National Conference Championship Game Notes
07/11/2008 12:57 PM
QUICK HITTERS: CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
STRONG ARM: Cleveland Gladiators QB RAYMOND PHILYAW needs 95 passing yards to pass Dallas Desperados QB CLINT DOLEZEL and move into seventh place all-time with 2,935 career. Philyaw also stands eight touchdowns shy of passing Dolezel and tying New York Dragons QB AARON GARCIA for sixth all-time with 60 career. The Gladiators (11-7) travel to the Wachovia Center to face the Philadelphia Soul (14-3) in the National Conference Championship game on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio – Channel 127).
POSTSEASON PASSING TOUCHDOWNS
SACK ARTIST: Cleveland Gladiators DL SILAS DEMARY needs one-half sack to break a three-way tie and move into seventh place all-time on the postseason sacks list with 5.5 career. Demary also needs 1.5 tackles for loss to pass Chicago Rush DL JOHN MOYER and move into third place all-time with 8.5 career.
ROE, ROE, ROE AND MORE ROE: San Jose SaberCats WR/DB JAMES ROE needs one reception to break his tie with EDDIE BROWN and move into fifth place all-time with 116 career. Roe also needs 90 yards to become the eighth player with 1,400 career. He also stands one receiving touchdown shy of becoming the sixth player to record 30 career and with four touchdowns (24 points), Roe would tie HUNKIE COOPER for sixth all-time with 198 career. The SaberCats (12-5) welcome the Grand Rapids Rampage (8-10) to HP Pavilion in the American Conference Championship game on Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football Saturday, July 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET (ESPN HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio – Channel 127).
POSTSEASON RECEPTIONS
ALL-PURPOSE JACKSON: Philadelphia Soul WR CHRIS JACKSON needs 149 yards to pass STEVIE THOMAS and move into fifth place all-time with 1,847 career.
GIFT WRAPPED: San Jose SaberCats DB OMARR SMITH needs 1.5 tackles to become the fourth player to register 90 career. Smith needs one interception to break his tie with ROD MCSWAIN and DURWOOD ROQUEMORE and move into third place all-time with seven career. He also needs three passes defensed to tie Colorado Crush DB RASHAD FLOYD and BARRY WAGNER for third place all-time with 23 career.
POSTSEASON TACKLES
POSTSEASON INTERCEPTIONS
ARBETS ARE OFF: San Jose SaberCats head coach DARREN ARBET can become the third coach in AFL postseason history to record 15 career victories with a win on Saturday.
CLEAR LANES: Cleveland Gladiators WR/DB WILLIS MARSHALL needs 54 kickoff return yards to become the fifth player to amass 700 career. Marshall needs one rushing touchdown to tie LYNN BRADFORD and ANDRE BOWDEN for third place all-time with nine career. Marshall also needs one rushing first down to break his three-way tie and move into sixth place all-time with 10 career. He also needs one touchdown reception to tie New York Dragons WR KEVIN SWAYNE for most consecutive postseason games with at least one touchdown reception with seven.
POSTSEASON KICKOFF
RETURN YARDS
POSTSEASON RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS
TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE: San Jose SaberCats DB MARQUIS FLOYD can become the second player in AFL postseason history to return an interception for touchdown in consecutive games with one on Saturday. Floyd returned his first interception of the 2008 postseason 47-yards for a touchdown during San Jose’s 64-51 victory over Colorado in the Divisional Round. He would join STEVIE THOMAS, who returned interceptions for touchdowns in two consecutive games during the 1996 postseason.
NOSE FOR THE BALL: Cleveland Gladiators DB BRANDON HEFFLIN needs one defensive fumble recovery to break a six-way tie and tie BARRY WAGNER for the all-time lead with four career.
--AFL--
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