Rematch Carries Playoff Impact

They clinched a spot in the Arena Football League playoffs last month. They earned a first-round bye last week.

On Saturday, the Avengers (11-4) will try to win the Western Division championship and home-field advantage for the postseason when they play defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose (11-4) in the regular-season finale at San Jose.

“It’s not like a playoff game where it’s make or break,” Avenger quarterback Tony Graziani said. “But there definitely will be a lot more excitement than a regular game.”

The Avengers defeated the SaberCats, 73-72, on Feb. 9 at Staples Center, but they are winless in three games at San Jose during the last three seasons. San Jose’s only loss at home this season was a 45-42 defeat by Detroit on April 11.

The Avengers will play host to a quarterfinal on June 1. They could host a semifinal, and the ArenaBowl on June 22, by holding onto their current top-seeded position with victories.

To do that, the Avengers must play better than they did last week in a 45-34 victory over Colorado, a game in which the offense was shut out during the second half.

If the Avengers lose to San Jose, they could fall as far as No. 4 because the SaberCats, Tampa Bay and Orlando also are 11-4.

Orlando plays at Detroit tonight and Tampa Bay plays at Georgia on Sunday.

If Tampa Bay and Orlando also lose, the Avengers will be the No. 2-seeded team.

If Tampa Bay wins and Orlando loses, or Tampa Bay loses and Orlando wins, the Avengers will be seeded No. 3.

If Tampa Bay and Orlando win, the Avengers will be seeded No. 4.

“We’d like to have home-field advantage, but we’re not really looking at this game that way,” Avenger Coach Ed Hodgkiss said.

“We’re looking at this as the championship game for the Western Division. It’s the kind of game we want our program to be playing in year in and year out.”

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Russell Shaw was the star of the victory over Colorado, but Siaha Burley quietly continues to prove his value as well.

Burley, acquired from Orlando during the off-season, was the Avengers’ fourth receiver behind offensive specialist Chris Jackson, Greg Hopkins and Kevin Ingram for most of the season. It was a new role for a player who produced the most all-purpose yards in the Arena league over the last three seasons as the offensive specialist at Orlando.

But when Ingram suffered a broken leg on April 27 at Dallas, Burley moved to the forefront. He was named the team’s Ironman against Dallas and Arizona and scored two touchdowns last week against Colorado.

Burley said he never doubted that he would take on a greater role for the Avengers. This season, the Arena league lengthened the schedule from 14 to 16 games, creating a need for depth.

“With the longer season, coaches know there are more situations for injuries, so you have to have enough players that can do the job,” Burley said. “Now, I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity.”

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Wide receiver/linebacker J.J. Washington was put on the injured list after sustaining a fractured vertebra in his neck during last Saturday’s game against Colorado. Washington was fitted with a brace and the bone is expected to heal in six to eight weeks.... Graziani’s streak of passes without an interception ended at 185. He was knocked out briefly against Colorado, but did not miss a play. “I had a little standing eight count,” he said. Graziani said he had some neck soreness the next day but otherwise felt fine .... The Avengers have improved their record every season since their first in the league. They were 3-11 in their first season in 2000, improved to 5-9 in 2001, 8-6 in 2002, and are seven games over .500 this season.