AFL Week 4 Standings

EASTERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Detroit Drive	4	0	0	104	85
Albany Firebirds	3	1	0	96	80
New York Dragons	2	2	0	91	93
Grand Rapids Rampage	1	3	0	84	93
SOUTHERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Tampa Bay Storm	3	1	0	94	72
Georgia Force	1	3	0	113	119
Orlando Predators	1	3	0	90	105
Nashville Kats	1	3	0	102	127
CENTRAL DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Milwaukee Mustangs	4	0	0	122	83
Dallas Desperados	2	2	0	107	99
Iowa Barnstormers	2	2	0	153	96
Chicago Rush	1	3	0	101	127
WESTERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
San Jose Sabercats	3	1	0	114	87
Los Angeles Avengers	2	2	0	89	89
Colorado Crush	2	2	0	92	99
Arizona Rattlers	0	4	0	53	151

WEEK 4 SCORES (Home team in Bold)

Detroit 17, New York 9

Albany 24, Grand Rapids 14

Nashville 37, Orlando 27

Tampa Bay 26, Georgia 13

Milwaukee 27, Dallas 12

Iowa 57, Chicago 20

Colorado 28, Arizona 20

San Jose 17, Los Angeles 14

WEEK 5 GAMES

Grand Rapids (1-3) at Detroit (4-0)

New York (2-2) at Albany (3-1)

Tampa Bay (3-1) at Nashville (1-3)

Orlando (1-3) at Georgia (1-3)

Chicago (1-3) at Dallas (2-2)

Milwaukee (4-0) at Iowa (2-2)

Los Angeles (2-2) at Arizona (0-4)

Colorado (2-2) at San Jose (3-1)

AFL: Sabercats Win Ugly Over Avengers, 17-14

SAN JOSE-The coin toss was the last sane event of the game, as the San Jose Sabercats and Los Angeles Avengers each turned the ball over five times. But the Sabercats scored late and held on for a 17-14 in the final Week 4 AFL contest.

San Jose received the opening kickoff and punted. The Avengers had to punt and Nino Schwarz had his punt blocked at the Avengers' 37-yard line. San Jose quickly moved into scoring range, but Courtney Harrelson intercepted Timmy Carey's pass in the end zone and returned it to the Avengers' 33. But Los Angeles was forced to punt again, and Schwarz punted it 15 yards out of bounds at the San Jose 29. The Sabercats then rattled off a 6-play, 71-yard drive that ended with Carey hitting Festus Blanks for a 25-yard touchdown pass with 3:04 remaining in the first to put San Jose up 7-0. Los Angeles started their next drive with HB Chip Kindrick completing an option pass to WR Ken Lavue for 29 yards to the Avengers' 49. But they couldn't do anything after that and Schwarz had his second blocked punt in the first quarter, and Ossie Stacy recovered for the Sabercats, returning it 16 yards to the Los Angeles 20. The Sabercats only moved five yards on three plays, and Ethan Wycoff missed a 32-yard field goal with 50 seconds left in the first.

Following the missed field goal, Los Angeles drove the ball 78 yards on 12 plays. Juan York threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Kiefer Dance with 9:56 remaining in the half to tie the game at 7. Clem Wallen would intercept a Carey pass on the next drive and return it to the Sabercats' 20-yard line. What followed would be an apt descrption of the immortal Vince Lombardi line: "WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON OUT HERE?!?!" Two plays later, Cameron Devlin caught a pass from York at the 5, but fumbled. Mac Shockley recovered the fumble for San Jose. On the next play, Alan Sale fumbled for the Sabercats, and the Avengers' Orrin Dyre recovered at the 8. Then, on the next play, Kindrick fumbled and Chuck Wleborn recovered for the Sabercats at his own 5. For those keeping track, that was four turnovers in the span of five plays. After it was all said and done, the Sabercats held on the ball and moved 70 yards on 12 plays. The drive ended with Wycoff kicking a 42-yard field goal at the 2-minute warning to put San Jose up 10-7. The Avengers got the ball back, went three-and-out and lined up to punt, but Schwarz received a bad snap and fell on it at his own 24. Hack Knuckles caught a short pass but fumbled, and Los Angeles' Carlisle June recovered at his own 19. The Avengers ran out the clock to put an end to the crazy first half.

Los Angeles received the second half kickoff and punted. San Jose then punted, and Dance returned the punt 46 yards to the San Jose 37. From there, the Avengers took three plays to score a touchdown, with York connecting with Spike Vosburg for a 30-yard touchdown to give the Avengers a 14-10 with 8:22 to go in the third. The Sabercats punted again, and York's long pass was intercepted by San Jose's Wallace Burden in the end zone for a touchback. The Sabercats were forced to punt again, and Burden intercepted York for the second time, this time at his own 39. Both teams would then trade punts as the third quarter drew to a close.

The Sabercats appeared to move towards taking the lead early in the fourth, but Carey was intercepted by Clem Wallen of the Avengers at the Los Angeles 34-yard line. Los Angeles went three-and-out and punted to the Sabercats 30-yard line with 8:35 remaining in the game. The Sabercats would move 70 yards on 11 plays, ending the drive with Carey tossing a 3-yard touchdown pass to Ramon Counce to give San Jose a 17-14 lead with 3:04 to go in the fourth. York tried to go for a homerun but was picked off by Wleborn who returned it to the Avengers 32-yard line with 2:39 left. San Jose attempted to make it a touchdown's difference, but Wycoff missed a 46-yard field goal attempt with 1:47 left in the game, giving the Avengers another chance. Los Angeles managed to reach the San Jose 44-yard line with 2 seconds left. Rather than attempt a 61-yard field goal, the Avengers went deep, but Randall Dimsey didn't get deep enough, and San Jose escaped with the win.

San Jose (3-1) gained 366 yards of total offense. The Sabercats ran for 108 yards on 28 carries. Sale led the Sabercats with 50 yards on 17 carries. Carey went 23-for-42 passing for 267 yards, 2 TD and 3 INT. He was sacked once, losing 9 yards. Blanks was San Jose's leading receiver, with 7 catches for 105 yards and a TD. Next week, the Sabercats host the Colorado Crush.

Los Angeles (2-2) gained 286 yards of total offense. The Avengers were held to 43 yards rushing on 23 carries. Kindrick led the team with 49 yards on 12 carries. He also led with 5 receptions for 42 yards. York was 19-for-37 passing for 252 yards, 2 TD and 3 INT. He was sacked five times, losing 38 yards. Lavue was the leader in receiving yards, with 70 on 4 catches. The Avengers visit the Arizona Rattlers next week.

AFL: The Fourth is Strong for Millstone, Crush

DENVER-Valentine Millstone scored three touchdowns, including two short runs in the fourth quarter, to help the Colorado Crush defeat the Arizona Rattlers 28-20 in a Week 4 AFL game.

The first quarter was a defensive stalemate with neither team gaining much momentum. Both teams traded punts three times in the early going. The Crush had good field position late in the quarter, but Howton Thom had a pass intercepted by Arizona's Chris Harrell at the Rattlers' 14-yard line to thwart the scoring threat. The Rattlers went three-and-out, and Colorado had another scoring opportunity early in the second quarter, but Earl Ginger's 48-yard field goal attempt sailed wide.

Following the missed field goal, Arizona started to move the ball, going 30 yards on 8 plays. Pancho Barrow would kick a 49-yard field goal with 11:33 remaining in the half to give the Rattlers a 3-0 lead. A lead that lasted all of 20 seconds, as Colorado's JC Holman returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards to the Rattlers' 10-yard line. On the next play, Thom hit Millstone for a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Crush up 7-3 with 11:13 to go in the second. The teams would trade punts, and then the Rattlers worked their way down the field with a 13-play, 86-yard drive that ended with Don Fawcett hitting Boris Garrison for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 9 seconds left in the half to give Arizona a 10-7 lead going into the locker room at halftime.

Arizona received the second half kickoff, and moved the ball 57 yards on 9 plays. Barrow kicked a 27-yard field goal to extend the Rattler lead to 13-7 with 10:05 remaining in the third quarter. Colorado went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half, and the Rattlers proceeded to move 65 yards on 12 plays, twice aided by fourth down penalties on the Crush for running into and roughing the kicker. Speedy Crowley ended the drive with a 20-yard reception for a touchdown from Fawcett with 3:20 left in the third to put Arizona up 20-7. But the Colorado special teams rose up again, as Holman took the ensuing kickoff and rambled 88 yards for a touchdown with 3:04 to go in the third, making it 20-14.

Arizona went three-and-out on their next drive, and the Crush started to move down the field from their own 43. Twice on the drive, Colorado faced fourth down. The first time, on 4th-and-7 from the Arizona 19, Thom hit Tyler Howell for 8 yards and a first down at the 11. The second time, on fourth-and-5 from the 6, the Crush weren't so lucky, as Regis Duck was held to a 2-yard gain on a quick in route. The Rattlers took over at the 4 with 12:07 left in the game. Arizona went three-and-out and punted to Colorado, who took over at the Rattlers' 45 with 10:39 remaining. The Crush faced a fourth-and-ten at the Arizona 16 with 7:47 to go, and Thom completed a pass to Millstone gaining 15 yards to the Rattlers' 1 for the first down. On the next play, Millstone swept in from the right to score the touchdown with 7:01 remaining to give the Crush a 21-20 lead. Fawcett would have a pass intercepted by Stan Dinn, who returned it 22 yards to the Rattlers' 32 with 5:23 left in the game. Six plays later, Millstone would finish the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 28-20 with 2:09 left in the game. Arizona tried to pass their way down from their own 32 to score a touchdown, but Deron Putnam intercepted a Fawcett pass with 23 seconds left to put a halt to the Rattlers' comeback hopes.

