Anaheim Castoffs Become Bigger Fish in Arena Bowl

As if things aren’t depressing enough for the 2-9 Piranhas these days, two expansion franchises are headed to the playoffs and two of their former players are tearing up the Arena Football League.

The expansion New Jersey Red Dogs, who beat the Piranhas in the season opener, 33-32, are 8-3 and in third position among the eight teams that make the playoffs. The first-year Nashville Kats, who beat Anaheim, 68-62, last month, also appear headed to the playoffs with an 8-3 record.

The Red Dogs are led by offensive specialist Larry Willis, who has 23 touchdown catches and 977 receiving yards after being cut by Milwaukee in preseason, and quarterback Ricky Foggie, a former Piranha. Foggie was one of four quarterbacks on the Piranha roster during the off-season, but was cut in March. In seven games with New Jersey, Foggie has passed for 1,708 yards and 31 touchdowns.

Khevin Pratt, traded from Anaheim last fall for the 10th pick in the expansion draft, was leading the Arena Football League in receiving with Nashville before leaving to try and catch on with an NFL team. Former Piranha defensive back Cedrick Walker is leading the league in tackles with 77 and is fifth in pass breakups for Arizona. Walker was acquired by the Piranhas in the expansion draft but was traded for the rights to Jerrick Bledsoe and Carlos Brooks. Bledsoe has been on injured reserve all season with a pulled right hamstring and Brooks left camp to play in the World League.

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Since trading quarterback John Kaleo to the Piranhas for receiver/linebacker Jai Hill, the San Jose Sabercats are 4-1 and have moved into the seventh spot in the league’s playoff standings with a 6-5 record.

The Sabercats replaced Kaleo with Scott Wood, who played at Loara High, Rancho Santiago College and St. Mary’s. Wood has completed 70 of 140 passes for 1,051 yards and 19 touchdowns with only three interceptions since being given the starting role five games ago.

Meanwhile, Kaleo is on his way to setting an AFL record for interceptions in a season. Kaleo had 10 passes intercepted in six games with San Jose and he has eight in five games with the Piranhas, including seven in his last two games. The league record for the most passes intercepted in a season is 20 by Mickey Guidry of New Orleans in 1992.

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After his two sacks last week against Tampa Bay, Piranha defensive end Sam Hernandez is only a half sack behind league leader Carlos Fowler of Texas, who has seven.

The Piranhas Notebook runs periodically during the season. Suggestions are welcome. Call (714) 966-5904, fax 966-5663 or e-mail David.McKibben@latimes.com