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San Jose SaberCats Game Notes

March 26, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Carolina Cobras (0-8) at SaberCats (6-2).
Date: Friday, March 28, 2003.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (PST).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Referee: Dave Lambros; Umpire: Al Granado; Head Linesman: Mike McCabe; Line Judge: Craig Wrolstad; Back Judge: Dino Paganelli
Television: There is no local television for Friday's game.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station The Ticket (KTCT) 1050-AM will broadcast the game live with Grant Napear handling play-by-play duties and Keena Turner supplying the color commentary.
SaberCats Sideline Report: Hosted by Bob Fitzgerald, SSR is shown every Sunday at 11:52 p.m. on NBC11. The information packed 8-minute segment will get you up close and personal with the World Champions.
Internet: Log on to www.ticket1050.com to hear a live webcast of the game.
Series Record: San Jose leads 1-0.
Last Meeting: San Jose 58, Carolina 41 (July 21, 2002 in Raleigh, N.C.).
Series Streaks: San Jose Won 1.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (5th season; 47-17 regular season, 52-19 overall). Carolina, Mike Hold (1st season; 0-8 regular season and overall).


OVERVIEW:
The SaberCats reached the midway point in the season following their 59-58 win over the Arizona Rattlers on Mar. 23 and remain tied with Los Angeles atop the Western Division with a 6-2 record. Three other teams: Orlando, Georgia and Tampa Bay also have 6-2 marks at the halfway point. The SaberCats will be looking for their sixth consecutive win and 18th straight at home when they host the winless Carolina Cobras on Friday, Mar. 28 at HP Pavilion. Game time is slated for 7:30 p.m. The SaberCats extended their streaks with a dramatic come-from-behind win over the Rattlers. James Roe made a circus catch in the endzone with no time left on the clock and Daron Alcorn added the game-clinching PAT as the SaberCats overcame a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to beat the Rattlers for the eighth time in nine meetings and even the all-time series at 10-10. For the first time this season Clevan Thomas did not record an interception and neither did the SaberCats, snapping a stretch of 13 straight games for San Jose with a pick. The Cobras will be making their first trip to San Jose for a regular season game; the teams played a preseason game in San Jose on March 29, 2002. The SaberCats won the only series meeting, 58-41, on July 21, 2002.


THE SCHEDULES:
2003 San Jose SaberCats (6-2)
Date Opponent Result Score
Feb. 2 @Arizona Won 49-28
Feb. 9 @Los Angeles Lost 72-73
Feb. 16 @Georgia Lost 49-51
Feb. 22 COLORADO Won 80-40
Mar. 2 @Las Vegas Won 72-37
Mar. 9 @Chicago Won 71-49
Mar. 14 BUFFALO Won 58-41
Mar. 23 ARIZONA Won 59-58
Ahead Opponent Time TV/Radio
Mar. 28 CAROLINA 7:30 pm KTCT
Apr. 6 @Dallas 9:00 am NBC, KTCT
Apr. 11 DETROIT 7:30 pm KTCT
Apr. 19 INDIANA 7:30 pm KTCT
Apr. 27 @Colorado 12:00 pm NBC, KTCT
May 3 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 pm KTCT
May 11 @Tampa Bay 12:00 pm NBC, KTCT
May 17 LOS ANGELES 7:30 pm KTCT


2003 Carolina Cobras (0-8)
Date Opponent Result Score
Jan. 31 @Tampa Bay Lost 20-60
Feb. 9 @Buffalo Lost 16-44
Feb. 14 DETROIT Lost 44-49
Feb. 21 ORLANDO Lost 42-70
Feb. 28 @Grand Rapids Lost 34-68
Mar. 9 LAS VEGAS Lost 41-51
Mar. 15 @Georgia Lost 37-45
Mar. 21 DALLAS Lost 43-47
Ahead Opponent Time (PT) TV
Mar. 28 @San Jose 7:30 pm
Apr. 4 @Los Angeles 7:30 pm
Apr. 11 TAMPA BAY 4:30 pm
Apr. 18 GEORGIA 4:30 pm
Apr. 26 @Arizona 7:00 pm
May 4 CHICAGO 12:00 pm NBC
May 11 @Orlando 12:00 pm NBC
May 16 NEW YORK 4:30 pm


THE SERIES:
The teams have met once with San Jose posting a 58-41 win in Raleigh, N.C. on July 21 in the 2002 regular season finale...With that victory, the SaberCats established a league record with 13 regular season wins...This game will be the first-ever regular season meeting between the teams in San Jose.


