Sports stats



San Jose SaberCats Game Notes

May 14, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Los Angeles Avengers (11-4) at SaberCats (11-4)
Date: Saturday, May 17, 2003.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (PDT).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Referee: Bill McCabe; Umpire: Doug Wilson; Head Linesman: Royce Cooley; Line Judge: Gary Cavaletto; Back Judge: Joe Duncan.
Television: The game will be televised live in the Bay Area on WB20 and tape-delayed on NBC11 at 1:00 a.m. Sunday. Bob Fitzgerald calls the play-by-play with Keena Turner supplying the color commentary.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will broadcast the game live with Barry Tompkins handling play-by-play chores and George Atkinson commentating.
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 series 5-2.
Last Meeting: Los Angeles 73, San Jose 72 (Feb. 9, 2003 in Los Angeles).
Series Streaks: Los Angeles Won 1.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (5th season; 52-19 regular season, 57-21 overall). Los Angeles, Ed Hodgkiss (2nd season; 19-10 regular season, 19-11 overall).

OVERVIEW: It's a showdown for the West. Plain and simple, when the SaberCats and Avengers do battle on Saturday, May 17, the winner not only claims the Western Division title but also, and more importantly, the top overall seed in the 2003 playoffs. The SaberCats will be looking for their fourth straight Division crown and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs for the second consecutive season and third time in the last four years. San Jose earned a first round playoff bye for the fourth straight season, the only team in league history to do so, with a 47-34 win over the previously top seeded Tampa Bay Storm on May 11. San Jose matched Los Angeles, Tampa Bay and Orlando with the best record in the AFL at 11-4. Clevan Thomas made a case for Defensive Player of the Year honors by matching a league record with his 12th interception of the season as the San Jose defense intercepted three passes and held the Storm to 219 yards of offense. San Jose has won five of the seven meetings with Los Angeles but the Avengers posted a 73-72 win on Feb. 9 in LA. The SaberCats have never lost to the Avengers in San Jose going 3-0.

THE SERIES: The SaberCats lead the all-time series 5-2, but the Avengers won the last meeting between the teams, 73-72, earlier this season on Feb. 9 in Los Angeles...The SaberCats are 3-0 against Los Angeles in games played in San Jose and have outscored the Avengers 208-99 in those games, twice posting 78 points, the sixth highest scoring output in team history...Los Angeles' two series wins have come be a combined four points while the SaberCats have won their five games by an average of 26.2 ppg...The SaberCats have never trailed in the three games played in San Jose and have outscored the Avengers 59-7 in the first quarter of those games.

