San Jose SaberCats game notes

Published on February 24, 2004 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: Grand Rapids Rampage (0-3) at SaberCats (2-0).
Date: Saturday, February 28, 2004.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (PST).
Site: HP Pavilion at San Jose (14,041).
Officials: Perry Havener (Referee), Tom Laverty (Umpire), Roger McMinn (Head Linesman), David Meslow (Line Judge), Dino Paganelli (Back Judge).
Television: There is no local television for this game.
Radio: San Jose's flagship station KNBR-1050 will broadcast the game live with Grant Napear handling play-by-play duties and Keena Turner supplying the color commentary. The home opener also marks the first extended pregame show live from HP Pavilion. Tim Liotta and George Atkinson host the show from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of the game.
Series Record: San Jose leads 5-0.
Last Meeting: San Jose 56, Grand Rapids 55 (May 3, 2003 in San Jose).
Series Streaks: San Jose Won 5.
Season Streaks: San Jose Won 2; Grand Rapids Lost 3.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (6th season; 55-19 regular season, 61-22 overall). Grand Rapids, Bob Cortese (3rd season; 12-19 regular season, 13-20 overall).

OVERVIEW: The SaberCats showed no signs of rust after a 16-day lay off as they went into STAPLES Center on Feb. 22 and beat the Los Angeles Avengers, 61-55, in an early season battle for Western Division supremacy. Former San Jose State star Rashied Davis tied a team game record by returning two kickoffs for scores and Mark Grieb completed 18-of-21 passes for 207 yards and six TDs as the SaberCats scored every time they had the ball, with the exception of their final possession as they ran out the clock. The SaberCats now prepare for their home opener against the winless Grand Rapids Rampage on Saturday, February 28. For the second consecutive season the SaberCats will be the last team in the AFL to play a home game. San Jose has won its last five home openers, all under head coach Darren Arbet, and is 6-3 all-time in openers at HP Pavilion. The SaberCats have won their first two games of the year on the road for just the second time in franchise history and look to start the season with a 3-0 mark for the first time since 2002. San Jose set a league record that year by winning its first 11 games and captured the league championship. The SaberCats have never lost to Grand Rapids posting a 5-0 all-time record, including a 3-0 mark at home.

THE SCHEDULES:
2004 San Jose SaberCats (2-0)
Game Opponent Result Score
Feb. 5 @Detroit Won 58-43
Feb. 22 @Los Angeles Won 61-55
Game Opponent Time Radio/TV
Feb. 28 GRAND RAPIDS 7:30 pm 1050
Mar. 7 @New York 9:00 am 1050/NBC
Mar. 14 COLORADO 5:00 pm 1050
Mar. 20 LAS VEGAS 7:30 pm 1050
Mar. 26 LOS ANGELES 7:30 pm 1050
Apr. 4 @Tampa Bay 9:00 am 1050/NBC
Apr. 10 @Dallas 5:30 pm 1050/WB
Apr. 16 CHICAGO 7:30 pm 1050
Apr. 25 @Georgia 9:00 am 1050/NBC
May 1 NEW ORLEANS 7:30 pm 1050
May 9 @Arizona 12:00 pm 1050/NBC
May 16 @Las Vegas 12:00 pm 1050/NBC
May 22 PHILADELPHIA 7:30 pm 1050
May 30 ARIZONA 1:00 pm 1050/NBC

2004 Grand Rapids Rampage (0-3)
Game Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 @ Chicago Lost 30-50
Feb. 14 COLORADO Lost 37-55
Feb. 22 LAS VEGAS Lost 14-51
Game Opponent Time (PT) TV
Feb. 28 @ San Jose 7:30 pm
Mar. 6 @ Dallas 5:30 pm
Mar. 14 LOS ANGELES 9:00 am NBC
Mar. 26 @ Indiana 4:30 pm
Apr. 4 ARIZONA 12:00 pm
Apr. 10 @ Detroit 4:30 pm
Apr. 17 INDIANA 4:30 pm
Apr. 23 @ Colorado 6:00 pm
May 1 AUSTIN 4:30 pm
May 8 CHICAGO 4:30 pm
May 14 @ Columbus 4:00 pm
May 22 @ Carolina 4:30 pm
May 29 DETROIT 4:30 pm

THE SERIES: The SaberCats lead the all-time series 5-0 and are 3-0 in games at HP Pavilion...Two of San Jose's series wins have come in the final seconds – Carlos Huerta booted a 36-yard field goal as time expired to give San Jose a 54-53 win on April 24, 1999 and Mark Grieb threw a TD pass to James Roe and then bootlegged the 2-point conversion for a 56-55 win on May 3, 2003.

