af2 arenafootball2

Quick Hitters

Published on June 27, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release


RETURN ENGAGEMENT: San Jose's KR/DS CLEVAN THOMAS returned 2 kicks 53 and 55 yards for TDs and a MFG attempt 52 yards for a score in Week 9 against Chicago, ranking third for most in a game by any player ... he ranks No. 1 with 5 return TDs this season and is No. 3 with 23.4 yards per return, which ties the second-best average in history (Rodney Mazion, Anaheim, 1997)... here 's a look at top rookie return men:

MOST RETURN TDs, GAME
4 - Anthony Derricks, New England at San Jose, 6/9/00
3 - Willie Gaston, Connecticut at Arizona, 7/13/96
3 - Clevan Thomas, San Jose vs. Chicago, 6/15/02

MOST RETURN TDs, ROOKIE, SEASON
7 - Willie Gaston, Connecticut, 1996
6 - Anthony Derricks, New England, 2000
5 - Clevan Thomas, San Jose, 2002
4 - Tyronne Jones, Nashville, 1998
4 - Ron Carpenter, New York, 1998

HIGHEST AVERAGE, SEASON
25.1 – Anthony Derricks, New England, 2000
23.4 – Rodney Mazion, Anaheim, 1997
23.4 – Clevan Thomas, San Jose, 2002
22.8 – Hunkie Cooper, Arizona, 2000
22.8 – James Bowden, Tampa Bay, 2001
22.8 – Steve Papin, San Jose, 2000
22.7 – Steve Papin, San Jose, 1998
22.6 – Siaha Burley, Orlando, 2001

TURN ME AROUND, AND AROUND: The New Jersey Gladiators (6-4) are on course for the biggest turnaround in league history (see below) after finishing 2-12 last year... Prior to a 55-33 win in Week 9 at Tampa Bay, the Gladiators beat Grand Rapids 70-42, the first win for a Jersey team against a defending champ since the former Red Dogs beat the Arizona Rattlers 64-57 on July 26, 1998... Coach FRANK HAEGE now has a 43-5 (.910) record in Arena Football games, which includes a 37-1 record with the Quad City Steamwheelers of arenafootball2... Here's a look at the league's best turnarounds in the past decade:

6-GAME IMPROVEMENT:
San Jose 6-8 to 12-2 (1999-00)
Iowa 5-9 to 11-3 (1998-99)
Milwaukee 4-8 to 10-4 (1995-96)
Orlando 3-7 to 9-1 (1991-92)

5-GAME IMPROVEMENT:
Carolina 3-11 to 8-6 (2000-01)
Grand Rapids 6-8 to 11-3 (2000-01)
Iowa 7-5 to 12-2 (1995-96)
Albany 5-7 to 10-2 (1993-94)

WHO NEEDS PASSING! With 34.9 yards per game and 28 TDs, the SaberCats are the league's best rushing offense - and it could forecast a trip to the ArenaBowl if history proves correct... Here's a look at the teams in the last 5 championship games and how they ranked in rushing offense (CHAMPS IN CAPS):

TEAM, YR YDS AVG/G RANK
GRAND RAPIDS, 2001 271 19.4 No. 6
Nashville, 2001 490 30.0 No. 1

ORLANDO, 2000 515 36.8 No. 2
Nashville, 2000 515 36.8 No. 2

ALBANY, 1999 822 58.7 No. 1
Orlando, 1999 430 30.7 No. 2

ORLANDO, 1998 433 30.9 No. 3
Tampa Bay, 1998 337 24.1 No. 6

ARIZONA, 1997 713 50.9 No. 5
Iowa, 1997 319 22.8 No. 8

SCORING MACHINE: No, the SaberCats aren't an NBA farm team, rather the highest scoring offensive unit this side of 16 seasons... Scoring 658 points in 10 games (65.8 per game), the SaberCats are on target to tally more points than any other team in history... Last year's New York Dragons currently hold the top spot with 898 points (64.1)... In 2000, the SaberCats became the first team to average 60+ in one season, and could hold three of the top five positions in highest scoring offenses... The next highest scoring team this season is Grand Rapids (54.7)... San Jose is 45-of-50 90%) in Red Zone efficiency... Here's a look at the top 10 juggernauts in league history:

TEAM, YR PTS AVG/G
New York, 2001 898 64.1
Albany, 1996 873 62.4
San Jose, 2000 871 62.4
San Jose, 2001 831 59.4
Albany, 1999 822 58.7
Albany, 2000 815 58.2
Indiana, 2001 814 58.1
Iowa, 1997 803 57.4
Grand Rapids, 2001 801 57.2
Iowa, 2000 797 56.9

THIEVES IN THE NIGHT - Chicago's WR/DB DAMEON PORTER is No. 1 with 7 interceptions in 10 games... last year, Porter was the league's top thief as well, with a record-tying 12 picks... the last time the same player led the league in interceptions two straight seasons was KENNY MCENTYRE in 1999 and 2000... McEntyre is tied with Buffalo's COREY JOHNSON at No. 2 in with 6 this season... DURWOOD ROQUEMORE is the only other player to lead the league in that category twice – but not consecutively – in 1990 and 1994... Johnson was the league's top interceptor in 1998 while with Nashville.

MOON OVER DALLAS? NO LONGER: With 10 TDs in a Week 8 win against Indiana; Dallas Desperados QB ANDY KELLY became the most prolific touchdown passer in pro football history... Kelly has now thrown 453 TDs in 9 AFL seasons (436); 2 in NFL Europe (17)... WARREN MOON held the all-time record with 435 with 291 coming in the NFL; 144 in the CFL... Here's a look at the top 5 in history:

ALL-TIME PASSING TOUCHDOWN TOTALS
1. Andy Kelly, AFL/NFLE 453 (active)
2. Warren Moon, CFL/NFL 435
3. Sherdrick Bonner, AFL 425 (active)
4. Dan Marino, NFL 420
5. Aaron Garcia, AFL 420 (active)

THE CUP'S HALF FULL: With Detroit at 1-9, New York 2-8 and Tampa Bay 3-7, and 4 games remaining, there's still hope for those teams making the playoffs... the southern division has 3 teams bottle-necked at 4-6... here's a look at teams with sub-.500 records after 8 games that still made the playoffs (min. 14 games played), including 0-8 and 0-5 stumbles by 2000's Destroyers and 1999's Mustangs, respectively:

TEAM, YR FIRST 8 FINISH
Detroit, 2001 3-5 7-7
Toronto, 2001 3-5 8-6
Buffalo, 2000 0-8 5-9
Tampa Bay, 2000 3-5 8-6
Milwaukee, 1999 3-5 7-7

THE HALF CENTURY MARK: The SaberCats have surpassed the 50-point mark in each of their last 17 regular season games scoring 1,122 points (66.0 ppg) and posting a 16-1 record... San Jose's lowest point total during its current run is 52, which was reached twice... SaberCats won at Los Angeles, 52-33, on June 8, 2002, and defeated Arizona at home, 52-51, on April 20, 2002.

PASSING WITH FLYING COLORS - With 4 games remaining, Grand Rapids Rampage QB CLINT DOLEZEL needs to average 284.8 yards per game to become the first player to chalk up 4,000 passing yards in three different seasons... he has 2,861 so far this year... Dolezel also hit the mark in 1998 and '99 while New York's AARON GARCIA threw for 4,000+ in 2000 and '01.

NO SOPHOMORE JINX: Rampage OS STEVE SMITH, playing in his second season (Smith was active 2 games last year with Buffalo), is No. 2 in scoring with 156 points (26 TDs)... second-year stars JAMES HUNDON of San Jose and CHRIS HORN of Arizona are ranked No. 3 and 4 respectively... not since Firebird EDDIE BROWN in 1994 has a second-year player been crowned the league's scoring champ... Here's a look at first- or second-year standouts that have finished a season as No. 1 in scoring:

TEAM NAME TDs POINTS SEASON
1988 Carl Aikens 22 TD 132 points 1st
1989 George LaFrance 11 TD 66 points 2nd
1992 Stevie Thomas 27 TD 162 points 2nd
1993 Barry Wagner 28 TD 170 points 2nd
1994 Eddie Brown 48 TD 288 points 1st

L.A.'S NEWEST DUO – While they may not be stealing headlines from Kobe and Shaq, the Avengers duo of OS CHRIS JACKSON and WR/LB GREG HOPKINS is proving to be the most explosive scoring tandem in history, combining for 294 points and 48 TDs... Jackson, in only 7 games, is No. 1 with 158 points while Hopkins is No. 5 with 136, making them the only duo ranked in the top 10... Here's a year-by-year look at teammates (non-kicking) ranked in the top 10 in scoring:

PTS. TEAMMATES TEAM YEAR
370 Alvin Ashley/Larry Willis New Jersey 1998
338 Barry Wagner/Billy Owens Orlando 1994
338 George LaFrance/S. Thomas Tampa Bay 1996
320 Gary Compton/Sean Riley Milwaukee 2000
258 Andre Langley/B. Sargent Detroit 1993
242 Stevie Thomas/Andre Bowden Tampa Bay 1993
222 Carl Aikens/Reggie Smith Chicago 1988
220 Barry Wagner/Herkie Walls Orlando 1992
146 Fred Gayles/Tom Porras Albany 1991
120 Dwayne Dixon/Lenny Taylor Washington 1987
116 Carl Aikens/Mitchell Ward Dallas 1990
72 Carl Aikens/Darryl Clark Chicago 1989

3,000-YARD MAN - New York's STEVE PAPIN is averaging 230.7 all-purpose yards per game (2,307), so far the second highest average in history behind LAMONT COOPER'S 247-ypg mark in 2001 with the Wranglers... Papin's on pace for a record third season with 3,000 or more all purpose yards... he became the second player to reach the mark in 1998 with 3,190 (Albany's Eddie Brown had 3,036 in 1996) and repeated his effort in '99 with 3,135.

THE GAME WINNERS: Trailing in the last few minutes of a game, Arizona's SHERDRICK BONNER and Dallas ANDY KELLY are the men to have under center, at least according to this season's game winning drives. Twice Bonner and Kelly have guided their teams to victory in the closing seconds, while Storm QB SCOTT MILANOVICH and Grand Rapids' CLINT DOLEZEL have also done their best JOHN ELWAY impersonation this season... Here's a look at the game winning drives by these four quarterbacks (all 6 are game ending drives):

* In Week 2 against Los Angeles, down 51-52 with 3:47 left, Bonner completed 4 passes for 42 yards including a 2-yard TD to HUNKIE COOPER for a 63-59 win.

* In Week 7 against Indiana, down 50-52 with 1:49 left, Milanovich went 2-for-4 for 15 yards to set up a MIKE BLACK 21-yard FG in a 53-52 win.

* In Week 8 against Carolina, tied at 42 in overtime, Bonner completed 3 consecutive passes for 48 yards before handing off to CHRIS HORN for a one-yard TD in a 48-42 win.

* In Week 9 against Arizona, tied at 33 with 23 seconds left, Kelly went 2-for-5 for 27 yards to get the Desperados in position for JASON WELLS' 34-yard FG that won the game, 36-33.

* In Week 10 against Georgia, with no time on the clock, Dolezel connected with STEVE SMITH on a 31-yard TD pass. BRIAN GOWINS nailed the extra point for a 42-41 victory.

* In Week 10 against Tampa Bay, Kelly hit SHANNON CULVER with a 16-yard pass in overtime to beat the Storm, 62-56.

THE "DUKES" OF HAZZARD - Avengers FB/LB CHAD DUKES is the AFL's rushing leader with 174 yards and tied with Georgia's TRAVIS REECE with 9 TDs... Dukes is the only player to have led the league in rushing yards twice, in 1997 and '98 when he racked up 364 yards in each including totals of 17 and 10 TDs, respectively... Reece, last year's champ with 190 yards, is No. 2 with 167 yards this season.

------------------------------------

WEEK ELEVEN SCHEDULE (All times ET)

------------------------------------

TONIGHT -- THURSDAY, JUNE 27
Los Angeles at TORONTO, 7:00 P.M. (Rogers Sportsnet Ontario)
FRIDAY, JUNE 28
Arizona at BUFFALO, 7:30 P.M.
Orlando at CAROLINA, 7:30 P.M. (Sunshine Network)
SATURDAY, JUNE 29
New Jersey at DETROIT, 7:30 P.M.
Tampa Bay at GEORGIA, 7:30 P.M.
Grand Rapids at INDIANA, 8:00 P.M. (Fox Sports)
San Jose at DALLAS, 8:30 P.M. (HDNet, NBC3/WB20)
SUNDAY, JUNE 30
New York at CHICAGO, 4:30 P.M. (The New TNN)

-----------------------

TONIGHT'S GAME

-----------------------

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (6-4) AT TORONTO PHANTOMS (5-5), 7:00 P.M. ET Ironman of the Year candidate WR/LB GREG HOPKINS leads the Avengers into Canada to face OS DAMIAN HARRELL and the Phantoms. The Phantoms are one game out of first place in the Eastern Division. (TV: Rogers Sportsnet Ontario)

