Sports stats

San Jose SaberCats game notes

March 30, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release


THE QUICK FACTS:
Game: SaberCats (6-1) at Tampa Bay Storm (3-5).
Date: Sunday, April 4, 2004.
Kickoff: 9:00 a.m. (PT).
Site: St. Pete Times Forum (20,280).
Officials: Perry Havener (Referee); Tom Laverty (Umpire); Rusty Spindel (Head Linesman); R.G. Detillier (Line Judge); Jim Anderson (Back Judge).
Television: NBC regional telecast with Bob Papa (play-by-play) and Ray Bentley (commentary).
Radio: The game will be broadcast live on San Jose's flagship radio station KNBR 1050 with Bob Fitzgerald calling the play-by-play and George Atkinson supplying the color commentary.
SaberCats Sideline Report: SSR returns and can be seen on NBC11 every Sunday at 11:50 p.m. Host Bob Fitzgerald brings fans up to date on the SaberCats in this action-packed 8-minute segment.
Internet: Log on to www.KNBR.com to hear a live webcast of the game.
Series Record: Tampa Bay leads 5-3.
Last Meeting: San Jose 47, Tampa Bay 34 (May 11, 2003 in Tampa, Fla.).
Series Streaks: San Jose Won 3.
Season Streaks: San Jose Won 3, Tampa Bay Won 1.
Coaches: San Jose, Darren Arbet (6th season; 59-20 regular season, 65-23 overall). Tampa Bay, Tim Marcum (16th season; 136-52 regular season, 161-60 overall).


OVERVIEW: The past two ArenaBowl champs get together on Sunday, April 4 when the SaberCats visit the Tampa Bay Storm at 9:00 a.m. (PT) in a regionally televised NBC game. San Jose won ArenaBowl XVI in 2002 and the Storm won AB XVII last season with both clubs defeating Arizona. This game also begins a stretch of five of the next seven games on the road for San Jose. The SaberCats overcame a 14-point first half deficit to stretch their winning streak to three games in a 55-52 win over Los Angeles on Mar. 26. Mark Grieb became the 12th quarterback in AFL history to throw 300 career TD passes when he struck for six in the win. Grieb increased his career total to 304 and moved ahead of former SaberCat Mike Pawlawski (303) into 11th place on the all-time list. James Roe earned Ironman of the game honors after catching a season-high tying 10 balls for 100 yards and 2 TDs and returning an interception 7-yards for a score. Tampa Bay broke a 3-game losing streak with a 53-24 win over Georgia on Mar. 27 to avoid its worst record after eight games in team history. Tampa Bay leads the all-time series over San Jose 5-3, but the SaberCats have won the last three games, including two straight in Tampa, Fla.

THE SCHEDULES:
2004 San Jose SaberCats (6-1)
Game Opponent Result Score
Feb. 5 @Detroit Won 58-43
Feb. 22 @Los Angeles Won 61-55
Feb. 28 GRAND RAPIDS Won 62-31
Mar. 7 @New York Lost 50-64
Mar. 14 COLORADO Won 55-35
Mar. 20 LAS VEGAS Won 79-62
Mar. 26 LOS ANGELES Won 55-52
Game Opponent Time Radio/TV
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 Tampa Bay Storm (3-5)
Game Opponent Result Score
Feb. 8 ORLANDO Won 41-52
Feb. 13 GEORGIA Lost 70-62
Feb. 22 @ Austin Lost 48-56
Feb. 29 PHILADELPHIA Won 37-40
Mar. 7 @ New Orleans Lost 43-55
Mar. 14 NEW YORK Lost 40-35
Mar. 21 @ Carolina Lost 43-54
Mar. 27 @ Georgia Won 53-24
Game Opponent Time (PT) TV
Apr. 4 SAN JOSE 9:00 am NBC
Apr. 11 @ Chicago 12:00 pm NBC
Apr. 18 AUSTIN 12:00 pm NBC
Apr. 25 @ Columbus 9:00 am NBC
May 2 @ Orlando 12:00 am NBC
May 9 LOS ANGELES 12:00 pm NBC
May 23 NEW ORLEANS 12:00 pm NBC
May 30 @ Dallas 1:00 pm NBC