WHAT'S AHEAD: Following Saturday's game the SaberCats hit the road once again to battle the New York Dragons and former head coach Todd Shell in an NBC game on Sunday, March 7. San Jose then plays its next three games at home against Colorado (Mar. 14), Las Vegas (Mar. 20) and Los Angeles (Mar. 26).

SERIES NOTABLES: Grand Rapids set a San Jose opponent record by attempting five 2-point conversions on June 17, 2000 – the record has since been tied by Orlando (5/17/02)...San Jose has not converted a 2-point conversion since their game-winner against Grand Rapids on May 3, 2003...Two of San Jose's five wins over Grand Rapids have come in the final seconds. San Jose eked out a 54-53 win on a last second Carlos Huerta field goal on April 24, 1999 and a Mark Grieb TD pass and 2-point conversion run gave San Jose a 56-55 win on May 3, 2003...The SaberCats shutout the Rampage in the second half of their first ever meeting (5/23/98), just the second time in team history they have blanked an opponent in a half. The SaberCats held Iowa without a point in the second half of their game on June 24, 1995...The SaberCats defeated Grand Rapids twice in a 12-day span during their AFL record 11-game win streak to close out the 2000 season.

LAST SERIES MEETING: San Jose 56, Grand Rapids 55 • Saturday, May 3, 2003 • HP Pavilion –
Mark Grieb threw a 9-yard scoring pass to James Roe with four seconds left in regulation, then ran for the 2-point conversion to give the SaberCats a come-from-behind 56-55 win over Grand Rapids. Grieb's last second TD pass was his sixth of the game and second to Roe. Grieb completed 21-of-31 attempts for 251 yards to earn game MVP honors. Clint Dolezel tossed his seventh scoring pass of the game, a 3-yard strike to Terrill Shaw, to give Grand Rapids a 55-48 lead with 34 seconds left. Kevin McKenzie got San Jose within striking distance for the game-winner by returning the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to the Rampage 9. Grieb connected with Roe two plays later. Grieb faked a handoff to McKenzie on the PAT and ran into the corner of the endzone untouched for the game-winning points. San Jose struck first when Grieb connected with James Hundon on a 22-yard pass play just 55 seconds into the game. Hundon had three TD catches to match Jerry Reese as the team's career leader with 76. Grand Rapids tied the game on its first possession when Dolezel hit Shaw on a 23-yard scoring play. The game was tied 14-14 after the first quarter, 21-21 at half and 35-35 entering the fourth quarter. San Jose DS Clevan Thomas tied the team record for interceptions in a season when he pilfered his league-leading 11th of the campaign in the second quarter. Barry Wagner, named Ironman of the Month by the AFL earlier in the week, ran for two scores, caught four passes for 42 yards and tallied a team-high 5.0 tackles to earn his fourth straight Ironman of the Game honor. Wagner upped his league-leading rushing touchdown total to 16. The SaberCats rushed for 35 yards on the night increasing their season total to 557, the 10th highest single-season total in league history.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
May 3, 2003 @San Jose 56, Grand Rapids 55
June 29, 2000 San Jose 52, @Grand Rapids 32
June 17, 2000 @San Jose 68, Grand Rapids 45
April 24, 1999 San Jose 54, @Grand Rapids 53
May 23, 1998 @San Jose 49, Grand Rapids 20

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Grand Rapids it would...
*Be San Jose's 6th straight home opening win
*Be San Jose's 6th straight win over the Rampage
*Give San Jose a 3-0 season record
*Give San Jose a 6-0 series advantage
*Give San Jose an 85-44 all-time regular season record
*Give San Jose a 45-19 all-time reg. season home record

THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 6th season
55-19 (.743) reg. season; 61-22 (.735) overall
4-0 (1.000) career vs. Grand Rapids
Now in his sixth season at the helm of the SaberCats, Darren Arbet owns the highest regular season winning percentage (.740) in league history among coaches with at least 20 victories and his 61 career wins rank him 8th in league annals. Named AFL Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2002, Arbet has guided the SaberCats to four straight double-digit win seasons – the longest current streak in league history – and his teams have compiled a 49-11 (.817) regular season record since the start of the 2000 campaign. Under his direction the SaberCats have set league records for most regular season wins (13 – 2002), most wins in a season (16- 2002), most consecutive wins in a regular season (12 – 2002), most wins to end a season (11 – 2000) and the longest regular season win streak (15 – 2000-01). Arbet's first career victory came at Grand Rapids on April 24, 1999.