WHAT'S AHEAD
San Jose hits the road for a battle against the Desperados on Sunday, April 6. The national NBC telecast will begin at 9:00 a.m. (PT). Dallas, a Western Division rival of San Jose's last season, was moved to the Central Division for the 2003 campaign with the addition of Colorado. San Jose won both meetings with the first-year Dallas team in 2002.


SERIES NOTABLES:
San Jose OS Aaron Bailey played two seasons with Carolina before being acquired in an off-season trade. Bailey caught 4 passes for 48 yards and 2 TDs as a member of the Cobras in their 58-41 loss to San Jose last season...Clevan Thomas had a 57-yard KOR touchdown at Carolina last year giving him a league-best 6 for the season and tying a league record with 7 combined kick return scores...Carolina OL/DL Desmond Byrd is the only player on the Cobras roster (as of 3/21) that played against San Jose on July 21, 2002 in the regular season finale...Carolina OS Bernard Holmes had 11 receptions for 169 yards and 3 TDs as a Florida Bobcat in his last game against San Jose on June 30, 2001. In three games against the SaberCats he has 24 catches for 295 yards and 4 TDs.


LAST SERIES MEETING:
San Jose 58, Carolina 41 (Sunday, July 21, 2002 • Entertainment & Sports Arena) – San Jose quarterback John Dutton threw five touchdown passes and the SaberCats set an Arena Football League record for wins in a season with a 58-41 victory over the Carolina Cobras in the final regular season game. San Jose's 13 wins this season is the most-ever in the AFL. Six teams had won 12 games in a season, including the 2000 SaberCats squad. Dutton completed 17 of 25 passes for 214 yards in his first start since taking over as the team's starting quarterback following the loss of Mark Grieb to a fractured collarbone. Barry Wagner caught three of Dutton's five TD passes, including two straight to open the second half that gave San Jose a 37-26 cushion. San Jose outscored Carolina 34 to 15 in the second half. Dutton led the SaberCats to a touchdown on their first possession of the game following a Carolina score. James Hundon played the ball off the rebound nets to complete the 24-yard scoring play. Daron Alcorn's point-after gave San Jose a 7-6 lead. SaberCats' Rookie of the Year candidate Clevan Thomas returned a kickoff 57-yards for his league-leading sixth kickoff return touchdown of the year that gave San Jose a 14-9 lead after the opening quarter. Cobras QB John Fitzgerald, who completed 19 of 40 attempts for 275 yards, extended his string of consecutive attempts without being intercepted to 105 before Shalon Baker picked off a pass early in the fourth quarter. Bob McMillen scored on a 2-yard run on the ensuing San Jose possession for a 51-34 SaberCats lead. San Jose scored at least 50 points in every game this season and extended its streak of 50+ point regular season games to 20.


ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
July 21, 2002 San Jose 58, @Carolina 41


THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Carolina it would...
*Be San Jose's 18th straight home win.
*Be San Jose's 6th straight win on the year.
*Give San Jose a 7-2 season record.
*Give San Jose a 2-0 series edge over the Cobras.
*Give San Jose a 77-42 all-time regular season record.
*Give San Jose a 41-18 regular season home record.
*Give San Jose a 17-12 record vs Southern Division foes.
*Be San Jose's 6th straight home win over a Southern Division opponent.


THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 5th season
47-17 (.734) reg. season; 52-19 (.732) overall
1-0 (1.000) career vs. Carolina
Arbet became the 8th head coach in AFL history to win 50 games and the second fastest to reach the milestone with San Jose's win at Chicago on Mar. 9. Arbet reached 50 in his 69th game while Tim Marcum got win No. 50 in 63 games. Last season Arbet guided the SaberCats to the best regular season record (13-1) ever in league history, the most victories in a season (16) and the franchise's first league title. Arbet has compiled a 47-17 (.734) career mark in regular season games and currently owns the third-best regular season winning percentage in AFL history among coaches with at least 10 victories. Named AFL Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2002, Arbet's teams have gone 46-11 (.807) overall in the past four seasons. Spanning the 2000 and 2001 seasons, Arbet led the SaberCats to a league record 15-game regular season winning streak and twice in the last three years the SaberCats have had 12-game win streaks.


Carolina – Mike Hold, 1st season
0-8 (.000) reg. season and overall
0-0 career vs. San Jose
After two seasons as head coach of the af2 Augusta Stallions, Hold is making his AFL coaching debut with the Cobras in 2003 and currently owns an 0-8 (.000) record. Hold led the Stallions to a combined 22-10 record in his two years, including a 13-3 mark and playoff appearance in 2002. Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Hold spent 12 seasons as an AFL quarterback. He saw action for eight teams during his tenure and was the last remaining active player from the league's first season when he retired in 2000. Hold had training camp stints with the Denver Broncos (1986) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987, 88). He appeared in three games for Tampa Bay during the NFL strike in 1987. A 1985 graduate of the University of South Carolina, Hold led the Gamecocks to the school's only 10-win season in 1984 and earned MVP honors of the Gator Bowl. Despite playing only two seasons, he ranks seventh on the school's all-time passing yards list with 2,981 yards.


