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Rampage Game Notes

April 29, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


QUICK FACTS:
Grand Rapids Rampage @ Chicago Rush
Date: Saturday, May 4, 2002
Kickoff: 8:00 p.m. (EST)
Site: Allstate Arena (16,000)
Officials: Darrel Leftwich (Referee), Tom Laverty (Umpire), Rich Grube (Head Linesman), Bill Ward (Line Judge), Tony Lombardo (Back Judge).
Radio: WBBL 1340 AM, Joe Parson & Tom Sullivan
TV: CLTV (Chicago)
Series Record: Grand Rapids leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Chicago 21, Grand Rapids 53 (Sun, Aug. 5, 2001 in Grand Rapids-Playoffs)
Last Regular Season Meeting: Chicago 58, Grand Rapids 79 (Sat. July 7 in Grand Rapids)
Coaches: Grand Rapids Rampage, Michael Trigg (55-53 overall, 9th Year).
Chicago Rush, Mike Hohensee (52-52 overall, 14th Year)

THE STAKES: The winner of Saturday night's game gets an early advantage in the Central Division race. The team that wins remains in first place with a 2-1 record, while the loser drops to the middle of the pack at 1-2.

THE SERIES: The Rampage hold a 2-0 lead in the regular season series against the Rush, with both games coming last season. Grand Rapids also defeated Chicago in the quarterfinals of the 2001 AFL playoffs en route to their first ArenaBowl XV title.

THE IFs:

If Grand Rapids defeats Chicago, it would ...
* Give the Rampage a 3-0 series record with Chicago
* Give the Rampage a 1-0 road record in 2002
* Give the Rampage a 2-1 record in the Central Division
* Give the Rampage a 2-1 overall record
* Give Michael Trigg a 55-53 record as a coach

HEAD COACHES:

MICHAEL TRIGG, Grand Rapids Rampage (55-53, 8th Year): Michael Trigg enters his fifth season with the Rampage, boasting a history of achievement both on the sidelines and on the field. That history reached new heights on August 19, 2001 when the AFL's smallest market team won ArenaBowl XV in front of a sold-out Van Andel Arena and a national television audience on ABC. Last season, Trigg not only guided the Rampage to the team's third consecutive playoff berth and first championship, but he also led the team to a league-best 11-3 record. For his efforts last season, Trigg was named the 2001 AFL Coach of the Year. He is just the sixth coach in AFL history to reach the 50-win plateau and now ranks as the fifth winningest coach in AFL history.

MIKE HOHENSEE, Chicago Rush(52-52, 14th Year): Mike Hohensee begins his second season as the head coach of the Rush, his ninth as an AFL head coach, and his 14th as a member of an AFL coaching staff. He was hired as the first head coach in Rush history on September 26, 2000. Last season, Hohensee led the first-year Rush to a 7-7 record and a playoff berth. He joined the Rush after spending the previous two seasons as head coach and director of player personnel for the AFL's New England Sea Wolves. In 1990, Hohensee became the youngest head coach in league history when he took over the Washington Commandos. His other AFL stints include three seasons with the Albany Firebirds (1994-96) and one season with the Anaheim Piranhas (1997).

RAMPAGE LAST WEEK: After seven straight wins (playoffs included), the Rampage's luck finally ran out this past Saturday night, losing 49-43 to the Indiana Firebirds in front of a sellout crowd of 10,485 at Van Andel Arena.

Down by as many as 20, the Rampage held the Firebirds scoreless in the fourth quarter to get back into the game. Clint Dolezel found Terrill Shaw for his second and third touchdowns of the game, cutting Indiana's lead to 49-43 with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Thanks to a strong defensive effort, Grand Rapids got the ball back with under a minute to go, but were unable put the ball in the endzone, snapping their winning streak at seven.

Dolezel completed 29 of 41 passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Willis Marshall and Terrill Shaw led the way for the Rampage receiving corps. Marshall finished with eight catches for 94 yards, while Shaw finished with eight catches for 65 yards and a game-high three touchdowns.

RAMPAGE NEXT WEEK: Grand Rapids returns home to face their first non-divisional opponent, the Orlando Predators. This will be the first meeting between the Rampage and Predators since June 9, 2000. Grand Rapids holds a 2-1 series lead over Orlando, but Preds QB Jay Gruden, who came out of retirement during the off-season, will try to even the score at Van Andel Arena on Saturday, May 11..

2001 REVIEW:

* In just their fourth Arena Football League season, the Grand Rapids Rampage won their first ArenaBowl championship, defeating the Nashville Kats 64-42 in front of an overflow crowd at Van Andel Arena and a national television audience on ABC.