Colorado (2-2) gained 277 yards of total offense. The Crush gained 104 yards rushing on 23 carries. Millstone led the Colorado rushing attack with 40 yards on 9 carries with 2 TD. He also caught 3 passes for 43 yards and a TD. Thom went 18-for-33 passing for 177 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked once, losing four yards. Turk Dill led Colorado receivers with 5 catches for 57 yards. The Crush visit the San Jose Sabercats next week.

Arizona (0-4) gained 310 yards of total offense. The Rattlers did not have to abandon the running game this time, gaining 106 yards on 29 carries. Melvin Jones led the Rattlers with 42 yards on 10 carries. He also led Arizona with 7 receptions for 68 yards. Fawcett went 23-for-42 passing for 229 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked twice, losing 25 yards. Crowley caught 5 passes for 71 yards and a TD. The Rattlers host the Los Angeles Avengers next week.

AFL: Barnstormers Blowout Rush, 57-20

DES MOINES, IA-Ev Blansett and Weldon Taber each had big second halves in turning a close game with the Chicago Rush into a 57-20 blowout win for the Iowa Barnstormers in a Week 4 AFL game.

The first quarter began with the two teams feeling each other out, as the punters dominated the early going, but a fumbled punt return by Chicago's Rusty Robusito at his own 42 was recovered by Iowa's Josh Everett. The recovery would set up a 50-yard field goal by SB Rhoads to put the Barnstormers up 3-0 with 5:42 remaining in the first. On the Rush's ensuing possession, Lonnie Clements would return the kickoff into Iowa territory, and the Rush would then march 37 yards on 10 plays. Dete Justen finished the drive with a 24-yard field goal with 38 seconds remaining in the first to tie the game at 3.

Davlin Coggins of the Barnstormers would take the ensuing kickoff and return it 65 yards to the Chicago 28. But Blansett would get intercepted by Harlan Fears at the 2-yard line, thwarting the drive. But the Rush would go three-and-out and Winn Burnett would be forced to punt 9 yards deep in his end zone. The punt was blocked, and Orrin Gillette of the Barnstormers would fall on it in the end zone for a touchdown and a 10-3 Iowa lead with 12:41 remaining in the second quarter. Chicago would take the ball on the ensuing possession and drive 56 yards on 7 plays. Justen would kick a 41-yard field goal with 9:14 left in the half to make it 10-6. On Iowa's next drive, they moved the ball 63 yards on 10 plays, ending the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Powell Ramos to go up 17-6 with 4:23 remaining in the second. The Rush would strike back, as Clements would rip off a 63-yard touchdown run with 2:40 left in the half to make it 17-13. The Barnstormers went three-and-out on their next possession, and the punt went out of bounds at Chicago's 4-yard line. Two plays later, Chicago's Arman Drummond was sacked in the end zone for a safety with 43 seconds left in the half, and the Barnstormers went into the locker room  up 19-13.

Iowa got the ball to start the second half, and wasted no time in establishing their offensive firepower. The 6-play, 64-yard drive ended with a bang as Blansett hit Coggins with a 51-yard bomb to make it 26-13 with 12:42 to go in the third. The Rush were forced to punt, and Iowa embarked on a 13-play, 54-yard drive that ended with Rhoads kicking a 43-yard field goal to put Iowa up 29-13 with 4:52 remaining in the third. Drummond threw a pass on third down that was intercepted by Stew Fugundo of the Barnstormers and returned to the Chicago 30-yard line. On the next play, Blansett threw a 30-yard touchdown to Isaiah O'Connell to extend Iowa's lead to 36-13 with 3:06 remaining in the third quarter.

From that point on, the Barnstormers were in cruise control. After a Chicago punt, Iowa rattled off a 10-play, 85-yard drive featuring mostly running plays. Taber put an exclamation point on the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run with 10:30 to go in the game, making it 43-13. Chicago had some fight left in them, as they drove 65 yards on 9 plays. Drummond scrambled in from the 1 to make it 43-20 with 6:25 left in the game. The Rush attempted an onside kick, but Iowa recovered, and the Barnstormers drove 41 yards on just 3 plays, with Taber plowing 36 yards for another touchdown and made it 50-20, Barnstormers with 4:54 left. Adding insult to injury, Robusito fumbled the ensuing kickoff for the Rush and Rhoads recovered at the 27-yard line. Five plays later, Ramos scored his second rushing touchdown, this one from 3 yards out, to make it 57-20 with 2:08 remaining in the game. Mercifully, the game ended shortly thereafter,

Iowa (2-2) gained 419 yards of total offense. The Barnstormers gained 147 yards rushing on 29 carries, mostly in the fourth quarter. Tabor gained 77 yards on 9 carries with 2 TD. Ramos carried 12 times for 54 yards and 2 TD. Blansett went 23-for-33 passing for 289 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked twice, losing 17 yards. O'Connell led Barnstormer receivers with 8 catches for 95 yards and a TD. Coggins caught 2 passes for 71 yards and a TD. The Barnstormers will host the Milwaukee Mustangs next week.

Chicago (1-3) gained 257 yards of total offense. The Rush gained 116 yards rushing on 21 carries. Clements led the Rush with 102 yards rushing on 9 carries with a TD. He also led Chicago with 5 receptions for 66 yards. Drummond was 15-for-27 passing for 167 yards and 1 INT. He was sacked five times, losing 26 yards. The Rush travel to Dallas next week to face the Desperados.

AFL: Mustangs Stifle Desperados, 27-12

MILWAUKEE-It wasn't pretty, but the Milwaukee Mustangs defense produced four turnovers in a 27-12 victory over the Dallas Desperados during Week 4 of the AFL season.

Milwaukee opened the game with a 10-play, 67-yard drive that ended with JC George score on a 5-yard QB keeper putting the Mustangs up 7-0 with 9:29 to go in the first. Dallas answered with a 12-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a 35-yard field goal by Greg Hall with 3:30 to go in the first to make it 7-3.

The Mustangs moved swiftly down the field on their next drive only to miss a 44-yard field goal attempt by Rock Philbrook. Two plays later, Dallas QB Heinie Voorhees fumbled on a scramble, and Travis Gargas recovered on the Despeardos' 40-yard line. Then the Mustangs went on a 6-play, 40-yard drive, highlighted with a fake punt pass by Dexter Gaither completed to Greg Yancey for a 23-yard gain to the Dallas 14. Heinie Clausen caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from George two plays later to go up 14-3 with 11:02 to go in the half. The Desperados punted and it went out of bounds at the Mustangs' 6-yard line. Two plays later, an ill-advised scramble by George resulted in a safety by Dallas' Golden Reinhart to make it 14-5 with 8:28 remaining in the second. The Desperados' were victimized by the fumble again as Helmut Briley coughed up the ball and Bren Urich returned it 29 yards to the Dallas 12-yard line. Philbrook would kick a 24-yard field goal with 5:28 left in the half to make it 17-5. After another Dallas punt, the Mustangs drove 64 yards on 10 plays, ending the half with another Philbrook field goal from 33 yards out with 3 seconds to go in the half, making it 20-5 in favor of the Mustangs.

The Desperados opened the second half with a punt, and then Guy Dodson intercepted a George pass and returned it 46 yards to the Mustangs 31-yard line. But on the next play, Conn Kriner intercepted a Voorhees pass and returned it to the Milwaukee 45. After Milwaukee punted, Dallas started a drive from their own 2-yard line, but Hall missed a 42-yard field goal. George was intercepted again, this time by Diron Imboden at the Mustangs' 29. Early in the fourth, Dallas faced fourth-and-4 at the Milwaukee 23, and failed to convert.

Jose Moore of the Desperados recovered a Mustangs fumble by Nigel McClain at the Milwaukee 31. Five plays later, Voorhees hit Elson Gregson for a 14-yard touchdown with 11:29 to go to close the gap to 20-12. The teams would trade punts through much of the fourth quarter, and Dallas had the ball at its own 20 with 1:50 left in the game. The Desperados couldn't move the ball whatsoever, and turned the ball over on downs at their own 19. Four plays later, McClain would plunge in from the 2 to make it 27-12 with 38 seconds to go. Dallas' Whitey Goldberry fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, and the Mustangs joined the Detroit Drive as the only two undefeated teams one-quarter of the way through the season.

Milwaukee (4-0) gained 335 yards of total offense. The Mustangs gained 105 yards rushing on 35 carries. Chester Brice led the Mustangs led the Mustangs with 48 yards on 11 carries. George ran 13 times for 19 yards and a TD. He was 20-for-33 passing for 207 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT and was not sacked. Clausen led the Mustangs receivers with 5 catches for 62 yards and a TD. Next week, the Mustangs will visit the Iowa Barnstormers.

Dallas (2-2) gained 229 yards of total offense. The Desperados gained 37 yards rushing on 19 carries. Briley was the leading rusher with 26 yards on 5 carries. Gregson was held to 9 yards on 12 carries. Voorhees was 20-for-34 passing with 211 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 19 yards. J.J. Hawes led Desperados receivers with 7 catches for 79 yards. Gregson caught 6 passes for 56 yards and a TD. Next week, the Desperados host the Chicago Rush.

AFL: Tampa Bay Beats Georgia, 26-13

ATLANTA-The Tampa Bay Storm used a ground attack that would've impressed the Marines and four field goals by Johnny Quincey to beat the Georgia Force 26-13 in a Week 4 AFL game.