Grand Rapids – Bob Cortese, 3rd season
12-19 (.387) reg. season; 13-20 (.394) overall
1-4 (.200) career vs. San Jose
Bob Cortese is in his first season as head coach of the Rampage and third overall in the AFL. Cortese currently owns a 12-19 (.387) regular season record after posting a 12-16 mark in two seasons (2000-01) as the Oklahoma Wranglers head coach. A veteran coach with over 30 years of experience, he amassed 244 wins at the high school and collegiate levels. An assistant with the Portland Forest Dragons with current SaberCats defensive coordinator Michael Church, Cortese moved with the team when it relocated to Oklahoma City in 2000. Cortese joined the af2's Wichita Stealth in 2002 as director of football operations and offensive coordinator. He became head coach prior to the 2003 season and went 4-3 before resigning for personal reasons. Cortese was the head coach of the Oklahoma Wranglers when the SaberCats defeated them 63-40 on Aug. 4, 2000 for their first ever postseason win.

RECENT RESULTS: SABERCATS KNOCK OFF AVENGERS 61-55 – Rashied Davis returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and Mark Grieb threw for 207 yards and six touchdowns to lead the SaberCats to a 61-55 victory over the Los Angeles Avengers in Arena Football League action on Feb. 22 at STAPLES Center. The teams traded touchdowns on each of their first three possessions with Davis, the Army Ironman of the Game, scoring his first TD on a 57-yard kickoff return to pull San Jose within 21-20 early in the second quarter. Following a 25-yard Remy Hamilton field goal that gave the Avengers a four point lead, Barry Wagner scored his 109th career rushing touchdown with nine seconds left in the half gave the SaberCats their first lead of the game at 27-24. Hamilton nailed his second field goal of the half, a 47-yarder as time expired, to tie the game at 27-27 at the break. The teams traded scores again to start the second half before Davis struck again. The San Jose State product tied a SaberCats game record when he again scampered 57-yards for his second kick return score of the game to stake San Jose to a 40-34 lead. San Jose came up with a big defensive stop on Los Angeles' next possession forcing a turnover on downs and the offense turned it into a touchdown. Albrey Battle hauled in his first career reception for a 14-yard touchdown and the SaberCats went up 47-34. San Jose recovered two onside kick attempts late in the game to preserve the win. The SaberCats scored every time they had the ball with the exception of their final possession when they ran out the clock. Grieb completed 18-of-21 attempts for the SaberCats throwing three scoring passes to James Roe and two to James Hundon. Tony Graziani was 20-of-40 for 289 yards and seven touchdowns in Los Angeles' first loss of the season. Chris Jackson caught seven balls for 138 yards and three scores while Joe Douglas added eight receptions for 104 yards and a pair of scores.

ABOUT THE RAMPAGE: The Rampage have been on a steady decline since going 14-3 and winning the ArenaBowl title in 2001. In 2002 they posted an 8-7 overall mark, including a first-round playoff loss to Carolina. Last season, after a strong start, the team lost its last six games, including a playoff defeat at the hands of the Detroit Fury. With three losses to open the 2004 campaign, the Rampage have lost nine straight games and during the current winless skid has allowed 536 points, an average of 59.6 ppg allowed. The SaberCats, meanwhile, lead the league in 2004 scoring an average of 59.5 ppg...Grand Rapids tied a team record for fewest points scored in its 51-14 loss to Las Vegas on Feb. 22.

ROSTER MOVES: The SaberCats activated FB/LB Keala Keanaaina and OL/DL George Williams prior to their game at Los Angeles on Feb. 22. San Jose also signed former San Jose State players Jerry Reese and Charles Pauley to its practice squad and signed former Arizona Rattler OL/DL Sebastian Barrie. Barrie was then placed on injured reserve.

RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
Feb. 13 Signed OL/DL Sebastian Barrie
Feb. 16 Placed OL/DL Sebastian Barrie on IR
Feb. 17 Signed WR/LB Jerry Reese to practice squad
Feb. 18 Signed WR/DB Charles Pauley to practice squad
Feb. 20 Activated FB/LB Keala Keanaaina and OL/DL George Williams off IR. Placed WR/DB Vaughn Jarrett and FB/LB Tupo Tuupo on IR

INJURY REPORT: San Jose again escaped with no major injuries. Both FB/LB Kevin Buck and OL/DL Albrey Battle sustained minor joint problems, but the injuries do not appear to threaten their ability to play on Feb. 28.

INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Brian Johnson ITB syndrome Probable
Kevin Buck Shoulder contusion Probable
Albrey Battle Ankle sprain Probable

MILESTONES:
*The SaberCats need 10 wins for 100 overall in franchise history.
*OL/DL Joe Jacobs needs 2.5 sacks for 30 career.
*DS Clevan Thomas needs 2 INTs for 20 career.
*WR/DB Barry Wagner needs 4 catches for 900 career and 5 catches for 250 in SJ career.
*WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder needs 7 receiving yards for 8,000 career
*OL/DL Chuck Reed needs 2.5 sacks for 25 career.
*OS James Hundon needs a TD catch for one in 20 straight games.

TRENDS:
HOME OPENERS – For the second straight season the SaberCats are the last team in the AFL to play a home game. After playing twice on the road with an off week in between, San Jose finally gets some home cooking when the Rampage invade HP Pavilion on Feb. 28. The SaberCats have won their last five home openers outscoring the opposition 315-188 (+127) in those games. San Jose is 6-3 all-time in their first game of the season at home.

HOME SWEET HOME – Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats have been particularly hard to beat on their home turf. The team owns a 26-3 (.897) record in regular season games and is 32-5 (.865) overall.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK – Of the six years the SaberCats have won their home opener, they've reached the playoffs five times. The only time San Jose failed to qualify for postseason play after winning their first home game was in 1999. The team defeated Portland, 79-51, on May 8 but ended the campaign with a 6-8 record.

BALL SECURITY – Turnovers are the key to most football games and the San Jose/Grand Rapids series is no exception. The SaberCats have forced 12 turnovers against the Rampage, while turning the ball over themselves only three times for a +9 rating.

THE SIXTIES – San Jose's 61-55 win at Los Angeles on Feb. 22 marked the 37th time in franchise history the team has scored 60 or more points in a regular season game. The win upped the SaberCats all-time record to 33-4 when hitting the 60-point mark.

JUST WIN – In 51 career regular season starts as a member of the SaberCats, quarterback Mark Grieb owns a 43-8 (.843) record.

3's THE CHARM – While San Jose and Grand Rapids have kept things close in the first half of their five meetings (SJ 107 points – GR 101 points), the SaberCats typically pull away in the third quarter. San Jose has outscored the Rampage 90-32 in the third quarter – a 58-point margin – never scoring fewer than two touchdowns and shutting out Grand Rapids on two occasions. The SaberCats have outscored Grand Rapids 172-104 overall in the second half – a 68-point margin.

KEEP IT LEGAL – Yellow hankies are a common sight for the SaberCats against the Rampage. In San Jose's last three games against Grand Rapids, the SaberCats have averaged 13.7 penalties for 67.3 yards. San Jose was flagged 11 times in last May's 56-55 victory and twice hit the 15-penalty mark in their two games against the Rampage in 2000.
SCORING MACHINE – The SaberCats scored a touchdown every time they had the ball, with the exception of their last possession when they ran out the clock, in their 61-55 win at Los Angeles on Feb. 22. San Jose had six TD passes from Mark Grieb and a rush TD from Barry Wagner to score on its frst seven offensive possessions and added a pair of kickoff return TDs from Rashied Davis to account for the teams nine scores.

NOTES:
RUN, RASHIED, RUN – Rashied Davis is making up for lost time. The former San Jose State star, who played only four games last season before sustaining a broken leg, has been a key figure in the SaberCats 2-0 start. Davis tied a team record with two kickoff return TDs, the first of his brief career, when he returned a pair 57-yards at Los Angeles on Feb. 22. He amassed a career-best 153 KOR yards on just four returns and leads the league with an average of 31.1 yards per return. Davis tied the team record held by Steve Papin and Clevan Thomas, who did it twice, and has just 10 kickoff returns in his career.