THE SERIES: Tampa Bay leads the all-time series 5-3, but the SaberCats have won the last three games, including two straight in Tampa...The teams have split the four games played in Fla., with the Storm claiming a playoff victory in 1998...This will be the third straight regular season game between the teams played in Tampa, San Jose defeated the Storm in a quarterfinal playoff game in San Jose on Aug. 3, 2002.

WHAT'S AHEAD: The SaberCats end their two-game road trip with a visit to Dallas on Saturday, April 10 then return home on Friday, April 16 to battle the Chicago Rush in San Jose's only home game in the month of April.


SERIES NOTABLES: San Jose is 2-4 in regular season meetings with the Storm - their worst winning percentage (.333) against a team they've faced at least 6 times...DS Omarr Smith set a career-high with 8.5 total tackles against Tampa 4/27/02...San Jose set a team record for fewest rushing yards (-4) vs Tampa Bay on 8/2/97...Tampa Bay scored a team-high 30 third quarter points at San Jose on Aug. 2, 1997...George Williams returned his first career INT for a 10 yard touchdown at Tampa Bay last season...Tampa Bay tied a San Jose opponent record by converting two 2-point PATs on May 11, 2003...The SaberCats scored a touchdown on a net recovery off their own missed field goal for the first time in franchise history at Tampa Bay last season...San Jose led the league in scoring last year with an average of 60.4 points per game yet scored only 47 points against Tampa on May 11, 2003.

LAST SERIES MEETING: San Jose 47, TAMPA BAY 34 • Sunday, May 11, 2003 • St. Pete Times Forum – 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.

Score By Quarters
SaberCats................................ 0 17 21 9 – 47
Storm...................................... 0 6 8 20 – 34

SCORING SUMMARY
Tm Scoring Play
SAN Wagner 2 run (Alcorn kick)
SAN FG Alcorn 28
TBY Solomon 39 pass from Kaleo (Kratz kick failed)
SAN J.Williams 0 net recovery (Alcorn kick)
SAN Thomas 57 kickoff return (Alcorn kick)
TBY Solomon 41 pass from Kaleo (Dell pass)
SAN Bailey 10 pass from Grieb (Alcorn kick)
SAN G.Williams 10 interception return (Alcorn kick)
TBY White 1 run (Tolliver pass)
TBY Samuels 35 pass from Kaleo (Kaleo pass failed)
SAN Wagner 1 run (Alcorn kick)
TBY Dell 3 pass from Kaleo (Kaleo pass intercepted)
SAN McKenzie PAT return

INDIVIDUAL STASTICS
Passing: SAN - Grieb 14-35-0-185. TBY - Kaleo 15-41-3 216.
Rushing: SAN - Kinsinger 4-10; Wagner 7-8; J.Williams 1-(-3). TBY - White 4-3.
Receiving: SAN - McKenzie 4-38; Bailey 4-20; Wagner 3- 65; Roe 2-27; Cobbs 1-35. TBY - Samuels 4-62; Solomon 3-91; Dell 3-25; Saunders 3-18; Toliver 2-20.
Kick Returns: SAN - Thomas 3-104; Bailey 1-16. TBY - Solomon 4-94; Toliver 3-78.

ALL-TIME SERIES SCORES
Date Score
May 11, 2003 San Jose 47, @Tampa Bay 34
Aug. 3, 2002 @San Jose 55, Tampa Bay 48 (po)
April 27, 2002 San Jose 61, @Tampa Bay 54
July 24, 1999 Tampa Bay 52, @San Jose 48
Aug. 8, 1998 @Tampa Bay 65, San Jose 46 (po)
May 1, 1998 Tampa Bay 45, @San Jose 23
Aug. 2, 1997 Tampa Bay 58, @San Jose 34
June 1, 1996 @Tampa Bay 36, San Jose 22

THE IFS...:
If the SaberCats defeat Tampa Bay it would...
*Give them a 4-game winning streak.
*Give them a 7-1 season record.
*Break their 1-game road losing streak.
*Be their 4th straight win over the Storm.
*Give them their 4th win in 9 series games with Tampa.
*Give them an 89-45 all-time regular season record.
*Give them a 41-26 all-time regular season road record.

