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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Two tickets to Las Vegas on the line this weekend

June 1, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK – The ArenaBowl matchup will be set this weekend as the four remaining teams battle for the right to travel to Las Vegas. Georgia hosts Orlando Saturday for the National Conference Championship and Colorado will host Chicago Sunday for the American Conference Championship with the winners advancing to ArenaBowl XIX Las Vegas on June 12.

In the National Conference, Coach of the Year candidate DOUG PLANK and the No. 1-seeded Force (12-5) will host two-time ArenaBowl champion head coach JAY GRUDEN and the No. 3-seeded Orlando Predators (11-6) at Philips Arena on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

Georgia's "Thunder and Lightning" combo of WR/LB DEREK LEE (6-5, 225, Tennessee Tech) and OS TROY BERGERON (6-2, 190, Middle Tennessee State), who were both named to the All-Rookie Team, highlight the offensive attack that is guided by All-Arena second-team selection MATT NAGY (6-2, 220, Delaware). Last week, Bergeron earned Offensive Player of the Week honors and this week won the Rookie of the Year Award.

Orlando's All-Arena first-team duo of WR/LB CORY FLEMING (6-2, 218, Tennessee) and DS KENNY MCENTYRE (5-11, 186, Kansas State) will look to bring the Predators back to the ArenaBowl for the fourth time in eight years. Fleming earned U.S. Army Ironman of the Week honors last week after leading the Predators past the No. 2 ranked New York Dragons in the Divisional Round.

In Denver, Pro Fooball Hall of Fame members square off when co-owner MIKE DITKA and the No. 3-seeded Chicago Rush (10-7) travel to Pepsi Center to face co-owner JOHN ELWAY and the No. 1-seeded Colorado Crush (11-6) this Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

Four U.S. Army All-Ironman selections will battle when Colorado FB/LB RICH YOUNG (6-3, 255, Tulsa), OL/DL KYLE MOORE-BROWN (6-4, 306, Kansas) and WR/DB WILLIS MARSHALL (5-10, 195, Youngstown State) square off against Rush WR/LB ETU MOLDEN (6-2, 195, Montanna).

All-Arena second-team selection OL/DL JOHN MOYER (6-3, 265, Eastern Illinois) and Divisional Round ADT Defensive Player of the Week OL/DL D.J. BLEISATH (6-2, 280, Tennessee Tech) lead the defensive push against All-Arena first-team OS DAMIAN HARRELL (6-3, 200, Florida State). Both the Rush and Crush are fighting for a chance to play in their first ArenaBowl.

ORLANDO PREDATORS (11-6) AT GEORGIA FORCE (12-5) SATURDAY, JUNE 4 AT 3 P.M. ET NBC

BOB PAPA, RAY BENTLEY & DAVE BURNS

This will be the third meeting of the season between Georgia and Orlando... The Predators and Force split the regular-season series with the home team winning each game... The Force are the first team since the 2002 San Jose SaberCats, to finish the regular season undefeated at home and are coming off their first home-playoff game in franchise history... This will be the first Conference Championship game for the Force, but the Predators have played in 10 conference championship or semifinal games in their 13-year history... The Predators have a record of 6-4 in conference championship/semifinal games and a record of 3-3 in conference championship games on the road... The Force, who are the AFLWA's No. 1 ranked team, has made it to the playoffs one other time in their four seasons with the League... Only three times in ArenaBowl history has a team finished the season ranked No. 1 and not advanced to the ArenaBowl... The Predators, who won last week 47-42 in New York, is the only team to have made it to the ArenaBowl without playing a home-playoff game and they accomplished it twice (IX & XIII)... The Force's first game in franchise history was a 67-49 win over the Predators... Georgia OS TROY BERGERON and WR/LB DEREK LEE had record-breaking seasons in 2005... Bergeron had 105 receptions for 1,372 yards and 31 TDs and set a new rookie record for most receiving yards and Lee's 113 receptions for 1,234 yards and 33 TDs broke MICHAEL BAKER's rookie record for most receptions (105)... In Predator QB JOE HAMILTON's two postseason appearances, Hamilton completed 35-of-62 passes for 505 yards and eight touchdowns... Force head coach DOUG PLANK is in his first season as a head coach, but was the defensive coordinator for an Arizona Rattlers team which made it to the past three ArenaBowls... Predator head coach JAY GRUDEN has won six ArenaBowls, four as a player and two as the head coach for Orlando... Two of Gruden's four ArenaBowl championships as a player were won with TIM MARCUM, the League-leader in postseason victories (25), by a head coach.

CHICAGO RUSH (10-7) AT COLORADO CRUSH (11-6) SUNDAY, JUNE 5 AT 3 P.M. ET NBC

TOM HAMMOND, PAT HADEN & MARTY SNIDER

The American Conference Championship features two Central Division rivals... The fifth-year Chicago Rush have made the playoffs every year in franchise history, but have never made an ArenaBowl appearance... The third-year Colorado Crush have made it to the playoffs for the second consecutive season and have also never made it to ArenaBowl... The Crush and the Rush have never met in the playoffs... The Rush went undefeated against the Crush in their two meetings this season and are 2-1 all-time at Pepsi Center... The Crush are 7-2 at home this season including a 56-48 win last week in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose SaberCats... Crush QB JOHN DUTTON completed 65.5% of his passes for 315 yards and six TDs against San Jose last week... In two games against the Rush this season, Dutton completed 45-of-74 passes for 557 yards and 12 TDs... Crush OS DAMIAN HARRELL, an Offensive Player of the Year candidate, led the team in receiving this season and caught 14 passes for 161 yards and five TDs in two losses against the Rush... Rush QB RAYMOND PHILYAW complete 69.5% of his passes for 730 yards and 13 TDs in the regular season against the Crush... Two of Philyaw's prime targets this season have been WR/DB ETU MOLDEN and WR/DB HENRY DOUGLAS, who finished as the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers, respectively, on the team and who both had success against the Crush this season... Molden caught 14 passes for 247 yards and seven TDs and Douglas caught 21 passes for 144 yards and four TDs against the Crush... On defense, Crush DS RASHAD FLOYD recorded 14.5 tackles last week against San Jose, 6.5 more than anyone else in the League... Rush OL/DL D.J. BLEISATH recorded 2.0 sacks and Rush OL/DL JOHN MOYER recorded 1.0 sack in last week's win.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from June 1, 2005


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