SERIES NOTABLES: San Jose's point total in its 73-72 loss at Los Angeles on Feb. 9, was its largest ever in a defeat...In their four-year existence, the Avengers have allowed a team to score in the 70's four times and every time its been San Jose. The SaberCats have scored 78 points twice (5/27/00 and 5/11/02), 75 points (7/8/00) and 72 points (2/9/03)...San Jose has six interceptions in the last two series games with three being returned for scores. Clevan Thomas and Sam Hernandez scored on INT returns on Feb. 9, 2003 and Barry Wagner went the distance on June 8, 2002...San Jose has rushed for 269 yards (38.4 ypg) and 23 touchdowns (3.3 pg) in the seven series games...The two quarterback sacks recorded by Los Angeles on Feb. 9, were the first by the Avengers in the series. San Jose has out-sacked Los Angeles 14-2 in the seven games and tallied a team game record six against Los Angeles on May 27, 2000...Avengers' OS Chris Jackson became the first San Jose opponent to return the opening kickoff for a TD when he went 51 yards on June 8, 2002...The 147 combined points scored on July 8, 2000 and the 145 scored on Feb. 9 represent the second and third highest scoring games in SaberCats history. LAST SERIES MEETING: Los Angeles 73, San Jose 72 (Sunday, Feb. 9, 2003 • STAPLES Center) – Los Angeles quarterback Tony Graziani connected with Greg Hopkins on a game-winning two-point conversion with one second left in the game as the Avengers nipped the San Jose SaberCats, 73-72. Los Angeles scored a SaberCats opponent record 35 fourth quarter points and overcame a 20-point first half deficit to beat San Jose for just the second time in seven meetings. The SaberCats scored 28 consecutive points in the second quarter to build a 41-21 lead with 97 seconds left in the first half. Quarterback Mark Grieb connected with James Roe on a 19-yard scoring play a minute and a half into the second stanza to pull San Jose within 21-20. San Jose's defense then turned to the offensive. On Los Angeles' ensuing possession, Clevan Thomas intercepted an errant Graziani offering and returned the ball 28 yards for a score to give the SaberCats a 27-21 lead. Lineman Sam Hernandez got into the act on the Avengers' next possession. He stepped in front of a Graziani screen pass and went 23 yards the other way for another score to increase San Jose's bulge to 34-21. It was the fourth career interception for Hernandez and first returned for a touchdown. Thomas picked off another Graziani pass on the next Avenger possession setting up a Grieb to James Hundon 11-yard scoring play and giving the SaberCats a 41-21 lead. Grieb finished the day 16-of-22 for 290 yards with seven touchdowns. Hundon had five catches for 130 yards and four scores. Graziani threw three scoring passes in the fourth quarter and Chris Jackson added a fourth as Los Angeles pulled within 69-65 with just under a minute to play in regulation. San Jose recovered an onside kick but failed to gain a first down and settled for a 21-yard Daron Alcorn field goal to increase its lead to seven, 72-65, with :32 remaining. A 43-yard kick return by Kevin Ingram gave Los Angeles the ball at the San Jose 13-yard line with :26 left and four plays later Mathias Vavao bulled his way into the endzone from a yard out setting the stage for the dramatic two-point conversion. San Jose matched a team record with four interceptions in the game and the 72 points scored are the most in a SaberCats loss.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Result
Feb. 9, 2003 @Los Angeles 73, San Jose 72
June 8, 2002 San Jose 52, @Los Angeles 33
May 11, 2002 @San Jose 78, Los Angeles 44
June 2, 2001 @Los Angeles 47, San Jose 44
Apr. 14, 2001 @San Jose 52, Los Angeles 30
July 8, 2000 San Jose 75, @Los Angeles 72
May 27, 2000 @San Jose 78, Los Angeles 25

THE IFS...:

If the SaberCats defeat Los Angeles it would...
*Give San Jose the No. 1 seed for the 2003 playoffs.
*Give San Jose its 4th consecutive Western Division title.
*Be San Jose's 4th straight win.
*Give San Jose a 12-4 season record.
*Give San Jose a 6-2 series edge.
*Give San Jose an 82-44 all-time regular season record.
*Give San Jose a 44-19 regular season home record.
*Be San Jose's 15th straight home win over a Western Division opponent.

THE COACHES:

San Jose – Darren Arbet, 5th season 52-19 (.732) reg. season; 57-21 (.731) overall 5-2 (.714) career vs. Los Angeles

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 52-19 (.732) career mark in regular season games and currently owns the second-best regular season winning percentage in AFL history among coaches with at least 20 victories. Named AFL Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2002, Arbet's teams have gone 50-13 (.794) 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.

Coach Record Percentage
Tim Marcum 132-47 .737
Darren Arbet 52-19 .732
Perry Moss 75-28 .726
Danny White 109-50 .686
Pat Sperduto 27-15 .643

Los Angeles – Ed Hodgkiss, 2nd season 19-10 (.655) reg. season; 19-11 (.633) overall 1-2 (.333) career vs. San Jose

Hodgkiss guided the Avengers to a franchise-best 8-6 mark and the first postseason appearance in team history in his first year as head coach in 2002. He currently owns a 19-10 (.655) regular season record and is 19-11 (.633) overall. Considered an offensive mastermind, Hodgkiss spent three years (1999-01) as the Albany/Indiana Firebirds offensive coordinator. In 1999, the Firebirds led the league with a 58.7 per game scoring average and captured the ArenaBowl title.