THE COACHES:
San Jose – Darren Arbet, 6th season
59-20 (.747) reg. season; 65-23 (.739) overall
3-1 (.750) career vs. Tampa Bay
Now in his sixth season at the helm of the SaberCats, Darren Arbet owns the highest regular season winning percentage (.747) in league history among coaches with at least 20 victories and his 65 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 53-12 (.815) 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).

Tampa Bay – Tim Marcum, 10th season
136-52 (.723) reg. season; 161-60 (.729) overall
5-3 (.625) career vs. San Jose
Legendary AFL head coach Tim Marcum is in his 10th season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Storm and his 16th overall as an AFL head coach. A charter member of the Arena Football League Hall of Fame, Marcum is the winningest head coach in Arena Football history with 136 regular season wins and 161 total. He enters 2004 having won seven ArenaBowl championships and has coached in ten of the league's 17 ArenaBowls. Marcum is the only coach in Arena Football history to lead three different teams to ArenaBowl championships (Denver, Detroit, and Tampa Bay). A two-time recipient of the AFL Coach of the Year Award (1987 and 1998), Marcum was the first coach in AFL history to win more than 100 games and has missed out in playing for the league championship only five times in his career. His teams have also advanced to the postseason in every year he has coached. Marcum owns a 104-43 overall record in Tampa Bay and his teams have earned nine straight playoff berths, winning three championships.

RECENT RESULTS: SAN JOSE 55, Los Angeles 52 – San Jose quarterback Mark Grieb completed the game deciding 18-yard touchdown pass to Fred Coleman with 4:03 remaining in the game to lift the SaberCats (6-1) to a 55-52 win over Los Angeles (4-3) on Mar. 26. Grieb, named the Offensive Player of the Game, went 19-of-28 for 230 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. Los Angeles struck first on a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tony Graziani to Kevin Ingram. Graziani finished the game 24 of 36 for 232 yards with five touchdowns. Game Ironman James Roe came up with the big plays to help San Jose overcome a 14-point first half deficit. He caught a pair touchdown passes in the second quarter to keep San Jose close and finished the game with 10 catches for 100 yards and two scores. Roe intercepted a Graziani pass early in the third quarter and returned it 7-yards for a touchdown to give San Jose its first lead of the game, 35-31. Graziani had thrown 210 passes without an interception this season. Grieb's 10-yard scoring pass to Roe early in the second quarter brought San Jose within 21-14 and was the 300th career scoring pass of his career. Grieb joined 11 other QBs in AFL history with over 300 career scoring tosses. Los Angeles capitalized on a Grieb fumble in the first quarter to build a 21-7 lead. Silas DeMary sacked and forced the fumble in the San Jose endzone, which was recovered by Josh Jeffries for the touchdown. The two sacks and one forced fumble by DeMary earned him the defensive player of the game. With San Jose leading 52-45, Sam Hernandez sacked Graziani and forced a fumble that was recovered by George Williams with :52 seconds left in the game. The fumble recovery allowed SaberCat kicker Dan Frantz to assure the victory with a field goal and a 55-45 lead. Los Angeles scored the final touchdown on a Graziani 5-yard run with :02 left. The SaberCats swept the season series and now lead the all-time series with Los Angeles 8-2. The Cats are 5-0 against the Avengers at home.

