Gladiators convinced they belong at the top

Adam Candee

Friday, Feb. 27, 2004 | 10:36 a.m.

Noon, Thomas & Mack Center TV: NBC, Ch. 3 Radio: KBAD 920-AM

Two weeks of close losses left the Las Vegas Gladiators wondering if their improved play would even mean anything in the win column as they headed to play Grand Rapids last weekend.

Coming back from Michigan, there was little doubt left that the Gladiators can be a dominant team. Las Vegas blew out the Rampage, 51-14, and the Gladiators return home Sunday to face the unbeaten expansion New Orleans VooDoo at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Finally, a month into the season, the Gladiators can take the field without the gray cloud of being winless hanging over them.

"We needed to get that out of the way, get that monkey off the back," Gladiators coach Frank Haege said.

The monkey is firmly back in its cage after the team's most dominating performance in its time in Las Vegas. The Gladiators continued their steady offensive improvement while turning in one of the Arena Football League's best defensive performances of the season in holding Grand Rapids scoreless in the first half and to two touchdowns overall.

Most important, it was a game that allowed Las Vegas to take out the frustration of blowing fourth-quarter leads to Colorado and Los Angeles, and failing in the final seconds in its first two games.

"It was definitely a performance we wanted," Haege said. "When you're better than a team, you've got to take care of them."

At first, this spot on the schedule looked like a bit of a respite for the Gladiators, but New Orleans began its franchise history with three good wins. The most recent of those victories was the most impressive -- a 55-52 win at Georgia, which already had defeated defending ArenaBowl champion Tampa Bay.

Haege feels that the VooDoo's success is not surprising in the era of free agency, where even first-year teams can make their mark without having to build up for success.

"Being an expansion team really doesn't really matter," Haege said.

The Gladiators' offense is rolling now behind quarterback Clint Dolezel, whose next touchdown pass will be the 500th of his AFL career. Dolezel did not play in the fourth quarter at Grand Rapids after tossing four scoring passes in the first three periods.

The Las Vegas offense, which Dolezel predicted in training camp would be hitting its stride very soon, has topped 50 points in the past two games. That's the way it is supposed to look, Haege feels.

"We're getting better, getting our timing down," Haege said. "We should be scoring 50 points a game."

The Gladiators will be looking to solidify a new defensive lineup after dealing defensive specialist Jeroid Johnson, the team's 2003 MVP, to Los Angeles this week. Las Vegas acquired Philadelphia kicker Brian Gowins as part of the three-way deal.

Kickoff is slated for noon and the game will be televised by NBC.