RECENT RESULTS:
James Roe made a circus catch in the endzone on the game's final play and Daron Alcorn converted the extra point to give the San Jose SaberCats a dramatic 59-58 win over the Arizona Rattlers for their fifth straight win on the year and 17th straight at home. Roe, the games MVP, had game-highs of 9 catches and 103 yards, but none bigger than his 6-yard reception as the horn sounded. Roe was hit by an Arizona defender on the initial touch knocking the ball into the air. He stuck with the play and pulled the ball in with one hand for the game winning score. San Jose QB Mark Grieb completed a season-high 23 passes for 289 yards and five scores and the SaberCats piled up 349 yards of total offense. The Rattlers took a 58-46 lead with 7:40 left in the fourth when QB Sherdrick Bonner tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to Orshawante Bryant. It was Bonner's eighth touchdown pass of the game and he completed 17 of 28 for 219 yards without an interception. San Jose pulled within six at 58-52 when Grieb found Jerry Reese in the corner of the endzone on a 12-yard scoring play with 3:07 left. Reese, playing his first game since last year's ArenaBowl, had eight catches for 82 yards and three TDs. The SaberCats gambled on the ensuing kickoff and it paid off when Barry Wagner recovered the on-sides kick. San Jose drove methodically down the field and Grieb found Roe in the back of the endzone to cap an 8-play, 38-yard drive. Alcorn, who missed five PATs last week in a win over Buffalo, and had three missed PATs during the game, drilled the game-winning point through the uprights to give San Jose it's fifth straight home win over Arizona and even the all-time series at 10-10. The game was a see-saw battle from the get-go with nine lead changes featured in the first half alone. Each team scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 1:36 of the half with Bonner finding Randy Gatewood on an 8-yard scoring play with seven seconds remaining for a 37-34 Arizona lead at the break. Keala Keanaaina rushed for a pair of scores in the final 96 seconds of the half on runs of 9 and 6 yards and finished with a career-high 43 yards for the game. With the win San Jose remains tied atop the Western Division standings with Los Angeles at 6-2.


ROSTER MOVES:San Jose adjusted its roster prior to the Arizona game and brought the number of players on the active roster to 24. WR/LB Jerry Reese, FB/LB James Williams and OL/DL Dan Loney were activated off IR to take the roster spots of Rashied Davis, Kevin Buck and Frank Beede. OL/DL Chuck Reed was also activated. San Jose had played the previous two games with 23 players on its active roster.


INJURY REPORT:
Outside the usual bumps and bruises associated with a professional football game, the SaberCats remain relatively healthy. Anthony Cobbs sustained a mild concussion and is listed as questionable for Carolina on Mar. 28.


MILESTONES:
*K Daron Alcorn needs 4 FGs for 100 career and 10 pts for 700 career.
*OS Aaron Bailey needs 2 TD catches for 40 career.
*FB Matt Kinsinger needs 28 rush yards for 200 career.
*WR/DB Barry Wagner needs 7 rush TDs for 100 career and 24.5 tackles for 600 career.
*DS Clevan Thomas needs 2 INTs to tie team season record and 3 to tie league season record.
*QB Mark Grieb needs 30 completions for 900 career; 249 yards for 12,000 career and 136 pass yards to move ahead of Ron Lopez into 14th place all-time.
*WR/LB James Roe needs 36 receptions for 200 career and 144 yards for 2,500 career.
*WR/LB Jerry Reese needs 10 receptions for 250 career and 45 yards for 3,500 career.


TALE OF THE TAPE:
The SaberCats lead the league in scoring at 63.8 ppg thanks in part to the league's top rated rushing unit. San Jose averages 37.9 ypg on the ground and has scored a league-best 26 rush TDs...San Jose has scored over 70 points in a game four times and its lowest point total in a game this season is 49...Carolina ranks last in scoring at 34.6 ppg and has yet to reach the 50-point mark in a game...San Jose leads the league with 17 INTs and a pass defense rating of 88.8, while Carolina QB's have thrown the second-most picks in the league (13).


