After missing two consecutive games with a neck injury Damon Wheeler doesn't miss a beat for the L.A avengers & comes up real big in final posession....




Late field goal lifts Avengers to 50-47 win
By Steven Herbert, Special to The Times
June 3, 2007


The Avengers and kicker Remy Hamilton made the most of their second chances Saturday night.

After missing a 32-yard field-goal attempt with 1 minute 5 seconds to play, the Avengers' defense caused the Chicago Rush to turn the ball over on downs, giving them the ball back on the Chicago 13-yard line.

Three plays later, Hamilton kicked a 29-yard field goal, giving the Avengers a 50-47 victory in an Arena Football League game at Staples Center.

The Avengers (7-6) had held the lead from 33 seconds before halftime, when Sonny Cumbie threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to LaShaun Ward, until there was 3:22 left in regulation, when Matt D'Orazio threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Rob Mager and D'Orazio ran for a two-point conversion, a play on which he pitched the ball to Mager, who then lateraled back to D'Orazio.

Until the final minute of the first half, the Avengers were defenseless, allowing touchdowns on each of the first four possessions.

Then D'Orazio dropped the ball as he was being rushed and the fumble, the game's only turnover, was recovered by linebacker Robert Quiroga in the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Avengers a 30-20 lead with 22 seconds left in the first half.

Hamilton missed a 44-yard field-goal try on the opening possession of the second half.

Chicago (9-4) then cut the deficit to 30-27 as D'Orazio ran one yard for his second score of the game.



Cumbie completed 20 of 38 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns and also ran five yards for a third-quarter score. The Avengers are 6-1 in games in which Cumbie does not have a pass intercepted.