Saturday Game Recaps
Published on June 23, 2002 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release
Chicago 52, DETROIT 38 (6,060)
DETROIT (Ticker) -- BILLY DICKEN tossed two touchdown passes during a 24-3 fourth-quarter rally to help the Chicago Rush deal the Detroit Fury their seventh consecutive loss with a 52-38 victory.
Dicken, who converted 20-of-32 passes for 250 yards and four scores in the game, found ANTHONY LADD for a 12-yard strike to pull his team to within 38-35 with 12:35 remaining in regulation and tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to ANTONIO CHATMAN with 8:28 left in the quarter to give his team the lead for good.
Chatman finished with five catches for 75 yards and two scores and DAMEON PORTER recorded a touchdown and 92 yards on five receptions and also had a interception return for a score for Chicago (6-4), which halted a four-game road losing skid and improved to 4-0 in divisional play this season.
SCOTT SEMPTIMPHELTER completed 21-of-31 pass attempts for 239 total yards and four touchdowns. He connected with AL HUNT five times for 82 yards and a pair of scores for Detroit (1-9).
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DALLAS 62, Tampa Bay 56 OT (13,050)
DALLAS (Ticker) -- ANDY KELLY threw a touchdown pass to SHANNON CULVER with just over three minutes remaining in overtime to help the Dallas Desperados defeat the Tampa Bay Storm, 62-56.
Kelly, who completed 26-of-41 passes for 251 yards and six touchdowns, found Culver for a 16-yard strike with 3:06 left in the extra session to give his team its fourth consecutive victory.
Culver finished with 83 receiving yards on seven catches for two scores, ANDY MCCULLOUGH collected eight receptions for 95 yards and three scores and JASON WELLS, who finished with four field-goal conversions, sent the game into overtime with a 24-yarder as regulation expired for Dallas (6-4), which will host the division-leading San Jose Sabercats next week.
SCOTT MILANOVICH converted 27-of-52 attempts, registering 316 passing yards and six touchdowns for Tampa Bay (3-7). LAWRENCE SAMUELS had nine catches for 82 yards and three scores and DAVID SAUNDERS racked up 101 yards on eight receptions and crossed the endzone once for the Storm.
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ARIZONA 34, Indiana 21 (13,353)
PHOENIX (Ticker) -- CHRIS HIXSON made his starting quarterback debut in the Arizona Rattlers' 34-21 victory over the Indiana Firebirds. Hixson, who played for the Tallahassee Thunder of arenafootball2 last season, went 17-for-21 for 185 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Hixson found MAURICE BRYANT from seven yards out at 5:50 of the second quarter for the only touchdown pass of the game for Arizona (7-3). Hixson also ran three times for 10 yards, earning him MVP honors for the contest.
SHERDRICK BONNER had a three-yard scoring run and BO KELLY ran from one yard out with 10 seconds remaining in the first quarter to give the Rattlers an early 14-7 lead.
CHRIS HORN, who entered the game leading the league in receptions (76), caught just two passes for 16 yards, but rushed from three yards out for a touchdown with 2:08 left in the third to supply Arizona with a 31-14 lead. Bryant finished with a team-high seven catches for 82 yards and SCOTT CANNON connected on a pair of field goals for Arizona, which had allowed just one sack this season entering last night's contest, but surrendered two to Indiana (4-6).
RAYMOND PHILYAW completed just 15-of-33 attempts for 175 yards, a touchdown and was sacked three times for the Firebirds, who have lost four of their last five games. EDDIE BROWN caught six passes for 73 yards and had a three-yard scoring run with 5:58 left in the first quarter for Indiana.
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LOS ANGELES 62, Carolina 32 (11,706)
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- CHRIS JACKSON caught four touchdown passes and CHAD DUKES added two scores to help the Los Angeles Avengers beat the slumping Carolina Cobras, 62-32, and set a team record for most wins in a season.
Jackson snagged a 38-yard touchdown throw from TONY GRAZIANI with 3:08 left in the first quarter to open the scoring and added 29-yarder with 6:15 remaining in the second to supply Los Angeles (6-4) with a 28-12 lead. Overall, Jackson had 10 catches for 135 yards, his fifth game with more than 125 yards receiving this season, and was named Game MVP.
Dukes had a 23-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and added a 2-yard touchdown 4:55 into the fourth to supply the Avengers with a 23-point lead.
Graziani completed 16-of-21 attempts for 206 yards and four touchdowns. GREG HOPKINS finished with seven catches for 75 yards and collected a 37-yard interception return early in the third quarter for Los Angeles, which has won four of its last six contests.
AARON SPARROW completed 21-of-39 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions and was sacked three times. He had a five-yard touchdown run with 45 seconds left in the third quarter for Carolina (4-6).
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SAN JOSE 65, New York 41 (13,717)
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Ticker) -- MARK GRIEB threw for 225 yards and four touchdowns, including a pair in the second half, to help the San Jose Sabercats continue their undefeated season with a 65-41 victory over the New York Dragons.
Grieb recorded the only score in the third quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass to JAMES HUNDON to increase San Jose's (10-0) lead to 10 points. He added a 30-yard strike to Hundon with 1:05 remaining in the contest for good measure. Overall, Grieb completed 16-of-31 passes along with an interception.
Hundon, who earned Game MVP honors, caught eight passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. MATT KINSINGER finished with a pair of touchdown runs and JOE JACOBS had an interception and was named Ironman of the Game for the Sabercats, who limited New York (2-8) to just seven points in the second half.
AARON GARCIA had 17 completions for 228 yards and five touchdowns, but was picked off and sacked twice for the Dragons. He did managed to keep New York close in the first half, tying the game at 34-34 with eight seconds left on a 10-yard touchdown to MIKE FURREY.
DAMIEN GROCE had two touchdown catches and Furrey finished with four catches for 54 yards and a score for the Dragons, who scored more than 40 points for the first time in their last four games.
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TODAY'S PREVIEWS
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Georgia Force (4-5) at GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE (5-4), 2:00 P.M. (The New TNN) -- One of the league's hottest teams, winning three straight and holding opponents to just 32 points a game in that stretch, Georgia heads into Van Andel Arena looking for a 'W' against the defending champion Grand Rapids.
Buffalo Destroyers (5-4) at NEW JERSEY GLADIATORS (5-4), 3:00 P.M. (YES Network) -- In the Meadowlands this afternoon, it's a rematch of two evenly matched opponents â Buffalo and New Jersey. Gladiator's quarterback JAY MCDONAGH, no stranger to high stakes after winning a title in arenafootball2 last year, clashes against nine-year veteran FRED MCNAIR, who has in his stall former Kurt Warner targets, CARLOS JAMES (team high 10 TDs) and LAMONT COOPER.
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