Risky Two Point Conversion Seals it for Avengers
Steven Herbert
Monday February 10, 2003
Of course, every team hates the turnover, but Hodgkiss has good reason to hate them, after his team lost all four games in 2002 in which it had more turnovers than the opposition.
This time the streak was broken.
Despite Tony Graziani’s team-record four interceptions, Los Angeles overcame a 17-point deficit to start the fourth quarter for a 73-72 victory, giving the team sole possession of the Western Division lead for the first time in the Avengers’ four-season history.
The comeback was completed when Greg Hopkins caught a two-point conversion pass from Graziani with one second left after Mathias Vavao ran one yard for a touchdown.
“We showed a lot of character to come back,” Hodgkiss said. “They came back as a team and we won it at the end. [I] couldn’t be prouder of the guys.”
Hodgkiss said the decision to go for two was a change from his original plan to kick an extra point for the tie after Daron Alcorn’s 21-yard field goal gave the SaberCats a 72-65 lead with 32 seconds left.
“I thought we had the momentum there,” Hodgkiss said in explaining his switch. “I felt like we had a very good play that’s been successful for us with Hopkins on the post and C.J. [Chris Jackson] staying front side on the slant route. I thought it was the best thing to do right there.”
On the conversion, Graziani used a hard count, trying to induce San Jose to jump offside and give the Avengers a free play. The strategy worked, as Albrey Battle jumped offside, just before the ball was snapped.
Jackson, Graziani’s primary target, was covered in the right side of the end zone. Graziani then rolled to his left, firing a pass to Hopkins, who caught the pass on one knee, just inside the end zone.
“We had enough guts to go for two at the end and we pulled it off,” Hopkins said.
“We’re going to look at how to run the clock out better,” said San Jose coach Darren Arbet, whose team lost for only the second time in its last 19 games.
“They had it last and they got it done,” Arbet said.
The Avengers weren’t getting much done in the second quarter as they were outscored, 28-3, with Graziani throwing interceptions on three consecutive series. Clevan Thomas and Sam Hernandez returned interceptions for touchdowns, while San Jose also converted the third interception into a touchdown.
“I couldn’t believe what was happening,” said Graziani, who completed 25 of 38 passes for 345 yards and seven touchdowns. “Anything that could go wrong did in the second quarter.”
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.