RECENT RESULTS: The SaberCats secured a first round playoff bye and matched the Storm, Los Angeles Avengers and Orlando Predators for the best record in the Arena Football League with a 47-34 win over Tampa Bay. DS Clevan Thomas thwarted a second quarter Tampa Bay drive with his league-leading 12th interception of the season, which also tied the league season record, and returned the second half opening kickoff 57 yards for a score to lead the SaberCats. Barry Wagner scored on a 2-yard run early in the second quarter to break a scoreless tie and the SaberCats never trailed in beating the Storm for a third straight time. After Tampa Bay closed within 10-6 on a 39-yard John Kaleo to Freddie Solomon scoring play, the SaberCats took advantage of a wild play at the end of the half. Daron Alcorn misfired on a 28-yard field goal attempt and the ball caromed off the net with James Williams falling on it in Tampa Bay's endzone for a touchdown and a 17-6 lead at the break. Thomas, named the game's MVP, returned the opening kickoff of the second half for his fourth return score of the season increasing San Jose's lead to 24-6 lead. Kaleo connected again with Solomon on the first play of the ensuing drive, but Mark Grieb countered with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Bailey and George Williams rumbled 10-yards for a score after intercepting a Kaleo offering to give the SaberCats a 38-14 lead entering the final 15 minutes. After Tampa Bay got within 10 at 48-38, Wagner added his second rushing touchdown of the game and 18th of the season to boost the SaberCats' lead to 45-28 with under a minute to play in the game. San Jose's defense intercepted Kaleo three times and limited him to just 15 of 41 passing for 216 yards.

INJURY REPORT: Outside the usual bumps and bruises associated with a professional football game, the SaberCats emerged from their contest with Tampa Bay relatively healthy.

MILESTONES:

*K Daron Alcorn needs 1 FG for 100 career
*DS Clevan Thomas needs 1 INT for AFL season record
*OL/DL Sam Hernandez needs 1 sack for 55 career
*FB Matt Kinsinger needs 18 rush yards for 200 season
*OS James Hundon needs 1 TD catch to for team's career lead.
*WR Kevin McKenzie needs 195 receiving yards for 1,000 career
*WR James Roe needs 145 receiving yards for team season record
*DS Wendell Davis needs 2.0 tackles for 100 career
*WR/DB Barry Wagner needs 1 rush attempt for 300 career and 10 receptions for 900 career

TRENDS:

DOUBLE TROUBLE – The SaberCats posted their 10th win of the season against Grand Rapids on May 3 and have reached double figures in wins for a fourth consecutive season, the longest current streak in the AFL. The Arizona Rattlers own the league record of five straight seasons with 10 or more wins from 1996 to 2000.

HOME SWEET HOME – The SaberCats have won their last two home games and 20 of their last 21 since having their 18-game home win streak snapped by the Detroit Fury on Apr. 11. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats are an incredible 30-4 (.882) at home and under head coach Darren Arbet they are 34-7 (.829) in games played in San Jose.

PAYDIRT – San Jose has scored at least one rushing TD in all 15 games this year and twice matched a league game record with six. The SaberCats have already established a league season record with 46 rushing TDs on the year and seven different players have scored a rush TD, led by Barry Wagner with a league-leading 18. San Jose has scored at least one rush TD in all seven games against Los Angeles and has totaled 23.

JUST WIN – In his career as a member of the SaberCats, Mark Grieb owns a 40-8 (.833) regular season record as the team's starting quarterback. He is 4-1 all-time against Los Angeles with his only loss coming earlier this season in Los Angeles.

IN THE (RED) ZONE – The SaberCats lead the league in red zone scoring efficiency at 97 percent having scored 65 of 67 times once inside the opponents 10-yard line. The SaberCats were foiled in the red zone for just the second time all season when Barry Wagner was stopped short of the endzone at Tampa Bay on May 11. Still San Jose was 4-for-5 in red zone opportunities. The only other time San Jose failed to score inside the red zone was on Mar. 23 against Arizona when a fumbled handoff from the Rattlers 5-yard line dribbled out of the endzone.

40 SOMETHING – The SaberCats reached the 40-point mark for the 26th consecutive game (includes playoffs) in their 47-34 win at Tampa Bay on May 11. San Jose last failed to reach the 40-point mark on May 26, 2001 in a 59-35 loss to Orlando. San Jose is one of just three teams (Dallas, Grand Rapids) to eclipse the 40-point mark in every game this season.

MR. IRONMAN – The AFL might have to rename its Ironman award to the Barry Wagner award soon. Wagner was named the league's Ironman of the Month for April and earned game Ironman honors at Tampa Bay on May 11 for the fifth straight game.

