AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Two ArenaBowl champions clash to kick off AFL's 19th season this weekend

Published on January 26, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK – The Drive to ArenaBowl XIX Las Vegas begins with 16 of the 17 teams seeing action in Week 1 of the Arena Football League's 19th regular-season schedule.

The 2005 season begins with the Nashville Kats hosting the Columbus Destroyers at Nationwide Arena on Friday, January 28 and culminates with the NBC broadcast of ArenaBowl XIX Las Vegas on Sunday, June 12.

Former Ohio State All-American and NFL pro-bowler CHRIS SPIELMAN will begin his first year as the head coach of the Destroyers. The expansion Kats, operated by Tennessee Titans owner BUD ADAMS and part-owned by country music star TIM MCGRAW, make their return to the AFL after a three-season hiatus.

The AFL on NBC kicks off it's third season with a doubleheader on Sunday, January 30 with games at noon and 3 p.m. ET. NBC will broadcast games every Sunday throughout the season (except Week 9).

The defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose SaberCats and two-time ArenaBowl-winning head coach DARREN ARBET kick off their title defense by traveling to St. Pete Times Forum to face the Tampa Bay Storm and seven-time ArenaBowl-winning head coach TIM MARCUM on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. The two teams are ranked No. 1 and 2 in the preseason AFLWA poll and have combined to win seven ArenaBowl titles, including each of the last three.

Former Coach of the Year and ArenaBowl XIII championship head coach MIKE DAILEY had the Colorado Crush on the doorstep of the ArenaBowl when they lost in last season's semifinal to Arizona. Second-team All-Arena OS DAMIAN HARRELL (114 receptions, 1,715 yards and 43 TDs) and QB JOHN DUTTON (4,195 yards, 76 TDs and 8 INTs) will look to kick the door in this season when they take on head coach JAY GRUDEN and the Orlando Predators this Sunday at Noon ET on NBC.

Philadelphia head coach MICHAEL TRIGG hopes First-Team All-Arena QB TONY GRAZIANI (4,254 yards, 99 TDs and 5 INTs with Los Angeles in 2004) proves to be the big offseason payoff when the Soul travel to Frank Erwin Center to face the Austin Wranglers, Sunday at Noon ET on NBC. Second-year head coach SKIP FOSTER will have new starting QB BOBBY PRESAVENTO (5-of-5 for 98 yards and 2 TDs in 2004) and All-Rookie OS TACOMA FONTAINE (72 receptions for 1,076 yards and 21 TDs) to lead the attack.

The AFL's Offensive Player of the Year OS MARCUS NASH (154 receptions, 1,771 yards and 46 TDs) returns to help first-year head coach RON JAMES and the Las Vegas Gladiators make a run at remaining the "home team" for ArenaBowl XIX Las Vegas in 2005. But, they will need to focus on the present when they host First-Team All-Arena WR/DB KEVIN INGRAM (67 receptions, 848 yards and 22 TDs) and the Los Angeles Avengers at the Thomas & Mack Center on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

Chicago head coach MIKE HOHENSEE will look to QB RAYMOND PHILYAW (3,053 yards, 52 TDs and 4 INTs) to take the next step toward an ArenaBowl appearance after falling in the semifinals in 2004 when the Rush travel to face the Dallas Desperados at American Airlines Center Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC. Second-year Dallas head coach WILL MC CLAY will have versatile Second-team All-Arena WR/DB WILL PETTIS (95 receptions, 1,076 yards, 20 TDs and AFL-leading 3,017 all-purpose yards) and OS JASON SHELLEY (103, 1,304 and 23) leading the charge.

This week's games include: Nashville at Columbus, Arizona at Grand Rapids (Fox Sports Net) on Friday; New Orleans at Georgia (Cox Sports TV) on Saturday; San Jose at Tampa Bay (NBC), Philadelphia at Austin (NBC), Colorado at Orlando (NBC), Chicago at Dallas (NBC), and Los Angeles at Las Vegas (NBC) on Sunday. The New York Dragons have a bye.