The Storm started out early with a balanced seven-play, 83-yard drive. Jefferson Taylor ended the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run to put Tampa Bay up 7-0 with 10:53 left in the first quarter. Georgia went three-and-out on their next possession, and Tampa Bay followed up with a 6-play, 29-yard drive that ended with a Quincey 43-yard field goal to put the Storm up 10-0 with 7:31 left in the first quarter. Georgia started to get a drive of their own going, but it was thwarted when Paden Bonewell fumbled and Mitch Fixx recovered for the Storm and returned it to the Storm's 36-yard line. From there, Tampa Bay moved 32 yards on 4 plays, and Quincey added a 49-yard field goal with 2:28 left in the first to make it 13-0 in favor of the Storm.

Georgia punted again late in the first, and stuck Tampa Bay on their own 4-yard line. But the Storm were undeterred and drove the ball 87 yards on 16 plays, ending it with another Quincey field goal, this one from 26 yards to go ahead 16-0 with 7:48 remaining in the half. The Force got the ball on their next possession and drove into position for Wilbur Ahmad to attempt a 43-yard field goal with 3:12 to go in the half. Butch Vance of the Storm managed to partially block it, and the attempt failed. Tampa Bay's Thurman Stapleton fumbled on the next play, and Georgia's Sputnik Havner recovered at the Storm 36-yard line. But Georgia couldn't make anything out of it as Clem Foulks would fumble on a handoff and Trent Josephs recovered for the Storm at their own 28. Neither team would make a scoring threat for the remainder of the half.

The teams traded punts to start the second half, and Georgia would later drive 59 yards on 6 plays, ending it when Norm Damron hit Bonewell on a 1-yard touchdown pass, the Force went for two and failed, and found themselves trailing 16-6 with 5:41 left in the third. Tampa Bay looked to march down for another score, but Orval Stanley's pass was picked off by Georgia's Ward Hilton at his own 25-yard line.

After the interception, the Force were on the move again, going 75 yards on 13 plays. Damron threw his second touchdown of the game, a 4-yard pass to Gevan Crafton to close the gap to 16-13 with 12:04 remaining in the game. However, Tampa Bay was quick to respond, with a 7-play, 67-yard drive. Willie Zachary put an exclamation point on the drive with a 35-yard sprint into the end zone with 8:48 to go, making it 23-13, Storm. Georgia couldn't do much after that, and Tampa Bay rattled off a clock-consuming, 12-play, 64-yard drive that ended with Quincey's fourth field goal, a 38-yarder with 17 seconds to go to put an end to the scoring at 26-13.

Tampa Bay (3-1) gained 450 yards of total offense. The Storm gained 202 yards rushing on 34 carries. No one rusher stood out for Tampa Bay, as Zachary (4-52, TD), Vinnie Kirksey (10-49), Taylor (11-43, TD), and Stanley (6-42) all had big runs at one point or another. Stanley was 18-for-29 passing for 261 yards and 1 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 13 yards. Von Windle was the Storm's leading receiver with 6 catches for 95 yards. Next week, the Storm visit the Nashville Kats.

Georgia (1-3) gained 302 yards of total offense. The Force gained 60 yards rushing on 15 carries. Foulks was the Force's leading rusher with 33 yards on 7 carries. Damron was 26-for-33 passing for 264 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 22 yards. Crafton caught 6 passes for 80 yards and a TD. Bonewell caught 4 passes for 36 yards and a TD. Aaron Sidney caught 6 passes for 48 yards. The Force host the Orlando Predators next week.

AFL: Kats Run Past Predators, 37-27

ORLANDO-The Nashville Kats overcame an early first quarter deficit to get their first victory of the AFL season with a 37-27 win over the Orlando Predators in a Week 4 game.

Orlando got the ball first and immediately established their gameplan, using three pass plays to travel 69 yards, ending the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass from DJ Haji to Farren Smithson to give the Predators a 7-0 lead with 13:51 remaining in the first quarter. Nashville tried to establish their ball-control gameplan early, but were forced to punt. The Predators then drove the ball through the air again, going 80 yards in 8 plays. Haji scrambled in from the 1 to put Orlando up 14-0 with 6:37 left in the first quarter. A 40-yard kickoff return by Oliver Osler gave Nashville the ball at midfield, but it went for naught as Daniel Stevenson missed a 47-yard field goal attempt. But Orlando was forced to punt as the first quarter neared its end.

From there, the Kats were able to starting establishing their gameplan, mixing run and pass to drive 64 yards on 10 plays. Stevenson would make a 33-yard field goal with 9:47 to go in the second quarter to make it 14-3. Orlando punted on their next drive, and the Kats were on the move again, traveling 69 yards on 12 plays. Osler completed the drive with a 2-yard touchdown to make it 14-10 with 3:25 to go in the half. Orlando was moving toward a potential score, but Haji threw an interception to Verlin Winfrey who returned it to the Nashville 37-yard line. The Kats then drove 54 yards on 7 plays, scoring on a 26-yard field goal by Stevenson with 11 seconds remaining to go into halftime down 14-13.

The second half began with both teams trading punts, then Nashville's Brewster Brickhouse threw a pass that was intercepted by Jack Stuckey of the Predators, who returned it to the Orlando 42-yard line. After a 4-play, 22-yard drive, Abel White kicked a 53-yard field goal to put the Predators up 17-13 with 8:05 to go in the third. Nashville then drove 71 yards on 10 plays. Brickhouse atoned for his interception with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Angus Shibest to give the Kats their first lead, 20-17 with 3:03 left in the third. Haji was intecepted again, this time by Danny McKenzie who returned it to the Preadtors' 21. Five plays later, Osler dove in from the 1 to extend Nashville's lead to 27-17 with 3 seconds remaining in the third.

In the fourth quarter, Orlando was able to move the ball 67 yards on 8 plays, settling for a 28-yard field goal by White with 11:42 to go in the game to make it 27-20. But Nashville went on the march again, going 73 yards on 11 plays. Davis Weems put an end to the drive with a 31-yard touchdown run to put the Kats up 34-20 with 6:14 to go. Orlando couldn't move the ball and punted, and Osler returned the punt 53 yards to the Predators' 19. Nashville could only manage a yard on 3 plays, and Stevenson connected on a 35-yard field goal with 3:06 to go to make it 37-20. But the Predators went down fighting, with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Haji hitting Leonard Irving on a 10-yard touchdown pass on the last play of the game that made the score 37-27.

Nashville (1-3) gained 391 yards of total offense. The Kats gained 157 yards rushing on 39 carries. Osler led the Kats with 83 yards on 21 carries and 2 TD. Weems ran for 43 yards on 9 carries and a TD. Brickhouse was 20-for-32 passing for 241 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked once, losing 7 yards. Isaiah Falk was Nashville's leading receiver, with 6 catches for 80 yards. Next week, the Kats host the Tampa Bay Storm.

Orlando (1-3) gained 405 yards of total offense. The Predators made no bones about being pass-heavy, running only 14 times for 41 yards. D.J. Giles was the leading rusher, with 6 carries for 27 yards. Haji was 29-for-44 passing for 383 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 19 yards. Smithson was Orlando's leading receiver, with 8 catches for 145 yards and a TD. Steven Thompson caught 7 passes for 128 yards. The Predators go on the road against the Georgia Force next week.

AFL: Firebirds Beat Rampage, 24-14

ALBANY, NY-Sinbad Gargaro survived a three-interception game and threw two touchdown passes to lead the Albany Firebirds past the Grand Rapids Rampage, 24-14 in a Week 4 AFL game.

Gargaro began the game completing four straight passes, but Abdul Fowler fumbled at the Grand Rapids 10, and Mercury Gross recovered for the Rampage. The teams would trade punts afterward, and the Firebirds would then move the ball 72 yards on 8 plays, with Fowler running in it from the 8 with 3:31 remaining in the first to put Albany up 7-0.

Grand Rapids would get the ball on their next possession, and drive 70 yards and take 24 plays to do so. Toby Harrell finally put an end to the drive scoring on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Curtis Wayne to tie the game at 7 with 8:27 to go in the half. On Albany's next possession, Orville Brill stepped in front of a Gargaro pass and intercepted it, returning it to the Firebirds' 37-yard line. Six plays later, Wayne hit Ricardo Pearson for a 22-yard touchdown pass to put the Rampage up 14-7 with 5:57 to go in the second. Albany and Grand Rapids both punted, and the Firebirds found themselves at their own 20 with 1:46 to go in the half. Gargaro and the Firebirds flew down the field in 10 plays, and Gargaro ended the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Teddy Hartley with ten seconds left to go into halftime with a 14-14 tie.

The third quarter was a battle for field position as both punters got a workout. Gargaro had a pass intercepted by Derwin Vardeman and returned to the Firebirds' 30, but George Tibbs missed a 43-yard field goal with 6:13 left in the third. Two plays later, Gargaro would scramble loose for a 38-yard gain to the Rampage 24 that set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Pitts two plays after that to put Albany up 21-14 with 3:56 to go in the third. Both teams punted as the game drew early into the fourth quarter.

With 12:34 left in the fourth, Grand Rapids faced a fourth-and-2 at the Albany 32-yard line. Wayne decided to go for broke and tried to hit Clift Gregory for a first down, but the pass fell incomplete. Albany was moving the ball efficiently, but Brill got his second interception of the game, and returned it to his own 44. The Rampage couldn't make anything out of it, however, as Jimmy Loggeman intercepted Wayne three plays later, and returned it to the Rampage 42. After seven plays netted 36 yards, Albany sent Dom Wenning to connect on a 23-yard field goal with 3:07 remaining in the game to put the Firebirds up 24-14. Wayne would get intercepted again, this time by Hershel Sanderson to put an end to any Rampage comeback hopes.