------------------------------

WEEK ELEVEN INJURY REPORT

------------------------------

***AS REPORTED TO THE LEAGUE OFFICE BY WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26***

* LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (6-4) AT TORONTO PHANTOMS (5-5)

LOS ANGELES: None reported.
TORONTO: OUT: OL/DL Steve Konopka (knee sprain), OL/DL Connell Spain (knee fracture), QB Chad Salisbury (elbow sprain), WR/DB Jerald Long (knee sprain); PROBABLE: OS Damian Harrell (hamstring sprain, knee sprain), OL/DL John Summerday (pec strain), DS Anthony Derricks (thumb dislocation).

* ARIZONA RATTLERS (7-3) AT BUFFALO DESTROYERS (6-4)

ARIZONA: DOUBTFUL: OL/DL Joe Burch (toe); QUESTIONABLE: OL/DL Tim Croff (toes), OL/DL Jeff Macrea (lower leg), QB Sherdrick Bonner (knee), OL/DL Sebastian Barrie (hamstring); PROBABLE: OL/DL Stacy Evans (knee), OL/DL Charlie Morris (shoulder).
BUFFALO: OUT: WR/LB Bobby Olive (shoulder); PROBABLE: DS Corey Johnson (ankle), OL/DL Eric Miller (thumb), OL/DL Jeremy Johnson (hamstring), OS Lamont Cooper (thumb, toe); QUESTIONABLE: OL/DL Silas Demary (ankle).

* ORLANDO PREDATORS (4-6) AT CAROLINA COBRAS (4-6)

ORLANDO: None Reported.
CAROLINA: None Reported.

* NEW JERSEY GLADIATORS (6-4) AT DETROIT FURY (1-9)

NEW JERSEY: OUT: WR/DB Jamaine Blalock (L Achilles rupture), DS Marc Williams (L knee tear), OL/DL Dwayne Sabb (L knee tear), WR/LB George Williams (L fibula fracture), WR/DB Carlos Johnson (L knee contusion); QUESTIONABLE: WR/LB Jeremy Wilkinson (R thigh strain), DS Damon Mason (R thigh contusion), FB/LB Chris Pope (L groin strain);
DETROIT: OUT: OS Robert Gordon (R humerus fracture), OL/DL Harry Deligianis (low back strain) DS Chuck Winters (L knee torn ACL); QUESTIONABLE: QB Drew Miller (L ankle sprain), FB/LB Toran James (L knee sprain), FB/LB Ricky Wood (neck sprain); PROBABLE: DS Kenny Wheaton (R foot sprain).

* TAMPA BAY STORM (3-7) AT GEORGIA FORCE (4-6)

TAMPA BAY: None Reported
GEORGIA: OUT: FB/LB Rupert Grant (L Achilles tendon rupture), OL/DL Jimmy Brumbaugh (R groin chronic strain), K Stan Whitlock (L knee contusion); QUESTIONABLE: OL/DL Robert Gaddy (R knee MCL sprain); PROBABLE: QB Donnie Davis (L IT band contusion).

* GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE (6-4) AT INDIANA FIREBIRDS (4-6)

GRAND RAPIDS: PROBABLE: OS Steve Smith, OL/DL Lucas Yarnell; QUESTIONABLE: OS Ricky Ross.
INDIANA: OUT: DS Cornelius Coe (ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: DS Donnie Caldwell (ankle sprain), OL/DL Aaron Johnson (ankle sprain), WR/LB Drew O' Connor (hamstring).

* SAN JOSE SABERCATS (10-0) AT DALLAS DESPERADOS (6-4)

SAN JOSE: PROBABLE: FB/LB Matt Kinsinger (knee contusion).
DALLAS: PROBABLE: OL/DL Tom Briggs (L ankle sprain), FB/LB Patrise Alexander (L shoulder sprain), WR/DB Adrian Lunsford (R great toe sprain); QUESTIONABLE: OL/DL Shante Carver (R ankle sprain).

* NEW YORK DRAGONS (2-8) AT CHICAGO RUSH (6-4)

CHICAGO: OUT: OS Joe Douglass (abdominal); PROBABLE: OL/DL James Baron (lower extremity).
NEW YORK: None Reported.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



arenafootball2 Stories from June 27, 2002


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.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central