San Jose Sabercats

On Wednesday, December 12, three-time world champion San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League called to inform Nate Lewis—who had just piled on more AAA records to his growing legend during the Catalina Kickoff Classic—that he would be worked out for a week by the coaches and staff on January 13 as the team searches for a new cornerstone.

At the December 8 game, 6'5", 235-pound SoCal Coyote quarterback Nate Lewis threw for three first-quarter touchdowns, added another in the second and finished the first half 17 for 21 (.810 percent) for 331 yards and an astronomical QB rating of 127.0. Two other drops would have put him over 400 yards, but hey, who's counting?

The final result was a 56-8 annihilation of a stocked Division I-talent team that called itself the "Elite," but on this night, Lewis taught them the meaning of the word. He was also benched for the first time as a Coyote, when head coach J. David Miller mercifully sat him down at half time.

It was hard to believe this was the same quarterback who considered quitting football just a year ago and had once asked Coach Miller if he had "a legitimate chance to go to the next level if I give this game everything I have."

Miller, a veteran of Arena Football wars, assured him yes.

"If you don't believe in yourself," Miller told him, "the vote's unanimous. Trust yourself, trust your teammates, trust the system. When we're finished, you're going to get your shot. All you can ask for in life is a legitimate shot."

And that shot came.

Will Lewis Make the SaberCats?

That was the $64,000 question that immediately rumbled through Coyote nation.

The optimists predicted Lewis's arm, maturity and mastery of the offense would impress the veteran San Jose coaching staff. Behind Lewis, the Coyotes rolled up 5,212 yards in total offense last season, and Lewis was named National Player of the Year.

The SaberCats have asked starting quarterback and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Garcia to groom the next cornerstone of the franchise that the team selects, whomever he might be.

Lewis's teammates were ecstatic, especially All-American wide receiver Rashad Roberts, who was asked by the SaberCats to accompany Lewis. Backup Coyote quarterback Travis Russell—himself only a few years removed from being one of the nation's most highly recruited college quarterback—suddenly had the look of a high school senior who might get to drive the family car, for real, for the first time.

But make no mistake: Good, bad or indifferent, all eyes were on Lewis, who scouts compared to a young Kurt Warner in size, strength and ability. Coaches around the nation called to congratulate Lewis and the Coyotes, regardless of the outcome.

"This is a great day for football and why every kid should never give up on his dream," said one coach in a text. "Whether he makes it or not isn't the issue. He earned the right to be there."

"We hope Nate makes the Sabercats," texted an Arizona opponent. "Let the Arena League figure out how to stop him, because we damn sure couldn't."

It was a heady day for the 26-year-old Lewis, a minor-league football emigrant who now made the scouts who overlooked him years ago embarrassed, set new AAA records for attempts and completions every time he took a snap and in his last six quarters of work was averaging a touchdown about every 5 attempts.

How did the best AAA quarterback celebrate? He mowed grass and directed employees at his landscaping business.

"I'm speechless," he said when he heard the news by phone and got the email from San Jose. "I've trained my whole life for this. But can I call you back? I've got to finish this job for a client, and I gave them my word that it would be done today."

Favoritism on Miller's Part?

On Saturday, Lewis had 177 yards and three touchdowns—in the first quarter. His final stats were surreal, namely because he didn't appear to be sweating in the 48-degree ocean air. There's no way to quantify Lewis's commanding pocket presence, his ability to release the ball just before the rush arrived or the amazing array of passes he threw with chilling accuracy.

Somehow Lewis became a player so lightly regarded out of Fairmont State that pro scouts ignored his MVP status from the College of the Desert and state-championship prowess from Cathedral City High School. But after being resurrected by Miller, Mouse Davis and the entire Run 'n' Shoot family, he is playing like a natural-born thriller.

"He's in a zone," says Miller. "I've never been around any quarterback that is this hot, and that includes 'Sugar' Shane Stafford when he lit up the Tampa Bay Storm (AFL)."

Miller has been criticized publicly for his promotion of Lewis, and the coach doesn't flinch under scrutiny. It has come from former players and opponents alike, who protested the Coyotes' "classless" wide-open aerial assault and Miller's "favoritism" of his signal-caller.

