Strong Finishes Are More to Their Liking

There is a distinct pattern to the Avengers this season. A tale of two halves.

First half: Usually the worst of times, the players often meandering about, looking as if they were strangers.

Second half: Often the best of times, the players bolting from the locker room with a purpose and clicking in sync from the moment they get the ball.

It could drive a coach nuts. But Avenger Coach Ed Hodgkiss prefers this to the alternative, which he has also witnessed.

“The last two seasons, we’ve always started well and then had trouble in the second half,� Hodgkiss said. “We tried everything. We changed the way we handled the 10-minute halftime. We talked to the players. Nothing worked.�

So the fast finish is worth the wait.

Of their five victories this season, the Avengers have trailed or were tied at halftime in three. That doesn’t include last week’s 59-28 victory over Tampa Bay, when the Avengers turned a 17-7 halftime lead into a rout with a 42-point second half.

The Avengers have been particularly effective immediately after halftime, scoring on 19 of 22 third-quarter possessions.

“I think that has to do with this being such a new team,� said John Kaleo, whose 106.2 quarterback rating ranks him 18th in the 17-team Arena Football League. “This was a veteran team the last couple years. This year, there are a lot of rookies. We’ve also had some injuries to the line and the receivers. Guys like [receiver] Khori Ivy and [receiver] Greg Hopkins are in there more consistently now. The last couple weeks, we have been a lot smoother.�

Hodgkiss is happy to promote another theory.

“We’re in pretty good condition,� Hodgkiss said. “We’re not hitting the wall like some other teams do.�

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The improved efficiency of the Avenger offense has slowed kicker Remy Hamilton’s record pace. Hamilton had 17 field goals through six games -- the AFL single-season record is 32, set by Portland’s Daron Alcorn in 1999. But Hamilton has only two in the last two games.

“That’s fine with me,� Hamilton said. “I’d rather have 10 extra points a game and one field goal at the end of the first half to control possession. I’m happy to do whatever I can do to help us win.�

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Kaleo, who led Tampa Bay to the ArenaBowl title two seasons ago, spent part of the fourth quarter catching up with his former Storm teammates on Saturday. During one break in the game, with the Avengers safely ahead, Kaleo chatted with players on the Tampa Bay bench.

“It was just like I was still with the team, like I was at the Tampa Bay practice facility,� Kaleo said. “Only they were allowed to hit me.�

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Backup quarterback Brian Mann came off the bench in the fourth quarter and completed a 28-yard pass to Kevin Ingram. Mann is four for four during his three-year AFL career -- seven for seven counting exhibition games.