SaberCats down Destroyers, 55-33, to take ArenaBowl

Gaffney's Jeff Littlejohn is a member of the San Jose SaberCats. NEW ORLEANS - In a sport known for its offense, defense was the difference in the ArenaBowl.

The San Jose SaberCats beat the Columbus Destroyers 55-33 in Sunday's ArenaBowl, taking their third Arena League title in six years.

It was a low score for two teams that put up big victories on the way to the championship game. San Jose averaged 63.2 points a game. Columbus averaged 50.1 during the season and 63 points a game in the post season.

"Columbus had a good game plan," said wide receiver James Roe, who scored two touchdowns. "They took away the deep ball so we had to dink and dunk and take what they gave us underneath."

San Jose (16-3), was held to its lowest scoring total of the playoffs, but the SaberCats' defense offset that by holding Columbus (10-10) 30 points below its postseason average.

"I think they're a good defensive team, but I don't think that's a true indication of our offense," said Destroyers coach Doug Kay. "I think they are a good defensive football team, but we are better than 33 points."

San Jose quarterback Mark Grieb passed for 218 yards and four touchdowns and gave up no interceptions. He was named the game's most valuable player.

"Grieb's accuracy is better than anyone's that I've seen in this league," said SaberCats coach Darren Arbet.

Columbus quarterback Matt Nagy completed 24 of 43 passes for four touchdowns and 203 yards. He was intercepted twice.

"Their combination of good pressure up front and their DBs makes it hard to do anything against them," Nagy said.

San Jose took the lead for good in the second quarter when Trestin George returned a kickoff 56 yards for a touchdown to break a 14-14 tie.

Then, on a fourth-and-1 play, Grieb found George Williams with a shovel pass, giving the SaberCats a 27-14 halftime advantage.

The San Jose defense _ second in the AFLin points allowed _ kept the Destroyers out of the end zone for nearly 11 minutes to end the first half.

Nagy hit Cole Magner with a 3- yard touchdown pass to pull the Destroyers within 27-21 with 8:09 remaining in the third quarter.

A 4-yard scoring pass from Grieb to Ben Nelson gave the SaberCats a 34-21 lead. But Damien Groce caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Nagy to pull Columbus within 34-27 as the third quarter ended.

A 1-yard run by Phil Glover five minutes into the fourth quarter put San Jose up 41-27. Grieb found James Roe for a second time with 5:57 left, hitting him for a 20-yard touchdown to make it 48-27.

The game, which sold out weeks in advance with 17,056 tickets purchased, was the first ArenaBowl sellout at a neutral site for the Arena Football League's championship game, with the tickets snapped up almost nine weeks before the game.

The 2005 game drew 10,822 and the 2006 ArenaBowl had a crowd of 13,476. Actual attendance Sunday was 15,147.

It was the first team championship game in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina hit Aug. 29, 2005.