Miller had this to say:

Oklahoma ran the wishbone for 12 years and won multiple national titles, but when they got Marcus Dupree, Barry Switzer went to the I-formation. When Don Shula drafted Dan Marino, the Dolphins went four-wide and Marino became the face of the franchise. We are the Run 'n' Shoot. We aren't changing our offense because we have the best quarterback in football and we're winning 50-0 and you can't stop us.

That's your job. And yes, I show him favoritism. He works so hard it would be shameful not to. What are we doing wrong? Take Nate away from us last season, and we're a great defensive team that can't score points on offense. His arm and proclivity in the passing game, even the threat of it, makes everything work, including our running game.

Such proclamations might serve as a red flag for even the mildest of cynics, but once you meet Lewis and hear his story, it's awfully tough to question Miller's faith. He is as grounded and solid as a redwood, and it's certainly no accident that he has emerged as the anti-Ryan Leaf, a quiet leader who exudes maturity, was handed nothing and is grateful to even earn a shot to make an AFL roster.

Sheer hope guided Lewis along his unlikely path to AAA football prominence, from his time as a  two-year starter and MVP at College of the Desert to earning a full scholarship at Division II Fairmont State, before a broken collarbone put him on the bench. 

Yet he clung to his dream of playing football, even when it seemed he didn't have a prayer—but the doors just didn't seem to open. He toiled in the minor leagues, including a season in which he played safety just to get on the field, and in one game as a backup quarterback completed only four of 12 passes for 41 yards. Other minor league 'coaches' (many of whom had never coached)  thought his size might actually make him a good defensive end.

Lewis admits there were times when he lost his grip on his confidence. He built up his own business and was on the verge of putting the game behind him for good. Until his wife encouraged him to give his first love one more shot.

Enter Miller, Mouse, June Jones and about a combined 100 years of Run 'n' Shoot experience.Lewis said about them:

I don't know where these guys came from, but thank God they did. They all told me they believed in me, and that restored my belief in myself. They never asked me to do things I couldn't do. They took what I could do, built around it, and exploited every single skill and asset I brought to the table.

What he brought to the table was plenty. "Which is uncanny leadership, a cannon arm, intelligence, and what all the great ones have," says Miller. "An unbelievable, unexplainable desire to win, and the ability to put the dagger in you, in ways you didn't think were possible."

Lewis' Potential

Many highly drafted or scouted quarterbacks typically don't shine quickly, but Lewis's minor-league seasoning might allow him to burst onto the scene like an old pro.

"His accuracy is frightening, and he shows poise, toughness and an aptitude for reading defenses in a hurry," says Nick LaPointe, who coached last year at a nearby college and joined other coaches and scouts on the sidelines to witness Lewis and the Coyotes first-hand. "You have to see it to believe it. The Coyotes wide-open style has helped Nate perfect the art of making quick, decisive throws."

"A lot of young quarterbacks struggle to adjust to the speed of the game," says Mouse Davis. "That's something you can't glean from watching them practice. This kid slows the game down a little bit, and part of that's because of running our deal. It's not uncommon for us to throw the ball 300 times in a single practice, and we will keep throwing until we get it right."

Nate's speed is unexceptional, but his arm strength is impressive, and the touch on his passes is as soft as fleece. He can make all the throws, as he proved with his touchdown passes against the Elite: a hard, 15-yard arrow to slot Mondo Delgado after freezing the safeties with a pump fake; a willowy, 46-yard fade to Josh Asuncion in the back right corner of the end zone; a crisp 18-yard curl to Rashad Roberts that the receiver caught in stride and turned into a 53-yard score; an airtight, 67-yard strike to a well-covered Roberts along the left sideline.

The defense threw a variety of blitzes at Lewis, but he never flinched—which wasn't surprising to his teammates.

"We make a a conscious effort to pressure and confuse Nate every practice, but none of it fazes him," says assistant head coach Wayne Anderson Jr.

The more you watch Lewis interact with his family—and reaffirm his faith—the less stunning his phenomenal ascent seems. He appears to be sincere, unabashed and unspoiled.

"Nate's the most grounded person you'll ever meet," says Coyotes S-back David "The Diesel" Cathcart. Even though Lewis is off the charts right now, "there's no way he'll let this go to his head, regardless. He's Nate Lewis, week in, week out."

Preparation

When Coach Miller got off the phone with San Jose, he called his former pastor in Florida who has become a rabid Coyotes fan and broke the news.

 "Lord, we ask sharpness and clarity for Nate Lewis," the minister prayed. "He is still a Coyote, and he still has games to win in the desert before he goes. Let him stay humble and focused, yet be bold and perform beyond the realm of the skills you've blessed him with."

