Week Four Game Recaps

Published on May 13, 2002 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release

TORONTO 45, Indiana 36

TORONTO, Ontario (Ticker) -- CHAD SALISBURY threw for 223 yards and three TDs to help the Toronto Phantoms down the Indiana Firebirds, 45-36.

Salisbury completed 22-of-31 passes and connected with DAMIAN HARRELL 10 times for 121 yards and a TD and found KERRY BROWN six times for 38 yards and a pair of TDs.

JERMAINE YOUNGER rushed for 16 yards and two TDs, including the go-ahead score with just under 10 minutes remaining in the contest for Toronto (3-1), which has held its opponents to a league-leading average of 40.1 points-per-game.

RAYMOND PHILYAW converted 17-of-32 passes for 215 yards and four TDs and EDDIE BROWN accrued two TDs and a game-high 131 receiving yards on nine catches for Indiana (2-2), which was held to below 40 points for the first time this season.

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Arizona 51, GEORGIA 40

ATLANTA, Ga. (Ticker) -- SHERDICK BONNER helped defeat the highest scoring team in the league by throwing four TD passes in the Arizona Rattlers' 51-40 victory over the Georgia Force.

Bonner, who had thrown for 300-plus yards in his last two contests, completed 18-of-28 passes for 249 yards and one interception for Arizona (3-1). The 33-year-old veteran connected with CHRIS HORN 12 times for 164 yards and three TDs. Horn, who earned MVP honors, also had two kickoff and missed field goal returns for a combined 86 yards.

BO KELLY ran in a one-yard TD and BOBBY MCGOWENS rushed two scores in, including a two-yard run with 40 seconds remaining to supply a 51-34 lead to the Rattlers, who have won three straight contests.

KEVIN MCDOUGAL finished 23-for-35 with five TDs and JARRICK HILLERY caught seven passes for 101 yards and one TD for Georgia (1-3).

RON CARPENTER returned nine kickoffs for 183 yards for the Force, who outscored Arizona, 20-14, in the fourth quarter, their only double-digit stanza of the game.

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TAMPA BAY 66, Chicago 53

TAMPA, Fla. (Ticker) -- LAWRENCE SAMUELS set a career-high with three TD receptions and SHANE STAFFORD threw six TD passes as the Tampa Bay Storm avoided its first 0-4 start in team history with a 66-53 victory over the Chicago Rush.

Samuels, who was named co-MVP with Stafford, caught nine passes for 84 yards and forced two fumbles, recovering one, and recorded 2.5 tackles on the defensive end for Tampa Bay (1-3).

Trailing 21-14 after the first quarter, Stafford connected with Samuels twice, ran in an eight-yard score and found MELVIN CUNNINGHAM in the end zone with eight seconds remaining in the half to build a 42-33 lead. Stafford finished 26-for-35 with 243 yards for the Storm, who scored on 10 of their 11 possessions, and improved to 40-0 when scoring 60-plus points in a contest.

BILLY DICKEN, who tied a career-high with six TDs in last week's victory over Grand Rapids, established a new personal-best with seven TD throws, including a 45-yard bomb to ANTONIO CHATMAN in the first quarter, for Chicago (2-2). Overall, he completed 20-of-25 attempts for 311 yards, yet threw an interception. ANTHONY LADD set career-highs with six passes, four TDs and four tackles for the Rush, who were shut out in the third quarter.

This was the first meeting between the teams.

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BUFFALO 49, Detroit 21

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Team reports) - The Buffalo Destroyers' defense caused five turnovers, including three interceptions, en route to a 49-21 victory over the Detroit Fury at HSBC Arena. The 21 points given up by Buffalo marked the fewest allowed in Destroyers team history.

COREY JOHNSON picked off two Fury passes and DWAINE CARPENTER added another for Buffalo (2-2), while JUAN LONG, who was named Ironman of the Game, forced a fumble in the fourth quarter that was scooped up by DAVID CALDWELL for a Destroyers TD.

On offense, FRED MCNAIR, who was named game MVP, completed 21 of 33 pass attempts for 237 yards and 5 TDs, including a pair of TD passes to KEVIN MASON. McNair also connected on scoring tosses to EDDIE BROWN, JARRAIL JACKSON and CARLOS JAMES, before backup QB JEFF LOOTS stepped in and threw a TD-strike to BRET COOPER.

RICKY FOGGIE completed 8 of 17 passes for 114 yards and two TDs for Detroit (1-3), before being replaced by DREW MILLER (9-of-11, 80 yards one TD). All three Detroit TDs were tosses to ROBERT GORDON, who led the Fury in receiving yards with 88. Gordon suffered a broken arm in the final minute of the contest; he is expected to be sidelined for at least eight weeks.

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Dallas 72, NEW YORK 61

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (Ticker) -- ANDY KELLY threw for 245 yards with seven passing TDs and a rushing score to help the Dallas Desperados defeat the New York Dragons, 72-61.

Kelly tossed a pair of TD passes in the first quarter, connected with ADRIAN LUNSFORD on a 17-yard TD pass just under two minutes into the second and threw ANDY MCCULLOUGH a pass from four yards out for a score with 21 seconds left in the first half to trail New York (1-3) by only one point, 37-38.

Kelly got Dallas (3-1) on the board first in the second half with a three-yard rushing TD and supplied a 51-48 lead with a three-yard toss to JAKE HOFFART with 2:28 left in the third. Kelly threw for two more TDs in the fourth, but Lansford made one of the biggest plays of the game, intercepting MATT NAGY at 11:56 of the final quarter and running back 17 yards for a score that gave the Desperados a 65-48 lead.

