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AFL I Arena Football League (1987-2008)

Young guns to shoot it out in Utah

March 22, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I) News Release


NEW YORK - Two of the AFL's up-and-coming quarterbacks will face each other for the first time on the indoor field this weekend when the Las Vegas Gladiators (3-5) travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Blaze (3-5) Friday at 9 p.m. ET at the Delta Center (KJZZ, AFL Net).

Las Vegas QB JASON FIFE and Utah starter JASSON GESSER, who replaces another emerging star in JOE GERMAINE after a finger injury, will meet for the first time since both were Pac-10 Conference standouts in 2002.

In their only college meeting, Gesser's Washington State Cougars defeated Fife's Oregon Ducks 32-21 on November 9, 2002 in Pullman, Wash. Gesser threw for 277 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while Fife posted 192 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. Washington State went on to the Rose Bowl that season, but fell to Oklahoma 34-14 in Pasadena.

The two slingers meet again this week with the AFL's Western Division up for grabs. Arizona (4-4) stands in first place one game ahead of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Jose and Utah, all 3-5. The five teams in the Western Division are a combined 10-5 in the last three weeks. The Avengers and Rattlers will square off in Phoenix on Friday at 9 p.m. ET at the U.S. Airways Center (FSN West2 tape delay at 1:30 a.m. ET, FSN Arizona).

Arizona has won three straight, including a 47-33 decision at Las Vegas last week, to climb into the driver's seat of the division. Last week, the Rattlers began a streak of four straight games against Western Division opponents that has them hosting Los Angeles this week before traveling to San Jose and Utah the next two weeks.

Rattlers QB SHERDRICK BONNER needs five touchdown passes to become just the fourth player in AFL history with 700 for his career. Dallas Desperados' QB CLINT DOLEZEL (716) became the third player in AFL history to throw for 700 touchdowns two weeks ago and was the quickest to reach the milestone (125 games).

TOP FIVE CAREER PASSING TOUCHDOWNS
NAME TD PASSES
1. Aaron Garcia, New York 757
2. Andy Kelly, Kansas City 741
3. Clint Dolezel, Dallas 716
4. Sherdrick Bonner, Arizona 695
5. John Kaleo, Columbus 532

The Avengers have an up-and-coming quarterback as well in SONNY CUMBIE, who took over the starting reigns from QB BRIAN MANN in Week 5. Since then he has thrown 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions and posted a career-best 348 passing yards in a win over San Jose on March 12.

The Dallas Desperados (7-1), who are the top-ranked team in this week's AFLWA Schutt Sports Top 12 Poll, continued their winning ways last week with an 87-62 win at Orlando (4-4) and hold a three-game lead over the other teams in the Eastern Division (Columbus, Philadelphia, New York). Dolezel, who claimed the last two AFL Offensive Player of the Week awards, tied the AFL record for touchdown passes in a game (11) last week, a mark he already co-owned with AARON GARCIA. Dallas has won four in a row and has scored 50-or-more points in all but one contest (2/17 loss to Austin).

The Desperados will look to make it five straight when they host the Philadelphia Soul on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (Comcast Sports Network tape delay at 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest tape delay TBD). The matchup pits Dolezel against another AFL veteran in Soul QB TONY GRAZIANI.

Philadelphia, one of three teams tied for second in the Eastern Division, concludes a four-week stretch of road games this weekend in Dallas.

Tampa Bay (5-3) and Georgia (4-4) will meet for the second time this season on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET at the Philips Arena in Atlanta (FSN Florida, FSN South tape delay TBD). Tampa Bay won the first meeting, 61-60, at home. The Storm are 3-1 in their last four games and rank first in the AFL in total offense (324.1 ypg). Tampa Bay QB SHANE STAFFORD has 2,525 passing yards to lead the League. The Force have lost two of three to fall into third place in the Southern Division. Georgia OS DEREK LEE is tied for first in the AFL with 72 receptions and ranks fourth with 794 receiving yards.

Other games this week: Kansas City at New York on Friday, San Jose at Nashville on Saturday, Orlando at Austin on Saturday, Columbus at Colorado on Saturday and Grand Rapids at Chicago on Sunday.

This Week in AFL History

March 24, 2001: The Georgia Force opened their first-ever training camp at Life University in Marietta.

AFLWA Midseason Awards

The AFLWA announced its list of midseason-award winners on Wednesday. Among the honorees were Dallas' WILL PETTIS (Ironman) and CLINT DOLEZEL (Offensive) and Austin's DAMON MASON (Defensive) and DERRICK LEWIS (Rookie). For a complete list of winners visit www.arenafootball.com.

AFLWA Schutt Sports Top 12 Poll

1. Dallas Desperados (19) 7-1 228
2. Austin Wranglers 6-2 200
3. Colorado Crush 6-2 199
4. Tampa Bay Storm 5-3 163
5. Nashville Kats 5-3 157
6. Georgia Force 4-4 108
7. Arizona Rattlers 4-4 89
8. Columbus Destroyers 4-4 88
9. Orlando Predators 4-4 82
10. New York Dragons 4-4 58
11. Philadelphia Soul 4-4 55
12. Los Angeles Avengers 3-5 24

Others receiving votes: Chicago Rush 14, San Jose SaberCats 10, Utah Blaze 3, Grand Rapids Rampage 2, Las Vegas Gladiators 2.
Dropped out: Chicago Rush (10), Las Vegas Gladiators (11), Utah Blaze (12).

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 22, 2006


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