Then Miller scrambled to replace Lewis's NFL practice footballs with Arena game balls for Saturday's 7 a.m. practice at Freedom Park, where the quarterback's time as a Coyote might be dwindling.

"Go in there, work your ass off, make all of your throws, listen more than you talk, lead with your actions, and the other guys will accept you," Miller advised Lewis. "There are only two kinds of quarterbacks in the world: One gets better when he gets his shot, and one gets worse."

"Coach, I'm blessed to have this opportunity, even if it's for a single day," Lewis replied. "But this is only the beginning. We have to climb the mountain. I know I can play at this level."

Already, Miller was preaching to the choir.

Read more about the team on facebook at facebook.com/thesocalcoyotes

The Spokane Shock secured a playoff berth with a wild Hail Mary pass as time expired in a 63-61 win over the San Jose SaberCats.

Shock head coach Rob Keefe may need an updated schedule, as he said this week that “it’s the second week of the playoffs.”  In his defense, his team needed a win last week to stay alive to defend their 2010 Arena Bowl Championship. 

A win vs. the SaberCats would all but seal up the fourth playoff spot for Spokane, while a loss would put them in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

The Shock (9-8) used an opportunistic defense and a virtually perfect offensive showing last Saturday to separate themselves from the Utah Blaze in the game and standings. 

Following that win I asked Keefe about their preparation for the rematch with San Jose and he spoke about the poor treatment his team had received there in week one.  The Shock were taunted and engaged by the SaberCat players and fans alike, including a barrage of late contact and having beer poured on them.  

“Let’s not forget that San Jose beat us by about 40 points in the first week of the season.  I’m not forgetting that,” Keefe said.  “I’m not forgetting how we were treated down there.  We have some redemption coming up.”

Redemption is precisely what was in store for Spokane.  The SaberCats scored a TD with 3.9 seconds remaining in the game to give them a four-point lead.  But Shock QB Kyle Rowley connected with newly-acquired Randy Hymes for their fourth TD of the game, sealing the 63-61 victory.

“There’s no love lost between the clubs.  They were pretty brazen and pretty in our face and flamboyant when they beat us 76-48.  Something we didn’t forget about,” Keefe said. 

“Not only did we beat them but we sent them home.  They’re not in the playoffs.  They should be very proud of themselves because they had a great season.  They had a lot of injuries but I’m happy that we’re the ones that put them out.”

The game did not start off well for Spokane as San Jose won the coin toss.  After deferring their selection to the second half, SaberCat Juan Gamboa sent the opening kick off of the goal post.  It bounced back to the Spokane five-yard line and was recovered by SaberCat WR Victor James.  A TD pass from Mark Grieb to James Roe gave San Jose an early 7-0 lead.

Spokane responded with a solid drive, blending nice passes and a few defensive penalties.  After a first-down reception at the SaberCat eight-yard line, the SaberCats picked up where they left off in San Jose.

Quinton Andrews took the Shock receiver over the wall after the whistle, edging Spokane closer to the goal line.  On the following play Shock QB Erik Meyer scrambled and ran to the goal line.  A hard hit brought him down at the one-inch line and knocked him out of the game with a shoulder injury. 

Following the play Eddie Moten threw a punch to the face of a Adron Tennell.  He was ejected from the game and play was fairly clean from that point on.

Kyle Rowley scored on the shortest TD run possible, making it a 7-6 game after a missed PAT.

San Jose responded with a quick drive, capped off by a TD run by James.  On their next possession Spokane had the ball fourth-and-two at their own 15.  Rowley went deep to an open Brandon Thompkins.  The ball was catchable, but a little short.  Thompkins bobbled it and the closing defender batted it away.

San Jose scored on another James run, giving the SaberCats a 21-6 lead as the first quarter ran down.

Spokane rallied on their next possession, moving the length of the field.  The drive was capped by Hymes’ first TD reception for Spokane, closing the gap to 21-13.

San Jose had a decision to make on their next drive.  They drove the length of the field and had fourth-and-one from inside the Shock five.  They opted to tap James for yet another run; coming off the left end he took an inside handoff and was met by the Shock defenders at the line of scrimmage. 