Albany (3-1) gained 410 yards of total offense. The Firebirds gained 124 yards rushing on 29 carries. Scooter Colby led the Firebirds with 52 yards rushing on 11 carries. Fowler gained 37 yards on 12 carries and a TD. Gargaro was 23-for-38 passing for 286 yards, 2 TD and 3 INT and was not sacked. Harley was the Firebirds' leading receiver with 10 catches for 113 yards and a TD. Next week, the Firebirds host the New York Dragons.

Grand Rapids (1-3) gained 238 yards of total offense. The Rampage gained 105 yards rushing on 25 carries. Harrel led the Rampage ground game with 80 yards on 15 carries. Wayne was 15-for-35 passing for 157 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 24 yards. Nikolai Vilmer was the leading receiver for Grand Rapids with 4 catches for 42 yards. Joe Foss caught 3 passes for 66 yards.The Rampage go on the road to play the Detroit Drive next week.

AFL: Drive Survive Dragons, 17-9

UNIONDALE, NY-Rocky Adams scored two rushing touchdowns and Cord Biggs came up with two interceptions in helping the Detroit Drive hold off the New York Dragons in Week 4 of the AFL season, 17-9.

The Dragons started moving the ball on the ground early, but got greedy and Faron Emerson's pass was intercepted by Biggs at the Drive's 22-yard line. However, Detroit would stall and be forced to punt. New York would move again but was also forced to punt. On the ensuing drive, Detroit moved the ball 74 yards on 6 plays, with Adams scoring from 2 yards out to put the Drive up 7-0 with 4:10 left in the first quarter.

New York got the ball back and embarked on a 10-play, 44-yard drive that ultimately stalled and Burt Hamrick kicked a 34-yard field goal with 14:09 left in the second quarter to make it 7-3 in favor of the Drive. Detroit couldn't the ball very far on their next drive, and Cletis Frayer missed a 53-yard field goal at the ten minute mark of the second quarter. Emerson tried to go for the jugular but was intercepted by T.T. Presley at the Detroit 40-yard line. From there, the Drive moved the ball 60 yards on 16 plays. Adams put an end to the seven minute drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 14-3 with 2:48 remaining in the half. New York ran out the clock to go into the half.

The third quarter was mainly a punting quarter, as neither offense seemed able to penetrate the other's defense. Late in the third, the Dragons started to get moving from their own 4-yard line. Twice on the drive early in the fourth, the Dragons were faced with 4th down in Detroit territory and converted. On 4th-and-7 from the Detroit 38, Emerson hit Melvin Betts on a screen pass that gained 19 yards. Later, on 4th-and-goal from the 1. George Larron ran from the left side to get into the end zone and finish the 16-play, 96-yard drive with a touchdown. The Dragons went for two, and missed, and trailed 14-9 with 11:32 remaining in the game.

Detroit played somewhat conservatively on offense as the fourth quarter wore on, and punted to New York. The Dragons were moving the ball when Emerson tried a long pass to get the go-ahead touchdown, but Biggs came up with his second pick of the game, and returned it to Detroit's 32-yard line. Detroit ran the ball exclusively at that point, going 38 yards on 9 plays, and settling for a 47-yard field goal by Frayer with 47 seconds left to go up 17-9. Emerson got the Dragons to the Detroit 41-yard line with 5 seconds left, but his desperation pass came up short, and the Drive pulled out the win.

Detroit (4-0) gained 259 yards of total offense. The Drive gained 147 yards rushing on 37 carries, Adams led the team with 66 yards on 18 carries and 2 TD. QB Lou Couch gained 56 yards on 7 carries. He was 15-for-25 passing for 120 yards, and was sacked once, losing 8 yards. The receiving leader for Detroit was Vern Kelly with 5 catches for 33 yards. The Drive return home next week for a game against their in-state rival, the Grand Rapids Rampage.

New York (2-2) gained 307 yards of total offense. The Dragons ran for 77 yards on 26 carries. Larron was the Dragons' leading rusher 25 yards on 10 carries and a TD. Emerson was 21-for-39 passing for 230 yards and 3 INT. He was not sacked. Elvin Strait was New York's leading receiver with 5 catches for 53 yards. The Dragons go up to the state Capital of Albany next week for an Empire State showdown against the Firebirds.

AFL Week 3 Standings

EASTERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Detroit Drive	3	0	0	87	76
New York Dragons	2	1	0	82	76
Albany Firebirds	2	1	0	72	66
Grand Rapids Rampage	1	2	0	70	69
SOUTHERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Tampa Bay Storm	2	1	0	68	59
Georgia Force	1	2	0	100	93
Orlando Predators	1	2	0	63	68
Nashville Kats	0	3	0	65	100
CENTRAL DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Milwaukee Mustangs	3	0	0	95	71
Dallas Desperados	2	1	0	95	72
Iowa Barnstormers	1	2	0	96	76
Chicago Rush	1	2	0	81	70
WESTERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
San Jose Sabercats	2	1	0	97	73
Los Angeles Avengers	2	1	0	75	72
Colorado Crush	1	2	0	64	79
Arizona Rattlers	0	3	0	33	123

WEEK 3 SCORES (Home team in Bold)

Detroit 24, Orlando 19

Grand Rapids 29, Nashville 19

Albany 20, Tampa Bay 13

New York 37, Georgia 24

Dallas 29, Colorado 19

Chicago 38, Arizona 10

Los Angeles 27, Iowa 25

Milwaukee 33, San Jose 30 (OT)

WEEK 4 GAMES

Detroit (3-0) at New York (2-1)

Grand Rapids (1-2) at Albany (2-1)

Nashville (0-3) at Orlando (1-2)

Tampa Bay (2-1) at Georgia (1-2)

Dallas (2-1) at Milwaukee (3-0)

Chicago (1-2) at Iowa (1-2)

Arizona (0-3) at Colorado (1-2)

Los Angeles (2-1) at San Jose (2-1)

AFL: Mustangs Survive OT Thriller Over Sabercats, 33-30

MILWAUKEE-Rock Philbrook kicked a pair of 43-yard field goals, one that tied the game late in the fourth, and the overtime winner to give the Milwaukee Mustangs a 33-30 victory over the San Jose Sabercats as Week 3 of the AFL season came to an end.

Milwaukee opened with a 12-play, 48-yard drive that ended with Philbrook kicking a 49-yard field with 10:32 remaining in the first to put the Mustangs up 3-0. San Jose's opening drive with Timmy Carey's pass being intercepted by Conn Kriner at the Mustangs' 33. The Mustangs went three-and-out on their next possession. The Sabercats would also go three-and-out. The Mustangs then drove 46 yards on 7 plays, and Philbrook kicked a 47-yard field goal with 2:13 to go in the first to make it 6-0 in favor of Milwaukee.

San Jose's offense finally got on track as the Sabercats drove the ball 73 yards on 7 plays. Carey finished the drive by scrambling 13 yards for a touchdown to give San Jose a 7-6 lead with 13:36 to go in the half. The Mustangs punted on their next drive and Ramon Counce returned the punt 21 yards to the Mustangs' 43 yard-line. After 8 plays gained 33 yards, the Sabercats sent Ethan Wycoff to kick a 27-yard field goal with 6:57 remaining in the second to put the Sabercats up 10-6. Buckley Ravens returned the ensuing kickoff to the San Jose 49. Five plays later, facing a 4th-and-1 at the Sabercats 3, the Mustangs went for it, and JC George hit C.C. Cage for a 3-yard touchdown with 4:14 to go in the half to put Milwaukee up 13-10. After a San Jose punt, Milwaukee drove 61 yards on 7 plays. George would connect with Heinie Clausen for a 15-yard touchdown to put the Mustangs up 20-10 with 32 seconds remaining in the half. A short kick and a good return by Elson Saxon to the Mustangs' 48 gave San Jose a chance to get in position for Wycoff to kick a 54-yarder on the last play of the half to get the Sabercats closer at 20-13.

Russ Bird intercepted a pass by George at the Mustangs' 13-yard line early in the third. Four plays later, the Sabercats pulled a reverse, and TE Whitey Drace ran 5 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 20 with 13:38 remaining in the third. Milwaukee punted on their next drive. Carey was sacked and fumbled at the Sabercats' 41, and Yousef Checkers recovered for Milwaukee. But George would fumble after being sacked himself, and Curry Jerris would recover for San Jose at his own 35. After two pass receptions by Counce covered 46 yards, Fernando Findley scored on a 19-yard touchdown run with 3:43 left in the third to put San Jose up 27-20. Milwaukee's next possession saw Cage make a 70-yard gain on a reception to the San Jose 1-yard line that set up George scoring on a 1-yard QB sneak to tie the game at 27 with 2:12 remaining in the third.

The Sabercats' next possession saw them drive the ball 57 yards on 9 plays. Wycoff then came on and kicked a 37-yard field goal with 12:47 remaining in the fourth to put San Jose up 30-27. Milwaukee punted, and San Jose was driving when Bren Urich intercepted a pass for the Mustangs and returned it to the Milwaukee 46-yard line with 4:19 left. The Mustangs would gain 28 yards on 7 plays, and Philbrook would kick a 43-yard field goal with 49 seconds remaining to tie the game at 30 and send it into overtime.