ARENA FOOTBALL LEAGUE WRITERS' ASSOCIATION (AFLWA) PRESEASON POLL
RANK TEAM 2004 RECORD
1 San Jose SaberCats 11-5
2 Tampa Bay Storm 11-5
3 Colorado Crush 11-5
4 Chicago Rush 11-5
5 Orlando Predators 10-6
6 Las Vegas Gladiators 8-8
7 Arizona Rattlers 11-5
8 Philadelphia Soul 5-11

Also receiving votes: New York Dragons, New Orleans VooDoo, Los Angeles Avengers, Nashville Kats, Austin Wranglers, Dallas Desperados, Georgia Force and Grand Rapids Rampage.

NASHVILLE KATS (0-0) AT COLUMBUS DESTROYERS (0-0)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, AT 7 P.M. ET

The Nashville Kats re-enter the league as an expansion team after being on hiatus since 2001... The Kats are looking to return to the ArenaBowl, which is where they played in their last game – a 64-42 loss in ArenaBowl XV to Grand Rapids (Nashville also appeared in ArenaBowl XIV, losing to the Orlando, 41-38)... The Destroyers are entering their second season in Columbus, after moving from Buffalo and hopes to improve on their 6-10 record of last season... The Destroyers have moved CHRIS SPIELMAN from the front office to the sidelines for his first head-coaching position... One challenge facing the new coach is revitalizing a defense that was No. 15 in total defense last year... The Destroyers have made a major decision in the past few weeks by releasing last year's starting QB RYAN VENA (238-of-375 passes for 3,076 yards and 57 TDs), and replacing him with CHAD SALSIBURY (42-of-67 passes for 438 yards and 10 TDs with Chicago)... Salisbury led the Toronto Phantoms into the quarterfinal round of the 2001 playoffs... WR/DB SEDRICK ROBINSON was ranked No. 9 in scoring (30 TDs and 182 points) and No. 2 in all-purpose yards (36 rushing, 1,076 receiving, 135 MFG return, 1,750 KO return)... K STEVE VIDETICH was ranked No. 6 among kickers in scoring (89-of-102 PATs and converting on 14-of-29 FGs) for a total of 144 points... The Destroyers acquired Carolina Cobras 2004 MVP, DAMIEN GROCE (73, 881 yards, 19 TDs) via free agency.

ARIZONA RATTLERS (0-0) AT GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE (0-0)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, AT 7:30 P.M. ET
(TV: FSN DETROIT & ARIZONA – MATT SHEPARD, ROB RUBICK and JOHN KEATING)

Arizona QB SHERDRICK BONNER is 89-33 as a starting QB... The most AFL victories by a QB in history... When the Rattlers and Rampage faced on April 19, 2003 the two teams lit up the scoreboard for an 82-81 final at Van Andel Arena... Bonner completed 26-of-43 for 358 yards, 9 TDs and 0 INTs... The Rampage's 81 points is the most by a losing team in AFL history... Arizona looks to become the first team to appear in four straight ArenaBowls... Bonner as been on of the most consistent quarterbacks over the last 10 years, finishing with a QB rating no lower 110.0 in every season as a starter with the exception of the 1994 campaign that he still managed to finish with a rating of 99.0... He still managed to lead the Rattlers to a 36-31 victory over the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl VIII that season... Bonner is 3-1 against Grand Rapids in his career. He completed 79-of-127 (61.7%) passes for 849 yards, 21 TDs and 3 INTs in those games... Arizona head coach TODD SHELL has a 13-5 career record against rookie head coaches... This will be Grand Rapids' SPARKY MCEWEN first game as an AFL head coach... McEwen will look to newly-acquired OS CHRIS JACKSON, who was No. 2 in the AFL in "money receptions" (first downs and touchdowns) with 99 in 2004, to boost the offense... QB MICHAEL BISHOP, who is 1-1 as a starter, takes over the reigns for the Rampage offense, which had four different starting quarterbacks in 2004.

NEW ORLEANS VooDoo (0-0) AT GEORGIA FORCE (0-0)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, AT 7 P.M. ET
(TV: COX SPORTS TV, NEW ORLEANS – TODD KALAS and ASHLEY AMBROSE)