Spokane took over on their own two-yard line and Rowley went to work.  Hi hit Adron Tennell for 12 and nine-yard gains.  After a five-yard penalty Rowley hit Hymes for a 19-yard gain.  A nine-yard sack put Spokane in second-and-long again, but not for long.  Thompkins took his running start and made a quick move to the outside.  Andrews had tight coverage on the play for San Jose, but Rowley was right on target with his pass.  A well-timed leap brought down the TD pass for Spokane.

San Jose and Spokane exchanged TDs before San Jose had time for one last drive.  Roe made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the corner of the end zone as time expired, giving the SaberCats a 35-27 lead and the opening kickoff in the second half.

The SaberCats picked up where they left off, taking their first possession of the second half to the Shock end zone on a 26-yard TD pass.  The PAT was blocked, though, and the lead was 41-27.

Spokane had a free play early in the next drive, as Rowley’s hard count again had San Jose offsides.  He had Thompkins open deep and this time hit him in stride.  However, the ball was still bobbled in the end zone for an incomplete pass.  Rowley eventually hit Tennell on a two-yard TD pass and they cut the lead to 41-34.

The SaberCats drove the field but their drive stalled in Shock territory.  They opted to try to extend their lead to two possessions with a FG attempt, but it was again blocked by the Shock defensive front. 

Rowley connected with Thompkins for a TD on the first play of the fourth quarter.  The SaberCats got a paw on the PAT, leaving Spokane trailing 41-40.

After San Jose responded with a TD, Chris Pino provided one of the biggest sparks of the game.  The 320-pound lineman took off downfield and was wide open.  Rowley hit him in all of his stride’s glory and Pino continued to rumble down to the five-yard line.  Rowley connected with Hymes for a TD pass on the next play and a 48-47 deficit.

The SaberCats again moved the ball with precision on their next drive.  Grieb found openings in the Shock secondary and threw another TD pass.  The PAT was good, despite a five-yard procedure penalty pushing the SaberCats back.

The Shock needed a quick score to close the gap, and the SaberCats obliged.  Gamboa kicked the ball to the side of the back net, giving Spokane the ball at the 20.  A nifty move by Tennell led to a 20-yard gain and Thompkins picked up eight on the following play.  Hymes was held on the following play and caught a TD pass from Rowley after the next snap. 

Trailing by two with 1:00 remaining, the Shock went for a two-point conversion.  Rowley faked an inside handoff and then pitched the ball to Thompkins coming around from the left end.  He ducked inside one defender and outraced Dwight McLean to the goal line, leaving the score tied at 55.      

This would not be the final two-point play of the game.  The ensuing kickoff was taken by Marco Thomas and he attempted to run down the left sideline.  He was stopped by a Shock defender and he turned inside where he was tackled in the end zone.  However, Thomas crossed the goal line before retreating.  The result was a safety and the Shock felt as though they were in control of the game.

The nature of Arena Ball dictates that leaving early is a bad idea, but some fans attempted to beat the rush of the 9,680 in attendance. 

Big mistake.

Another bounce went in favor of San Jose as they recovered their onside kick following the safety.  Grieb began driving the field and burning clock, throwing the go-ahead TD on the seventh play of the drive with just 3.9 seconds remaining.  They were not successful on the two-point conversion that would have made the lead six points.

The stands emptied even further as there was a break before the ensuing kickoff, an occurrence that was noticed by the players.  After the game Hymes commented “I feel bad that so many of the fans missed such an exciting finish.”

Spokane notified the officials that they intended to down the ensuing kickoff, which would lead to a one-second runoff.  Gamboa squibbed the ball downfield and Alex Teems made a clean recovery, leaving time for one final play.  Rowley made a high, deep pass down the middle of the field.  It was intended for Hymes but he was being pulled away from the play. 

“I told (Tennell) to trail the play the whole way,” Rowley said.  

He leapt for the ball, bringing it back from over the wall.  Rowley and many in attendance thought he had caught the ball, but it slipped out of his hands and right into the chest of Hymes who had closed from the side. 

Finally a bounce went the right way for Spokane.

Spokane has a game at Jacksonville next week before starting the playoffs in Arizona. 

“We could not be more thrilled right now that we’re in the playoffs after starting the season at 1-4,” Keefe said.

The 2011 Arena Football League season is officially underway.

The most intriguing matchup on opening night featured the defending champion Spokane Shock, ranked first in the AFL preseason poll. Spokane traveled to the revived San Jose SaberCats, ranked second heading into the season opener.

