Week 1 - Dallas 60 Dragons 7


Pic courtsey of NewYorkDragons.com



(March 4) The Dallas Desperados shutout the New York Dragons in the first half of play, 33-0. It would be a sign of things to come as QB Clint Dolezel helped his team to 60-7 trouncing of the Dragons before 13,783 at the Nassau Coliseum.

The first score of the game came after a 42-yard missed field goal attempt by Dragons kicker Carter Warley. On the ensuing possession, Clint Dolezel hit Will Pettis for an 18-yard touchdown. But Dallas kicker Dustin Bell missed the extra point.

After the Dragons went for it on fourth down and failed to convert, the Desperados were left with a short field. It did not take them long to convert the excellent field position into points with fullback Josh White taking it in for a 3-yard touchdown on the fourth play of the drive.

In the second quarter, the Desperados picked up right where they left off. Clint Dolezel has thrown three more touchdowns making it four for the game.

While the offense continues to score points, the defense is holding the Dragons to 50 total yards. Defensive Lineman Colston Weatherington is having a huge game putting pressure on the Dragons QB Leon Murray. Defensive Back Jermaine Jones also came up with a huge interception as the Dragons were driving down the field.

After the half the Desperados offense kept on rolling. Clint Dolezel hit Will Pettis for a 6-yard touchdown that capped a nine-play 47-yard drive. On the drive, Dolezel was 5 for 8 for 41 yards.

Rohan Davey came out at QB for the Dragons after half time in place of Leon Murray. But after the Dragons started moving the ball downfield, Desperado linebacker Bob Perry made an interception that ended the drive.

The Dragons finally broke through in the fourth quarter when Davey found Wide Receiver Mike Horacek wide open 45-yards downfield for a TD.

This touchdown seemed to breathe life into the Dragons who blocked a 30-yard field goal attempt by Dustin Bell on the ensuing possession. But after a Dragons fumble, Desperado QB Bobby Nick Browder, who came in for Dolezlel following the third quarter, found Andrae Thurman in the end zone for 16 yards to make the score 60 - 7.

Desperados QB Clint Dolezel finished the game 21 for 28 for 249 yards and seven touchdowns. Receivers Marcus Nash and Will Pettis also had big games. Nash had 10 catches for 127 yards, while Pettis had three TDs on 85 receiving yards.



Week 3 - Rush 61 Dragons 40


Pic courtsey of ArenaFootball.com



(March 18) Matt D'Orazio threw for 238 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Chicago Rush to a 61-40 win over the Dragons Sunday afternoon in front of 16,128 fans at the Allstate Arena.

"We are getting better but not quite there yet," said Dragons head coach Weylan Harding. "We learned our lessons today and are working at it. Our main concentration is on our fight, effort and execution of assignments."

The Dragons got off to the start they were looking for as newly acquired Dragon Ja'Mar Toombs scored his first of two touchdowns on a 3-yard run.

Chicago quarterback Matt D'Orazio quickly tied the score at with a 4-yard touchdown run of his own.

A Mike Horacek 4-yard touchdown reception and Carter Warley's 48-yard field goal gave the Dragons a 17-7 lead. The teams continued the back and forth battle as they headed into halftime with the Dragons leading 30-27.

Following a 24-yard field goal from Carter Warley to open up the second half, the Rush scored the next 34 points and never looked back as they stepped up their defense and began to show why they are the defending ArenaBowl Champions.

The Dragons got a late touchdown when Ja'Mar Toombs scored his second rushing touchdown of the game but it proved to be too little too late as the Dragons were defeated.

"We took a step in the right direction today," said Dragon defensive back Billy Parker. "We still have work to do but we see what needs to be done and recognize that we need to comeback prepared to win in Tampa."

Chicago WR Bobby Sippio led the way for the Rush with a season-high 135 yards and five touchdowns. Sippio caught half of the team's passes with nine. The Chicago offense compiled 249 total yards and eight touchdowns.

