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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Seven Teams Fighting for Postseason Berths; Dolezel on Brink of History

May 10, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - The final weekend of the regular season will determine the last four playoff spots in the Drive to ArenaBowl XX Las Vegas.

Eight teams - Dallas (12-3), Colorado (10-5), Orlando (10-5), New York (10-5) Austin (9-6), San Jose (9-6), Arizona (8-7) and Nashville (7-8) - have already clinched playoff spots. Dallas, the top-ranked team in this week's AFLWA Schutt Sports Top 12 poll for the eighth straight week, also has sealed a first-round bye, home-field advantage through the Conference Championship Round and the best record in the American Conference. Colorado has locked up the best record in the Central Division and earned a bye for the first round.

Seven teams - Columbus (8-7), Georgia (8-7), Philadelphia (8-7), Chicago (6-9), Utah (6-9), Las Vegas (5-10) and Grand Rapids (5-10) - are in the running for the remaining four slots (two in each conference). Utah, Chicago, Georgia, Columbus and Philadelphia control their own destinies and will secure berths with a win.

By reaching the playoffs, Orlando, who will host Austin at the TD Waterhouse Center on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, ties the AFL record for most consecutive years reaching the postseason, which was set by the Tampa Bay Storm last year.

MOST CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF APPEARANCES
TEAM STREAK YEARS
Orlando Predators 15 1992-2006
Tampa Bay Storm 15 1991-2005
Arizona Rattlers 12 1992-2004
San Jose SaberCats 7 2000-2006
Albany Firebirds 6 1991-1996
Detroit Drive 6 1988-1993

Dallas QB CLINT DOLEZEL has 99 touchdowns passes this year and could break the AFL single-season record of 104 set by New York's AARON GARCIA in 2001. Dolezel will go for the record when the Desperados host Garcia's Dragons at the American Airlines Center on Friday at 8:30 p.m. on SNY and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 110.

MOST TD PASSES IN AFL SEASON
NAME, TEAM YEAR TDS
Aaron Garcia, New York 2001 104
Aaron Garcia, New York 2003 100
Clint Dolezel, Dallas* 2006 99
Tony Graziani, Los Angeles 2004 99
Jim Kubiak, Dallas 2003 97
*One game remaining

Dolezel also became just the second player to pass the 37,000 career passing yard mark last week joining Utah's ANDY KELLY. Arizona's SHERDRICK BONNER can join the elite club with 278 yards this week when the Rattlers take on the defending ArenaBowl Champion Colorado Crush at Pepsi Center in Denver on Friday at 9:00 p.m. ET on FSN Arizona (tape delay at 11:00 p.m.) and FSN Rocky Mountain (tape delay at 11:30 p.m.).

AFL TOP FIVE CAREER PASSING YARDAGE
NAME, TEAM YDS
1. Andy Kelly, Utah 39,642
2. Clint Dolezel, Dallas 37,152
3. Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 36,722
4. Aaron Garcia, New York 36,102
5. John Kaleo, Columbus 33,497

Colorado OS DAMIAN HARRELL, who established a new AFL single-season touchdown record of 55 in last week's loss to San Jose, has 1,859 receiving yards this season and needs 141 this week against Arizona to become the first AFL player to reach 2,000 yards in a season. Harrell needs 123 yards to break CALVIN SCHEXNAYDER'S single-season record of 1,982. With eight catches, Harrell can break the single-season record of 154 set by Las Vegas OS MARCUS NASH in 2004.

New York Dragons OS MUTSUMI TAKAHASHI (5-5, 171, Nihon University) will become the first Japanese player in AFL history when he suits up for this week's game at Dallas. Takahashi, who came to the United States in 2003 to play for af2's Cincinnati Swarm, has spent the last three seasons on the Dragons' International Practice Squad.

Japan does not currently have professional football leagues, only amateur leagues. Takahashi explained that the amateur leagues don't allow for proper development of players the way leagues do in the United States because the schedule isn't as intense.

"It is very exciting for me and my country to be the first Japanese player in the 20-year history of the AFL," Takahashi said. "I've waited a long time for this and I can't wait to get out there."

Other games this week: Kansas City at Utah on Friday, Philadelphia at Georgia on Saturday, Chicago at Grand Rapids on Saturday, Tampa Bay at Nashville on Saturday, Columbus at San Jose on Saturday and Las Vegas at Los Angeles on Saturday.

This Week in AFL History

May 15, 1999: San Jose K CARLOS HUERTA connects on seven field goals to set an AFL single-game record.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 10, 2006


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