New Orleans finished its expansion year with an 11-5 record... The 11 victories were the most regular-season victories by an expansion team... Georgia is out for revenge after losing both games in the series in 2004 by a combined total of seven points... Georgia WR/LB DIALLEO BURKS had six receptions for 102 yards and a TD in the 44-40 loss in the last meeting (May 15, 2004)... These two teams match up pretty well statistically, being within two spots of each other in several team categories, including passing TDs (New Orleans No. 16; Georgia No. 17), rushing TDs (New Orleans No. 6; Georgia No. 4), pass defense (New Orleans No. 4; Georgia No. 5) and total defense (New Orleans No. 6; Georgia No. 5)... However, now missing from the VooDoo equation is former VooDoo QB JOHN FITZGERALD, who went to Austin this offseason... New starting quarterback, ANDY KELLY (360-of-587 passes for 4,184 yards, 73 TDs and 12 INTs with Detroit in 2004), has a current streak of 119 straight regular-season starts (spanning four teams) which is the all-time league record... Kelly is 74-59 as a starting QB... Leading the ground game for the VooDoo will be free agent acquisition FB/LB LEROY THOMPSON who will be fill in for 2004 AFL rushing champion FB/LB DAN CURRAN (85 carries for 342 yards)... Standing in his way is a Force defense, which was ranked No. 4 in rush defense... The Southern Division rivals will meet again in Week 9.

PHILADELPHIA SOUL (0-0) AT AUSTIN WRANGLERS (0-0)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, AT NOON ET
(TV: NBC – BILL WEBER, MIKE PAWLAWSKI and ROGER WALLACE)

The Wranglers are 5-2 all-time when leading or trailing at the half... Austin is 4-2 when WR/DB CHARLIE DAVIDSON is the leading receiver... Davidson led the Wranglers by being the primary target on 26 percent of all passing attempts... FB/LB DANE KRAGER averaged 5.0 yards per carry on 2nd down in 2004... DS CEDRIC WALKER led the Wranglers with 13.0 special-team tackles... Philadelphia head coach MICHAEL TRIGG looks to free-agent signee QB TONY GRAZIANI (99 TDs, No. 1 in AFL) to improve the No. 16-ranked offense... Graziani is 24-14 as a starting QB... The former Oregon QB is 1-0 against the Wranglers as he completed 19-of-25 passes for 332 yards, 8 TDs and 0 INTs in the 81-70 victory for the Avengers in 2004... Graziani is 7-4 in games where he threw for at least 300 yards... Trigg, who enters his second season with the Soul, is 17-9 in the "second season" with teams he has coached, while improving his team's win total by an average of five games from the previous season... OS TYRONNE JONES led the Soul with nine receptions for 113 yards and three TDs in the previous meeting between 2004 expansion teams... All-Rookie OS TACOMA FONTAINE led the Wranglers with seven receptions for 112 yards and four TDs on his way to Offensive Player of the Game honors for the second time in his career.

COLORADO CRUSH (0-0) AT ORLANDO PREDATORS (0-0)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, AT NOON ET
(TV: NBC – BOB PAPA, RAY BENTLEY and MARTY SNIDER)

The only previous meeting in 2003, Orlando won 48-42 in overtime... Orlando head coach JAY GRUDEN tutored former Georgia Tech All-America and Heisman Trophy runner-up QB JOE HAMILTON to a solid rookie campaign... Hamilton posted some impressive numbers which included the second most points by a rookie (390 points, 65 TDs) and the highest completion percentage for a rookie quarterback (65.6%)... Colorado QB JOHN DUTTON ranked No. 4 in the AFL last season in total offense, while completing 342-of-536 passes for 4,195 yards and 76 TDs... Dutton threw for over 300 hundred yards in five different games last year, and only threw less then 4 TDs a game twice... One of Dutton's favorite targets, OS DAMIAN HARRELL, was the leading receiver in 18 of the Crush's 32-game history (He missed the final two games of 2003)... The former Seminole was named Offensive Player of the Game eight times in two seasons with the Crush. The Crush are 8-0 in those games... Harrell averages 81 receptions for 1,155 yards and 24 TDs over his six-year career and has six 10-plus reception games in his past two seasons... The second-team All-Arena selection has 15 100-plus receiving-yard games in his past two seasons... Dutton will be facing the defense that led the league last year in scoring defense anchored by ADT Defensive Player of the Year DS KENNY MCENTYRE... McEntyre was tied for the league lead in interceptions with a total of 9 on the season.