Rohan Davey made his debut as the Dragons starter and finished the day with 245 yards and 3 touchdowns along with 2 interceptions.

Mike Horacek led the Dragons with two touchdown catches and 59 yards while Kevin Swayne had one touchdown and 100 yards receiving.



Week 4 - Dragons 59 Storm 52


Pic courtsey of NewYorkDragons.com



(March 23) Turnovers continue to plague the Dragons as they gave the ball away to the Storm on their first drive of the game. QB John Kaleo would take advantage as he found WR T.T. Toliver on a 13-yard touchdown pass to give Tampa Bay an early 7-0 lead.

Dragons QB Rohan Davey would respond on 22-yard score to WR/LB Mike Horacek, but the Storm would put 14-consecutive points.

Kaleo connected with WR/DB Terrill Shaw on an eight-yard touchdown pass and Davey was intercepted by WR/DB Lawrence Samuels, who returned the pick seven yards for a score.

Davey would move the ball down the field on a 42-yard pass to Horacek and record his second touchdown pass of the game on a six-yarder to WR Chris Anthony.

The teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter. For the Storm, Kaleo found OL Ernest Certain for a 28-yard score and FB Rodney Filer rushed it for seven yards out. For the Dragons, Davey three touchdown passes to Anthony, his second of the night, and WR Kevin Swayne.

Storm K Seth Marler drilled a 19-yard field goal and Dragons K Carter Warley hit a 43-yarder to close the half and bring New York within seven, 38-31.

Just a pair of touchdowns were scored in the third frame. Kaleo found Samuels for his first receiving touchdown of the night. Dragons FB Ja'Mar Toombs ran it in on a 24-yard score to bring the Dragons within seven. New York threatened as time was running out in the third quarter, but Davey was picked off by Storm DB Jerroid Johnson.

The Dragons outscored the Storm 21-7 in the final quarter of play. Kaleo ran for a seven-yard score to give Tampa Bay 52-38 lead. But New York would record three consecutive scores. Davey would connect with Horacek for a 24-yard touchdown.

Then on a wild series of events, Tampa Bay fumbled the ball on the ensuing possession and it was recovered by the Dragons Chris Anthony. QB Rohan Davey gave the ball right back when he was stripped by the Storm defense. However, Kaleo would be intercepted on the next play by Anthony, giving the Dragons new life.

Toombs would get his second rushing touchdown of the night and Horacek would score for the third time, giving New York a 59-52 lead after the Dragons stopped the Storm on a 4th and 1 play to get the ball back.

Will Holder intercepted John Kaleo on the final play of the game to seal the victory.



Week 5 - Soul 65 Dragons 60


Pic courtsey of Philadelphia Soul.com



(April 1) The New York Dragons fell behind as many as 20 points, fighting back to get within two before ultimately falling to the Philadelphia Soul 65-60 at the Nassau Coliseum, Sunday afternoon.

The key to the game was the Dragons' five turnovers – three by fumble and two via interceptions. Despite the turnovers Davey had a strong offensive game, throwing for 375 yards and eight touchdowns. Soul QB Tony Graziani threw for six touchdowns and 297 yards.

For the Soul, wide receivers Larry Brackins, Charles Pauley and Sean Scott each completed two touchdown receptions, while Pualey added a late 57-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter to increase the Soul's lead to 17.

On the Dragons side, wide receivers Mike Horacek and Kevin Swayne each hauled in two touchdowns, while WR/DB Chris Anthony caught two touchdown receptions. Horacek led the way with 188 yards.

The Dragons, once again, showed that they had some fight despite being down. After they're come-from-behind win against Tampa Bay last week, the Dragons looked poised for another comeback.

With just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Dragons made it a 44-42 game when Davey threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Swayne. The Soul scored three of the next four touchdowns, to put the game out of reach.

The Dragons got off to a poor start. On the opening play, Davey had the ball stripped. DL Felipe Claybrooks recovered the ball and took it in for the opening score.

