Sunday Game Recap
July 1, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release
CHICAGO 55, New York 45 (12,544)
CHICAGO (AP) - BILLY DICKEN threw seven touchdown passes, including three in the third quarter, to rally the Chicago Rush to a 55-45 victory over the New York Dragons on Sunday.
ANTONIO CHATMAN caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Dicken in the corner of the end zone to give the Rush (7-4) a 47-45 lead early in the fourth quarter - coming back from a 25-point deficit.
AARON GARCIA threw five touchdown passes and TODD DOXZON had three scoring catches for the Dragons (2-9).
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CURRENT PLAYOFF PICTURE - Through Week Eleven
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If the playoffs were to begin this week, here's how the rankings would appear. Twelve (12) teams advance to the postseason; the top four seeds would receive a BYE in the first round. (* Denotes current Division leader.)
xy 1. SAN JOSE * (11-0)
x 2. ARIZONA (8-3)
3. LOS ANGELES (7-4)
4. CHICAGO * (7-4)
5. New Jersey * (7-4)
6. Buffalo (6-5)
7. Dallas (6-5)
8. Grand Rapids (6-5)
9. Toronto (5-6)
10. Orlando * (5-6)
11. Indiana (5-6)
12. Carolina (4-7)
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13. Tampa Bay (4-7)
14. Georgia (4-7)
15. New York (2-9)
16. Detroit (1-10)
* - Current Division Leader
x - Clinched playoff berth
y - Clinched First Round Bye
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THIS WEEK IN AFL HISTORY
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July 1, 1993: Then all-time leading receiver and future Hall of Famer, Milwaukee's CARL AIKENS, becomes first player to surpass 3,000-yard career yardage mark in first half of Mustangs' game vs. Albany.
July 3, 1987: Denver QB WHIT TAYLOR set league marks with 399 yards and 10 TDs in the Dynamite's 73-57 victory over Washington. Taylor's record would stand alone for a decade (see 1997). The two teams combined score of 130 points also marked a long-lasting league record (not broken until 1995).
July 3, 1996: Scoring records of all kinds fell as Arizona clinched a playoff berth with a 74-48 victory over Texas. The two teams totaled 81 points in the first half to break the league record for combined points in one half (Albany & Miami, 77 in 1995).
July 6: 1990: Pittsburgh kicker RUSTY FRICKE breaks then-league record for longest field goal when he boots a 57-yarder through the goal post in the Gladiators 38-29 loss to the Denver Dynamite.
July 6, 1991: In Columbus' 52-44 loss to Denver, Thunderbolts QB MAJOR HARRIS breaks four single-game rushing records, including most rushing yards (95, which still stands) and rushing TDs (4). Harris would finish the season with an amazing 429 yards on the ground (in just 7.5 games), good for a league record that has yet to be matched or broken.
July 7, 1995: With 167 yards, Milwaukee OS KERRY SIMIEN shatters HUNKIE COOPER's record for return yardage in one season bringing his total to 1,152 yards (he finished with 1,461). Simien also scored on two returns, 54- and 57-yard TDs, another league record. All told, Simien breaks seven return records and ties two others this year.
July 7, 2001: Behind AARON GARCIA's 11 TDs, which broke a 15-year-old record (10, first held by WHIT TAYLOR, 7/3/87), New York defeated Carolina, 99-68, in the highest scoring game in pro football history. Garcia threw 7 of his 11 TDs to KEVIN SWAYNE to match a league record. The 99 points surpassed the 91 scored by New Jersey in 1997; while the 167 combined surpassed 161 set by San Jose-New England in 2000.
July 8, 1988: The all-time attendance surpasses the one-half million mark (506,364).
July 8, 1995: With three scoring passes, Storm QB JAY GRUDEN becomes only the second in league history to surpass 200 career TD passes.
July 8, 2000: The Storm clinches their 10th consecutive playoff berth, most in league history, with a victory over the Mustangs.
July 9, 1993: Detroit 65, Albany 19. The Drive wins convincingly with a ground attack of BRODERICK SARGENT and TONY BURSE. The two backs combine for five rushing TDs; Burse sets a dubious record for shortest kickoff returned for a score with his 5-yard on-sides return in the fourth quarter.
July 9, 1994: EDDIE BROWN of the Albany Firebirds becomes the league's all-time single-season scoring and touchdown leader with his 29th TD reception and 174th point on the season against the Fort Worth Cavalry. Brown finished 1994 with a record 48 TDs and 288 points.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 1, 2002
- Matos Debuts With Padres - Portland Forest Dragons
- Desperados Looking to Rebound After Loss - Dallas Desperados
- Sienko, Rich Tabbed Players of the Week - Portland Forest Dragons
- Sunday Game Recap - AFL I
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