Milwaukee got the ball to start overtime, but George's long pass was intercepted by Chuck Wleborn at the San Jose 13-yard line. The Sabercats punted, but George was intercepted again by Bird at the Mustangs' 47. The Sabercats were forced to punt again. The Mustangs would subsequently drive 49 yards on 12 plays. Philbrook came on to attempt a 48-yard field goal, and San Jose was penalized for running into the kicker. The penalty made the kick a 43-yarder that Philbrook put straight through the uprights to give the Mustangs a 33-30 victory at 4:17 remaining in overtime.

Milwaukee (3-0) gained 413 yards of total offense. The Mustangs gained 74 yards rushing on 22 carries. Chester Brice led the Mustangs with 30 yards on 10 carries. George went 30-for-48 passing for 395 yards, with 2 TD and 3 INT. He was sacked seven times, losing 56 yards. He did gain 14 yards rushing on 4 carries with a TD. Clausen caught 7 passes for 55 yards and a TD. Nelson Romine caught 6 passes for 70 yards. Cage made 5 catches for 138 yards and a TD. Next week, the Mustangs host the Dallas Desperados.

San Jose (2-1) gained 399 yards of total offense. The Sabercats gained 130 yards rushing on 31 attempts. Alan Sale led the team with 61 yards on 13 carries. Findley gained 23 yards on 5 carries and a TD. Carey gained 38 yards on 8 carries and a TD. Carey was 22-for-34 passing for 289 yards and 2 INT. He was sacked twice, losing 20 yards. Counce led the Sabercats with 6 receptions for 84 yards. The Sabercats host the Los Angeles Avengers next week.

AFL: Avengers Escape Iowa with 27-25 Win

DES MOINES, IA-Carmon Grimes kicked a 33-yard field goal in the final minute and the Los Angeles Avengers held off an Iowa Barnstormers threat to pull out a 27-25 victory in a Week 3 AFL game.

The game began with Iowa's Ryan Travers fumbling the opening kickoff, and Los Angeles's Elrod Rodgers returned it to the Barnstormers 4-yard line. Five plays later, Chip Kindrick scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to put the Avengers up 7-0 with 12:42 to go in the first quarter. Corben Marvell returned the ensuing kickoff to the Barnstormers' 40-yard line. Seven plays later, Ev Blansett hit Isaiah O'Connell for an 11-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7 with 9:07 remaining in the first. The Avengers were forced to punt, and the Barnstormers drove 47 yards on 11 plays. SB Rhoads finished the drive with a 50-yard field goal to put Iowa up 10-7 with 2:48 left in the first.

The Avengers took the ball and drove 69 yards on 7 plays. Kindrick took off from the Iowa 43, and scored his second touchdown of the game to put Los Angeles up 14-10 with 14:14 remaining in the second quarter. Iowa's next drive saw them move from their own 30 to the Avengers' 27-yard line, where Rhoads attempted a 44-yard field goal with 11:45 left in the half. The kick was partially blocked by Cecil Parson and Rhoads missed it. The Avengers were moving the ball when Cameron Devlin fumbled, and Seth Waltrip returned it to the Avengers' 20-yard line. After three plays gained seven yards, Rhoads kicked a 30-yard field goal to make it 14-13 with 8:06 to go in the second quarter. On the next drive, Los Angeles moved the ball 74 yards on 9 plays. Juan York hit Ken Lavue with a 4-yard touchdown pass with 4:13 left in the half to put the Avengers up 21-13. The Barnstormers punted on their next drive, and Igor Keough returned it to the Iowa 23-yard line. York's pass was intecepted by Waltrip and returned to Iowa's 27-yard line. Five plays later, Blansett connected with Caleb Whitlock for a 42-yard touchdown with 48 seconds to go in the half. The Barnstormers attempted a two-point conversion to tie the game, but failed, and the Barnstormers trailed at the half, 21-19.

The Avengers began the second half with a 10-play, 63-yard drive. Grimes kicked a 29-yard field goal with 9:56 remaining in the third to put Los Angeles up 24-19. The Barnstormers would punt on their next drive, putting Los Angeles on their own 6-yard line. The Avengers moved the ball down the field efficently, and got to the Barnstormers 1, only to have York get intercepted in the end zone by Richard Ponder.

Iowa would punt early in the fourth quarter. and Los Angeles would follow suit. The Barnstormers would drive the ball 87 yards on 13 plays. On fourth-and-5 from the Avengers' 13-yard line. Blansett hit O'Connell for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 7:37 remaining in the game. Iowa made another two-point conversion, but failed, and the score was 25-24 in favor of the Barnstormers. Keough fumbled, and the Barnstormers' Emilio Shipp recovered at the Iowa 48-yard line. Iowa would punt and the Avengers were at their own 11-yard line with 4:18 left in the game. York hit Kindrick for 18. Keough gained 6 on a run, and Devlin gained 3 on a pass. The Avengers attempted to punt on 4th-and-1 at their own 38 with 2:18 left, but Iowa was penalized for roughing the kicker and Los Angeles got a first down at the Iowa 47. Four plays later, York hit Lavue for a 26-yard gain to the Barnstormers' 16. Three plays later, Grimes kicked a 33-yard field goal with 54 seconds to go to put Los Angeles up 27-25. Iowa returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 23, and tried to pass their way into field goal range, but wound up getting only as far the Avengers' 45 with two seconds left. Blansett's pass to Chesley Starnes was caught at the 24, but time ran out.

Los Angeles (2-1) gained 398 yards of total offense. The Avengers gained 177 yards rushing on 31 carries. Kindrick led the Avengers with 103 yards rushing on 11 carries with 2 TD. Keough ran for 73 yards on 12 carries. York went 18-for-35 passing for 232 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked twice, losing 25 yards. Lavue caught 6 passes for 82 yards and a TD. Keifer Dance caught 5 passes for 79 yards. The Avengers are on the road next week against the San Jose Sabercats.

Iowa (1-2) gained 420 yards of total offense. The Barnstormers gained 67 yards rushing on 21 carries. Starnes was Iowa's leading rusher with 37 yards on 13 carries. Blansett went 23-for-42 passing with 349 yards with 3 TD. He was sacked three times, losing 15 yards. O'Connell caught ten passes for 130 yards and 2 TD. The Barnstormers host the Chicago Rush next week.

AFL: Chicago Cruises Past Arizona, 38-10

ROSEMONT, IL-The Chicago Rush struck early and often in the first half, and cruised to an easy 38-10 victory over the Arizona Rattlers in a Week 3 AFL game.

Chicago started with a drive going 73 yards on 12 plays. Arman Drummond completed the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Keith Headrick with 9:53 to go in the first to take a 7-0 lead. Arizona's inital drive short-circuited as Melvin Jones fumbled and Darrell Archer sprinted 19 yards for a touchdown off the fumble to put the Rush up 14-0 with 8:10 to go in the first. Both teams traded punts through the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Rush got rolling again as they moved the ball 47 yards on 7 plays. Dete Justen would kick a 42-yard field goal with 10:55 left in the second to make it 17-0 in favor of the Rush. On the Rattlers' next possession, Don Fawcett's pass was intercepted by Niko Simon. Two plays later, Drummond uncorked a 70-yard bomb to Zach Allen for a touchdown to put Chicago up 24-0 with 8:00 remaining in the half. Arizona punted again, and the Rush worked the ball down the field again, going 74 yards on 9 plays. Lonnie Clements ran the ball in from the 4, and put Chicago up 31-0 with a minute left in the half.

Once again, Arizona was forced to abandon the running game, but Chicago was pretty much in cruise control in the second half. After the Rattlers and Rush traded punts to start the third quarter, the Rattlers worked a 9-play, 37-yard drive that ended with Pancho Barrow kicking a 51-yard field goal with 6:41 to go in the third to make it 31-3. Chicago punted again, and Arizona drove 76 yards on 5 plays. Fawcett hit Jones for a 12-yard touchdown pass to make it 31-10 with 2:34 to go in the third.

But that was as close as the Rattlers would get. After Justen missed a 44-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter, the Rattlers would punt, and pin the Rush at their own 2-yard line with 9:22 left in the game. Arizona seemed to have them stopped at their own 35, but were called twice on running into the kicker penalties to give Chicago a first down. After that, the Rattlers' morale sank even lower, and Clements ended the 20-play, 98-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run with 1:05 left to put an end to the scoring at 38-10 in favor of Chicago.

Chicago (1-2) gained 436 yards of total offense. The Rush gained 139 yards rushing on 36 carries, with Clements leading the team with 60 yards on 20 carries and 2 TD. Drummond went 17-for-29 passing for 273 yards and 2 TD. He was sacked once, losing 6 yards. Allen caught 4 passes for 99 yards and a TD. Marty Margerum caught 4 passes for 75 yards, and Headrick caught 4 passes for 44 yards and a TD. The Rush visit the Iowa Barnstormers next week.

Arizona (0-3) gained 230 yards of total offense. The Rattlers only ran 10 yards on 15 carries. Jones was the main cog in the rushing "attack", gaining 5 yards on 7 carries. He was the Rattlers' leading receiver with 5 catches for 82 yards and a TD. Fawcett was 22-for-36 passing for 259 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked four times, losing 39 yards. In their last two games, Arizona has been outscored 93-23. The Rattlers are on the road next week against the Colorado Crush.

AFL: Gregson, Desperados Corral Crush, 29-19

DALLAS-Elson Gregson scored three touchdowns, including two late fourth-quarter scores to help the Dallas Desperados put away the Colorado Crush 29-19 in a Week 3 AFL game.