On the next drive, Davey got the Dragons right back with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Swayne.

In the second quarter the Soul increased their lead to 16. Two touchdown receptions, an interception return and a field goal gave Philadelphia 24 points in the quarter. Davey countered with touchdown receptions to Horacek and Anthony in the quarter as the Soul took a 44-28 lead into the second half.

The third quarter saw the Dragons get within two. Following an interception by Dragons DB Ifeanyi Chalete to open the second half, Davey threw for a 17-yard touchdown to Horacek.

Later in the quarter, Davey floated a pass to Swayne for a two-yard touchdown reception to make it a two-point game.

That was as close as the Dragons would get. A couple of late scores by the Dragons pulled them within five as time ran out.



Week 6 - Rampage 66 Dragons 53


Pic courtsey of RampageFootball.com



(April 7)Dragons QB Rohan Davey found WR/LB Mike Horacek on the game's opening drive for a 30-yard touchdown and New York jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. The Rampage responded when QB Chad Salisbury, who is playing in his first game since suffering a concussion in Week 1, connected with WR Ronney Daniel on a 25-yard score.

Davey added a 30-yard rushing score and Salisbury hooked up with WR/DB Timon Marshall to tie the score at 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.

The teams traded scores in the second quarter. Salisbury found WR Jerome Riley twice on touchdown passes oF 30 and 25-yards respectively, while Horacek recorded his second and third receiving touchdowns of the game on scores of eight and 30-yards from Davey. Salisbury connected with WR Scotty Anderson for a 19-yard touchdown to put the Rampage up 35-27. Dragons K Carter Warley missed a 49-field goal with 0:08 left on the clock in the first half.

The Rampage scored on their first posession of the second half when Salisbury found Marshall on a 10-yard touchdown pass. The Dragons responded, but Salisbury came right back a threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Daniels, his second of the game. Dragons FB Ja'Mar Toombs fumbled the football on New York's next possession and it was returned for a touchdown increasing Grand Rapids' lead to 56-34. Davey hooked up with Horacek for his fourth touchdown reception of the game to bring the Dragons within 56-41 after three quarters of play.

The Rampage scored on their first possession of the fourth quarter on a touchdown pass from Salisbury to Marshall and that all but sealed the game as Grand Rapids took a 63-41 lead. The Dragons would pull within 10 on touchdown passes to Horacek and Anthony, but would never get any closer. Rampage K Brian Gowins added a 19-yard field goal with 0:38 left on the clock.



Week 7 - Crush 49 Dragons 48


Pic courtsey of NewYorkDragons.com



(April 15) The Colorado Crush scored in the final minute of the fourth quarter to stun the Dragons 49-48, Sunday afternoon at the Nassau Coliseum.

Twice, the Dragons gained the lead late in the game, but twice, the Crush responded. Colorado ended the Dragons' hopes when DB Chris Angel intercepted QB Rohan Davey's pass with just over 30 seconds remaining on the clock. Angel finished with three interceptions on the day.

The Dragons took a 13-6 lead early in the second quarter on a 35-yard rushing touchdown by WR Mike Horacek, but lost it until New York took a 41-39 advantage on a one-yard touchdown run by Ja'Mar Toombs with just under ten minutes left in the fourth quarter.

From there, the Dragons and Crush traded scores, with Colorado coming out on top when QB John Dutton found WR Damian Harrell for a 15-yard touchdown reception and a 49-48 Crush lead.

The Crush spoiled an historic milestone for Horacek. With less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Horacek caught a 26-yard touchdown pass to become only the eighth player in AFL history to record 10,000 receiving yards.

Dutton finished 21-of-40 for five touchdowns, 260 yards and three interceptions. For the Crush, WR Brad Pyatt led the way with three touchdowns and 112 yards. Harrell finished with two touchdowns and 96 yards.

Davey, meanwhile, had an off night, throwing four touchdowns, along with three interceptions. He ended the game with 256 yards. Horacek and WR/LB Chris Anthony each caught two touchdowns and finished with 81 and 47 yards, respectively. WR Jason Willis filled in for the ill Kevin Swayne and hauled in seven catches for 75 yards.

