Avengers Win Despite Starting Rookie Defensive Specialists
Steven Herbert
Monday February 3, 2003
The Avengers offense did not make a turnover and protected quarterback Tony Graziani well enough to allow him to throw seven touchdown passes, five to Chris Jackson, and not be sacked.
The verdict of how well they rushed Las Vegas quarterback Jay McDonagh is still out, but basically moot. Los Angeles did not sack McDonagh, but did place him under duress several times.
“I don’t think it was a big factor,” McDonagh said of the Avengers pass rush. “I thought it was more of us not executing than them preventing us to execute.”
Going into the game with two rookie defensive specialists was scary, Hodgkiss said. However, both Wasswa Serwanga and Damen Wheeler made interceptions. Serwanga also forced a fumble that Wheeler recovered but lost on the return, giving the ball back to the Gladiators. It was the Avengers only turnover.
Serwanga made a game-high 8½ tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass. Wheeler was the game’s third-leading tackler with 6½ and also broke up a pass.
“For having two Arena rookies out there, they did a real nice job,” Las Vegas coach Frank Haege said.
Los Angeles was penalized just twice for one yard. Its first penalty came in the third quarter when it was defense was cited for disconcerting signals when Las Vegas had a first-and-goal from the Avengers one-yard line. That penalty did not figure in the scoring as the Gladiators were pushed back five yards on the next play for illegal motion.
The other Los Angeles penalty was for pass interference in the fourth quarter, giving Las Vegas an extra set of downs inside the Avengers 10, with McDonagh ultimately throwing a five-yard touchdown pass to Mike Horacek, cutting the deficit to 54-48 with one minute, 22 seconds to play.
The Gladiators illustrated the importance of avoiding penalties by having an onside kick recovery and an interception nullified by penalties.
“It all came down to that onside kick,” said Haege, whose team was penalized seven times for 51 yards. “If we hadn`t been offsides, we would have been driving to win.”
The penalty on the onside kick gave Los Angeles the ball on the Gladiators six. Graziani ran in from three yards out two plays later, increasing its lead to 60-48 with 53 seconds left.
Serwanga’s end zone interception on the ensuing series ended Las Vegas’ last comeback chance.
The Avengers never trailed, with Graziani throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Jackson on the game’s first play.
“Scoring early gave us confidence right away and sent a message to Las Vegas,” Hodgkiss said.
When Graziani connected with Jackson for a 21-yard touchdown on the final play of the first quarter, the Avengers began a streak of seven consecutive possessions with a touchdown, a streak that would continue until the fourth quarter.
“They have an excellent offense,” Haege said. “They’ve got a great quarterback, at least two great receivers and they’re good up front. I think we’re going to end up being pretty solid on defense. They just really executed tonight and we didn’t.”
Los Angeles led 14-7 after the first quarter and 34-20 at halftime.
“We just really weren`t in synch the first half, offensively or defensively,” Haege said. “It took us a while to put it together.”
The Gladiators scored on all three of their third-quarter possessions, moving to within seven, 48-41, entering the fourth quarter.
Las Vegas briefly seemed to have a chance for a tying drive early in the fourth quarter when Damon Mason intercepted a Graziani pass. However, the play was nullified when Mason was called for holding. On the next play, Graziani (18-for-288 yards) threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jackson.
Avengers linebacker Greg Hopkins, the AFL’s Ironman of the Year in 2002, ended the Gladiators next possession with an interception. Los Angeles failed to capitalize when their drive stalled and Remy Hamilton missed a 38-yard field goal attempt.
Steven Herbert began covering Arena Football in 1988, the league’s second season. He has covered the sport for The Associated Press, Arizona Republic, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Providence Journal-Bulletin, Palm Beach Post, Daily Oklahoman and other publications. Herbert has also written on college and NFL football for The Washington Post and spent five years as a Los Angeles Times staff writer.