ABOUT THE STORM: Tampa Bay's 3-5 record matches its worst after eight games in team history. The Storm went 3-5 in both 2000 and 2002 but qualified for the playoffs in each of those seasons...The Tampa Bay franchise has reached the postseason in every year of its existence. The team played four seasons in Pittsburgh (Gladiators) before moving to Tampa in 1991.

ROSTER MOVES: The SaberCats resigned DS Omarr Smith on Mar. 24 and also signed veteran WR/LB Shalon Baker to the practice squad on Mar. 25. Baker.
RECENT ROSTER MOVES
Date Action
Mar. 9 Placed WR/LB Jerry Reese and WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder on IR.
Mar. 11 Signed WR/DB Charles Pauley from practice squad. Signed WR/DB DeVon Banks to practice squad.
Mar. 12 Signed DS Art Smith to practice squad.
Mar. 13 Placed DS Clevan Thomas on IR. Activated DS Wendell Davis from IR.
Mar. 19 Activated FB/LB Kevin Buck from IR. Placed FB/LB Brian Johnson on IR

INJURY REPORT
Player Injury Status
Frank Beede Cervical sprain Probable
Chuck Reed Ankle sprain Probable
George Williams Hand contusion Probable

MILESTONES:
*The SaberCats need 6 wins for 100 overall in franchise history.
*OL/DL Joe Jacobs needs 1.5 sacks for 30 career.
*WR/DB Barry Wagner needs 3 receiving yards for 12,500 career and 4 TDs for 100 in SJ career
*OL/DL Chuck Reed needs 2.5 sacks for 25 career.
*QB Mark Grieb needs 16 TD passes for 300 in San Jose career.
*WR/LB James Roe needs 7 TDs for 100 career.
*OS James Hundon needs 29 receiving yards for 4,000 and 11 TD receptions for 100 career.
*FB/LB Matt Kinsinger needs 10 rush yards for 300 in San Jose career.
*FB/LB Keala Keanaaina needs 6 rush yards for 300 career.
*DS Omarr Smith needs 3 INTs for 20 career and 1 INT for 10 in San Jose career.

2004 LEAGUE TEAM RANKINGS
Category SaberCats Storm
Scoring Offense (Rank) 60.0 (1st) 47.0 (12th)
Scoring Defense 48.9 (11th) 47.1 (7th)
Total Offense 249.7 (12th) 262.4 (7th)
Total Defense 291.9 (19th) 221.5 (1st)
Pass Offense 228.0 (12th) 247.9 (5th)
Pass Defense 284.1 (19th) 208.5 (1st)
Rushing Offense 21.7 (7th) 14.5 (15th)
Rushing Defense 7.7 (1st) 13.0 (3rd)
Pass Rating 136.5 (1st) 96.8 (16th)
Pass Defense Rating 103.8 (6th) 95.8 (3rd)
Interceptions 7 (T-4th) 7 (T-4th)
Turnover Margin +7 (T-4th) +1 (9th)
Kickoff Return Avg. 25.3 (1st) 16.3 (15th)
Field Goal Return Avg. 12.7 (14th) 14.2 (13th)
Sacks By 6 (T-8th) 11 (T-4th)
Sacks Against 12 (T-16th) 5 (T-6th)

TRENDS:
ON THE ROAD AGAIN – After winning three straight home games, the SaberCats take to the road where they have posted a 2-1 record this year. Since the start of the 2000 season the SaberCats have posted a 23-9 (.719) record in regular season road games. They went 6-1 on the road in both 2000 and 2002, had a 4-3 record in 2001 and went 5-3 last season. The team is 40-26 (.606) all-time in regular season road games.

HALF CENTURY – The SaberCats have reached the 50-point mark in every game this season and they are the only team in the league to do so. San Jose eclipsed the half century mark in its 55-52 win over Los Angeles on Mar. 26 and leads the AFL in scoring at 60 ppg.

END OF THREE – The SaberCats outscored Los Angeles 21-7 in the third quarter of their game Mar. 26 to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit and keep their season-long streak of leading after three quarters intact. San Jose holds a 106 to 76 scoring advantage over the opposition in the third stanza.