After the Dragons grabbed a 13-6 lead in the second quarter, the Crush scored 19 straight points to end the half with a 25-13 advantage. The teams each scored 14 points in the third quarter before the Dragons mounted their comeback, but fell just short.



Week 8 - Preds 52 Dragons 47


Pic courtsey of OrlandoPredators.com



(April 20) The New York Dragons once again lost after coming from behind to make it close, dropping a 52-47 game to the Orlando Predators at Amway Arena.

The Dragons found themselves down 45-27 heading into the fourth quarter, a daunting task for any team. But like they've been doing all season, the Dragons have persevered, but have come up just short on all but one occasion. Tonight was no different.

After two quarters the Dragons were within striking distance, only behind by four, but the Predators took control in the third quarter out-scoring the Dragons 21-7 and taking a commanding lead.

In the third, QB Shane Stafford completed three of his five touchdowns for the three scores of the quarter. His receivers were Cliff Dell, J.R. Russell and Charles Hill, who each caught one touchdown.

Stafford spread out the scoring, completing touchdown passes to four players, including Javarus Dudley, who led the team with two touchdown receptions. Stafford was 21 of 29 for 261 yards and no interceptions. Russell was first on the team with 91 receiving yards. The Predators also got rushing scores from Stafford and Dudley.

In the fourth quarter, the Dragons put up a 20 spot – their most of one quarter in the game. QB Rohan Davey found receivers Mike Horacek and Chris Anthony for passing touchdowns, while Ja'Mar Toombs rumbled in for a one-yard rushing score.

The Dragons comeback fell short when following Horacek's touchdown reception with 38 seconds left, Carter Warley's on-side kick was recovered by the Predators.

Davey finished the game 21 of 35 for 259 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Horacek totaled 131 yards and two touchdowns, while Anthony picked up 49 yards and three touchdowns. WR Jason Willis, in his second AFL game, earned 68 receiving yards.



Week 9 - Dragons 67 Rattlers 45


Pic courtsey of NewYorkDragons.com



(April 28)The Dragons put an exclamation point on the return of Aaron Garcia with a 67-45 victory over the Arizona Rattlers, Saturday night at the Nassau Coliseum.

Playing in his first game of the season, Garcia led the Dragons offense with seven touchdowns. He went 17 of 30 for 251 yards and had one interception. Garcia teamed up with WR Mike Horacek for four touchdowns and with Chris Anthony for two. Horacek led the Dragons receivers with 123 yards.

The Dragons played as solid a second half as they have all season, allowing only 12 points in the third quarter and six in the fourth. The Dragons countered with 33 in the second half to run away with the game.

The fourth quarter was highlighted by interceptions from Will Holder, Anthony and Billy Parker. After intercepting the ball with 9:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, Anthony then scored his second touchdown of the game on the ensuing drive. Parker finished the game with two interceptions and one fumble recovery.

For Arizona, QB Sherdrick Bonner threw six touchdowns and 290 yards, but was intercepted four times, including three times in the final quarter. WR Trandon Harvey led the Rattlers receivers with four touchdowns and 205 yards.

DaShane Dennis got the Dragons off to a perfect start by returning the opening kickoff for a 57-yard touchdown. Dennis returned four kickoffs for 104 yards, in his second game with the Dragons this season.

After the Rattlers tied the score at seven, Garcia went to work for the first time in over a year. After seven plays, Garcia found Horacek for a 31-yard touchdown reception. The teams finished the quarter tied at 14.

In the second quarter, Garcia threw two more touchdowns – one each to Horacek and Anthony. K Carter Warley converted two field goals in the second quarter at 30 and 29 yards to extend the Dragons' lead to 34-27 at the half.

The third quarter saw the Dragons extend their lead to 48-37. And in the fourth the Dragons defense came alive for three picks.



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