Saturday Game Recaps
July 14, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
CHICAGO 58, Dallas 52 OT (10,324)
CHICAGO (AP) â BILLY DICKEN hit CORNELIUS BONNER with a 28-yard touchdown pass on Chicago's second play in overtime to give the Rush a 58-52 win over the Dallas Desperados on Saturday night.
Dicken threw for six touchdowns and 261 yards. LINDSAY FLESHMAN caught seven passes for 72 yards and a touchdown and added a rushing touchdown for the Rush (9-4).
JIM KUBIAK threw for five touchdowns â two of them to SHANNON CULVER, who had 153 receiving yards and 16 catches for the Desperados (7-6). (With the win, Chicago clinched a first-round bye.)
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Grand Rapids 54, NEW YORK 45 (7,032)
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (Ticker) -- CLINT DOLEZEL threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers to help defending champion Grand Rapids Rampage clinch a playoff berth with their 54-45 victory over the New York Dragons on Saturday night.
Dolezel helped build a 20-13 halftime lead with a pair of scoring passes, including one to TERRILL SHAW as time expired in the first half for Grand Rapids (7-6). Overall, he finished 31-of-38 for 319 yards to earn game MVP honors.
Shaw finished with eight catches for 79 yards and one touchdown and GARY COMPTON led all receivers with 10 catches for 105 yards and a score. MICHAEL BAKER caught a 23-yard touchdown strike from Dolezel mid-way through the fourth for a 48-39 lead, sealing the victory.
AARON GARCIA completed 17-of-25 passes for 246 yards and five touchdowns for New York (2-11). MIKE FURREY recorded four receptions for 82 yards and two scores for the Dragons.
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Georgia 41, ORLANDO 40 (14,277)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) â DONNIE DAVIS threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns as the Georgia Force beat the Orlando Predators 41-40 Saturday night.
The win caused a three-way tie â the Force (6-7) and Predators (6-7) are tied with Carolina for the lead in the Southern Division of the Arena Football League.
Orlando's JAY GRUDEN threw for four touchdowns, completing 31 of 42 passes for 361 yards.
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NEW JERSEY 57, Toronto 55 OT (5,650)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Ticker) -- KARL BATES sacked RICKEY FOGGIE in the end zone in overtime for a safety as the Eastern Division champion New Jersey Gladiators on Saturday night in a 57-55 win over the Toronto Phantoms. Bates sacked Foggie after he fumbled the ball 1:44 into the extra stanza for the game-winning defensive play for New Jersey (9-4).
STEVE VIDETICH, who gave the Gladiators a 27-24 halftime lead with a 27-yard field goal, knotted the score at 55-55 after a 25-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in regulation.
JAY MCDONAGH completed 27-of-43 passes for 333 yards with four touchdowns and was intercepted three times. He found SEDRICK ROBINSON seven times for 122 yards and one score. Robinson also ran in a two-yard score and recorded a 56-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to earn game MVP. New Jersey has won four straight.
Foggie, playing for the first time since Week Four, completed 16-of-25 attempts for 222 yards and threw for four touchdowns for Toronto (5-8), which surrendered the second safety in club history.
LUKE LEVERSON hauled in a pair of scoring passes and ANTHONY DERRICKS returned four kickoffs for 114 yards for the Phantoms, who lost an overtime game for the first time in team history.
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Tampa Bay 49, DETROIT 47 (7,284)
DETROIT (Ticker) -- DAVID SAUNDERS caught the game-winning touchdown pass from SHANE STAFFORD to help the Tampa Bay Storm defeat the Detroit Fury Saturday night and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Saunders hauled in the five-yard score with 13 seconds remaining in the game for Tampa Bay (5-8). Overall, he finsihed with nine catches for 87 yards and three score, including a nine-yard pass at the 2:50 mark in the fourth for a 43-40 advantage.
Stafford helped the Storm rally from an early 21-0 deficit by completing 25-of-40 attempts for 253 yards and five touchdowns.
BRAD SELENT missed the potential game-winning field goal as time expired for Detroit (1-12), which dropped its 10th straight game. SHAWNDEL TUCKER took home game MVP honors after catching eight balls for 119 yards and three scores.
Fury quarterback SCOTT SEMPTIMPHELTER completed 14-of-22 attempts for 178 yards and three scores and was intercepted once.
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TODAY'S GAME
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LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (7-5) AT INDIANA FIREBIRDS (5-7), 4:30 P.M. ET, Conseco Fieldhouse -- Los Angeles head coach ED HODGKISS takes on his former team when the Avengers travel to Indiana to face his mentor MIKE DAILEY and the Firebirds. (TV: The New TNN - Eli Gold, Charles Davis, Jill Arrington)
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PLAYOFF PICTURE â Entering Today's Game
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Based on the outcome of today's game, here's how the rankings would appear if the playoffs were to begin after 13 games. Twelve (12) teams advance to the postseason; the top four seeds would receive a BYE in the first round. (* Denotes current Division leader.)
IF LOS ANGELES WINS:
y-1. SAN JOSE *(12-1)
y-2. ARIZONA (10-3)
y-3. CHICAGO * (9-4)
x-4. NEW JERSEY * (9-4)
x-5. Los Angeles (8-5)
x-6. Dallas (7-6)
x-7. Grand Rapids (7-6)
8. Georgia * (6-7)
9. Buffalo (6-7)
10. Orlando (6-7)
11. Carolina (6-7)
12. Toronto (5-8)
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13. Tampa Bay (5-8)
14. Indiana (5-8)
z-15. New York (2-11)
z-16. Detroit (1-12)
IF INDIANA WINS:
y-1. SAN JOSE *(12-1)
y-2. ARIZONA (10-3)
y-3. CHICAGO * (9-4)
x-4. NEW JERSEY * (9-4)
x-5. Dallas (7-6)
x-6. Los Angeles (7-6)
x-7. Grand Rapids (7-6)
8. Indiana (6-7)
9. Georgia * (6-7)
10. Buffalo (6-7)
11. Orlando (6-7)
12. Carolina (6-7)
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13. Toronto (5-8)
14. Tampa Bay (5-8)
z-15. New York (2-11)
z-16. Detroit (1-12)
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 14, 2002
- Saturday Game Recaps - AFL I
- Phantoms Falter in Overtime - Toronto Phantoms
- San Jose QB Grieb Lost For Remainder Of Season - San Jose SaberCats
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