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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Sunday Game Recap

July 22, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


San Jose 58, CAROLINA 41 (10,377)

RALEIGH, N.C. (Ticker) -- JOHN DUTTON threw five touchdown passes to help the San Jose SaberCats captured the league record for most regular season wins, 13, with 58-41 victory over Carolina Cobras on Sunday.

Down 26-24 at the opening of the second half, Dutton, who threw a pair of first-half touchdowns, opened the third quarter with a 33-yard strike to BARRY WAGNER for San Jose (13-1). He found Wagner again on a seven-yard score in the third for an 11-point advantage and finished 17-of-25 with 214 yards.

JAMES HUNDON had six catches for 87 yards and two scores and Wagner finished with three scores and 85 yards receiving for the SaberCats, who entered the game as the highest scoring team in the league (63 points per game) and are the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

JOHN FITZGERALD completed 19-of-40 attempts for 275 yards and threw for four touchdowns, but was intercepted twice for Carolina (6-8), who will advance to the postseason as the No. 11 seed. He found AARON BAILEY five times for 48 yards and two scores and RJ ANDERSON hauled in four catches for a game-high 89 yards.

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THIS WEEK IN AFL HISTORY

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July 22, 1995: For the first time in a Predator uniform, Orlando OS HERKIE WALLS does not catch a pass ending his 61-game streak with at least one reception dating back to 1991 – including every regular season and playoff game in team history.

July 22, 2000: New Jersey's GEORGE LAFRANCE gains 397 all-purpose yards, second most in history, against the Bobcats. The 13-year-veteran also set a league mark with 14 combined kick returns in that game.

July 22, 2000: Iowa's AARON GARCIA finishes season with a whopping 92 touchdown passes (previous 84 by MIKE PEREZ in 1996), connecting on a record 46 with teammate MIKE HORACEK (previous 45 by EDDIE BROWN in 1999).

July 22, 2000: San Jose 83, Buffalo 54. The SaberCats finish the regular season three points shy of breaking Albany's season scoring record of 873 points set in 1996. The SaberCats did become only the second team in history, the Firebirds the other, to average 60 or more points. In addition, DARREN ARBET's SaberCats clinched their first division title, and a No. 1 seed, since the inaugural season of 1995.

July 22, 2001: Oklahoma's LAMONT COOPER breaks five single-season records in a 60-42 win over Los Angeles, including kickoff return yards in a season (1,779), all-purpose yards (3,459), combined return yards (2,008), most kickoff returns (84) and most combined returns (95).

July 23 1992: Dallas 41, Sacramento 38. GARY COMPTON scores on a 16-yard pass from TODD HAMMEL with two second remaining to give the Texans a thrilling win against the Attack at Arco Arena.

July 23, 1993: Arizona rookie OS HUNKIE COOPER racks up a then-team record 338 total all-purpose yards, scores four Touchdowns and even throws a two-yard pass for a score in a 51-43 win over Cincinnati. The future two time Ironman of the Year would go on to be named the league's MVP in that first season, setting a league record in combined return yardage.

July 23, 1994: Nine-year AFL veteran and Miami Hooters lineman JON ROEHLK plays in his 100th consecutive game, the only player in league history to do so.

July 23, 1994: The half-millionth Tampa Bay fan passes through the ThunderDome's turnstiles making the Storm the fastest team to reach the 500,000 attendance milestone (6/1/91 – 7/23/94).

July 23, 1999: Against Grand Rapids, Houston becomes the first team in history to boast five receivers with 50 or more receptions in a season.

July 24, 1992: Orlando 39, Charlotte 38. QB BEN BENNETT rushes into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left in the game, then fires a two-point conversion to CARL AIKENS, giving the Predators a 39-38 win over the Rage.

July 24, 1997: MIKE PEREZ of New York became the third man in history to pass for 250 touchdowns in a career and fourth to reach 13,000 career-passing yards (joining Jay Gruden, Ben Bennett, and Todd Hammel).

July 26, 1997: In a 77-60 win over Albany on ESPN, Arizona OS CALVIN SCHEXNAYDER matched a league record with seven receiving touchdowns.

July 26, 1997: Texas QB CLINT DOLEZEL set a league record with 449 yards passing in a 70-62 loss at Iowa (the mark would fall just one week later).

July 27, 1996: In a 69-48 win against Arizona, Tampa Bay Storm QB JAY GRUDEN becomes the league's first 15,000-yard career passer.

July 27, 1996: Albany posts 86 points against the Texas Terror (24) at Knickerbocker Arena before more than 12,000 fans. Firebirds standout EDDIE BROWN scores seven Touchdowns – five receiving, two rushing – to establish a new league scoring mark with 296 points, eclipsing BARRY WAGNER's 1995 record (294).

July 27, 2001: Playoffs began with both Chicago and Detroit qualifying for the postseason, the first time since 1995 that two true expansion teams (Iowa and St. Louis) made the playoffs in the same season.

July 28, 1989: Chicago 61, Maryland 34. The Bruisers defeat the Commandos in the season's highest scoring bout (95 combined points) at Richfield Coliseum in Cleveland, Ohio.

July 28, 1990: Dallas 37, Washington 28. Before the largest crowd of the regular season (16,088), the Texans defeat the Commandos and advance to the playoffs.

July 28, 1996: St. Louis FB/LB BERNARD HALL establishes a new single-season rushing TOUCHDOWN record with his 22nd score of the season, breaking the 21-touchdown mark set by BARRY WAGNER in 1995. Hall finished the season with 30 rushing Touchdowns.

July 29, 1989: Chicago posts 42 points in the second half against Maryland, a league record to date; the Bruisers defeat the Commandos, 61-27.

July 29, 1994: Cleveland kicker BRIAN MITCHELL breaks a record for four-point field goals when he completes two attempts against Orlando. Mitchell connected for six drop-kick four-pointers this season.

July 29, 1999: A group spearheaded by former CBS President ALAN LEVIN and Chicago Bears great WALTER PAYTON awarded an expansion team in Chicago (Chicago Rush).

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 22, 2002


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