Saturday Game Recaps
Published on July 7, 2002 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
Arizona 52, LOS ANGELES 46 OT (13,120)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - SHEDRICK BONNER's 5-yard touchdown run gave the Arizona Rattlers a 52-46 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Avengers in an Arena Football League game Saturday night.
Bonner was 26-of-39 for 245 yards and five touchdowns, including four to CHRIS HORN, for Arizona (9-3).
The Avengers tied the game as time expired in regulation when TONY GRAZIANI threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to GREG HOPKINS and a two-point conversion pass to RUSSELL SHAW.
Graziani was 19-of-42 for 209 yards and five touchdowns, including four to Hopkins. REMY HAMILTON missed a 31-yard field-goal attempt on the opening possession of overtime for Los Angeles. Despite the loss, the Avengers (7-5) clinched a playoff berth with two games remaining.
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DALLAS 61, Detroit 54 (11,552)
DALLAS (Ticker) -- ANDY KELLY threw a 7-yard touchdown strike to ANDY MCCULLOUGH with three seconds left in regulation to give the Dallas Desperados a 61-54 triumph over the Detroit Fury and securing a playoff position for the expansion Desperados.
Kelly found McCullough for a seven-yard score, his 14th completion to the receiver in the contest, to cap a two-play, 19-yard drive, break a 54-54 tie and give his team its fifth victory in its last six games. Kelly finished with 29 completions on 41 pass-attempts for 229 yards and eight touchdowns and McCullough collected 152 yards and five touchdowns for Dallas (7-5), which improved to a perfect 6-0 when leading after three quarters.
With his performance, Kelly catapulted to the top of four AFL career-passing categories - 2,083 completions on 3,387 attempts for 23,626 yards and 450 touchdowns.
SCOTT SEMPTIMPHELTER completed 20-of-35 attempts for 330 yards and five scores for Detroit (1-11), which dropped its ninth straight game and is now winless in seven road games this year. SHAWNDEL TUCKER had eight catches for 134 yards and three touchdowns, including a four-yard catch that helped tie the score at 54-54 with 26 seconds remaining in the fourth for the Fury.
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GEORGIA 54, Buffalo 33 (6,034)
ATLANTA (Ticker) -- DONNIE DAVIS threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another to lead the Georgia Force to a 54-33 victory over the Buffalo Destroyers on Saturday night.
Davis, who completed 20-of-33 passes for 231 yards and an interception, threw a pair of early touchdowns to help Georgia (5-7) jump out to a commanding 23-0 lead. In the second half, he tossed a pair of scores to JARRICK HILLERY, including a 29-yarder 36 seconds into the third. He also added a 36-yard TD run with 26 seconds remaining in the contest.
Hillery finished with six catches for 57 yards, notched an interception and was named the game's Ironman. TYRONNE JONES had six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown and 87 return yards for the Force, who remained tied with Carolina for second place in the Southern Division.
FRED MCNAIR threw for 198 yards and three touchdowns, but finished with four interceptions and was sacked twice for Buffalo (6-6), which has been outscored, 123-75, over its last two contests. McNair did eclipse the 2,500 mark in passing yards for the sixth straight season.
CARLOS JAMES had a 10-yard scoring catch and an interception for the Destroyers, who finished 1-for-9 on third-down conversions. LAMONT COOPER and BRET COOPER each had a touchdown reception for Buffalo.
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New Jersey 76, NEW YORK 50 (9,212)
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (Ticker) -- MIKE HORACEK caught five touchdown passes to lead the New Jersey Gladiators past the New York Dragons, 76-50.
Horacek, who had five touchdowns last week, caught a pair of touchdown passes in both the first and second quarters and grabbed a 25-yard toss from JAY MCDONAGH at 8:03 of the third for a 45-24 lead. Overall, Horacek pulled in 10 passes for a game-high 157 yards and increased his team record for most tuochdowns in a season to 25, earning him MVP honors for the contest.
McDonagh completed 17-of 26 attempts for 220 yards and six touchdowns over the first three quarters and ran one in from a yard out with seven seconds left in the first half for New Jersey (8-4), which has won four of its last five games. SEDRICK ROBINSON returned five kickoffs for 156 yards and was named Ironman of the game for the Gladiators, who scored 14 points or more in each quarter, including 24 in the fourth.
