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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Sabercats Begin Arenabowl Title Defense

July 2, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - The Mitsubishi Motors Drive to Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII New Orleans moves into the Divisional Round beginning with a Saturday doubleheader on ESPN.

The #2 San Jose SaberCats (11-5) officially begin their postseason title defense when they welcome the #5 Colorado Crush (7-10) to HP Pavilion in the first of two Saturday contests on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Saturday, July 5 at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127) in an American Conference matchup.

For the second consecutive season, San Jose hosts Colorado in the Divisional Round with a trip to the Conference Championship game on the line. The second-half of the SaberCats 2008 season resembles that of 2007 when they entered the playoffs on a win streak and faced Colorado in their first playoff game. San Jose defeated Colorado, 76-67, in 2007, on its way to winning a third ArenaBowl Championship in six seasons. The SaberCats won eight of their last nine games coming into the 2008 postseason, with six consecutive that included a 59-42 victory over Colorado in Week 13.

San Jose looks to become the first team to win back-to-back ArenaBowl titles since the Tampa Bay Storm (1995-96) and become only the third team to win four ArenaBowls (Tampa Bay - 5, Detroit - 4). The SaberCats hold a 7-4 all-time record in the second round, including three in a row.

This game also features a matchup between two veteran coaches in DARREN ARBET (San Jose) and MIKE DAILEY (Colorado). Both Arbet and Dailey are two of the three remaining coaches in the playoffs who have won ArenaBowl titles and have more than 10 postseason victories (Mike Hohensee - Chicago). Arbet and Dailey have faced each other 11 times overall, with the regular season series tied 4-4 and Arbet holding a 2-1 postseason edge.

Colorado enters the Divisional Round for the third consecutive season and looks to capture its first career road victory in the second round. For the first time since 2004, the Crush finished its regular season winning its final two games.

San Jose leads the all-time regular-season series with Colorado 7-0, and is 1-1 all-time in postseason play.

For the first time in AFL postseason history, the #6 New York Dragons (9-8) make the 95-mile trek to the Wachovia Center to face the #1 Philadelphia Soul (13-3) in game two of Saturday's doubleheader on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Saturday, July 5 at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127) in a National Conference matchup.

Philadelphia enters the playoffs for the third consecutive season and is the number one seed for the first time in team history. The Soul is also hosting its first Divisional Round playoff contest and finished the regular season winning its final three games for the first time in team history.

Philadelphia swept the season series against New York in 2008 for the first time in team history. The Soul won both contests by an average of 25 points, which included a 59-30 Week 17 victory at Nassau Coliseum.

The victory clinched the Soul's first Mitsubishi Motors Eastern Division title along with the League's best record and the overall top seed in the playoffs.

Philadelphia can become the 16th team to defeat another team three times in a single season with a victory on Saturday. This is the second consecutive season the Soul have faced a team in both its final regular-season game and its first postseason contest. Philadelphia defeated Orlando in consecutive weeks in 2007 (Week 17, Wild Card Round).

After beginning the season 1-4, New York won seven of its final 11 games to clinch its first playoff berth since 2006 and the number six seed in the National Conference playoff standings. The Dragons defeated the #3 Dallas Desperados, 77-63, in the Wild Card Round to capture their first postseason road victory since 1995.

The all-time regular season series is tied 5-5 with Philadelphia winning four of the last six games.

The #1 Chicago Rush (11-5) welcomes the #6 Grand Rapids Rampage (7-10) to Allstate Arena on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Sunday, July 6 at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127) in an American Conference matchup.

The Rush enters the postseason for the eighth consecutive season having won seven of its last 10 games to capture the American Conference's number one seed for the first time.

This will be the first time Chicago and Grand Rapids meet in postseason competition since the Rampage defeated the Rush, 53-21, in the quarterfinals of the 2001 playoffs on its way to winning ArenaBowl XV. Grand Rapids finished the 2008 regular season on a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2001.

Chicago swept the season series against Grand Rapids for the third consecutive season, winning both matchups by an average of 16 points.

The Rush is 3-0 all-time at home during the postseason and can become the 16th team to defeat another team three times in a single-season with a victory on Sunday.

Chicago head coach MIKE HOHENSEE can become the fourth coach in AFL history to record 13 postseason victories with a win while Grand Rapids head coach STEVE THONN goes for his second career postseason victory. The Rush leads the all-time regular-season series 12-4 although Grand Rapids leads the postseason series 1-0.

The #4 Cleveland Gladiators (10-7) travel to The Arena at Gwinnett Center to face the #2 Georgia Force (10-6) on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Monday, July 7 at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2 HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127) in a National Conference matchup.

After ending the first-half of the 2008 regular season 3-5, Georgia won seven of its final eight games to win its second consecutive Mitsubishi Motors Southern Division title. The Force is making its fourth consecutive postseason appearance and is 3-2 all-time at home in postseason play.

The Gladiators won five of their final eight games during the regular season to earn their first playoff berth since 2003. Cleveland defeated Orlando, 69-66, on Monday, to win its first home playoff game in franchise history and first playoff victory since 1998.

Georgia leads the all-time regular-season series 4-1, including four in a row by an average of 15 points.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 2, 2008


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