Grand Rapids Goes on a Rampage and Stops Avengers

Avenger Coach Ed Hodgkiss took the cautious route Saturday, looking ahead to the Arena Football League playoffs.

Hodgkiss rested many of his top players in the second half, including quarterback John Kaleo, in the Avengers’ season finale in Grand Rapids.

The Rampage took advantage, scoring a 71-65 victory at Grand Rapids, Mich., and costing the Avengers home-field advantage throughout the American Conference playoffs.

The Avengers (10-6), second to Colorado in the conference, will face Chicago, San Jose or Las Vegas in the first round next Sunday at Staples Center. Chicago (8-7) plays today at Nashville. If the Rush win, it will be L.A’s opponent. Otherwise, San Jose (9-7) or Las Vegas (8-7) will travel to Staples Center.

Of concern to L.A. is that it enters the playoffs after giving up a season-high in points.

“We walked a tightrope on this,” Hodgkiss said. “Obviously we wanted to win the game and keep momentum, possibly get home-field advantage. At the same time, we wanted to be smart about it.

“We’re already in the playoffs and the goal is to get to the ArenaBowl, not win the last regular-season game. We went into this planning to give our backup guys a little more time.”

Kaleo stuck around long enough to reach 30,000 career passing yards and 500 career touchdown passes.

Brian Mann played the second half and L.A. had a 58-51 lead with 11 minutes left. But the Rampage (4-12) scored three consecutive touchdowns in a span of six minutes and ended the Avengers’ winning streak at four.

Grand Rapids’ quarterback Michael Bishop rushed for 36 yards, giving him 459 rushing yards, a league record for a season.

*

Aaron Garcia threw seven touchdown passes at Uniondale, N.Y., to lead the New York Dragons (10-6) to a 62-28 victory over the Colorado Crush (10-6).... San Jose, behind five touchdown passes by Mike Grieb, held off the Georgia Force, 54-48, at San Jose.

*

Foster reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press contributed to this report.