TOP CAT – San Jose head coach Darren Arbet has posted a 55-19 record in career regular season games, and currently owns the highest winning percentage among coaches who have coached in 25 games. The top 10 is listed below. (* - active coaches)

No Coach Record Winning %
1. Darren Arbet* 55-19 .743
2. Tim Marcum* 134-49 .732
3. Perry Moss 75-28-1 .726
4. Danny White* 111-52 .681
5. Ed Hodgkiss* 21-12 .636
6. Pat Sperduto 25-15 .625
7. John Hufnagel 17-11 .607
8. Jay Gruden* 35-23 .603
9. Mike Dailey* 60-43 .583
10. John Gregory 66-48 .579

PAPER OR PLASTIC – Sam Hernandez, the AFL's all-time leader in QB sacks, tallied the 56th of his career and second of the season at Los Angeles on Feb. 22 when he got to QB Tony Graziani in the third quarter. In five career games against Grand Rapids, Hernandez has totaled 5.0 sacks, the third-most against any team, and has at least one in four of the five games. Sam registered a 2-sack game at Grand Rapids on April 24, 1999.

BATTLE FIELD – OL/DL Albrey Battle made his first career reception a memorable one as he scampered 14 yards for a TD on a tight end middle screen at Los Angeles on Feb. 22. The last TE to score a touchdown for San Jose was George Williams, who went 27 yards for a TD vs Indiana on July 5, 2002. Ironically, Battle replaced Williams on the line a few plays prior to the scoring toss.

CLEVAN THE MAN – Two-time ADT Defensive Player-of-the-Year Clevan Thomas is still in search of that elusive first interception of the season. He did have a pick nullified by a penalty at Los Angeles on Feb. 22 and another deflected ball bounced out of his hands. Thomas did have a game-high 5.5 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and a PBU in the 61-55 win. In his only game against the Rampage, Thomas collected an endzone interception of a Clint Dolezel offering to help the SaberCats post a dramatic 56-55 win on May 3, 2003. Thomas still needs six picks to tie Pat McGuirk's team record of 24.

TEAM CAREER INT LEADERS
Rank Player INTs
1. Pat McGuirk 24
2. Clevan Thomas 18
3. Tommy Jones 17
4. Barry Wagner 15
5. Herschel Currie 10

WINNING TRADITION – After setting a league record for most regular season wins in 2002 with 13, the SaberCats once again topped the AFL with 12 victories last season and have opened the 2004 campaign with a pair of wins. San Jose has posted a double-digit regular season win total in each of the last four years – the longest current streak in league history and the second longest ever. Arizona had five straight double-digit win seasons from 1996-00. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats own a league-best 49-11 regular season record. Arizona (42) is the only other team to exceed 40 wins in the same time frame. Below is a look at the records of teams since the 2000 season.

Team Record Pct.
San Jose SaberCats 49-11 .817
Arizona Rattlers 42-19 .689
Orlando Predators 38-22 .633
Tampa Bay Storm 37-24 .607
Nashville/Georgia Force 34-27 .557
Grand Rapids Rampage 33-28 .541
Albany/Indiana Firebirds 31-29 .517
Iowa/New York Dragons 29-32 .475
Los Angeles Avengers 29-32 .475
New Jersey/Las Vegas Gladiators 24-37 .393
Buffalo/Columbus Destroyers 23-38 .377
Carolina Cobras 18-43 .295

THE JAMES GANG – James Roe led all San Jose receivers with 7 receptions and James Hundon placed second with 5 in the SaberCats 61-55 win at Los Angeles on Feb. 22. Dating back to last season the two have finished either first or second on the team in receptions in the last 10 games they have played together. On three different occasions during those 10 games the two both reached double figures in catches. The last time ‘The James Gang' wasn't 1-2 on the team in receptions was on Feb. 16, 2003 when Barry Wagner and Roe tied for the team lead with six catches. The pair hasn't had much exposure to Grand Rapids during their careers, but what little they've seen, they've enjoyed. The two combined for 15 receptions, 179 yards and five touchdowns in their only game against the Rampage last May in San Jose. Hundon did his damage in the first three quarters, hauling in three TD passes from QB Mark Grieb, while Roe took over in the fourth with two scoring catches to put the SaberCats in position to pull out a 56-55 victory.