Dallas punted to start the game, but Colorado's Howton Thom was sacked by Theron Jaxon and fumbled, the ball was recovered by Jose Moore at the Crush 40-yard line. An offensive pass interference penalty short-circuited the Desperado drive, and Greg Hall kicked a 51-yard field goal with 9:54 remaining in the first quarter to go up 3-0. JC Holman returned the ensuing kickoff 67 yards to the Dallas 30-yard line. Four plays later, Thom hit Regis Duck for an 11-yard touchdown. Earl Ginger missed the extra point, and the Crush were up 6-3 with 8:09 remaining in the first.

The teams traded punts to end the first quarter. After another exchange of punts, Dallas QB Heinie Voorhees fumbled after being sacked by Cordell Berle, and Bruce Chambers recovered at the Crush 45-yard line. Thom would hit Tyler Howell for a 55-yard touchdown pass on the next play to go up 13-3 with 9:31 to go in the half. Dallas would take a little longer on their next possession. A 73-yard pass from Voorhees to Indiana Falcinelli would set up an 8-yard touchdown pass to Gregson. Hall missed the extra point, and the Desperados trailed 13-9 with 6:52 left in the second quarter. Holman would fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and Ronnie Ahart recovered at the Colorado 29-yard line. Six plays later, Hall would kick a 22-yard field goal to edge Dallas closer at 13-12 with 3:50 remaining in the half. Colorado would embark on a 9-play, 32-yard drive, that culminated with Ginger kicking a 48-yard field goal with 1:15 left in the half to make it 16-12 in favor of the Crush. Dallas would quickly move 45 yards on 8 plays, and Hall nailed a 45-yard field goal on the last play of the half to make it 16-15.

The third quarter saw no scoring. Dallas would punt on their initial possession, and Thom was intercepted by Ardell Edmonds at the Dallas 37-yard line. The Desperados would punt again and pin the Crush at their own 4-yard line. Colorado made some breathing room but still had to punt. Dallas drove 39 yards on 9 plays, but Hall missed a 46-yard field goal attempt with 1:17 to go in the third. Colorado would go three-and-out and punt as the quarter drew to a close.

Dallas would punt again as the fourth quarter began. Colorado would take the ball and drive 58 yards on 7 plays. Ginger scored on a 28-yard field goal with 10:45 to go in the game to put Colorado up 19-15. Gregson caught a pass at the Desperado 31-yard line but fumbled, and Guy Handy recovered for the Crush. After five plays, Ginger attempted a 51-yard field goal but missed it. Dallas punted on its next drive, but Daniel Calkin intercepted a Thon pass and returned it to the Colorado 4-yard line. Two plays later, Gregson plunged in from three yards out to put the Desperados in the lead, 22-19 with 6:06 to go. The Crush punted on their next possession, and the Desperados worked a ball-control offense, going 47 yards on 7 plays. Gregson put an exclamation point on the drive with a 21-yard sprint into the end zone to give Dallas the 29-19 lead with 1:36 left in the game.

Dallas (2-1) gained 323 yards of total offense. The Desperados gained 99 yards rushing on 25 carries. Gregson ran for 76 yards on 18 carries and 2 TD. He also caught 7 passes for 63 yards and a TD. Voorhees went 25-for-40 passing for 265 yards and a TD. He was sacked five times, losing 41 yards. Next week, the Desperados visit the Milwaukee Mustangs.

Colorado (1-2) gained 406 yards of total offense. The Crush gained 44 yards rushing on 17 carries. Valentine Millstone led the Crush with 21 yards on 10 carries. Thom went 27-for-42 passing for 380 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 18 yards. Howell was Colorado's leading receiver, with 6 catches for 125 yards and a TD. Duck caught 2 passes for 20 yards and a TD. The Crush host the Arizona Rattlers next week.

AFL: Dragons Burn Georgia, 37-24

UNIONDALE, NY-The New York Dragons held off a late rally to prevail over the Georgia Force, in a Week 3 AFL game, 37-24.

Georgia went three-and-out on their first drive and punted, a piling on penalty put the ball at the Force 45-yard line. From there, the Dragons took six plays to get into the end zone, with Melvin Betts getting in from the 2 to give the Dragons a 7-0 lead with 11:09 remaining in the first quarter. The teams would trade punts, and then New York got rolling again, moving the ball 62 yards on 11 plays. Burt Hamrick put the finishing touches on the drive with a 33-yard field goal with 59 seconds left in the first to give New York a 10-0 lead.

Georgia would punt again, and then the Dragons followed suit, but New York was penalized for unnecessary roughness and Georgia had the ball on the Dragons' 26-yard line. Six plays later, Norm Damron connected with Raven Bannon for a 2-yard touchdown to push the Force within three at 10-7 with 10:27 left in the half. On New York's first play after the ensuing kickoff, Pete Love intercepted a Faron Emerson pass at the Dragons' 36-yard line. Seven plays later, Clem Foulks charged in from the 1 to put Georgia up 14-10 with 6:50 remaining in the half. The Dragons responded on their next drive, going 38 yards on 10 plays. Hamrick would kick a 45-yard field goal with 3:28 left in the second quarter to make it 14-13. After Georgia went three-and-out, Emerson would uncork an 80-yard bomb that Elvis Darnell took for a touchdown with 1:31 left in the half, and the Dragons would go into the locker room up 20-14 at the half.

In the second half, the Dragons would start with a punt. Georgia was moving the ball until FB Prince David fumbled, and Dragons LB Vance Bicker returned it 33 yards to the Force 4-yard line. After four plays, Emerson hit Ardell Ashmore on a 1-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-14 with 8:29 to go in the third. Georgia was undaunted, and drove 73 yards on 9 plays. Wilbur Ahmad would kick a 33-yard field goal with 2:56 to go in the third to inch closer to New York, 27-17.

New York would drive themselves on their next possession, going 41 yards on 10 plays. Hamrick kicked his third field goal of the game, from 36 yards out, to put the Dragons up 30-17 with 12:18 to go in the fourth. Georgia would respond on the next drive, going 73 yards on 10 plays. Damron ended the drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Sidney, and the Force were back in the game, trailing 30-24 with 8:02 to go. New York would punt on its next possession, and the Force seemed destined to score again, but Foulks fumbled, and Dusty Mills recovered for the Dragons at their own 18-yard line with 4:50 remaining in the game. The Dragons would punt again, and the Force had one more shot. But an ill-fated sack turned the ball over on downs on the Force 8-yard line, and two plays later, Betts scored on a 5-yard run with 53 seconds left to officially plunge the dagger into Georgia's heart.

New York (2-1) gained 336 yards of total offense. The Dragons gained 62 yards rushing on 27 carries. Betts led the team with 28 yards on 7 carries with 2 TD. Emerson went 23-for-35 passing for 283 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked once, losing 9 yards. Ashmore led the Dragons with 8 catches for 72 yards and a TD. Darnell caught 6 passes for 120 yards and a TD. The Dragons host the Detroit Drive next week.

Georgia (1-2) gained 279 yards of total offense. The Force gained 61 yards rushing on 23 carries. Foulks was the leading rusher for Georgia, with 29 yards on 8 carries with a TD. Damron was 26-for-38 passing for 265 and 2 TD. He was sacked five times, losing 47 yards. Paden Bonewell led Georgia receivers with 9 catches for 67 yards. Sidney caught 5 passes for 75 yards and a TD. Bannon had 3 catches for 8 yards and a TD. The Force host the Tampa Bay Storm next week.

AFL: Firebirds Quiet Storm, 20-13

ALBANY, NY-The Albany Firebirds rose up and stopped the Tampa Bay Storm on 4th down in the red zone to come away with a 20-13 victory in their home opener during Week 3 of the AFL season.

Albany punted on their first possession, but Tampa Bay HB Jefferson Taylor fumbled the ball, and Stanford Barbee recovered on the Storm 38-yard line. Nine plays later, Scooter Colby scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 7:17 left to take a 7-0 lead. Tampa bay punted on their following drive, but Trent Josephs intercepted a Sinbad Gargaro pass and returned it to his own 40-yard line. Six plays later, Orval Stanley threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Von Windle to tie the game at 7 with 1:10 remaining in the quarter.

The teams traded punts in the second quarter. Tampa Bay drove into position for Johnny Quincey to attempt a 52-yard field goal with 6:37 left in the second quarter, and he missed it. The Firebirds then went on a 6-play, 58-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown run by Abdul Fowler with 4:14 to go in the half, and Albany jumped in front, 14-7. The Storm would punt, and it was downed on the Albany 1-yard line. The Firebirds initally looked to run out the clock, but Gargaro actually threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted by Drake Cushing and returned to the 13-yard line. After three plays gained 8 yards, Quincey drilled a 22-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in the half to go into halftime trailing 14-10.

The Storm got the ball to start the second half, and moved the ball 44 yards on 6 plays. Quincey kicked his second field goal of the game, a 36-yarder, to make it 14-13 with 11:38 left in the third quarter. The Firebirds drove from their own 18-yard line to the Tampa Bay 11, but Gargaro fumbled the snap, and Weldon Erhart recovered for the Storm at the 12. The Storm moved the ball to their own 43, but punted to the Firebirds' 12 yard line.