* The Rampage's finished the regular season with a league best 11-3 record, winning their first Central Division title.

* The Rampage began the season with records of 5-0 and 7-1, marking the best starts in franchise history. In addition, the team's five consecutive wins to start the season set a record for the longest winning streak in franchise history.

* QB Clint Dolezel enjoyed the most prolific season ever for a Rampage hurler, breaking his own AFL record with 574 attempts while establishing team marks for touchdown passes (80), passing yards (3,952) and completions (364). The 80-TD threshold has been eclipsed just seven times in AFL history, and Dolezel became the only man to do it three times (81 in 1998, 80 in 2001 and 1999).

* Two Rampage players added their names to the AFL's all-time greats. In a 41-38 win vs. Carolina on May 11, WR/LB Michael Baker became the fifth player in league history to accumulate 5,000 receiving and 5,000 return yards for his career. Then, in a 79-58 win vs. Chicago on July 7, QB Clint Dolezel became just the seventh player in AFL history to record 300 passing touchdowns and the tenth player to record 2,000 passing attempts.

* Five members of the Rampage were honored by the AFL. After leading the Rampage to the league's best regular season record, coach Michael Trigg was chosen as the AFL's Coach of the Year. In addition to Trigg, K Brian Gowins was named AFL Kicker of the Year and DS JoJo Polk was presented with the league's Most Inspirational Award, following his miraculous recovery from a broken neck. QB Clint Dolezel, WR/LB Michael Baker, and Gowins are also named to the All-Arena Second Team. Polk was also named to the All-Rookie Team.

LAST MEETING: Chicago 58, Grand Rapids 79 (7/7/01) - The Rampage secured their first-ever home playoff game and established franchise records with their ninth win and fifth home win, capping off an offensively-dominant 79-58 performance against the Rush.

A Van Andel Arena crowd of 8.393 witnessed the Rampage set team records by scoring 48 first-half points and reaching the endzone on their first 10 possessions. Numerous players etched their names into Grand Rapids' record book, led by quarterback Clint Dolezel, who tied his own record of eight touchdown passes for the second time in three weeks while completing 21 of 35 passing for 342 yards.

The Rampage wasted no time in drawing first blood, scoring on the game's first play from scrimmage with a 35-yard pass from Dolezel to Demo Odems. Brian Gowins, who entered the game with a streak of 45 successful extra point attempts, was wide right on the conversion, making it a 6-0 game.

Chicago answered with a 28-yard pass from Billy Dicken to Cornelius Bonner, but on the Rampage's third play from scrimmage, Shaw hauled in a 39-yard scoring strike, marking Grand Rapids' longest touchdown pass of the season.

After the defense held Chicago to a 46-yard Pete Elezovic field goal, Chris Avery's one-yard plunge gave Grand Rapids a 20-10 advantage at the end of one quarter.

The Rampage defense again held, forcing a 62-yard field goal attempt that was well short. Early in the ensuing drive, Odems caught a screen pass on the right side and weaved his way 22 yards into the endzone, increasing the home team's lead to 27-10.

The teams traded touchdowns the rest of the half, as Grand Rapids racked up its highest-scoring half in franchise history. Dolezel hit Michael Baker (23 yards) and Ricky Ross (15 yards) for scores and ran for a two-yard TD of his own, while Chicago tallied two strikes to Anthony Ladd and one to Bonner before missing a 53-yard field goal attempt at the horn. Grand Rapids went to the locker room with a 48-31 advantage.

Chicago's Joe Douglass tied an AFL record by returning the second half kickoff 58 yards for a touchdown, and Baker nearly returned the favor, taking the ball to the Rush 20 before being brought down by Elezovic. Odems subsequently caught an eight-yard TD pass, his third of the night, giving GR a 55-38 lead.

Tristan Moss intercepted a Dicken pass at the Rampage two-yard line on the next drive, and Dolezel led the offense back down the field. Shaw's two-yard reception late in the third pushed the cushion to 62-38, and after an 11-yard scoring catch by Bonner, Shaw grabbed his third TD pass of the night to put the game away at 69-45.

Grand Rapids went on to add a Gowins' field goal and Chris Ryan touchdown, while Chicago tallied scoring plays to Douglass and Ladd before time ran out.

