Philly & San Jose battle for ArenaBowl Title

Football Betting Lines

07/24/2008 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Mitsubishi Motors Drive to Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII New Orleans makes its final stop in the Crescent City as the National Conference Champion Philadelphia Soul (13-3, 2-0) host the American Conference Champion San Jose SaberCats (11-5, 2-0) on Sunday, July 27 at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN on ABC HD, ESPN360.com, SIRIUS Radio - Channel 127).

The defending ArenaBowl XXI Champion SaberCats are making their second consecutive ArenaBowl appearance, and fourth in seven seasons, after defeating the #6 Grand Rapids Rampage (8-11), 81-55, at HP Pavilion in the American Conference Championship game two weeks ago.

After beginning its season 3-4, San Jose has won 10 of its last 11 games, including eight in a row on its way to winning its third consecutive Mitsubishi Motors Western Division title. The second-half of the SaberCats 2008 season resembles that of 2007 when they entered the ArenaBowl on a 12-game winning streak and faced a National Conference Champion making its first-ever ArenaBowl appearance in the Columbus Destroyers.

"We started gelling towards the middle of the season," remarked head coach DARREN ARBET. "We are playing well right now and have had some guys step up and play well for us."

San Jose ranks third all-time in ArenaBowl victories with three and Arbet can become the first head coach in AFL history to win his first four ArenaBowl appearances and second to win four overall (Tim Marcum - 7) with a win on Sunday.

The SaberCats can become the first team to win back-to-back ArenaBowl titles since the Tampa Bay Storm (1995-96) and only the third team to win four ArenaBowls ( Tampa Bay - 5, Detroit - 4) with a victory.

"As a coaching staff, we talk about the chance of repeating as ArenaBowl champions a lot, but you have to treat this game as any other," reveals Arbet.

San Jose QB MARK GRIEB enters his third ArenaBowl as the SaberCats starting quarterback with a 12-5 career postseason record and is in position to climb the postseason records ladder in multiple passing categories.

Grieb, the only quarterback to throw for 100 touchdowns during the 2008 regular season, needs 41 passing yards to pass Orlando Predators head coach and former quarterback JAY GRUDEN and move into second place all-time with 4,779 career. With three passing touchdowns, he would eclipse Chicago Rush QB SHERDRICK BONNER and move into second place all-time in ArenaBowl history with 15 career. Grieb also needs 43 passing yards to pass Colorado Crush QB JOHN DUTTON and move into fifth place all-time in ArenaBowl history with 584 career.

With 12 seasons separating the SaberCats from the Tampa Bay Storm -- the last team to repeat as AFL champions -- and being only the eighth team in AFL history to make consecutive ArenaBowl appearances, Grieb understands the SaberCats have a daunting task.

"Our defense of the ArenaBowl XXI championship has definitely been tough," exclaims Grieb. "People talk about having a championship hangover and I definitely think there was some of that at the beginning of the season. We started off slow, but I don't think we are strangers to that. We lost five games but finished the season strong. We are back at the ArenaBowl and have a chance to play for a championship. What a great thing that is."

The Philadelphia Soul is making its first-ever ArenaBowl appearance after notching a League-best 13-3 record during the regular season and capturing its first Mitsubishi Motors Eastern Division title.

The top-ranked Soul defeated the #4 Cleveland Gladiators (11-8), 70-35, in the National Conference Championship game two weeks ago at the Wachovia Center .

Key offseason additions at the wide receiver and quarterback positions helped Soul head coach BRET MUNSEY and offensive coordinator CONNELL MAYNOR revamp an offense that ranked fifth in scoring in 2007 (56.3 ppg) but led the AFL in 2008 (62.0 ppg).

"We have had a special season here in Philadelphia," said Munsey. "Our core of lineman upfront, protection-wise, has been outstanding all year. Our quarterback play has been great and we feel we have two of the better wide receivers in the League in CHRIS JACKSON and LARRY BRACKINS. We are also playing defense a little bit better and right now we feel like we are at a high point."

Dating back to 2007, Philadelphia began its season on a franchise-best 11-game winning streak - nine in 2008 -- before losing its first game to Cleveland , 67-55, in Week 10.

In Week 7, the Soul overcame a 26-point deficit to defeat the SaberCats, 58-57, on a five-yard touchdown run by QB MATT D'ORAZIO with 10 seconds remaining at HP Pavilion. The win kept Philadelphia perfect at 7-0, while San Jose dropped to 3-4.

"The one thing I remember from that game is the locker room afterwards," remarks Munsey. "When you come back in a game like that on the road, cross country, against a great team and organization, it's a special time in your locker room. Both teams are different personnel-wise, and everything will be different on ArenaBowl Sunday."

Led by QB MATT D'ORAZIO, who took over for an injured TONY GRAZIANI in Week 3, the Soul enter this game with two key players with ArenaBowl experience in D'Orazio and Jackson, against a San Jose roster of seasoned ArenaBowl players

D'Orazio, who signed as a free agent in the offseason from Chicago, led the Chicago Rush to its only ArenaBowl Championship, a 69-61 victory over the Orlando Predators in ArenaBowl XX (2006).

D'Orazio led the Soul to an 8-3 record in 11 starts during the regular season. He led the AFL in passer rating (131.3), completion percentage (72.4) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (18.0), while earning All-Arena First Team honors for the first time in his five-year career and winning the inaugural Champs Sports Quarterback of the Year Award.

Jackson, who signed during the offseason as a free agent from Georgia, led the Soul receiving corps while earning his second AFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Jackson, who became the first player to win the award with two separate teams, led the AFL in receiving touchdowns (49) and first downs (111) while ranking second in receptions (140), receiving yards (1,719), scoring (294 points) and yards from scrimmage (1,717).

San Jose leads the all-time regular-season series 2-1, however, Philadelphia won the last meeting.