Avengers Keep Dragons to Field Goals and Win
Steven Herbert
Saturday April 20, 2002
Generally playing the smart football espoused by new coach Ed Hodgkiss and continuing its trend of 2001 with a strong defense, the Avengers defeated the New York Dragons, 43-25, Friday night in the Arena Football League opener for both teams before a Staples Center crowd announced at 13,142.
For the first half, only Los Angeles turnovers could stop it from reaching the end zone, scoring touchdowns on four of its first six possessions, with the other drives ending on a fumble by quarterback Tony Graziani and a Graziani interception. The Avengers were not forced into a field goal try until the third quarter.
"Our offense stopped themselves," said Los Angeles coach Ed Hodgkiss, a winner in his head coaching debut at any level. "We`ve got to eliminate the turnovers. We had a couple in the preseason, a couple this game. Not happy with them."
Defensively, the Avengers sacked Dragons quarterback Danny Ragsdale four times, and generally gave him little time to throw. New York was forced to try six field goals, with Clay Rush making four, including all four tries of 40 yards or less.
"I thought the defense played really well," Hodgkiss said. "Our front guys put some pressure on their quarterback and that was the difference in the game."
The only touchdown Los Angeles allowed over the first three quarters came as a result of a mishandled center-quarterback exchange between Chris Butterfield and Graziani in the first quarter, which gave the Dragons a first down on the Avengers` four-yard line.
Even then, Los Angeles kept New York out of the end zone for three plays before Ragsdale`s fourth-down one-yard touchdown pass to Steve Papin.
Facing a defensive line that included perennial All-Arena lineman Robert Stewart, the league`s 2001 sack leader, the Avengers` offensive line did not allow a sack. Graziani completed 26 of 39 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns, all to Chris Jackson, while being intercepted once in his first AFL start after coming off the bench for two games in 2001.
"The good thing is that he continues to grow," Hodgkiss said. "He continues to get better each week. I look for him to get even better next week."
Graziani also ran for a touchdown, as did Chris Jackson. Jackson`s five touchdowns tied a team record, originally set by Shannon Culver in 2000. Jackson`s 12 catches also tied his team record, set in 2001.
Los Angeles generally fulfilled Hodgkiss` goal of playing hard and playing smart, he said. There were only five accepted penalties against the Avengers (for 37 yards), while there were 12 accepted penalties against the Dragons for 72 yards.
"They`re grasping what I`m trying to do with them," Hodgkiss said. "It`s a testament to them because they`re a good bunch of guys."
Hodgkiss said he was upset by a third-quarter roughing the kicker penalty against Tony Plantin, which gave New York a first-and-goal from the Los Angeles eight.
"We`ve got to be a little smarter than that," Hodgkiss said.
Plantin made amends for the penalty by sacking Ragsdale for a five-yard loss on first down and the Dragons were eventually forced to kick a field goal.
The victory was a milestone occasion for the Avengers for several reasons. It was their first in a season opener and first in a regular-season game in April. Los Angeles did not get its first victory in 2001 until its sixth game, three games after the firing of coach Stan Brock. The Avengers began their inaugural 2000 season 0-7 before getting their first victory.
At 1-0, Los Angeles has a winning record for the first time in its history.
While Hodgkiss was savoring his team`s success, New York coach John Gregory was pondering his options. Gregory replaced Ragsdale with Matt Nagy on the Dragons` first possession of the fourth quarter. Gregory said he has not decided who will start the April 28 game against the Buffalo Destroyers at the Nassau Coliseum.
"He`s been in there three games and he`s struggled every game," Gregory said of Ragsdale, who completed 13 of 24 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown and was intercepted once. "He`s a great kid. I just don`t know what I`m going to do."
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.
