This week in the AFL

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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

This week in the AFL

by Mark Sargent
May 15, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)


In what may have been described as must-win situations, both Buffalo and Grand Rapids came up big this past weekend and are now back in the thick of things within their respective divisions.

Playing at home in front of a very excited crowd, the Destroyers easily handled the Detroit Fury by the score of 49-21. The defense was impressive for Ray Bentley's squad as they forced five turnovers on the night. Up 28-13 at the end of the third quarter, the Destroyers exploded with 21 fourth quarter points to seal the win. Destroyer quarterback Fred Mcnair was the offensive star, completing 21 of 33 passes for 237 yards and five touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, the duo of Corey Johnson and Dwaine Carpenter were nothing short of outstanding. They combined for three interceptions and eight tackles and caused nothing but headaches for the Fury receivers all night long.

The Rampage also jumped out of the loss column this past weekend with an impressive 69-55 victory over the Orlando Predators. Steve Smith was the offensive star for the Rampage, hauling in 13 Clint Dolezel passes for 176 yards and three scores. Kick return specialist Willis Marshall also had a solid game for the Rampage, returning sixkicks for 138 yards and a touchdown. With the win, the Rampage jumped into a three-way tie for first place with Chicago and Indiana.

In other weekend action, the San Jose Sabercats extended their unbeaten streak to four games by easily defeating the LA Avengers 78-44. The Toronto Phantoms remained a game up on Buffalo in the Eastern Division by defeating the Indiana Firebirds 45-36. Elsewhere, the Arizona Rattlers handled the Georgia Force 51-40, and the expansion Dallas Desperados defeated the New York Dragons 72-61.

Looking ahead to week five, Toronto will visit Buffalo to take on the Destroyers. A win by Buffalo and the two teams would be tied on top of the Eastern Division. If Toronto wins, however, they will jump two games ahead of the Destroyers in the standings. Toronto and Buffalo both have excellent offensive power, but after last weekend's game, I will give the edge to the home team Destroyers by a field goal.

In another big game, San Jose is taking their unbeaten streak on the road to visit the Orlando Predators. The Sabercats have an incredible offense led by quarterback Mark Grieb. They also have several key receivers such as James Hundon, Barry Wagner, Jerry Reece and Shalon Baker.They can score a lot of points very quickly and are very difficult to stop. The Cats currently lead the league in total points with 250.

Orlando, on the other hand, has only scored 197 points this season, while giving up 219 points to its opponents. The Predators currently sit at 1-3 and are in desperate need of a win in order to keep pace in the Southern Division. Orlando's only victory came at home in week two against the Chicago Rush, 49-38. The Predators are a tough team to beat at home in Orlando, where they have gone 10-4 over the last two seasons. If Jay Gruden gets on track and Kenny McEntyre makes some key defensive plays, the Predators are capable of upsetting San Jose, but it will be a tough task.

The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 15, 2002


The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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