The results for Spokane were similar to their opening game of the 2010 season. Its offense struggled most of the game with timing and concentration, leading to tipped passes returned for defensive TDs and stalled drives.  

San Jose was led by QB Mark Grieb, a three-time Arena Bowl champion. He completed 21 of 25 passes for six TDs. The rest of the team also played mistake-free most of the game.

Even when San Jose did misfire, it came up looking good. On a kickoff return when Spokane was looking to get back into the game, a Shock player forced a fumble. The ball bounced right into the arms of another SaberCat, who tacked another dozen yards onto the return.

San Jose also managed to capitalize on Spokane's mistakes. Shock QB Kyle Rowley had accuracy issues, going 30-for-47 for the game.

One of his better passes came on Spokane's initial possession. It bounced off a Shock receiver, however, looking almost like a set pass in a volleyball game. Rowley did match Grieb's TD mark of six, but three INTs were the difference in the game.

The game was saturated with physical play and post-whistle contact. Bad blood already seems to be brewing between the two teams, spawning a solid west coast rivalry.

Spokane will open its home season on March 19 vs. the Cleveland Gladiators. The Shock will look to protect its home winning streak against the eighth-ranked team in the AFL as the Gladiators open their 2011 campaign.

On Monday, Sept. 29, the Arena Football League will still be dead.

However, Arena Football will not be.

A press conference is scheduled in Tulsa, Ok. to announce that the af2 and a few select AFL teams will combine for a two-tier farm-league system that will reinvent Arena Football.

The league name and logo ideas were leaked out and it is most likely the league will be known as arenafootball1. While the logo and name have drawn some early criticism, most fans are just glad to know that Arena Football will be played in its purist form next spring.

There are a lot of unknowns at this point, but the general fan consensus is that the league will consist of anywhere between 24 and 36 teams as a two-tiered system.

A few of the AFL teams have hinted at the idea of joining this newly renovated league, but none have officially committed as of yet.

One of those franchises is the San Jose SaberCats.

San Jose is as close to a "prized franchise" as the AFL had. Winning three Arena Bowl titles and finishing second last season to Philadelphia.

A few other teams have expressed interest, but only one has confirmed they will play in the newly formed af1 next season.

The Orlando Predators owner will be in Tulsa on Monday for the press conference. The Predators were once one of the dominant franchises in the AFL. With star players such as Barry Wagner. The Preds have only had one losing season in franchise history, their first season in the league.

Two teams that most likely will not join forces with the af2 are Colorado and Grand Rapids.

The Crush and Rampage have publicly stated they are not interested in joining the new league as they are still trying to find a way to bring the AFL back.

The af2 teams that will move into the highest tier look to be defending af2 champions Spokane Shock, the Tulsa Talons and Oklahoma City YardDawgz. Other teams could make the move up as well, such as the Albany Firebirds and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers.

Some of them for regional reasons, like Albany and Wilkes-Barre, others for financial reasons.

No matter the reason for the return of teams or cities to Arena Football at least it is returning!

The Phillies couldn't do it last September. The Flyers couldn't do it this summer. The Sixers couldn't quite get it done this postseason. But thanks to Jon Bon Jovi and Ron "Jaws" Jaworski, the City of Brotherly Love can finally sing "We Are the Champions!"

Just like the Colorado Crush, the Philadelphia Soul defied the odds of being a young team and defeated the heavy arsenal of the San Jose Sabercats.

Led by Matt D'Orazio's 302 yards and eight touchdowns (seven passing and one rushing) on 26 of 43 attempts, the Soul shocked the Arena Football world with a 59-56 victory over San Jose to give the city of Philadelphia their first World Championship in over two decades.

D'Orazio gained MVP honors for his performance while his partner in crime Chris Jackson snagged 11 catches for a game high 146 yards and three touchdowns to gain Offensive Player of the Game honors.

It wasn't an easy road for the Soul yesterday as the Sabercats showed the tenacity that got them there. In the final stretch of the fourth quarter, the 'Cats scored 14 points in an 11 second time span to move within three with 15 seconds on the clock. With an onside kick imminent, it was Rod Davis who provided the last second heroics by recovering the loose ball and sealing the deal and the celebration for the Soul.

This was arguably the biggest win in the city's history mainly because it will be the first world championship they've seen since 1983. The team itself answered the pre-season challenge of owners Jaws and Jovi. With prime time quarterback Tony Graziani on the shelf, D'Orazio stepped up in a major way and made it clear that he wouldn't let his new bosses down.