SERIES NOTABLES: Rampage QB Clint Dolezel is 46 of 77 for 599 yards and 13 TDs/0 INTs in two games vs. Chicago (2-0 record)...Rampage WR/DB Ricky Ross has 11 catches for 129 yards and three TDs in two games vs. the Rush...He also has returned seven kicks for 122 yards ...Although he only played in the July 7 contest in GR, Rampage OS Terrill Shaw was impressive with eight catches for 150 yards and three TDs...Chicago OS Joe Douglass has caught 15 passes for 231 yards and five touchdowns in the two-game series...He also returned 11 kicks for 236 yards, including a 58-yard return for a TD in July 7 contest...Chicago QB Billy Dicken is 37 of 66 for 514 yards and 13 TDs/1 INT in two games vs. Grand Rapids (0-2 record).

SERIES NOTES: Although the rivalry between Grand Rapids and Chicago is a less than a year old, it has already provided a number of memorable moments and record-breaking performances:

* Brian Gowins' 39-yard game winner at Allstate Arena in May is one of three last-second kicks that have propelled the Rampage to victory during his career.

* In the July 7 meeting with the Rush, the Rampage set a franchise mark by scoring touchdowns on their first 10 possessions. Overall, Grand Rapids scored on 11 of its 12 possessions, with the only non-scoring possession coming on its final drive as time expired.

* In that last meeting, Clint Dolezel tied his own team mark with eight TD passes, and the Rampage set or tied franchise records for points in one half (48), points in the second quarter (28, tied) and most touchdowns (11, tied). In addition, Demo Odems and Terrill Shaw became the first pair of receivers in Rampage history to record three touchdowns in the same contest.

FAMILIAR FACES: Chicago OL/DL Tony Bowick and DS Tristan Moss won a championship ring with Grand Rapids last season...Bowick, one of the original members of the inaugural team in 1998, spent four seasons in a Rampage uniform and ranks second on the team's all-time sack list with 8.0...He was also named the Rampage's Lineman of the Year the past two seasons...Moss amassed 78 tackles and five interceptions in his two seasons (2000-01) in red and black...Chicago equipment manager Jeff "Hendo" Henderson spent the last four years with the Rampage before taking a position in his home state of Illinois. While with the Rampage, the Pekin, Illinois native was named the AFL Equipment Manager of the Year (2000).

MILESTONES:

* Rampage QB Clint Dolezel recently moved up the AFL all-time charts in completions and passing yards. Dolezel passed Mike Perez for sixth place in completions (1,416) and Mike Pawlawski for eighth place in passing yards (16,691).

TEAM NOTES:

Rampage Reunion: Three former members of the Rampage's championship team are currently with the Rush. Lineman Tony Bowick, defensive specialist Tristan Moss, and equipment manager Jeff "Hendo" Henderson now call the "Windy City" home.

Windy City Connections: Rampage kicker Brian Gowins played two games for the Chicago Bears in 1999 and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection at Northwestern, where he was a member of two Big Ten championship teams (1995 & 1996)...Quarterback Clint Dolezel spent training camp with the Bears in 2000...The Rampage's sibling franchise, the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins, recently lost to the Chicago Wolves in the Calder Cup Finals.

Defensive Match-up?: When you think of Arena Football, you certainly don't think of defense. But Saturday's match-up will feature two teams that among the league leaders in points allowed. Chicago ranks fifth, one spot ahead of Grand Rapids, giving up only 45.5 points per game, while the Rampage are allowing only 47 points per.

Road Rules: The road was quite kind to the defending champs last season, finishing 5-2 away from the friendly confines of Van Andel Arena. Grand Rapids only road losses last season came on June 16 at Milwaukee and June 30 at Detroit.

3 and 0...Against Chicago: The Rampage had Chicago's number last season, defeating the Rush twice during the regular season and once in the playoffs.

Early Division Race: Grand Rapids, Chicago and Indiana currently sit atop of the four-team Central Division at 1-1. Detroit sits at the bottom of the division with a 0-2 record.

RAMPAGE PLAYERS TO WATCH:

QB Clint Dolezel: Dolezel, who signed a two-year contract extension during training camp, returns for his second season with the Rampage after setting Rampage single-season records in passing yards (3,952), pass attempts (574), pass completions (364) and touchdowns (80). He also broke Rampage single-game records in passing yards (402), pass attempts (50), pass completions (35) and touchdowns (8). Last season, Dolezel led the Rampage regular season sweep (2-0) over the Rush, completing 46 of 77 passes for 599 yards, 13 TDs and no interceptions. The former East Texas State standout will be looking to get back on track after throwing three picks in last Saturday's home loss to Indiana.

OS Terrill Shaw: Despite battling nagging foot injuries, Terrill Shaw continues to put up big numbers. Last week against Indiana, the former ArenaBowl MVP caught eight passes for 65 yards and a game-high three touchdowns. Currently, Shaw ranks among the league leaders in catches (T-3rd) and receiving yards (7th). He has only faced the Rush one time, but was rather impressive with eight catches for 150 yards and three TDs.