2003 LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category SaberCats Cobras
Scoring Offense (Rank) 63.8 (1st) 34.6 (16th)
Scoring Defense 47.1 (7th) 54.2 (14th)
Total Offense 267.0 (11th) 215.0 (15th)
Total Defense 250.4 (4th) 271.8 (9th)
Pass Offense 229.1 (12th) 201.9 (15th)
Pass Defense 233.9 (3rd) 252.2 (10th)
Rushing Offense 37.9 (1st) 13.1 (11th)
Rushing Defense 16.5 (7th) 19.5 (14th)
Pass Rating 113.5 (8th) 92.1 (16th)
Pass Defense Rating 92.1 (1st) 118.6 (15th)
Interceptions 17 (1st) 5 (T-12th)
Kickoff Returns 17.8 (11th) 18.9 (9th)
Field Goal Returns 21.4 (6th) 12.3 (13th)
Turnover Margin +12 (1st) -7 (13th)
Sacks By 5 (T-13th) 3 (16th)
Sacks Against 4 (2nd) 17 (15th)


TRENDS:
HOME COOKING – The SaberCats extended their home winning streak to 17 straight with a 59-58 win over Arizona on Mar. 23. San Jose has also won 20 of their last 21 and 26 of their last 28 games played in HP Pavilion. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats own a 27-3 (.900) record at home and under Head Coach Darren Arbet, the SaberCats are 31-6 (.838) in games played in San Jose.


MARCH ON – With their 59-58 win over Arizona on Mar. 23, the SaberCats remain unbeaten at 4-0 for the month of March. This season is the first the team has played a regular season game in the month.


JUST WIN – In his career as a member of the SaberCats, Mark Grieb owns a 35-6 regular season record as the team's starting quarterback. He will be making his first career start against Carolina on Friday.


SCORING – Since the start of the 2002 season, San Jose has scored 50 or more points in 23 of 25 games. The two times the SaberCats failed to reach the half-century mark they put up 49 points. San Jose leads the league in scoring average this season at 63.8 ppg.


TAKE FOUR – The SaberCats were 0-for-4 on 3rd down conversion attempts against Arizona on Mar. 23, but they did convert all three of their 4th down attempts. San Jose has converted a league-best nine 4th down attempts and their 75 percent success rate on 4th down plays is tied for the best percentage in the league.


IRONMEN – WR/DB Barry Wagner has played in every game since joining the SaberCats for the 2000 season. His streak reached 50 when San Jose beat Arizona on Mar. 23...OL/DL Darrin Kenney has started every game at center since joining the team in 2001. His streak reached 36 straight regular season games last week.


YARD WORK – The SaberCats amassed a season-best 349 yards of total offense against Arizona in their 59-58 win on Mar. 23. It was the highest game total since June 1, 2002 when San Jose lit up Buffalo for 370 yards. The SaberCats are 5-0 on the year when racking up more total yards than the opposition.


PICKIN' IT – The SaberCats had their streak of seven straight games this season, and 13 straight (including playoffs) dating back to last season, with an interception snapped against Arizona on Mar. 23. Still the SaberCats lead the league with 17 picks on the year and are on pace for 34 on the season. The AFL record for INTs in a season is 29 set by Orlando in 1992.


SIMPLY RED ZONE – The SaberCats lead the league in red zone scoring efficiency at 97.2 percent having scored 35 of 36 times inside the opponents 10-yard line. San Jose's streak came to an end against Arizona when Jerry Reese fumbled a handoff from Mark Grieb through the back of the endzone from the Arizona 5-yard line. Carolina has allowed its opponent to score 35 of 36 times once inside the 10


BIG GEORGE – The return of OL/DL George Williams to the SaberCats means one thing – wins. Williams played in 12 regular season games and all three playoff contests last season and the team went unbeaten. Williams was activated off IR on Feb. 21 and the SaberCats are 5-0 since his return. San Jose now owns a 20-0 record with Williams in the lineup.


PAYDIRT – The SaberCats have had at least one rushing TD in all eight games and lead the league with 26 on the year. San Jose scored four times on the ground against Arizona, including two scores by Keala Keanaaina. The SaberCats are on pace for 52 rush TDs, which would shatter St. Louis' 1996 league record of 41, and make them league leaders for a fifth consecutive season. Twenty of San Jose's rush TDs have come during the team's current 5-game winning streak.


NOTES:
CLEVAN THE MAN – DS Clevan Thomas did not intercept a pass for the first game this season against Arizona on Mar. 23, but he owns the league record with a pick in 7 straight games and leads the circuit with 9. Thomas needs two INTs to match Tommy Jones' 1998 team record of 11 in a season and three to tie the league season record of 12. Only 13 players in the history of the league have had more INTs in a season than Thomas with Dameon Porter and Tracey Perkins leading the way with 12. Thomas ranks third on the SaberCats career INT list with 14 and trails only Jones (17) and Pat McGuirk (24) for the all-time lead.


