Quick hitters: week eight

Published on March 25, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release

LIVING IN A FANTASY: With three players among the Top 10 fantasy point players, the Los Angeles Avengers look like a fantasy dream team. Averaging 86.9 fantasy points each week collectively, Los Angeles QB TONY GRAZIANI, WR/DB KEVIN INGRAM and WR/LB CHRIS JACKSON face Western Division rival San Jose this Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports West 2.

Entering Week 8, Indiana rookie QB ADRIAN MCPHERSON makes his first appearance among the Top 10 fantasy players, averaging 30.3 fantasy points per game. In his last two games, McPherson has not only directed the Firebirds to back-to-back victories, but has passed for 354 yards and six touchdowns (0 INTs) and rushed for 51 yards and another six scores in the process.

TOP AFL FANTASY POINT PLAYERS

RANK PLAYER, POSITION TEAM FP/G
1 Marcus Nash, WR/DB Las Vegas 34.6
2t Siaha Burley, OS Arizona 31.6
2t Clint Dolezel, QB Las Vegas 31.6
4 Cornelius White, WR/LB Columbus 31.0
5 Adrian McPherson, QB Indiana 30.3
6 Tony Graziani, QB Los Angeles 29.3
7 Freddie Solomon, OS Tampa Bay 29.0
8t Kevin Ingram, WR/DB Los Angeles 28.8
8t Chris Jackson, WR/LB Los Angeles 28.8
10 Charlie Davidson, WR/DB Austin 28.7

McMILLEN APPROACHING 1,000: Chicago Rush FB/LB BOB MCMILLEN, who currently is No. 4 in the AFL in rushing, needs just 18 more yards to become the fifth player in AFL history to rush for 1,000 career yards. Last week, McMillen carried five times for 12 yards and two TDs. He has 51 career rushing touchdowns, which ranks him No. 6 on the AFL's all-time list. Earlier this season, McMillen became the first player in AFL history to rush for 100 or more yards in six-consecutive seasons.

ALL-TIME LEADING RUSHERS

PLAYER YARDS
Les Barley 1,382
Andre Bowden* 1,236
Bo Kelly* 1,127
Chad Dukes* 1,094
Bob McMillen* 982
* Active

WHAT A HUNK!? Arizona Rattlers WR/LB HUNKIE COOPER, who is in his 12th season, needs 88 yards to reach 20,000 all-purpose yards for his career. Only GEORGE LAFRANCE (20,480) has reached that milestone. In the AFL record book, Cooper ranks No. 1 in kickoff returns (484), No. 2 in all-purpose yards (19,912), No. 3 in kickoff return touchdowns (19), and tied for No. 3 in receptions (736).

PACE SETTER: Carolina Cobras OS TODD DOXZON has been the Cobras most productive receivers early in the 2004 campaign and is on pace to shatter many of the franchise's single-season receiving records. Thus far, he ranks second in the league with 57 receptions and fourth with 630 yards. Following is how he would stack up with the top pass catchers in Carolina's five-year history if he continues on his current pace.

CAROLINA COBRAS RECORDS

PLAYER REC YARDS TDs PTS
Todd Doxzon (2004) (130) (1440) (32) (197)
Bernard Holmes (2003) 83 995 16 120*
Aaron Bailey (2002) 89* 1,102* 18 118
Aaron Bailey (2001) 61 915 19* 116
*Denotes single-season record

SHOWDOWN IN THE RED: Things will be interesting when the Los Angeles Avengers (4-2) drive the football into the San Jose SaberCats' (5-1) red zone on Friday. Los Angeles leads the AFL in red-zone offense, scoring on all 26 trips inside the opponents' 10-yard line (22 touchdowns and four field goals). On the flip side, San Jose leads the AFL in red-zone defense, allowing the opposition to score at a 70.6 percent rate (24-of-34). The SaberCats have allowed 22 touchdowns and two field goals, but also have come up with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in addition to getting the ball on downs twice.

DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: A major reason for the VooDoo's 6-1 start is the team's ability to keep the opposition out of the end zone. Through seven games, New Orleans has surrendered an average of only 42.1 points per game, tying them for second in the AFL in scoring defense. In the six games the week before playing New Orleans (not including the opener at Philadelphia), VooDoo opponents had averaged 52.3 points on offense and were held to an average of 43.5 points by the VooDoo defense, a difference of -8.8 points.

HELLO, AGAIN! Georgia Force OS MARKEITH COOPER set a new Force team record for most single-game all-purpose yards with 270 at Tampa Bay on February 13 and will try to repeat the performance against the Storm this Saturday at Arena at Gwinnett Center at 7 p.m. ET. Cooper had 132 receiving yards on five receptions for four touchdowns and added 138 kickoff return yards on five returns against the Storm. For his efforts that week, Cooper was named the game's Ironman of the Game and later honored as the AFL's Offensive Player of the Week. He is on pace to becoming the first single-season 1,000-yard receiver in the Force's three-year history.

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 25, 2004

• Quick hitters: week eight - AFL I
• Austin Wranglers Autograph Party This Friday - Austin Wranglers
• Firebirds keep lineup intact for Rampage - Albany/Indiana Firebirds
• Storm sign veteran AFL kicker Matt George - Tampa Bay Storm

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