But D'Orazio is no stranger to the pressure of performing in the Arena Bowl. He earned his first MVP honors two years ago when he led the Chicago Rush to an Arena Bowl Championship. Now the Soul can add their name to the elite teams of the league who made it to the dance and won.

The Sabercats have nothing to be upset about. They did have a slow start at the beginning of the season, but they managed to step up at the right time. On Sunday, gunslinger Mark Grieb finished with 299 yards and eight touchdowns on 27 of 44 attempts.

Outstanding wideout Rodney Wright set a new Arena Bowl record with 13 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns while his partner in crime Jason Geathers added eight catches for 101 yards and five touchdowns in a losing effort.

A few weeks ago, co-owner Bon Jovi said that if the Soul won the Arena Bowl Championship, he would create the best looking championship ring ever. Come next season, Jon, I expect to be dazzled and amazed, but until then, congratulations on bringing Philadelphia the respect it so rightfully deserved.

If anyone was interested, one football season is on the verge of closing up shot from another season. It may not be the NFL, but it has been just as good at filling the void left by the end of the NFL season. Now with the NFL back on the horizon, Arena Football is ready to close out another successful season with a great game.

Tomorrow in New Orleans, the San Jose Sabercats look to defend their championship against the determined and upset minded Philadelphia Soul in ArenaBowl XXII. With the 'Cats holding 2-1 edge in the season series, Philadelphia looks to rekindle that magic they had when they came back from 20 points down to win 58-57 back in Week Seven.

The Soul have been dominant all season long, leading the league in wins with 13. The Sabercats stumbled out of the gates, but slowly but surely showed their juggernaut side to march back into the AFL's premier game. Led by quarterback Matt D'Orazio and outstanding wideout Chris Jackson, Jon Bon Jovi is poised to bring the City of Brotherly Love its first World Championship in over two decades.

On the other side of the field, San Jose brings back its itchy trigger man Mark Grieb and a ultimate opportunist in the form of Jason Geathers, who stepped up in place of the injured James Roe. With a lot of luck and talent, San Jose is poised to acquire their second straight World Championship.

When the smoke clears in New Orleans, it will most likely come down to the special teams play of Rodney Wright and Mike Brown. But just like in Week Seven, it might come down the foot of A.J. Haglund of San Jose. After missing the game winner in that game, Haglund will be looking to redeem himself in most likely the biggest game of his career.

No matter the outcome, this will be one of the most entertaining ArenaBowls in recent memory. Can San Jose finish the job they started late in the season? Can Philadelphia bring back the Soul of the city and a championship as well? Tune in tomorrow at 3 EST as the Voodoo City plays host to the 22nd ArenaBowl.

Here is my Week 5 Power Poll and Preview of games

This week there are some key games to watch out for in Week 5.

You have the final two undefeated teams playing this weekend and looking to stay perfect on the year.

The Philadelphia Soul (4-0), #1 in the Power Poll, hosts #5 Tampa Bay Storm (2-1), on Saturday, March 29 at 2p.m. ET (ESPN2 HD, ESPN360.com).

The Soul's offense did not look like it missed injured QB Tony Graziani at all last week against Los Angeles. Backup QB Matt D'Orazio stepped in and was 28 of 42 for 338 yards and eight touchdowns. 

The Dallas Desperados (4-0), #2, travels to the Nassau Coliseum to take on #15 New York Dragons (1-3) on Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. ET in a Eastern Division matchup.

Desperdos QB Chris Sanders was 20-of-28 for 276 yards and six touchdowns last week as the Desperados ended the SaberCats 15-game home winning streak 

The Desperados are looking to go 5-0 for the second consecutive season with a win. Dallas is 32-4 in their last 36 regular-season contests, including 12 in a row and six straight on the road. 

The Chicago Rush (3-1), #3, welcomes the Arizona Rattlers (2-2), #9, to the Allstate Arena on Friday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. ET (AFL NET, FSN Arizona - Delay, at 9:30 p.m. PT, CSN Chicago - Delay, 3/29 at 4 p.m. CT, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 130).

This game marks the first time Rush QB Sherdrick Bonner will face his former team of the past 14 seasons.

Bonner, left Arizona as the team's all-time leader in passing yards (40,979), attempts (5,268), completions (3,261) and touchdown passes (829).