SEASON INTERCEPTION LEADERS
INTs Player Team Year
12 Dameon Porter Chicago 2001
12 Tracey Perkins Tampa Bay 1997
11 Kenny McEntyre Orlando 2000
11 Tommy Jones San Jose 1998
11 Johnnie Harris Tampa Bay 1998
11 Corey Johnson Nashville 1998
11 David McLeod Albany 1996
11 Falanda Newton Cincinnati 1993
11 Tony Scott Orlando 1992
11 Durwood Roquemore Chicago 1988
10 Dameon Porter Chicago 2002
10 Kenny McEntyre Orlando 2001
10 Kevin Kaesviharn Iowa 2000


ON TARGET – During San Jose's current 5-game win streak, QB Mark Grieb has completed 70.4 percent (100-of-142) of his passes for 1,240 yards and 22 TDs. In the first three games of the season Grieb completed just 53.8 percent (43-of-80) of his passes for 601 yards. In the first quarter of the past five games, Grieb has combined to go 28-of-36 (77.8%) for 361 yards and six TDs. Grieb went 7-for-7 in the first quarter against Arizona on Mar. 23 and completed his first 11 passes. Coincidentally, the SaberCats have not trailed after the opening frame the last five weeks.


REESE'S PIECES – WR/LB Jerry Reese played his first game since last year's ArenaBowl and caught 8 passes for 82 yards and 3 TDs in San Jose's win over Arizona on Mar. 23. He started the game as the designated offensive specialist due to injuries sustained by Rashied Davis and Anthony Cobbs in the past few weeks. Currently the team‘s career leader in touchdown receptions, Reese increased his total to 76 with his trifecta.


PAPER OR PLASTIC – OL/DL Sam Hernandez, the league's career leader in quarterback sacks with 52.0, will be playing his first game against Carolina. During his illustrious career, Hernandez has been credited with at least one full sack against 20 teams and has 13 multiple sack games. Hernandez and teammates will be going against a Carolina offensive line that has allowed 17 sacks on the year, the second highest total in the league.


BAILEY – San Jose's Aaron Bailey will be playing his former team for the first time on Friday. Bailey spent two seasons with the Cobras (2001-02) and set virtually every pass receiving record for the team in his 19-game career. Bailey left the Cobras as the team's career leader in scoring (234), TDs (38), receptions (150), receiving yards (2,017), TD receptions (37) and 100-yard receiving games (9).


RUNNING MAN – Rookie FB/LB Keala Keanaaina continues to make a case for league Rookie of the Year. K.K. ran for a career-high 43 yards, the 4th-highest one game total in club history, on 7 carries and scored a pair of TDs in the SaberCats win over Arizona on Mar. 23. Keanaaina currently leads the league in rushing with 143 yards, a total that represents the 6th-highest season mark in team history, and it's only the halfway point in the season. At his current pace, Keanaaina would break Tom Petithomme's 1996 team record of 214 rush yards.


ROE, ROE, ROE – Not moving gently down the stream is WR/LB James Roe, who has emerged as the ‘go to guy' since OS James Hundon was put on IR. In three games with Hundon out of the lineup, Roe has caught 24 passes for 269 yards and eight TDs. Roe led all receivers with 9 catches and 103 yards in San Jose's 59-58 win over Arizona on Mar. 23. His biggest grab was a 6-yarder in the back of the endzone with no time left to knot the score at 58-58. Roe leads the team with 50 catches and 614 yards and is tied for the team lead with 14 TD grabs.


OPPOSING PLAYER TO WATCH:
OS BERNARD HOLMES: The Cobras offensive specialist has been on fire lately with five straight games of 200-plus all-purpose yards, including four games with over 250 all-purpose yards. In those five games, the 5-11 Holmes has averaged 265.2 all-purpose yards and had a career-high 180 yards receiving (erased his old career high of 169 at San Jose in 2001) against Las Vegas on Mar. 9. Holmes started his streak on Feb. 14 with a 272 all-purpose yard effort against Detroit. Against Georgia on Mar. 15, Holmes amassed the 3rd highest all-purpose yardage total in franchise history with 284 and also compiled the 4th highest total with a 283-yard game against Orlando on Feb. 21. Holmes did not play against Grand Rapids on Feb. 28. He currently ranks 5th in the AFL with 1,329 all-purpose yards (221.5 ypg).



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 26, 2003


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