The teams traded punts early in the fourth quarter. The Firebirds would subsequently take just three plays to move the ball 61 yards. Gargaro hit Colby on a 37-yard touchdown pass with 10:55 to go in the fourth quarter. Dom Wenning missed the extra point, and the score was 20-13 in favor of the Firebirds. Tampa Bay would start the next drive on its own 20-yard line. Taylor gained 10 on a run. Thurman Stapleton  ran for 13. Stapleton gained 3 on another run, and after an incomplete pass, Taylor gained 24 on a pass and a first down at the Albany 30. Windle gained 7 on a pass, and Foster Warhurst picked up 4 for another first down catch. After another incompletion, Warhurst caught another pass for a gain of 4. Stanley's next pass fell incomplete, and Tampa Bay faced a fourth-and-six at the Firebirds' 16 with 6:05 to go. Choosing to try to tie the game with a touchdown, Warhurst was swamped after catching a pass well short of the marker, and the Storm turned it over on downs. Albany went conservative on the ensuing drive, and although Wenning missed a 32-yard field goal attempt with 56 seconds left, they did make Tampa Bay use all their timeouts, and the Storm could not move down the field quickly enough.

Albany (2-1) gained 420 yards of total offense. The Firebirds gained 122 yards rushing on 31 carries. Colby led the Firebird rushing attack with 52 yards on 8 carries and a TD. He also caught 2 passes for 53 yards and a TD. Fowler gained 27 yards rushing on 12 carries and a TD. Gargaro was 19-for-35 passing for 311 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked once, losing 13 yards. Teddy Harley was Albany's leading receiver with 7 catches for 109 yards. Albany hosts the Grand Rapids Rampage next week.

Tampa Bay (2-1) gained 320 yards of total offense. The Storm gained gained 108 yards on 26 rushing attempts. Willie Zachary led the Storm with 39 yards on 8 carries. Stanley was 22-for-35 passing for 226 yards and 1 TD. He was sacked twice, losing 14 yards. Warhurst led the Storm with 8 receptions for 70 yards. Windle caught 5 passes for 65 yards and a TD. Tampa Bay goes on the road next week against the Georgia Force.

AFL: Rampage De-Claw Kats, 29-19

GRAND RAPIDS-The Nashville Kats started slow in the first half for the second straight game, and fell short in a comeback bid once again, as the Grand Rapids Rampage won in a Week 3 AFL game, 29-19.

The Kats went three-and-out on its first possession, and the Rampage would move the ball 69 yards on 6 plays. George Tibbs kicked a 29-yard field goal with 9:19 remaining in the first quarter to give Grand Rapids a 3-0 lead. On Nashville's next possession, Brewster Brickhouse threw an interception to Orville Brill that was returned to the Kats' 7-yard line. On the next play, Curtis Wayne hit Bud Tryer for a touchdown to put the Rampage up 10-0 with 8:02 to go in the first. The Kats would make a move on their next drive, but were forced to punt. Red Hull made a coffin corner punt to the Grand Rapids 6-yard line. Wayne was sacked by Marv Boozer in the end zone for a safety to make it 10-2 in favor of the Rampage with 4:30 remaining in the first quarter.

Nashville would punt again, and Hull would place another coffin corner punt to the Rampage 5. Toby Harrell gained 7 on a sweep. Two plays later, Hudie Naylor gained 3 on a sweep for a first down. Three plays later, Wayne hit Clift Gregory for an 18-yard gain and a first down at their own 30. Bobo Cushing lost 2 yards on a sweep. Wayne connected with Gregory again for a gain of 13 and another first down at the Grand Rapids 41. After an incompletion intended for Joe Foss, Gregory gained 6 on a pass. On third-and-4 from the Rampage 47, Grand Rapids pulled a reverse and Gregory gained 27 yards and another first down at the Nashville 26. Nashville jumped offsides, then Cushing gained 6 for a first down at the Nashville 15. Two plays later, Wayne put the exclamation point on the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Foss to put Grand Rapids up 17-2 with 10:36 left in the half. Nashville would punt again and place the Rampage at their own 8. This time, the Rampage would be forced to punt. Nashville would punt again, and then the Rampage would coffin corner the Kats to Nashville's own 3-yard line. Brickhouse was sacked in the end zone by Conroy Wind for a Safety with 26 seconds remaining in the half, and Grand Rapids went into halftime up 19-2.

The Rampage opened the second half with a punt. Nashville's offense finally seemed to get on track as they moved the ball 71 yards on 8 plays. Daniel Stevenson would kick a 33-yard field goal with 7:36 remaining in the third to make it 19-5. On the Rampage's next possession, Wayne fumbled after being sacked by Juareen Karnes and Hawk Tostada recovered at the Rampage 29-yard line. Five plays later, Brickhouse hit Oliver Osler for a 6-yard pass with 4:29 left in the third to get within a touchdown at 19-12. Grand Rapids would move the ball 39 yards on 11 plays. Tibbs would nail a 54-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 22-12.

On the ensuing kickoff, Osler returned it 65 yards to the Rampage 21-yard line. Four plays later, Osler ran it in from the 3-yard line to make it 22-19 with 13:10 remaining in the game. Grand Rapids drove into position for Tibbs to attempt a 48-yard field goal, but he missed it. Brickhouse was sacked by Bobby Harpole and the fumble was recovered by Grand Rapids' Rodd Clift at the Orlando 28-yard line. Five plays later, Wayne connected with Harrell for a 15-yard touchdown pass to give the Rampage a 29-19 lead with 6:40 to go in the game. The teams traded punts, and then Nashville was stopped on fourth down to end the competitive phase of the game.

Grand Rapids (1-2) gained 355 yards of total offense. The Rampage gained 129 yards rushing on 34 carries. Harrell carried the ball 18 times for 54 yards, and caught 7 passes for 114 yards and a TD. Wayne was 20-for-32 passing for 264 yards and 3 TD. He was sacked five times, losing 38 yards. Gregory caught 5 passes for 59 yards. Next week, the Rampage visit the Albany Firebirds.

Nashville (0-3) gained 254 yards of total offense. The Kats gained 76 yards rushing on 22 carries. Osler led the rushing atttack with 14 carries for 47 yards and a TD. He also caught 3 passes for 34 yards and a TD. Brickhouse was 17-for-37 passing for 192 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Vittorio Swane was Nashville's leading receiver with 5 catches for 48 yards. Nashville visits the Orlando Predators next week.

AFL: Detroit Holds Off Orlando, 24-19

DETROIT-Despite five turnovers, the Detroit Drive were able to hold off the Orlando Predators twice on fourth downs late in the game to hang on for a 24-19 victory in Week 3 of the AFL season.

Detroit got the ball rolling on its first possession, driving the ball 76 yards on 9 plays. Rocky Adams put an end to the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to give Detroit a 7-0 lead with 10:42 to go in the first quarter. Orlando moved the ball effectively on its first drive, going 60 yards on 10 plays, but had to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Abel White to make it 7-3 with 4:33 remaining in the quarter.

The next possession for the Drive saw them move the ball 41 yards on 9 plays. Cletis Frayer made a 46-yard field goal with 14:11 left in the second quarter to put Detroit up 10-3. Orlando's RW Warden would fumble the ensuing kickoff, and the Drive's Corwin Lindstrom recovered at the Preds' 28-yard line. Six plays later, Lou Couch threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Vern Kelly to give Detroit a 17-3 lead with 11:28 to go in the half. Orlando would move down the field on its next possession, only to be victimized by a Jeffrey Wilkey interception returned to the Detroit 33. Detroit would punt, and then Orlando punted, but caught a break when Renaldo Halter muffed the return and Nate Devron recovered for Orlando at the Drive 23-yard line. Three plays later, DJ Haji threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Giles to pull Orlando closer at 17-10 with 5:39 left in the second. On the ensuing kickoff, Lovell Denson fumbled for Detroit and Darius Talie recovered for the Predators at the 34-yard line. Orlando would drive 27 on 8 plays, and White would connect on a 24-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining to make it 17-13 in favor of Detroit at the half.

The third quarter saw sloppy play from both offenses. On Orlando's first possession, they drove 57 yards on 10 plays, and sent White on to attempt a 31-yard field goal. But the kick was blocked and returned by Detroit's Sy Kellums to the Orlando 44-yard line. But Couch would be sacked by Ringo Flack of the Predators, and fumbled. Silas Garris of the Predators recovered at the Orlando 31. Orlando attempted to make a big play, but Tad Adler intercepted the pass for Detroit at his own 21. Detroit would try to move the ball themselves, but Couch fumbled again after being sacked by Flack, and Garris would again recover at the Detroit 35. Four plays later, Haji, feeling the pressure, took off and scrambled 25 yards for a touchdown with 1:40 left in the third. White missed the extra point, and Orlando was only ahead, 19-17, as the third quarter drew to a close.

On Detroit's subsequent drive, the Drive moved the ball 71 yards on 6 plays. Couch put the finishing touches on the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Ahmed Sohn with 13:37 left in the game to give the Drive a 24-19 lead. The Predators would punt, and Couch might have gotten a little greedy on Detroit's next possession, as Garris would pick off his pass and return to the Orlando 35-yard line with 8:22 left. The Predators would move the ball effectively until they got into the red zone, and facing a fourth down on the Drive 13-yard line, came up short with 2:17 remaining. The Drive would punt, and Orlando had another shot, but Haji's pass with 55 seconds left on fourth down came up short again, and the Drive escaped, still undefeated.

Detroit (3-0) gained 344 yards of total offense. The Drive gained 89 yards on 22 carries rushing. Patch Brolie led the team with 35 yards on 6 carries. Adams carried 5 times for 14 yards and a TD. Couch was 25-for-34 passing for 275 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 20 yards. Kelly was Detroit's leading receiver, with 7 catches for 69 yards and a TD. Sohn caught 4 passes for 57 yards and a TD. The Drive are on the road next week against Eastern Division rival New York Dragons.

