Avengers Tough Loss Only Enhances Rivalry with San Jose
Mike Chanpong
Thursday April 1, 2004
There are the Red Sox and Yankees, the Lakers and the Kings, the Browns and the Steelers. Each team and its fans are so passionately divided in loyalty, yet so united with the understanding that each game against their nemesis is a must-win, if only for bragging rights.
Just like those heated rivalries, the San Jose Sabercats and Los Angeles Avengers games are shaping up to become one of Arena Football’s most intense matchups. Lately, it seems that every time these two teams get together it’s a fight to the finish. Not the type of fight that embodies a dirty, trash-talking, personal foul-fest, so typical of many rivalries these days, but a display of clean, hard hits, solid execution, sportsmanship, and textbook Arena Football played out by two of the league’s elite coaching staffs.
For the past two years, these games have been Arena Football classics. Last year, they split the season series by a combined total of five points. This year, Los Angeles fell to San Jose by six points in week three. This past week’s game in San Jose was close too, with the Avengers falling by three points, 55-52.
It was a tough loss for Los Angeles, who came into the game looking to tie the Sabercats for first place in the Western Division, and were seeking their first ever win at San Jose. And after Remy Hamilton booted a 20-yard field goal to give the Avengers a 31-21 lead at halftime, it looked as though Los Angeles was well on their way to a win.
The Sabercats, however, came out of the locker room fired up, turning the 10-point deficit into a 35-31 lead in a 14-0 run that included a James Roe interception return for a touchdown. At this juncture, San Jose clearly had momentum on their side; their fans were going crazy, they finally forced Graziani into an interception, and they had just rallied from ten points down to take the lead. A lesser team would have packed it in and let San Jose walk away with a win. But the Avengers weren’t about to give up so easily, as Los Angeles found themselves even midway through the fourth quarter.
Without a doubt, Tony Graziani is one of the toughest quarterbacks in the game, and he proved it early in the fourth quarter when he was nailed by San Jose lineman Joe Jacobs and landed awkwardly on his left leg. After consulting with the trainers, Graziani somehow managed to stay in the game.
Seeing someone playing through pain the way Graziani was had to be inspiring for the Los Angeles defense. Silas Demary was certainly fired up—he went out and recorded his second sack of Grieb, a 9-yard loss that forced a Dan Frantz 29-yard field goal that leveled the score.
In the end, it was San Jose’s defense that held firm, coming up with two huge plays down the stretch. First they stuffed Avengers fullback/linebacker Josh Jefferies for no gain on fourth and one and then capitalized with a Grieb 18-yard touchdown throw to offensive specialist Coleman, giving San Jose a 52-45 lead. Then, on the following Los Angeles possession, SaberCats lineman Sam Hernandez forced a fumble by Graziani that was recovered by teammate George Williams. Frantz kicked a 19-yard field goal and the SaberCats led by ten, 55-45.
At this point it seemed academic, although the Avengers still had some fight in them all the way to the end. With two seconds remaining in the game, Graziani ran for a 5-yard touchdown to pull the Avengers within three. The only hope left for the Avengers was that Hamilton’s kickoff could draw iron off the net and bounce around long enough for the Avengers to recover the ball in the end zone. Hamilton’s kickoff was outstanding, hitting the iron, but instead of the ball bouncing around, it fell harmlessly into the hands of the Sabercats, who ran out the clock to win the game. It was a hard-fought battle in which the Avengers simply came up short.
With the loss, Los Angeles fell to 4-3, while the Sabercats improved to 6-1. At this point, capturing the division looks like a long shot for the Avengers, but they certainly are not out of the playoff picture. In fact, it’s possible that these two teams could meet again during the postseason, and if they do, expect another battle that will come down to the wire and enhance their growing rivalry.
Avengers notes
The loss to the Sabercats leaves the Avengers winless in five tries at San Jose… After a three game road trip, the Avengers will play three straight games at the Staples Center, beginning Saturday with the expansion Austin Wranglers… Lineman Silas Demary had a superb game against San Jose, finishing with two sacks and a strip of Mark Grieb that was recovered for a touchdown by Josh Jefferies in the first quarter… Tuesday, the Avengers placed defensive specialist Damen Wheeler on the injured reserve list with a knee injury, which means that Ben Kelly, a former NFL third-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins and member of the New England Patriots 2001 Super Bowl team, probably will see extended action against Austin.
Mike Chanpong is a freelance writer living in Hollywood, CA. In addition to
sportswriting, he also works in television production. This is his second
year covering the Los Angeles Avengers for ArenaFan.
