Hodgkiss Has Concerns About Home Letdown
The Avengers earned four of their league-leading seven victories this season by scoring touchdowns or two-point conversions on the final play.
Last-second heroics likely will not be necessary tonight when the Avengers play host to winless Carolina, the first of three home games in 15 days against teams with a current combined record of 7-20.
Carolina (0-9) is the Arena Football League’s only winless team. Next Sunday, the Avengers play Arizona (4-5). On April 18, Buffalo (3-6) comes to town.
Coach Ed Hodgkiss acknowledged his greatest challenge would be preventing a letdown, especially after the Avengers’ last-second victory at Orlando last Sunday.
“If coaches had the answer, there would be no letdowns,” he said. “I don’t know the exact magical formula. We didn’t take a day off and we’re doing the same things we always do.
“The players are smart enough to realize what’s at stake.”
A victory tonight would keep the Avengers on pace to finish with the league’s best record and secure home-field advantage for the playoffs.
It also would give the Avengers a franchise-record five-game winning streak, tie the franchise record for victories in a season and put the Avengers six games over .500 for the first time.
The Avengers play three of their last four games on the road, including a May 17 finale at San Jose, which also is 7-2.
The Avengers defeated the defending ArenaBowl champion SaberCats at Staples Center on Feb. 9.
“It could come down to the final game for home-field advantage,” Hodgkiss said. “It’s something we haven’t even discussed as coaches yet, but it would be nice to be in the position to be able to.”
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Last season the Avengers finished the regular season with an 8-6 record and were seeded fifth in the playoffs, forcing them to play a first-round playoff game against Tampa Bay.
Avenger owner Casey Wasserman is hoping his team garners one of the top four seeds and earns a first-round bye. And not just for competitive advantage.
Wasserman’s wife, Laura, is expecting the couple’s first child. The baby is due the week after the regular season ends.
“The real reason we need the home bye is so we can be home for the birth,” Wasserman said.
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The Avengers’ 64-63 victory over Orlando came on a 32-yard pass that quarterback Tony Graziani threw into the net on the play. The ball bounced into the hands of receiver Greg Hopkins for the win.
The Avengers defeated San Jose on a two-point conversion pass from Graziani to Hopkins on the final play. They beat Colorado the following week on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Graziani to Hopkins on the final play of overtime. And they defeated New York on a one-yard run by Kevin Clemens with no time left.
“We work on those situations in practice, so when they arise, we’re ready,” Hodgkiss said earlier this week. “I don’t want to hang my hat on destiny or luck, but I’ll take it.”
Immediately after the victory over Orlando, NBC’s cameras showed Wasserman talking on his cell phone.
“I wasn’t calling anybody,” Wasserman said. “All my friends were calling me.”
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Offensive specialist Chris Jackson, the only Avenger player with the team in its first season, has scored a touchdown in every game of his career. He has 97 touchdowns in 42 games.
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Avengers Tonight
vs. Carolina, 7:30
Site -- Staples Center.
Radio--XTRA (690/1150).
Records -- Avengers 7-2, Cobras 0-9.
Record vs. Cobras (2002) -- 1-0.
Update -- The Avengers are tied for the best record in the Arena League. The Cobras are the league’s only winless team and they’re back in California for the second consecutive week after losing to San Jose, 62-40, last Sunday. Carolina’s closest margin of defeat was four points to Dallas two weeks ago. The Avengers beat the Cobras last season, 63-32, at Staples Center. Robert Hall is the fifth quarterback used by the Cobras this season.