FANTASTIC FINISHES – Of San Jose's five wins against Grand Rapids, two have come in last-second fashion. Twice the SaberCats have pulled out a victory with less than five seconds remaining. Carlos Huerta booted a 36-yard field goal with one second on the clock to beat the Rampage 54-53 on April 24, 1999 in Grand Rapids. After throwing a nine-yard scoring pass to James Roe to bring San Jose within one point of the Rampage, quarterback Mark Grieb ran the two-point conversion in himself with four seconds remaining to seal a 56-55 victory on
May 3, 2003 at HP Pavilion.

GOOD GRIEB! – The return of a healthy Mark Grieb could mean trouble to the rest of the AFL. Grieb completed 18-of-21 passes for 207 yards and 6 TDs in San Jose's win at Los Angeles on Feb. 22, and for the second straight game he did not throw an INT. His completion percentage of 85.7 broke his own game record (min. 20 attempts) of 83.3 which he established last season. On the season Grieb leads the AFL with a passer rating of 143.2. In three career games against Grand Rapids, Grieb has completed 61-of-83 passes (73.5%) for 710 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has never thrown fewer than five touchdown passes in any of the three contests.

TOUCHDOWN MAKERS – Three of the top five TD scorers in team history are battling for position in 2004. OS James Hundon became the 4th player in team history to score 80 career TDs when he tallied twice at Los Angeles on Feb. 22. JHun moved into sole possession of the fourth spot breaking a tie with Jerry Reese. James Roe scored three times to inch closer to second place Barry Wagner, who scored his 92nd career TD as a SaberCat. They all trail Steve Papin, who scored 126 times in his SaberCats career, for the top spot on the chart.

CAREER LEADERS IN TOUCHDOWNS SCORED
Rank Player TDs Scored
1. Steve Papin 126
2. Barry Wagner 92
3. James Roe 84
4. James Hundon 81
5. Jerry Reese 79

WHAT A CATCH – James Roe's team-high seven receptions at Los Angeles on Feb. 22 raised his career total to 241 moving him past Jerry Reese into 3rd place all-time on the SaberCats list. Roe, who set a team record with 115 catches last season, trails Barry Wagner by four catches for 2nd place and has a shot to become the team's career leader this season. Below is a look at the SaberCats' career reception leaders.

CAREER LEADERS IN RECEPTIONS
Rank Player Recpts
1. Steve Papin 326
2. Barry Wagner 245
3. James Roe 241
4. Jerry Reese 240
5. James Hundon 232

CENTRAL SUCCESS – San Jose's 58-43 win over Detroit on February 5th gave the SaberCats a .667 winning percentage (22-11) against the AFL's Central Division, tying them with the South (16–8, .667) for the Division San Jose has had the most success. A win against Grand Rapids would put the Central Division in the lead at 23-11 (.676). San Jose's win in Detroit also improved the SaberCats' road record against the Central Division to 13-6 (.684) – the team's best road record against any Division.

FANTASTIC FINISHES – Of San Jose's five wins against Grand Rapids, two have come in last-second fashion. Twice the SaberCats have pulled out a victory with less than five seconds remaining. Carlos Huerta booted a 36-yard field goal with one second on the clock to beat the Rampage 54-53 on April 24, 1999 in Grand Rapids. After throwing a nine-yard scoring pass to James Roe to bring San Jose within one point of the Rampage, quarterback Mark Grieb ran the two-point conversion in himself with four seconds remaining to seal a 56-55 victory on
May 3, 2003 at HP Pavilion.

SAN JOSE PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FB/LB KEALA KEANAAINA – Back from a nagging ankle injury, the league's leading rusher last season is ready to play. K.K. saw his first action of the season at Los Angeles on Feb. 22 and rushed for a game-high 10 yards on four carries. Keanaaina has rushed for 10 or more yards 10 times in 16 regular season games played and the SaberCats have an 8-2 record in those games.

K DAN FRANTZ – Taking over the kicking chores from Daron Alcorn, the club's career kick scoring, Frantz has been steady if not spectacular after his first two AFL games. Having to adjust to the narrower goal posts after two camp stints with the NFL's Washington Redskins, Frantz has converted 14-of-17 PATs (82.4%) on the season. At Los Angeles on Feb. 22, the rookie had to deal with a variety of snaps and placements and hit seven of his nine PATs.