WR/DB Willis Marshall: After having one of the most impressive camps in Rampage history, Willis Marshall has continued to impress during the first two weeks. The second-year player out of Youngstown State currently trails only Shaw in catches (14) and TDs (3). His 207 yards leads the team and places him fifth overall in the league.

WR/DB Ricky Ross: The Rampage's most productive receiver against the Rush last season was Ricky Ross. In the two contests, the second-year player out of Missouri caught 11 passes for 129 yards and three TDs. He also returned seven kicks for 122 yards. Look for Ross to receive more reps this week with Michael Baker sidelined with an ankle injury.

DS Joseph Todd: Another second-year player that has stepped up to the plate for the Rampage has been Joseph Todd. Todd currently leads the league in defended passes with 10 and is among the league leaders in interceptions (1). As the Rampage's main cover guy, Todd should draw the assignment of Joe Douglass, Chicago's main receiver. With a healthy JoJo Polk possible returning to the lineup, the Rampage could have one of the best DS duos in the league by week's end. RUSH PLAYERS TO WATCH:

OS Joe Douglass: Joe Douglass is one player who enjoys playing against the Rampage. Last season, the five-foot eleven, 185-pound offensive specialist amassed over 500 all-purpose yards in two games against the Rampage, including a career-high 335 yards in the 79-58 loss at Van Andel Arena. He also did pretty well against the rest of the league, ranking fourth in all-purpose yards, fifth in total points and touchdowns, and seventh in receptions, receiving yards and return yardage. Two games into this season, Douglass already leads the league in all-purpose yards (473) and return yardage (296). He also ranks among the league leader in receptions and receiving yards.

QB Billy Dicken: After making the jump to the AFL from af2 last season, Billy Dicken began 2001 as Chicago's third-string quarterback and ended the campaign as the Rush's Rookie of the Year. The former Purdue Boilermaker led the first-year Rush to a 7-7 regular season record and a first-round playoff upset of the defending ArenaBowl Champion Orlando Predators. Dicken saved his best for the Rampage during the regular season, throwing for 514 yards, 13 TDs and only one interception.

OL/DL James Baron: James Baron, one of the biggest free agent signings of 2002, comes to Chicago from Nashville, where he spent the last five seasons (1997-2001). Widely considered one of the best linemen in the AFL, Baron is a five-time All-Arena selection, two-time Lineman of the Year and All-Ironman recipient, 1999 Defensive Player of the Year, and he was named to the AFL's 15th Anniversary All-Time Team. In his two games against the Rampage last season (6/8/01-regular season & 8/19/01-ArenaBowl XV), Baron was held sackless, so expect to see his best against Grand Rapids.

THIS WEEK'S QUOTES:

Head Coach Michael Trigg, on the loss to Indiana, "The game is about turnovers, and if you turn it over you lose offensive opportunities. The defense answered the bell late, but unfortunately we came up short by turning the ball over too many times."

On the tight Central Division: "Now we are right in the middle of the pack, and Chicago is very important. We have to get a leg up on them, while also keeping pace with Indiana. That's probably how it will be all year though."

WR/DB Willis Marshall, on the letdown after losing to Indiana: "I hate for us to battle back like we did, and just run out of time. We should have come out hard the way we did in the fourth quarter in the first quarter. A lot of mental errors killed us in the beginning, but there is no excuse for not playing hard."

On the meaning of the road trip to Chicago: "Going down to Chicago is crucial. Right now everyone in the Central [Division] is 1-1, except Detroit. Basically we have to go in there and dominate like we are ArenaBowl champs and play for four full quarters."

K Brian Gowins, on the feeling after the close loss to Indiana: "It's very frustrating because we fought back so hard and we were down so much. To come back and be that close hurts worse than getting blown out."

On the preparation for the match-up with Chicago: "It's tough having three division opponents right off the bat. We just need to concentrate on forgetting this game and just move on. It doesn't matter. It's over."

QB Clint Dolezel, on what went wrong against the Firebirds: "It just comes down to turnovers. With three turnovers you are not going to win many football games. A couple of them were mental and a couple were just mistakes. We definitely need to cut down on [turnovers]."

On the showdown with Chicago: "It is a chance to go 2-1 and definitely be on top of our division. If we go down there and take care of the ball, we will be just fine. But [Chicago] is a solid team, good on both sides of the football and right now their offense is really clicking."



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 29, 2002


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