Overtime Is Avengers’ Time

Greg Hopkins experienced the feeling before.

In 1999, Hopkins played for an Albany team that won five games in the final seconds en route to the Arena Football League title.

On Sunday, shortly after his game-ending, 21-yard touchdown reception gave the unbeaten Avengers a 59-53 overtime victory over the Colorado Crush before an announced 17,417 at the Pepsi Center, Hopkins acknowledged a trend.

Last week, Hopkins caught a two-point conversion pass with one second left to give the Avengers a victory over defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose.

“About 80% of the time, Arena League games come down to the final minute, and a lot of those come down to the final play,” Hopkins said. “Good teams always find a way to win, so if the last two games are any indication of how things are going to go from here, we’re going to be all right.”

The Avengers (3-0) continued their best start in franchise history and remained in first place in the Western Division despite blowing a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Tony Graziani, who threw a team-record four interceptions against San Jose, reverted to a more efficient form of the first week and completed 21 of 34 passes for 232 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.

Offensive specialist Chris Jackson caught 10 passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns and also threw a touchdown pass to Kevin Ingram for the second week in a row.

Remy Hamilton kicked three field goals, including one from 18 yards on the final play in regulation that tied the score, 53-53, and sent the game into overtime.

“Our players stayed calm and confident throughout the game,” Avenger Coach Ed Hodgkiss said. “These are the kinds of things that you hope start to snowball and can make for a special season.”

Hodgkiss did not hesitate in choosing to kick off when the Avengers won the coin toss before overtime.

“We’ll always take the ball second and see what we have to do,” he said.

Colorado (0-3) drove from its 14 yard-line to the Avenger six with the help of two Avenger penalties. But running back Marrio Grier was stopped for no gain on first and goal, and quarterback John Dutton, who passed for 359 yards and eight touchdowns, misfired on an attempt to Joe Douglass on the next play.

After a delay-of-game penalty against Colorado, Avenger lineman Mike Ulufale tipped a Dutton pass that fell incomplete, setting up a fourth and goal from the 11. Crush Coach Bob Beers elected to go for the touchdown rather than a field goal, and Avenger defensive specialist Wasswa Serwanga broke up a pass intended for Damian Harrell, who caught 10 passes for 138 yards and five touchdowns.

Colorado was called for illegal contact against Jackson on the Avengers’ first overtime play and Jackson dropped a deep pass to the left side on the next play. But Graziani found Hopkins for a 13-yard gain over the middle that set up the game-winning play.

Hopkins lined up on the right side and ran a post-corner route. He was wide open near the right corner of the end zone and hauled in Graziani’s pass for the victory.