THE RING'S THE THING – Facing the AFL's defending ArenaBowl Champion has previously been a tough road for the SaberCats. San Jose has never beaten the defending champ in seven attempts during their ten-year history.

Year Def. Champ Result(s)
1995 Arizona Lost, 37-43 (5/12)Lost, 40-41 (8/6)
1996 Tampa Bay Lost, 22-36 (6/1)
1997 Tampa Bay Lost, 34-58 (8/2)
1998 Arizona Lost, 43-62 (5/9)Lost, 26-48 (6/6)
1999 Orlando DNP
2000 Albany DNP
2001 Orlando Lost, 35-59 (5/26)
2002 Grand Rapids DNP
2003 San Jose
2004 Tampa Bay ????????

RUSH TD STREAK ENDS – The SaberCats failed to score a rushing TD against Los Angeles on Mar. 26, breaking a string of 23 straight regular season games with at least one rush TD. The last time San Jose failed to score on the ground was on July 12, 2002 in Arizona.

JUST WIN – San Jose's win over Los Angeles on Mar. 26 gave Mark Grieb a career record of 47-9 (.839) in 56 regular season starts as the SaberCats' QB.

CREAM OF THE CROP – Sunday's game against the Storm will feature six players named to the 2003 All-Arena first and second teams. San Jose brings FB/LB Keala Keanaaina, WR/DB Barry Wagner, DS Clevan Thomas (on IR), OL/DL Sam Hernandez and DS Omarr Smith (who made the team as a member of the Storm before returning to San Jose). Tampa counters with WR/LB Lawrence Samuels. The two squads also combined to put four players - James Roe, Thomas, B.J. Cohen and Samuels - on the 2003 All-Ironman team.

HOME (NOT-SO) SWEET HOME – Home field advantage has played little of a role in the SaberCats-Storm series. San Jose has lost all three of their regular season meetings at HP Pavilion against the Storm, who in turn, have lost two of three regular season games against the SaberCats in Tampa. The two teams have split two playoff games with both teams, ironically, winning at home.

NOTES:
GREAT GRIEB – Mark Grieb joined some elite company with his six TD performance against Los Angeles on Mar. 26. Grieb became the 12th quarterback in AFL history to throw 300 TD passes in a career when he tossed a 10-yard strike to James Roe early in the second quarter of San Jose's 55-52 win. Grieb even moved into 11th place on the list when he threw career TD pass No. 304 to Fred Coleman with 4:03 left in the game. Grieb moved ahead of Mike Pawlawski (303).

Rank Player TD Passes
1. Aaron Garcia, New York 585
Andy Kelly, Detroit 585
3. Sherdrick Bonner Arizona 567
4. Clint Dolezel, Las Vegas 528
5. Todd Hammell, Philadelphia 396
6. Jay Gruden 392
7. John Kaleo, Austin 386
8. Mike Perez 341
9. Fred McNair 340
10. Rickey Foggie, Carolina 305
11. Mark Grieb, San Jose 304
12. Mike Pawlawski 303

MERCI BEAU COUP – K Dan Frantz had a perfect night in San Jose's 55-52 win over Los Angeles on Mar. 26. Frantz converted all 7 PATs and was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts. His first FG, a 29-yarder, came midway through the fourth quarter and tied the game at 45-45. He added a 19-yard FG late to give San Jose a 10-point lead; rendering a last second LA score meaningless. The rookie from Portland State leads the AFL in PAT attempts (59) and makes (51) and is tied for 3rd in kick scoring with 66 points. He has converted 15 consecutive PATs and has made his last 4 field goals.

TALE OF TWO STREAKS – The SaberCats have scored nearly as many points against Tampa Bay in their three series wins than in their five losses. San Jose has scored 163 points in its victories (54.3 ppg) while totaling just 173 in its defeats (34.6 ppg). The SaberCats have outscored Tampa Bay 163-136 in their wins while being outscored 256-173 in their losses.