GRAND RAPIDS PLAYERS TO WATCH:
OS STEVE SMITH – The Rampage's primary scoring threat is coming off career-highs in receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns and all-purpose yardage in 2003. He has 13 receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns for Grand Rapids so far in 2004 with a pair of kickoff return scores. Smith is tied with San Jose's Rashied Davis and Columbus' Sedrick Robinson for the league lead. Smith led the Rampage with six catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns in the previous game against San Jose on May 3, 2003 at HP Pavilion. Also last season he averaged 25.5 yards on 21 kick returns with three returns for scores. During his four-year career he has recorded 185 receptions for 2,139 yards and 56 TDs.

WR/DB ALVIN ASHLEY – Signed on Feb. 3, 2004, the 10-year AFL veteran has a history with San Jose. Ashley has played six games against San Jose with four different teams and has totaled 35 catches for 471 yards and six TDs. Currently the third leading receiver on the Rampage with 9 receptions for 61 yards and a TD, Ashley had a career night as a member of the New Jersey Red Dogs against San Jose on June 27, 1997. In that game he caught 9 balls for 114 yards and a TD, added 61 yards on four kick returns and intercepted two passes to earn game MVP honors in a 24-22 win.






BABY RUTH OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Detroit (Feb. 5) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@Los Angeles (Feb. 22) OS Joe Douglass, Los Angeles
GRND RAPIDS (Feb. 28)
@New York (Mar. 7)
COLORADO (Mar. 14)
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20)
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26)
@Tampa Bay (Apr. 4)
@Dallas (Apr. 10)
CHICAGO (Apr. 16)
@Georgia (Apr. 25)
NEW ORLEANS (May 1)
@Arizona (May 9)
@Las Vegas (May 16)
PHILADELPHIA (May 22)
ARIZONA (May 30)

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Detroit (Feb. 5) DS Omarr Smith, San Jose
@Los Angeles (Feb. 22) OL/DL Sam Hernandez, San Jose
GRND RAPIDS (Feb. 28)
@New York (Mar. 7)
COLORADO (Mar. 14)
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20)
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26)
@Tampa Bay (Apr. 4)
@Dallas (Apr. 10)
CHICAGO (Apr. 16)
@Georgia (Apr. 25)
NEW ORLEANS (May 1)
@Arizona (May 9)
@Las Vegas (May 16)
PHILADELPHIA (May 22)
ARIZONA (May 30)

ARMY IRONMAN OF THE GAME:
Opponent (Date) Player
@Detroit (Feb. 5) FB/LB Cameron Chance, Detroit
@Los Angeles (Feb. 22) WR/DB Rashied Davis, San Jose
GRND RAPIDS (Feb. 28)
@New York (Mar. 7)
COLORADO (Mar. 14)
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20)
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26)
@Tampa Bay (Apr. 4)
@Dallas (Apr. 10)
CHICAGO (Apr. 16)
@Georgia (Apr. 25)
NEW ORLEANS (May 1)
@Arizona (May 9)
@Las Vegas (May 16)
PHILADELPHIA (May 22)
ARIZONA (May 30)



THE SABERCATS RECORD WHEN...:

Scoring Allowing
0 - 9 points 0-0 0-0
10-19 points 0-0 0-0
20-29 points 0-0 0-0
30-39 points 0-0 0-0
40-49 points 0-0 1-0
50-59 points 1-0 1-0
60-69 points 1-0 0-0
70-79 points 0-0 0-0
80+ points 0-0 0-0

Games decided
by 7 or fewer points 1-0

Leading after the 1st 0-0
Trailing after the 1st 1-0
Tied after the 1st 1-0

Leading at Half 1-0
Trailing at Half 0-0
Tied at Half 1-0

Leading after the 3rd 2-0
Trailing after the 3rd 0-0
Tied after the 3rd 0-0

Scoring First 0-0
Opp. Score First 2-0

More Total Offense 0-0
Less Total Offense 2-0

More Pass Yards 0-0
Less Pass Yards 2-0

More Rushing Yards 2-0
Less Rushing Yards 0-0

Thursday games 1-0
Friday games 0-0
Saturday games 0-0
Sunday games 1-0

On NBC 1-0
WB20 1-0

Outscoring Opponent 2-0
Being Outscored 0-0

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 24, 2004


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