NOTES:

WHAT'S THE POINT – With their 47 point effort at Tampa Bay on May 11, the SaberCats set a league record for most points scored in a season. San Jose upped its total to 919, surpassing the 2001 New York Dragons' mark of 898. The SaberCats lead the league in scoring average at 61.3 ppg and with 41 points against Los Angeles they would become the first team to average 60 or more points a game in three different seasons.

MAKING HIS MARK – The only team passing record Mark Grieb did not own was for pass attempts in a season. Done. Grieb threw 35 passes at Tampa Bay on May 11 to up his season total to 433, breaking Scott Wood's 1999 record of 422. Grieb also reached another career milestone by throwing his 1,000th completion, the 13th player in league history to do so. Grieb completed 14 passes for 185 yards and a TD in the win and did not throw an interception for the second straight game, extending his streak of attempts without a pick to 66. Grieb had already set team season records for pass completions (280) and yards (3,627) needs five TD passes to break his own 2002 record of 70.

CLEVAN THE MAN – Clevan Thomas matched the league season record for interceptions when he snared his 12th at Tampa Bay on May 11. Thomas has all his picks in just 13 games played and he set a league record with an INT in seven straight games at the start of the year. In the two games he missed with turf toe, opposing QBs threw for 588 yards (294 ypg) and 14 TDs completing 62.2 percent of their passes (51-of-82) without being intercepted. Since his return to the lineup three games ago, opposing QBs have a 48.1 completion percentage (50-of-104) for 729 yards (243 ypg) and 15 TDs with six interceptions. Thomas has an INT in each of the last three games and needs one to establish a new league record.

SEASON INTERCEPTION LEADERS
INTs Player Team Year
12 Clevan Thomas San Jose 2003
12 Dameon Porter Chicago 2001
12 Tracey Perkins Tampa Bay 1997

TOP RUSHERS – The SaberCats rushed for 15 yards and a pair of scores against Tampa Bay's top ranked rush defense in their 47-34 win on May 11. San Jose increased its season total to 572 yards, the 10th highest single-season total in league history and the most in a season since Orlando ran for 655 yards in 1997. The SaberCats have rushed for 30 or more yards in a game eight times this season with a league season-high of 86, the second highest one-game total in team history, at Colorado on Apr. 27. The SaberCats have rushed for 194 more yards on the year than second place Indiana (378) and are on their way to leading the league for a second straight season.

MOST RUSH YARDS (SEASON)
Rush Yds Team Year
747 Columbus ThunderBolts 1991
721 Milwaukee Mustangs 1996
655 Orlando Predators 1997
612 Tampa Bay Storm 1991
606 Cleveland ThunderBolts 1994
600 Denver Dynamite 1991
600 Orlando Predators 1996
592 Cleveland ThunderBolts 1992
589 Milwaukee Mustangs 1997
572 San Jose SaberCats 2003

HAPPY RETURNS – Clevan Thomas took the opening kickoff of the second half 57-yards for a TD at Tampa Bay on May 11, his fourth kickoff return TD of the season and 10th of his career. The return gave the SaberCats a league-leading seven kickoff return TDs on the season with four different players accounting for the total. Barry Wagner and lineman Brian Johnson each returned an onside kick attempt for scores and Kevin McKenzie scampered 52 yards with a kickoff against Indiana. Los Angeles, on the other hand, is the only team in the league to not have a kickoff return TD on the year. The Avengers do, however, have three TDs on kickoff returns against the SaberCats. Anthony Rice went 55 yards on July 8, 2000, Chad Dukes took a KO 56 yards on May 11, 2002 and Chris Jackson went 51 yards on June 8, 2002.

INTERCEPTORS – The SaberCats picked off three John Kaleo offerings at Tampa Bay on May 11 to increase their season total to 24 and taking over the league lead. Clevan Thomas, Barry Wagner and George Williams all had interceptions with Williams taking his 10-yards for a TD. It was the 1st career pick for Williams and the 7th INT returned for a score by the SaberCats, also a league-best. Thomas tied Tommy Jones for second on the team's career list with his 17th pick and Wagner had his 13th career INT as a SaberCat to rank fourth, behind Pat McGuirk's total of 24.