ROE, ROE, ROE – James Roe came up with the big plays in San Jose's 55-52 win over Los Angeles on Mar. 26. Named Ironman of the Game, Roe had a season-high tying 10 receptions for 100 yards and 2 TD, but it was his 1st interception of the season that turned the game around. Roe leaped high in he air to stab a Tony Graziani offering early in the third quarter and returned it 7-yards for a score that gave San Jose its first lead of the game, 35-31. Graziani had thrown 210 passes without a pick before that play. It was the 6th career INT for Roe and the 4th returned for a score, tying him with Clevan Thomas for the team's career lead.

PAPER OR PLASTIC – Sam Hernandez, the AFL's career leader in sacks, added another to his total against Los Angeles on Mar. 26. Hernandez got to Tony Graziani late in the game forcing a fumble that was recovered by George Williams leading to a San Jose field goal. It was the 57th career sack for Hernandez and his 3rd of the season, giving him 11 straight years with at least 3.0 sacks. He is also San Jose's career leader with a total of 33.5 in a SaberCats uniform. Hernandez posted a career-high 6 solo tackles against the Storm on 6/15/96 while playing for the Anaheim Piranhas and has recorded more sacks against the Storm (six) than any other AFL franchise.

THE RUNNING MEN – FBs Keala Keanaaina and Matt Kinsinger are racing to become the 5th player in team history to hit the 300-mark in career rushing yards. Kinsinger actually eclipsed the 300 mark (303) with 6 yards against L.A. on Mar. 26, but 13 of those came in his rookie season of 2001 with Houston. He currently has 290 in his San Jose career. Keanaaina ran for 5 yards last week to up his total to 294. The two have nearly identical stats on the season with Kinsinger leading the team with 48 rush yards and KK close behind with 44. They each have carried the ball 19 times.

CAREER RUSHING YARDAGE LEADERS
Rank Player Rush Yds
1. Derrick Chachere 442
2. Tom Petithomme 400
3. Mike Jones 328
4. Steve Papin 326
5. Joey Dozier 295
6. Keala Keanaaina 294
7. Matt Kinsinger 290

RETURN THREAT – Rashied Davis tallied 83 yards on four kickoff returns against L.A. on Mar. 26, but failed in his bid to make team history. For the first time in three games Davis did not return a KO for a score leaving him tied with Steve Papin as the only players in team history to have a KOR score in consecutive games. Davis continues to lead the league in yards per KO return (29.2) and KOR touchdowns (4).

RETURN TO THE BAY – DS Omarr Smith returns to Tampa, where he won a second ArenaBowl title last season as a member of the Storm. Smith was a second-team all-league pick in 2003 and finished second to Clevan Thomas in ADT Defensive Player of the Year voting. Back with the SaberCats in 2004, Smith leads the team in interceptions (3), pass breakups (10) and tackles (34.0). He leads the AFL with 13 passes defended and is tied for 2nd in the league with his 3 picks. In his career as a SaberCat, Smith has 9 INTs and needs just one to move into the top five in the all-time category.

CAREER INTERCEPTION LEADERS
Rnk Player INTs
1. Pat McGuirk 24
2. Clevan Thomas 19
3. Tommy Jones 17
4. Barry Wagner 16
5. Herschel Currie 10
6. Omarr Smith 9

THE 900 CLUB – After having his streak of 111 consecutive regular season games with a reception snapped against Colorado on Mar. 14 and going without a catch in two of the last three games, WR/DB Barry Wagner remains in 2nd place on the AFL's all-time receptions list and needs just 3 receiving yards to reach 12,500 for his career. Wagner remains with a career reception total of 906 and is only the second player in AFL history with more than 900 career catches. Wags still trails former Albany/Indiana Firebird Eddie Brown, who remains as the league's career leader with 949.