DIALLEO BURKS, Hoffart and McCoullough each grabbed a pair of TD passes and JASON WELLS booted in a 50-yard field goal attempt for Dallas, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Nagy, who passed for 223 yards and five TDs last week, finished 17-for-26 with five TDs, including a 45-yard bomb to CARL SACCO early in the second quarter, for the Dragons, who lost the first meeting ever with the Desperados.

MIKE FURREY caught four passes, three for TDs, for 41 yards and STEVE PAPIN caught a game-high eight passes for 70 yards for New York, which had its three-game home winning streak snapped.

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GRAND RAPIDS 69, Orlando 55

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Ticker) -- CLINT DOLEZEL threw for 277 yards and five TDs to help the Grand Rapids Rampage defeat the Orlando Predators, 69-55.

Dolezel, who entered the game with a league-high 114.11 passer rating, completed 27-of-39 passes and found STEVE SMITH 13 times for 176 yards and three scores. Smith had accrued 166 total receiving yards over his previous three games.

WILLIS MARSHALL returned six kickoffs for 138 yards, including a 54-yard TD run in the first quarter, for Grand Rapids (2-2), which picked up its third victory in four all-time meetings against Orlando (1-3).

JAY GRUDEN converted 12-of-22 passes for 232 yards and five TDs, connecting with CLIF DELL for six catches, 132 yards and three TDs for the Rampage, who surrendered 60 or more points for the third time this season.

ANTONIO STANLEY caught five passes for 90 yards and a pair of scores and also ran back six kickoffs for 149 yards and a TD in the loss for Orlando.

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Carolina 40, NEW JERSEY 28

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Ticker) -- CONNELL MAYNOR threw for 182 yards and three TDs to three different receivers and BRIAN SCHMITZ converted two field goals to lead the Carolina Cobras past the New Jersey Gladiator, 40-28, for its franchise-best third straight win.

Maynor, who went 12-for-21 without an interception for the game, tossed a nine-yard TD pass to JAMAAL GARMAN for a 10-7 lead after one quarter and hurled a 45-yard pass that CORY FLEMING pulled in for a TD early in the third for a 31-21 cushion. NICK WARD grabbed a 26-yard TD pass from Maynor that capped the scoring with five minutes remaining in the game, helping to seal the victory.

Schmitz connected on a 35-yard field goal at 8:14 of the first quarter and chipped in a 30-yard attempt with 1:18 left in the third for Carolina (3-1), which held New Jersey (2-2) scoreless in the fourth quarter. MARRIO GRIER ran a score in from two yards out with 1:04 to go in the first half for the Cobras, who improved to 2-0 on the road this season and 5-11 all-time.

JAY MCDONAUGH finished 27-for-49 for 249 yards, three TDs and an interception and DENNISON ROBINSON, who returned a pair of kickoffs for 81 yards, ran for a five-yard TD for the Gladiators, who fell to 0-3 versus Carolina despite collecting more first downs (16-10), more total yards (257-192) and having possession of the ball for almost 10 minutes longer than the Cobras.

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SAN JOSE 78, Los Angeles 44

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Ticker) -- MARK GRIEB threw for 255 yards and six TDs and JAMES HUNDON caught three scores to help the San Jose Sabercats remain the only undefeated team in the league with a 78-44 victory over the Los Angeles Avengers.

Grieb, who completed 17-of-26 pass attempts, tossed four scores in the first half, including a 30-yard strike to JERRY REESE early in the second quarter, to lead San Jose (4-0) to a 44-34 halftime lead. Hundon caught six passes, including a 22-yard score from Grieb with four seconds left in the second that opened up a three-point contest. MATT KINSINGER had a pair of rushing TDs for the Sabercats, who won their seventh straight home game dating back to last season.

TONY GRAZIANI finished 17-for-33 with 221 yards and three TDs, but was sacked three times for Los Angeles (2-2). GREG HOPKINS caught eight passes for 117 yards and one TD and J.J. WASHINGTON hauled in a pair of TD catches for the Avengers, who were outscored, 34-10, in the second half

THIS WEEK IN AFL HISTORY

May 12, 2001. New York ended San Jose's league record 15-game regular season winning streak with a 62-58 victory.

May 12, 2001. Chicago QB BILLY DICKEN, who won acclaim by leading af2's Quad City Steamwheelers to a 19-0 record in 2000, tallied 351 passing yards and 8 TDs in his first AFL start, a 72-64 win over the Indiana Firebirds.

May 12, 2001. San Jose returned a missed extra point for two points against New York, the first time in league history that a defensive score occurred on a missed extra point.

May 17, 1987. Only the third African-American head coach in the history of pro football, BOB HARRISON is named as the leader of the Washington Commandos.

May 18, 1996. San Jose's AARON MILLS matches a professional football record with a 63-yard field goal against Florida.

May 18, 1996. Albany's EDDIE BROWN scores 54 points against Minnesota in the Firebirds 85-30 victory.

May 18, 2000. Midway Sports unveils first-ever AFL video game - "KURT WARNER 's Arena Football Unleashed" - for Sony PlayStation game console.

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 13, 2002

• Week Four Game Recaps - AFL I
• Cooper Released From Hospital - Buffalo Destroyers
• Fury Waives Foggie, Herrin and Hunter - Detroit Fury

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