New Season Brings Optimism to L.A.

Can the Avengers become a legitimate Arena Football League playoff contender?

Can they become a profitable franchise in a city that won’t give the NFL the time of day?

Most important, can they make their points on the field?

These are some of the questions facing the third-year team as it begins the regular season tonight at Staples Center against the New York Dragons.

With a total of eight victories in their first two seasons, the Avengers again are making changes.

Ed Hodgkiss, former offensive coordinator for the Indiana Firebirds, will be the third Avenger coach in a year. Stan Brock was fired after an 0-3 start last season--and an overall 3-14 record. Interim coach Robert Lyles, who led the team to five victories in the final 11 games, is now coaching the Georgia Force.

Hodgkiss, a first-time head coach, is regarded as one of the league’s top offensive thinkers. That reputation will be tested with a team that last season scored the second-fewest points, 564, and ranked 17th among 19 teams in total offense with an average of 245.6 yards.

“I’ve had the chance to work with some great coaches and I think they’ve prepared me well,” Hodgkiss said. “And my staff is making my transition a smooth one.”

Team owner Casey Wasserman said he would give Hodgkiss time to develop the team. But he also expects to win.

“Stan had time to build the team, but he didn’t deliver,” Wasserman said. “We had 17 games under him and I didn’t see any improvement from Game 1 to Game 17 that would warrant me giving him Game 20 or Game 24.

“Robert Lyles was a breath of fresh air and the team rallied. But what I didn’t see on the field was [not] necessarily attributed to Robert; it was a lot of leftover stuff from Stan. We felt we needed a completely fresh start and I’m very happy Robert got the opportunity with Georgia.”

Hodgkiss has overhauled the roster; there are 12 new faces on the 24-man squad.

Among the departed are quarterbacks Erik Wilhelm, who clashed with the coaches on the offense, and Todd Marinovich, who for two years teased the Avengers with his ability and tormented them with self-destructive behavior, including heroin use.

Hodgkiss will turn to Tony Graziani as the next quarterback. Graziani was signed late last season, when Wilhelm and Marinovich were injured, and played two games. He completed 23 of 37 passes for 362 yards and seven touchdowns, with one interception, before injuring a ligament in his left knee.

Key returning players include wide receiver Chris Jackson, who caught 62 passes for 775 yards and 13 touchdowns in nine games, and defensive back Mark Ricks, who earned All-Arena honors with eight interceptions--two for touchdowns--and 15 pass deflections.

Jackson said the team is ready to reach .500 and beyond.

“The coaches have brought in new players and a new attitude,” he said. “I love what I’m seeing.”

Other Avenger veterans agreed.

“[Hodgkiss] brought a lot of organization to the team,” receiver-defensive back Anthony Rice said. “The practices have gone smoothly, and they haven’t been too hard on our bodies the way [they were] my first two years here. And he’s brought in a lot of good receivers. We’re definitely going to score some points this year.”

Said Graziani, who is signed through 2004: “I feel a lot better than last year. Hodgkiss has made things so much easier for the offense.”

The Avengers believe the offense will be bolstered by two recently signed free agents, wide receiver-linebacker Greg Hopkins and fullback-linebacker Chad Dukes. Both played for Hodgkiss with the Firebirds.