AFL CAREER RECEPTION LEADERS
Rak Player Career Recpts
1. Eddie Brown 949
2. Barry Wagner 906
3. Gary Compton 736
4. Hunkie Cooper 743
5. Daryl Hammond 698

THE JAMES GANG – James Hundon and James Roe continue to battle for the top spot on San Jose's career chart for receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions. Roe matched a season-high with 10 catches, the 8th 10-plus reception game of his career, for 100 yards and a pair of scores against L.A. on Mar. 26. Roe widened the gap between himself and Hundon for 2nd place and moved within 54 receptions of tying Steve Papin for the team's all-time lead. Jhun meanwhile, moved ahead of Barry Wagner into 3rd place on the list with his 3 catches. For the second time in three games Wagner was held without a catch. Hundon needs just 29 receiving yards to become the 2nd player in team history with 4,000 receiving yards while Roe needs 336 to reach 4,000.

CAREER LEADERS IN RECEPTIONS
Rank Player Recpts
1. Steve Papin 326
2. James Roe 272
3. James Hundon 257
4. Barry Wagner 255
5. Jerry Reese 243

CAREER LEADERS IN RECEIVING YARDS
Rank Player Rcv Yards
1. Steve Papin 4,282
2. James Hundon 3,971
3. James Roe 3,664
4. Jerry Reese 3,485
5. Shalon Baker 3,058

CAREER LEADERS IN TD RECEPTIONS
Rank Player Rcv TDs
1. James Hundon 89
2. James Roe 85
3. Jerry Reese 76
4. Steve Papin 65
5. Shalon Baker 55

GREAT GRIEB! – How do you post a passer rating of 132.4 in a game and have your overall rating go down? If you're Mark Grieb, that's how. Grieb's passer rating against Los Angeles on Mar. 26 was actually his lowest rating in three weeks and dropped his season rating from 142.0 to 140.4. Grieb completed 19-of-28 for 230 yards and six TDs without throwing an INT against the Avengers and has now thrown 77 straight passes since his last INT. In San Jose's six wins this season, Grieb has thrown just 28 incomplete passes and has a percentage of 77.6 (97-of-125) for 1,318 yards and 29 TDs. Both of his INTs this season came in San Jose's loss at New York on Mar. 7. Grieb leads the circuit in completion percentage (75.7) and passer rating (140.4). No QB in league history, with a minimum of 200 attempts, has finished a campaign with a percentage over 70.

TOUCHDOWN MAKERS – James Roe is making a push to become the 2nd player in team history to score 100 TDs. Roe had a pair of receiving scores and added another on an INT return to up his career total to 93, leaving him three behind Barry Wagner for 2nd place on the team's chart. James Hundon added one to increase his amount to 89 while Wagner was held off the score sheet. They all trail Steve Papin, who totaled 126 TDs in his career.

CAREER LEADERS IN TOUCHDOWNS SCORED
Rank Player TDs Scored
1. Steve Papin 126
2. Barry Wagner 96
3. James Roe 93
4. James Hundon 89
5. Jerry Reese 79

TAMPA BAY PLAYERS TO WATCH:
WR/LB LAWRENCE SAMUELS – The MVP and Ironman of ArenaBowl XVII last season, Samuels is the first player in league history to win both honors. He leads the Storm in 2004 with 51 receptions for 616 yards and has also posted an INT and 2 FFs. During his 10-year career, Samuels has been a force against the SaberCats. In six regular season games against San Jose, Samuels has 36 receptions for 375 yards and 7 TDs. He has also recorded 10 tackles (8 solo) with a pair of breakups and has twice won Ironman of the Game honors. In Tampa Bay's 2002 playoff loss to San Jose, Samuels caught 3 balls for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns and added 2 solo tackles. Samuels continues to improve each year, setting career highs in six categories last season.

QB SHANE STAFFORD – Returns to the Storm after competing in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores in 2003. Stafford faced the SaberCats twice during the 2002 season, once in the regular season and once in the post season with Tampa Bay losing both times. Stafford threw for 538 yards in the two games with 7 TDs, but was intercepted twice and completed just 46.9 percent (38-of-81) of his passes. His INT against San Jose on April 27, was returned 46 yards for a score by Bob McMillen and gave San Jose a 61-54 win.