Bonner also led the Rattlers to five ArenaBowl appearances and two championships in ArenaBowls VIII and XI.

This weeks other games include:

Saturday

#8 San Jose (2-2) at #16 Kansas City (0-3), 6:00 P.M. ET, (FSN Bay Area/NBC Local - Live, KSMO Local - Live)

#7 Orlando (2-2) at #13 Columbus (1-3), 7:00 P.M. ET, (AFL NET, WRDQ TV - Live, Columbus Sports Net - Live, CSS - Delay, 3/30 at 5:30 p.m. ET, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 130).

#14 Georgia (1-3) at #17 Utah (0-4), 9:00 P.M. ET, (CSS - Live, KJZZ - Live)

Sunday

#10 Los Angeles (2-2) at #12 Grand Rapids (1-2), 2:00 P.M. ET

#4 New Orleans VooDoo (3-1) at #11 Colorado (1-2), 4:00 P.M. ET (FSN Rocky Mountain Local - Live).

Bye Week: #6 Cleveland (3-1)

Power Poll Rankings:

 1) Philadelphia Soul (4-0, LW: 1) Beat Los Angeles 71-34 on 3/20

 2) Dallas Desperados (4-0, LW: 2) Beat San Jose 59-56 on 3/22

 3) Chicago Rush (3-1, LW: 4) Beat Colorado 70-35 on 3/22

 4) New Orleans VooDoo (3-1, LW: 6) Beat Cleveland 63-24 on 3/21

 5) Tampa Bay Storm (2-1, LW: 8) BYE WEEK

 6) Cleveland Gladiators (3-1, LW: 3) Lost to New Orleans 24-63 on 3/21

 7) Orlando Predators (2-2. LW: 11) Beat Georgia 50-45 on 3/22

 8) San Jose SaberCats (2-2, LW: 5) Lost to Dallas 59-56 on 3/22

 9) Arizona Rattlers (2-2, LW: 13) Beat New York 62-33 on 3/21

10) Los Angeles Avengers (2-2, LW: 7) Lost to Philadelphia 71-34 on 3/20

11) Colorado Crush (1-2, LW: 9) Lost to Chicago 35-70 on 3/22

12) Grand Rapids Rampage (1-2, LW: 15) Beat Kansas City 92-52 on 3/24

13) Columbus Destroyers (1-3, LW: 17) Beat Utah 52-49 on 3/21

14) Georgia Force (1-3, LW: 10) Lost to Orlando 50-45 on 3/22

15) New York Dragons (1-3, LW: 12) Lost to Arizona 33-62 on 3/21

16) Kansas City Brigade (0-3, LW: 14) Lost to Grand Rapids 52-92 on 3/24

17) Utah Blaze (0-4, LW: 16) Lost to Columbus 49-52 on 3/21

WEEK 4 HONORS

CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS: Grand Rapids Rampage QB James MacPherson and Philadelphia Soul WR Chris Jackson

ADT DEFENSIVE PLAYER: New Orleans VooDoo DB Calvin Spears

IRONMAN PLAYER: Chicago Rush WR/LB DeJuan Alfonzo

Rosemont, IL—The Chicago Rush beat the defending champion San Jose SaberCats 70-47 in front of 15,409 fans at the Allstate Arena. The Rush had some unfinished business to take care of from last season. Head Coach Mike Hohansee's team wanted to start the 2008 season on a positive mark.

The Rush came into the game with some new faces on offense. They wanted to show everyone they could still be very explosive on offense. Veteran quarterback Sherdrick Bonner, playing in his first year with the Rush after 14 years as the starting quarterback for Arizona, wanted to prove that he can make the big plays on offense at 39. He did not disappoint fans at all, throwing six touchdown passes, going 14-of-24 passing for 261 yards with one interception.

The Rush's new-look offense definitely showed some pop with a new trio of receivers in Damian Harrell, Donovan Morgan, and Travis LaTendresse. They were able to totally dominate the defensive backs of San Jose. All three of them each caught two touchdown passes.

The game was close in the first half with the Rush leading the SaberCats at halftime 28-27. The Rush started the game with the new combination of Bonner and Harrell connecting on a 29-yard touchdown. On the next series, when the SaberCats had the ball, quarterback Mark Grieb took the snap from the center, backpedaled, and lost the ball. Dejuan Alfonzo picked it up and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown to give the Rush a quick 14-0 lead.

