert their second, fourth down possession of the game. The Predators defense again tightened, forcing Remy Hamilton's third field goal of the game -- a 22-yard kick that made it 21-16 at the 3:48 mark.
Joe Hamilton made it four touchdowns on four first half possessions, hitting Fryzel on a 26-yard scoring pass at the 1:42 mark. Gowins extra point gave the Predators a 12-point lead at 28-16. LA Hamilton's fourth field goal attempt of the game was just wide left and the Predators maintained the 12-point cushion at half.
Joe Hamilton continued his hot play at the beginning of the third quarter, hitting Fleming on a 35-yard touchdown pass on the third play of a 43-yard drive to make it 35-16 at the12:25 mark. Los Angeles finally scored its second offensive touchdown of the game at the 9:11 mark as Lonnie Ford bulled over on a7-yard run. The key play of the series came on a third and seven from the LA7.when Kaleo completed a 33-yard pass to Locke on stop-and-go pattern.
Los Angles got its first stop of the game on Orlando's next possession. Trying to stet-up a bubble screen to Fleming, Joe Hamilton had his pass tipped up in the air at the line and Greg Hopkins made his fourth interception of the season. But the Avengers failed to gain positive yardage on three plays before Remy Hamilton converted the field goal to make it a nine-point game at 35-26.
The Predators upped the lead to 42-26 on its next possession. After a fumble center snap and an incompletion, Orlando was faced with a third and five. Joe Hamilton pump faked short and then went overtop to Fryzel who caught the ball in stride for a 45-yard touchdown reception. Locke cut the lead back to nine at the 24 second mark on a 7-yard screen play from Kaleo. The play came on the final play from scrimmage in the third quarter and the Preds took a 42-33 lead into the final stanza.
But from that point, Los Angeles began a furious rally. Hopkins came up with his second interception of the game and after Orlando was called for holding on a fourth and goal, Kaleo ran it over from the half-yard line two plays later to make it a three-point game. Remy Hamilton's extra point made it a 42-40 game at the 6:07 mark.
Orlando would then drive down to the Los Angeles four-yard line. On a third and goal, Joe Hamilton was stuffed at the 1-yard line and then on fourth down, his pass to Fryzel fell incomplete and the Avengers took over on downs. After Kaleo hit lock on a 28-yard pass on 4th and two, the Predators defense let Ford go untouched on a 12-yard run. "I hate the idea of letting a guy score uncontested, but LA has the best kicker in the league and we were down to two timeouts," Gruden added. "If we play tough defense, they let the clock go down to three seconds and it's a chip shot field goal for Hamilton."
Remy Hamilton, who came into the game leading the AFL in every kicking category, attempted five field goals on the day -- making four.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 3, 2005
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- Crush place Hunter on IR, activate Anderson, Pickens - Colorado Crush
- Rampage caged in second half, lose 40-27 - Grand Rapids Rampage
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