AARON GARCIA connected on 26-of-45 attempts for 294 yards and six touchdowns for New York (2-10), which suffered its first 10-loss season in team history. Garcia, who was intercepted three times in the contest, has been picked off six times over the last two games. SHON KING and MIKE FURREY both caught two touchdown passes, including one apiece in the Dragons' 26-point fourth quarter.
STEVE PAPIN had a team-high nine catches and a touchodwn, TODD DOXZON grabbed an 11-yard scoring toss from Garcia in the second quarter and Papin returned eight kickoffs for 192 yards for New York.
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Chicago 56, GRAND RAPIDS 50 (10,103)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Ticker) -- ANTONIO CHATMAN caught a franchise record five touchdowns as the streaking Chicago Rush held on to defeat the Grand Rapids Rampage, 56-50, and guarantee the Rush a spot in the playoffs.
Chatman finished with seven catches for 152 yards and also recorded 81 return yards. He caught four of his record-setting touchodwns in the second half, including three in the third quarter as Chicago (8-4) took a commanding 49-27 lead. After Grand Rapids (6-6) rallied with three scores in the fourth, it was Chatman's 10-yard TD catch with 46 seconds left that helped stem the tide.
BILLY DICKEN finished 18-for-28 with 299 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions for the Rush, who have won three straight and five of their last six. JAMIE BOWERS added a pair of scoring runs for the victors.
TODD HAMMEL rushed for a two-yard touchdown with 2:18 remaining in the contest and tossed a 34-yard score 1:25 later to bring the Rampage to within two points, but they ended up losing for the fourth time in their last five. CLINT DOLEZEL threw for 136 yards and three touchdowns before being replaced and TERRILL SHAW finished with nine catches for 130 yards and a score for Grand Rapids, which fell at home for just the fourth time in its last 14 games dating back to last year.
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TODAY'S GAME
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ORLANDO PREDATORS (5-6) AT TAMPA BAY STORM (4-7) - 2:00 P.M. ET -- Orlando QB JAY GRUDEN makes his first homecoming to Tampa Bay since returning as a player following his retirement after capturing an ArenaBowl title with the Storm in 1996. (TV: The New TNN - Eli Gold, Charles Davis, and Jill Arrington)
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PLAYOFF SCENARIOS - Entering Today's Game
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Based on the outcome of today's contest, here's how the rankings would appear if the playoffs were to begin following this weekend. Twelve (12) teams advance to the postseason; the top four seeds would receive a BYE in the first round. (* Denotes current Division leader; x-Clinched playoff berth; y-Clinched First Round BYE.)
IF TAMPA BAY WINS:
xy- 1. SAN JOSE * (12-0)
x- 2. ARIZONA (9-3)
x- 3. CHICAGO * (8-4)
x- 4. NEW JERSEY * (8-4)
x- 5. Dallas (7-5)
x- 6. Los Angeles (7-5)
7. Grand Rapids (6-6)
8. Buffalo (6-6)
9. Toronto (5-7)
10. Tampa Bay * (5-7)
11. Carolina (5-7)
12. Indiana (5-7)
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13. Georgia (5-7)
14. Orlando (5-7)
15. New York (2-10)
16. Detroit (1-11)
IF ORLANDO WINS:
xy- 1. SAN JOSE * (12-0)
x- 2. ARIZONA (9-3)
x- 3. CHICAGO * (8-4)
x- 4. NEW JERSEY * (8-4)
x- 5. Dallas (7-5)
x- 6. Los Angeles (7-5)
7. Buffalo (6-6)
8. Grand Rapids (6-6)
9. Orlando * (6-6)
10. Toronto (5-7)
11. Carolina (5-7)
12. Indiana (5-7)
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13. Georgia (5-7)
14. Tampa Bay (4-8)
15. New York (2-10)
16. Detroit (1-11)
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 7, 2002
- Saturday Game Recaps - AFL I
- Fury Fall to Desperados - Detroit Fury
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