AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

'War on I-4' Continues Sunday

Published on February 5, 2003 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK – Separated by 85 miles of highway and dubbed the "War on I-4," the intense rivalry between Tampa Bay and Orlando heats up this Sunday on NBC. Since their first meeting in 1991, history has proven this matchup to be one of the AFL's exciting every season. In 24 regular-season meetings, the two teams have evenly split all contests with a dozen apiece. Facing off six times in the postseason, the Predators have four wins over the Storm. With six AFL championships between them, these two teams have tangled in two ArenaBowls - Tampa Bay won ArenaBowl IX in 1995 and Orlando was the victor in ArenaBowl XII in 1998. Overall, the scoring-differential in their 30 combined games is only five points, advantage Tampa Bay (1,227 to 1,222).

Other games for Week 2 include: Grand Rapids Rampage at Colorado Crush on Friday; Indiana Firebirds at New York Dragons on Saturday; Las Vegas Gladiators at Arizona Rattlers (NBC), Chicago Rush at Dallas Desperados (NBC), San Jose SaberCats at Los Angeles Avengers (NBC), Carolina Cobras at Buffalo Destroyers and Georgia Force at Detroit Fury on Sunday.

GRAND RAPIDS RAMPAGE (1-0) @ COLORADO CRUSH (0-1)
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7 AT 9:00 P.M. ET

Grand Rapids QB CLINT DOLEZEL and OS STEVE SMITH were the main combination for Rampage Head Coach MICHAEL TRIGG in their Week 1 victory over Buffalo. Trigg will be looking for his defense to find a way to slow down the Colorado combo of QB JOHN DUTTON and OS DAMIAN HARRELL – who connected on five touchdowns in last week's loss to Georgia.

INDIANA FIREBIRDS (1-0) AT NEW YORK DRAGONS (0-1)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AT 1:00 P.M. ET

The Dragons return to Nassau Coliseum this week to face one of the most potent offenses in the AFL. Indiana posted a league-best 66 points last week with a balanced offensive assault – four passing touchdown and four rushing scores – led by QB RAYMOND PHILYAW, OS EDDIE BROWN, and FB/LB LEROY THOMPSON. Locked and loaded with an offensive arsenal of their own, New York QB AARON GARCIA threw eight touchdown strikes last week in the Dragons' loss at Dallas, including three scores to free-agent acquisition WR/DB KERRY BROWN.

LAS VEGAS GLADIATORS (0-1) AT ARIZONA RATTLERS (0-1)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AT 3:00 P.M. ET
(NBC – Eli Gold and John Riggins)

Las Vegas and Arizona are two playoff teams from 2002 who are hoping to avoid an 0-2 start to begin the 2003 season. Arizona QB CHRIS HIXSON takes the reigns from the injured SHERDRICK BONNER with hopes of getting the ArenaBowl XVI finalist into the win column. Las Vegas OS MIKE HORACEK is hoping for a repeat of last week's four-touchdown performance for the AFL's top offense (389.0 yards per game.) Arizona WR/LB CHRIS HORN and Las Vegas WR/DB SEDRICK ROBINSON will lock horns on both sides of the ball.

CHICAGO RUSH (0-1) AT DALLAS DESPERADOS (1-0)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AT 3:00 P.M. ET
(NBC – Mike Breen, Ray Bentley and Marty Snider)

This budding Central Division rivalry will pit two of the AFL's "young guns" in what has all the markings of an offensive shootout. Chicago QB BILLY DICKEN will have OS ANTONIO CHATMAN and WR/DB DAMEON PORTER as his main targets, while Dallas QB JIM KUBIAK has the sophomore duo of DIALLEO BURKS and ANDY MCCULLOUGH to aim for. The line play of Dallas' TOM BRIGGS and Chicago's JAMES BARON might be one to watch for if the two line up across from each other. The similar styles of defensive ballhawks Chicago DS/KR ANTHONY DERRICKS and Dallas' DS/KR KAREEM LARRIMORE will also be on display as they look to light up the return game.

SAN JOSE SABERCATS (1-0) AT LOS ANGELES AVENGERS (1-0)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AT 3:00 P.M. ET
(NBC – Dan Hicks and Charles Davis)

Could this matchup be an early preview for the Western Division crown? Both San Jose and Los Angeles picked up victories in Week 1, but the game could have divisional implications for later in the season. The defending champion SaberCats have a healthy MARK GRIEB to guide their potent offense. The individual showdown between perennial Ironman of the Year candidate WR/DB BARRY WAGNER and defending Ironman of the Year WR/LB GREG HOPKINS will take center stage. But the San Jose defense will have to figure a way to apply pressure on the AFL's leading passer QB TONY GRAZIANI, while the secondary tries to shutdown the League's leading scorer OS CHRIS JACKSON (five touchdowns against Las Vegas.)

TAMPA BAY STORM (1-0) AT ORLANDO PREDATORS (1-0)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AT 3:00 P.M. ET
(NBC – Tom Hammond, Pat Haden and Lewis Johnson)

Orlando QB JAY GRUDEN, fresh from a Super Bowl victory as an assistant coach with older brother JON GRUDEN and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the former Tampa Bay QB – turned Orlando head coach – turned Orlando QB led the Predators to a victory at Chicago last week with six touchdown passes, including four to rookie TRAVIS MCGRIFF. Gruden's former coach and mentor TIM MARCUM – the AFL 's all-time winningest coach – has built a powerhouse roster from last season led by veteran QB JOHN KALEO and OS FREDDIE SOLOMON, who racked up 210 all-purpose yards in the Storm's decisive 60-20 win over Carolina last week.

CAROLINA COBRAS (0-1) AT BUFFALO DESTROYERS (0-1)
SUNDAY, FEBRUAY 9 AT 3:00 P.M. ET

When Carolina heads to western New York this weekend, they'll find the Destroyers armed and ready for action. Buffalo QB JEFF LOOTS found a rhythm with OS GUNNARD TWYNER last week, connecting for three scores in his squad's loss to Grand Rapids. Destroyers lineman SILAS DEMARY, who played for the Cobras in 2001 and 2002, will pressure his former team. Carolina released former starting QB CHAD DEGRENIER this week, but have STEWART PATRIDGE at backup and seasoned veteran QB ROBERT HALL – who connected with current Cobras OS BEN BRONSON for 21 touchdowns with Houston in 2000 -- waiting in the wings. (Carolina head coach MIKE HOLD, a 12-year AFL veteran QB, was Hall's backup in Houston that season.) Whoever takes snaps for Carolina this weekend will be staring across the line at a hungry Destroyers defensive unit and secondary, led by second-year DS DWAINE CARPENTER.

GEORGIA FORCE (1-0) AT DETROIT FURY (0-1)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AT 3:00 P.M. ET

Detroit DS/KR RON CARPENTER opened the 2003 season with a fierce outing last weekend, etching his name in AFL annals with 294 kickoff return yards – third-best single-game performance in League history – including a 55-yard return for a touchdown. Against his former team this Sunday, Carpenter will be looking to do the same, but will have his hands full with Georgia QB DONNIE DAVIS and a lineup of potent scorers in OS TYRONNE JONES, FB/LB DARRYL HAMMOND, and FB/LB TRAVIS REECE. The AFL's all-time leading passer, Fury QB ANDY KELLY tallied many of his career numbers with Jones, Hammond, and Reece in Nashville (1997-2001), but is scoring with new targets now, including WR/LB TY GROVESTEEN, WR/LB JUNIOR LORD, and rookie WR/DB SULECIO SANFORD.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 5, 2003


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