The SaberCats came back to score three straight touchdowns to take a 21-14 lead.

Then Bonner came right back to throw a 28-yard touchdown pass to rookie Donovan Morgan to tie the game at 21.

The SaberCats got a 25-yard field goal from kicker A.J. Haglund to take a 24-21 lead, but Bonner hit Travis LaTendresse on an eight-yard TD to give the Rush a 28-24 lead.

With no time remaining in the first half the SaberCats got another field goal from Haglund to make the score 28-27.

In the second half the Rush defense made big play after big play. On the first possession of the third quarter Dennison Robinson got an interception and Bonner connected with Harrell on a beautiful 33-yard touchdown pass.

That gave the Rush a 35-27 lead, and they did not look back from there. Jeremy Unertl and Robinson forced a fumble from San Jose wide receiver James Roe after a short catch and Jonathan Ordway recovered it on the SaberCats 23. On the very next play Bonner connected with LaTendresse on a 23-yard TD pass to extend the Rush lead to 15.

The SaberCats came back to score a touchdown on a one-yard TD run by fullback Frank Carter to make the score 42-34 Chicago.

The SaberCats stopped the Rush to get the ball back, but Alfonzo forced Grieb into throwing an ill-advised pass across the field. Alfonzo intercepted the ball on the Rush five-yard line and then returned it 40 yards to the San Jose five. Fullback Dan Alexander then scored a touchdown to extend the Rush lead to 49-34.

The Rush forced San Jose into five turnovers with Robinson, Alfonzo, and Unertl causing most of the damage.

"The three of us have been playing together for a long time," Robinson said. "We know San Jose well and we know they are a smart veteran team. But we also know that receivers in this league are a little looser with the ball early in the season. We made a conscious effort to go for the turnover and try to strip the ball. It worked pretty well."

NOTES

FB Matt Kinsinger suffered a serious left knee injury in the second quarter and did not return. He is out for the season.

Bonner became the third quarterback in AFL history to go over the 41,000-yard mark on a first-quarter TD pass to Harrell.

Harrell went over the 12,000-yard receiving mark on a third quarter TD pass.

Harrell and Morgan both had five receptions; LaTendresse had four receptions.

Robinson led the Rush with 12 tackles; Unertl had 7.5.

Alfonzo had two fumble recoveries for touchdowns. He returned a first quarter Grieb fumble for 20 yards and then he fell on Alexander's fumble in the endzone in the fourth quarter.

Next Games

Chicago hosts Philadelphia on Sunday. San Jose travels to Grand Rapids on Monday.

 Rosemont, IL - The defending Arena Football Champion San Jose SaberCats open their season with hopes of defending their title against the Chicago Rush at the Allstate Arena.

The game is a rematch of the 2007 American Conference Championship game. The SaberCats won that game over the Rush and then went on the win ArenaBowl XXI in New Orleans.

The SaberCats are led by QB Mark Grieb and WR James Roe. San Jose return most of the core of the team that won the ArenaBowl last year. The only real key loss from that team is WR Ben Nelson, who signed with Colorado in the offseason.

The Rush are coming into the 2008 season with a new quarterback and wide receiver combo. Gone from the 13-3 team in 2007 are QB Matt D'Orazio, who was released by the team in fear that he had career-threating back surgery, and WR Bobby Sippio, who signed with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.

Also gone is FB Bob McMillen, who retired and now is the fullback/linebackers coach for the Rush. The team signed veteran quarterback Sherdrick Bonner, who played for Arizona last year and wide receiver Damian Harrell from division rival Colorado. The team also added fullback's Dan Alexander and Matt Kinsinger.

The combination of Bonner and Harrell could be a very explosive duo. Alexander set and AFL record last year with Nashville by rushing for 41 touchdowns.

The Rush defense retains its core with Jeremy Unertl, Dennison Robinson, Jonathan Ordway, John Moyer, Joe Peters, DeJuan Alfonso, James Sadler and Demetrios Walker.

"We had the best defense in the league," Unertl said. "We held teams to the lowest number of points(719) in league history. Even more important, we lead the league in turnover margin. That's how you get more possessions."

With the defense already strong and knowing the system of Head Coach Mike Hohensee, the big question is how long will it take for the offense to learn and jell as a unit.

Make sure to catch the game on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on Monday night at 9pm ET/6pm PT