AFL STANDINGS THROUGH WEEK 8

Western Division
Team W L T Pct PF PA
San Jose 6 1 0 .857 420 342
Los Angeles 4 3 0 .571 380 333
Arizona 3 5 0 .375 381 388
Las Vegas 3 5 0 .375 408 407

Central Division
Team W L T Pct PF PA
Colorado 6 2 0 .750 361 374
Chicago 5 2 0 .714 396 305
Detroit 3 4 0 .429 347 362
Indiana 3 5 0 .375 379 347
Grand Rapids 0 7 0 .000 237 377

Southern Division
Team W L T Pct PF PA
New Orleans 7 1 0 .875 365 326
Austin 5 2 0 .714 372 370
Georgia 4 4 0 .500 370 433
Orlando 3 4 0 .429 317 335
Tampa Bay 3 5 0 .375 376 377

Eastern Division
Team W L T Pct PF PA
Dallas 5 2 0 .714 386 355
New York 4 3 0 .571 359 319
Carolina 3 5 0 .375 394 422
Philadelphia 3 5 0 .375 363 360
Columbus 1 6 0 .143 300 379

Week 9 Schedule

Thursday, April 1
Georgia at Detroit 4:30 pm

Saturday, April 3
Indiana at Colorado 12:00 pm
Austin at Los Angeles 7:30 pm

Sunday, April 4
San Jose at Tampa Bay 9:00 am
Orlando at Columbus 9:00 am
Dallas at Philadelphia 9:00 am
Arizona at Grand Rapids 12:00 pm
New York at Carolina 12:00 pm
Chicago at Las Vegas 6:00 pm

TOP 8 SEEDS
1. New Orleans (7-1)
2. San Jose (6-1)
3. Colorado (6-2)
4. Dallas (5-2)
5. Austin (5-2)
6. Chicago (5-2)
7. Los Angeles (4-3)
8. New York (4-3)






WEEKLY PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
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) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@New York (Mar. 7) QB Aaron Garcia, New York
COLORADO (Mar. 14) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20) OS Marcus Nash, Las Vegas
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26) QB Mark Grieb, San Jose
@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) DS Clevan Thomas, San Jose
@New York (Mar. 7) DS Terrance Joseph, New York
COLORADO (Mar. 14) DL Joe Jacobs, San Jose
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20) DS Omarr Smith, San Jose
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26) DL Silas DeMary, Los Angeles
@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) WR/DB Barry Wagner, San Jose
@New York (Mar. 7) WR/DB Lincoln Dupree, New York
COLORADO (Mar. 14) WR/DB Rashied Davis, San Jose
LAS VEGAS (Mar. 20) WR/DB Rashied Davis, San Jose
LOS ANGELES (Mar. 26) WR/LB James Roe, San Jose
@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 2-0
40-49 points 0-0 1-0
50-59 points 3-1 2-0
60-69 points 2-0 1-1
70-79 points 1-0 0-0
80+ points 0-0 0-0

Games decided
by 7 or fewer points 2-0

Leading after the 1st 3-0
Trailing after the 1st 2-1
Tied after the 1st 1-0

Leading at Half 4-1
Trailing at Half 1-0
Tied at Half 1-0

Leading after the 3rd 6-1
Trailing after the 3rd 0-0
Tied after the 3rd 0-0

Scoring First 3-1
Opp. Score First 3-0

More Total Offense 1-1
Less Total Offense 5-0

More Pass Yards 1-1
Less Pass Yards 5-0

More Rushing Yards 5-1
Less Rushing Yards 1-0

Thursday games 1-0
Friday games 1-0
Saturday games 2-0
Sunday games 2-1

On NBC 1-1
WB20 1-0

Outscoring Opponent 6-0
Being Outscored 0-1



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 30, 2004


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