Orlando (1-2) gained 337 yards of total offense. The Predators gained 95 yards rushing on 24 carries, Haji led the team with 39 yards on 4 carries, 25 of which came on his TD run. Giles carried 12 times for 31 yards, and caught 4 passes for 32 yards and a TD. Haji was 24-for-39 passing for 242 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT, and was not sacked. Steven Thompson caught 5 passes for 42 yards. Caleb Doering caught 5 passes for 26 yards. The Predators return home next week for a Southern Division game against the Nashville Kats.

AFL Week 2 Standings

EASTERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Detroit Drive	2	0	0	63	57
New York Dragons	1	1	0	45	52
Albany Firebirds	1	1	0	52	53
Grand Rapids Rampage	0	2	0	41	50
SOUTHERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Tampa Bay Storm	2	0	0	55	39
Georgia Force	1	1	0	76	56
Orlando Predators	1	1	0	44	44
Nashville Kats	0	2	0	46	71
CENTRAL DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
Milwaukee Mustangs	2	0	0	62	41
Dallas Desperados	1	1	0	66	53
Iowa Barnstormers	1	1	0	71	49
Chicago Rush	0	2	0	43	60
WESTERN DIVISION	W	L	T	PF	PA
San Jose Sabercats	2	0	0	67	40
Los Angeles Avengers	1	1	0	48	47
Colorado Crush	1	1	0	45	50
Arizona Rattlers	0	2	0	23	85

WEEK 2 SCORES (Home team in Bold)

Detroit 32, Georgia 29

Orlando 27, Grand Rapids 24 (OT)

Albany 24, Nashville 22

Tampa Bay 35, New York 22

San Jose 37, Dallas 30

Colorado 26, Chicago 23

Iowa 55, Arizona 13

Milwaukee 28, Los Angeles 21

WEEK 3 GAMES

Orlando (1-1) at Detroit (2-0)

Nashville (0-2) at Grand Rapids (0-2)

Tampa Bay (2-0) at Albany (1-1)

Georgia (1-1) at New York (1-1)

Colorado (1-1) at Dallas (1-1)

Arizona (0-2) at Chicago (0-2)

Los Angeles (1-1) at Iowa (1-1)

San Jose (2-0) at Milwaukee (2-0)

AFL: Cage, Mustangs Prevail Over Avengers, 28-21

LOS ANGELES-In a see-saw battle that could have gone either way, C.C. Cage caught the winning touchdown with just over a minute left to propel the Milwaukee Mustangs over the Los Angeles Avengers 28-21 in the final Week 2 AFL game.

The first quarter started with the teams trading punts. Neither gained an advantage until midway through the first, as the Avengers drove 80 yards on 9 plays. Juan York finished the drive off with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Clovis Awtrey to put Los Angeles up 7-0 with 2:57 left in the first quarter. The Mustangs came back strong on the ensuing drive, moving the ball 81 yards on 10 plays, the highlight being a 35-yard gain on a halfback option pass from Nigel McClain to Chester Brice. Brice put the finishing touches on the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run and the score was tied at 7 with 13:03 remaining in the half.

As the second quarter moved on, Avengers K Carmon Grimes would miss a 54-yard field goal attempt, and Rock Philbrook missed a 35-yarder for the Mustangs. Then after both teams punted, the Avengers moved the ball 72 yards on 8 plays and appeared primed to take the lead from the Mustangs' 2-yard line. But York's pass was intercepted by Conn Kriner who raced 52 yards to the Mustangs' 45 with 17 seconds left in the half. Milwaukee couldn't move closer, and the half ended.

The teams again traded punts to open the third quarter. Then the Avengers were on the move again, going 59 yards on 8 plays. York would keep it himself and run 7 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 LA lead with 6:03 left in the third. But the Mustangs struck back quickly as JC George capped off a 4-play, 66-yard drive with a 30-yard strike to Cage with 3:57 remaining to tie the game at 14. Kriner made his second pick of the game, and gave Milwaukee the ball at the Los Angeles 32. Four plays later, George tossed a 2-yard pass to Brice to give the Mustangs a 21-14 lead with 1:44 left in the third.

Los Angeles took the ball on the ensuing drive and went 73 yards on 12 plays. Chip Kindrick would run it in from 3 yards out to tie the game at 21 with 10:31 to go in the fourth quarter. Milwaukee threatened to score a touchdown, but Courtney Harrison put an end to it for the Avengers with an interception. But Kindrick would fumble on the ensuing drive, and Yousef Checkers recovered for the Mustangs and returned it 21 yards to the Avengers' 27. After 5 plays brought the ball to the 3, George threw a 3-yard touchdown to Cage, his second of the game and fifth in two games, to give Milwaukee a 28-21 lead with 1:03 remaining. Los Angeles would lose the ball on downs, and the Mustangs won the game.

Milwaukee (2-0) gained 316 yards of total offense. The Mustangs gained 90 yards on the ground, Brice leading the way with 36 yards on 10 carries and a TD. He also caught 3 passes for 49 yards and a TD. George was 19-for-28 passing for 203 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked once, losing 12 yards. Cage caught 4 passes for 55 yards and 2 TD. Next week, the Mustangs open their home slate against the San Jose Sabercats.

Los Angeles (1-1) gained 383 yards of total offense. The Avengers gained 136 yards rushing, Igor Keough led the team with 56 yards on 9 carries. Kindrick gained 53 yards on 13 carries and a TD. York carried the ball 4 times for 20 yards and a TD. York went 21-for-34 passing for 274 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 27 yards. Brick Pettit led Avenger receivers with 5 catches for 74 yards. Awtrey caught 4 passes for 61 yards and a TD. Next week, the Avengers travel to Des Moines to face the Iowa Barnstormers.

AFL: Blansett, Barnstormers Destroy Rattlers, 55-13

PHOENIX-Ev Blansett was responsible for six touchdowns, four passing and two rushing as his Iowa Barnstormers throttled the Arizona Rattlers 55-13 in a Week 2 AFL game.

The first quarter saw both teams more or less feeling each other out early on. Late in the quarter, the Barnstormers got rolling with a 6-play, 48-yard drive. Blansett connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Huggins for a touchdown and a 7-0 Barnstomer lead with 2:51 remaining in the first.

Early in the second, Blansett would be picked off by Arizona's Noland Delta at the Arizona 24. But on the very next play, Rattler QB Don Fawcett was sacked by Seth Waltrip and the ensuing fumble was recovered by Merrill Bliss at the Rattlers' 16. After four plays, SB Rhoads would kick a 25-yard field goal with 11:38 left in the second quarter to put Iowa up 10-0. Hack McDonald returned the ensuing kickoff to the Iowa 32-yard line, but two plays later, Fawcett was intercepted by Shelton St. Johns. From there, the Barnstormers would bust the game wide open. Blansett would punctuate the 10-play, 62-yard drive with a 1-yard scramble to make it 17-0 with 6:28 left in the half. McDonald returned the ensuing kickoff to the Iowa 45, and the Rattlers would drive 24 yards on 6 plays. Pancho Barrow kicked a 38-yard field goal with 3:01 remaining in the second quarter to close the gap to 17-3. But the Barnstormers drove 81 yards on 9 plays, ending with a 50-yard bomb from Blansett to Davlin Coggins with 47 seconds remaining in the half to go into halftime up 24-3.

Early in the third quarter, a Blansett pass was intercepted by Whitey Teel and returned it to the Barnstormers' 27-yard line. Four plays later, Barrow kicked a 22-yard field goal with 10:01 to go in the third to get the Rattlers within 18, 24-6. The Barnstormers would then drive 68 yards on 6 plays, culminating with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Blansett to Burke Fraser with 7:05 left in the third to go up 31-6. Arizona punted, and Iowa moved the ball again, going 88 yards on 7 plays. Blansett finished off the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Chesley Starnes with 3 minutes to go in the third to make it 38-6. Grant Douglass intercepted a Fawcett pass and returned it to the Rattlers' 29-yard line. Five plays later, Blansett took it in on a 4-yard keeper and the score was 45-6 with 14:53 left in the game.

Arizona would be forced to punt, and Coggins returned the punt 68 yards for a touchdown with 12:16 left, and the Barnstormers were up 52-6. St. Johns intercepted Fawcett's pass at the Iowa 41. Ten plays later, Rhoads kicked a 35-yard field goal with 5:31 left to go ahead 55-6. Mercifully, that was the Barnstormers' final score of the game. Fawcett would add a meaningless touchdown pass of 11 yards to Boris Garrison with 1:27 remaining, and the final score was Barnstormers 55, Rattlers 13.

Iowa (1-1) gained 517 yards of total offense. The Barnstormers gained gained 138 yards rushing on 38 carries, mostly in the second half. Powell Ramos led the team with 74 yards on 18 carries. Blansett was 26-for-43 passing with 391 yards with 4 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked once, losing 9 yards. He ran 5 times for 14 yards and 2 TD. Isaiah O'Connell led Barnstormers receivers with 7 catches for 87 yards. Coggins made 5 catches for 89 yards and a TD. Fraser caught 3 passes for 58 yards and a TD. Starnes caught 3 passes for 57 yards and a TD. Huggins made 2 catches for 39 yards and a TD. Next week, the Barnstormers open their home slate against the Los Angeles Avengers.

Arizona (0-2) was held to 110 yards of total offense. The Rattlers gained a mere 16 yards on 10 carries, after abandoning the running game in the second half. Melvin Jones led the Rattlers with 8 yards on 6 carries. Fawcett was 17-for-36 passing with 127 yards, 1 TD and 3 INT. He was sacked four times, losing 33 yards. Will Meads was the leading receiver, with 5 catches for 46 yards. The Rattlers will go to Chicago next week against the Rush.