SCORE A PAIR – WR/DB Barry Wagner has scored twice on the ground in each of the last five games to increase his league-leading total to 18. Wagner moved past Chad Dukes and his own 1997 mark of 17 with two scores in a win at Tampa Bay on May 11, to gain sole possession of the 4th highest single-season rushing TD total in league history. Wags also upped his career rush TD total to 107 with 38 coming as a member of the SaberCats. Wagner sits in second place on the team's career rush TD chart and trails Steve Papin by five for the career lead.

RUSH TDs, SEASON
Rush TD Player, Team Year
26 Bernard Hall, St. Louis 1996
21 Barry Wagner, Orlando 1995
20 Broderick Sargent, Detroit 1993
18 Barry Wagner, San Jose 2003
17 Chad Dukes, Albany 1997
17 Barry Wagner, Orlando 1997

RUNNING MEN – San Jose's FB duo of Keala Keanaaina and Matt Kinsinger rank first and third respectively in the league in rushing. Kinsinger ran for 10 yards on four carries at Tampa Bay on May 11 to increase his season total to 182, the 4th highest total in team history. Keanaaina was inactive for the Tampa Bay game, but still leads the league with 243 yards, the 15th highest in league history. The two have combined to run for 425 yards, which is more than any other team in the league. Should Kinsinger pass Arizona's Bo Kelly for second place, he trails by seven yards, he and Keanaaina would become the third set of teammates to finish first and second in rush yards. Orlando's Rick Hamilton and Connell Maynor were the last to do it in 2000.

GET YOUR KICKS – Two of the top kickers in the league face off against one another in this contest. San Jose's Daron Alcorn, currently the 3rd leading scoring among kickers in the AFL, has already established a new league record with 126 PAT attempts and with two successful PATs will also have the season record in that category. Los Angeles' Remy Hamilton is 2nd in kick scoring with 143 points and is close behind Alcorn having converted 104-of-113 PAT attempts. Alcorn reached the 700-point mark in career kick points in Week 10 and currently has 749 points while Hamilton has 727 career kick points. They are two of just five kickers in league history to surpass the 700-point plateau.

SABERCATS CAREER vs. LOS ANGELES:

QB MARK GRIEB – Grieb has played in six games against LA making five starts and has completed 62.9 percent (95-of-151) of his passes for 1,388 yards and 27 TDs with just three INTs. Earlier this season Grieb was 16-of-22 for 290 yards with seven TDs and an INT in a 73-72 loss at Los Angeles on Feb. 9.

WR/LB JAMES ROE – The SaberCats leading receiver has 22 career catches in five games against LA for 323 yards and eight TDs. Roe added another TD on a net recovery off a kickoff on May 27, 2000.

OS JAMES HUNDON – Exactly one half of Jhun's 14 career receptions against the Avengers have gone for TDs. Hundon has 247 receiving yards and seven TDs in three games against LA, but he got the seven scores in two games. Hundon had four TDs among his five grabs for 130 yards at Los Angeles on Feb. 9 this year and had three TDs and 94 yards on six catches on May 11, 2002.

LOS ANGELES PLAYERS TO WATCH:

QB TONY GRAZIANI – He ranks in the top 10 in virtually every passing stat category and leads the league in yards per attempt (8.7) and is tied in TD passes (92). Graziani has thrown just 11 INTs in 466 attempts this year, but four of those came against San Jose on Feb. 9. In three career games against San Jose, Graziani has completed 54.2 percent of his passes (58-of-107) for 672 yards (6.3 ypa) with 12 TDs and six INTs. Three of his INTs have been returned for TDs with two coming last time the teams met on Feb. 9.

OS CHRIS JACKSON – The only remaining member from the Avengers first season, Jackson has caught a TD pass in all but two of his 48 career games. One was last week against Colorado and the other came on June 8, 2002 against the SaberCats. San Jose held Jackson to just 24 yards on six catches in that game. One of the most explosive offensive players in the game, Jackson leads the league in receiving yards (1,676) and ranks second in TD catches (45), receptions (114) and yards per game (111.7). But against San Jose he has been held in check. In five career games against the SaberCats, Jackson has 29 catches for 313 yards (62.6 ypg) and seven TDs. One other dimension to Jackson's game is his ability to pass. He has completed all three of his pass attempts this year with all resulting in TDs. He tossed a 5-yard TD pass to Kevin Ingram in Los Angeles' 73-72 win over San Jose on Feb. 9, 2003.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 14, 2003


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.

Other Recent San Jose SaberCats Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central