CHICAGO RUSH (0-0) AT DALLAS DESPERADOS (0-0)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, AT 3 P.M. ET
(TV: NBC: TOM HAMMOND, PAT HADEN and LEWIS JOHNSON)

These two teams have met every year since Dallas entered the league in 2002... Never in the three-year history of this series has there ever been a split... Chicago won both games in 2002, needing overtime to win the first game, and earning their second victory over Dallas in the playoffs... In 2003, Dallas turned the tables winning both games of the season by a total of 14 points... Chicago QB RAYMOND PHILYAW is 30-21 as a starter and is 2-1 against Dallas, completing 66-of-116 passes for 901 yards, 19 TDs and 2 INTs... One problem that Dallas will face this weekend is trying to find a way to stop last year 's No. 5 scoring offense (52.9 PPG)... The Rush offense is anchored by the "Toughest Man in Football", FB/LB BOB MCMILLEN (287 rushing yards, No. 2 and 22 rushing TDs, No. 1)... All-Rookie WR/LB ETU MOLDEN (101 receptions for 1,280 and 23 TDs) was the leading receiver in 10 games for the Rush in 2004... Chicago was 6-4 in those games... U.S. Army All-Ironman WR/DB WILL PETTIS led the league with 3,017 all-purpose yards... The Desperados are 13-5 in games where they are in the lead or tied at half, while Chicago is 30-6 in that same scenario... This game marks Dallas rookie QB CLINT STOENER's first AFL start.

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (0-0) AT LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (0-0)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, AT 3 P.M. ET
(TV: NBC – ELI GOLD, CHARLES ARBUCKLE and MITCH ROBERTS)

The last time the Avengers had a starting QB other than TONY GRAZIANI was July 22, 2001 (62-40 loss at Oklahoma)... Former Penn State QB WALLY RICHARDSON got the nod prior to the 46-game streak... Los Angeles head coach ED HODGKISS is 9-1 against rookie head coaches since taking over in 2001... Only loss came against JOE AVEZZANO and Dallas on June 1, 2002... Week 1's matchup will be Las Vegas' RON JAMES AFL head-coaching debut... QB JOHN KALEO was 0-1 vs. Western Division opponents while with Austin in 2004... The 81-70 loss came against Los Angeles on April 3... The last time Kaleo and CLINT DOLEZEL faced was Feb. 23, 2003... Kaleo (completed 23-of-35 passes for 306 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT) led eventual ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay Storm to a 58-56 victory over the Grand Rapids Rampage at Van Andel Arena. Dolezel finished by completing 24-of-35 for 282 yards, 7 TDs and 2 INTs... Kaleo is 61-45 as a starting QB... Dolezel is 53-45 as a starting QB... Las Vegas' COCO BLALOCK hauled in 15 receptions for 163 yards and 3 TDs in the last meeting against Los Angeles... Las Vegas' Dolezel completed 56-of-82 (68.3%) passes for 638 yards, 14 TDs and 1 INTs in the two losses against Los Angeles in 2004... Dolezel is 0-4 against Los Angeles in his career (0-2 with Las Vegas and 0-2 with Grand Rapids)... 2004 Offensive Player of the Year OS MARCUS NASH had an outstanding year last season by leading the AFL in points (300), receptions (154), and receiving TDs (46) and set a single season record in receptions (154).

SAN JOSE SABERCATS (0-0) AT TAMPA BAY STORM (0-0)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, AT 3 P.M. ET
(TV: NBC – ALLEN BESTWICK, CHARLES DAVIS and J.P. PETERSON)

This Week 1 matchup carries the winners of the last three ArenaBowls (San Jose XVIII & XVI; Tampa Bay XVII) with San Jose holding the title of defending ArenaBowl champions by beating the Storm in the postseason on the way to both championships... San Jose's MARK GRIEB (completing 335-of-459 passes for 4,111 yards, 76 TDs and 7 INTs) ranked in the Top 10 in every major QB category... Grieb set a single-season record in 2004 with a 73.0 completion percentage... The last time San Jose and Tampa Bay met in a regular season game (April 4, 2004), Grieb threw for a season-high nine TDs, completing 79.4 percent of his passes in the SaberCats' 62-55 victory... The SaberCats have won six straight season openers since 1999 – all coming under head coach DARREN ARBET... The SaberCats are 77-13 when leading or tied after three quarters... The Storm are 133-23 in games where they were in the lead or tied at the half... Since 2003, Tampa Bay was 14-5 in games that OS FREDDIE SOLOMON was the leading receiver... Tampa Bay QB SHANE STAFFORD is 14-11 as an AFL starting quarterback and is 0-2 during the regular season against San Jose.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from January 26, 2005


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