1987: The Year in Arena/Indoor Football
Pittsburgh Gladiators (4-2)
Head Coach: Joe Haering
Passing Leader: Brendan Folmar (1349)
Rushing Leader: Craig Frederico (21)
Receiving Leader: Russell Hairston (67-1126)
Average Attendance: 12,856 (1st)
Denver Dynamite (4-2)
Head Coach: Tim Marcum
Passing Leader: Whit Taylor (1050)
Rushing Leader: Chris Brewer (56)
Receiving Leader: Gary Mullen (26-502)
Average Attendance: 12,098 (2nd)
Chicago Bruisers (2-4)
Head Coach: Ray Jauch
Passing Leader: Mike Hold (787)
Rushing Leader: Billy Stone (139)
Receiving Leader: Reggie Smith (18-185)
Average Attendance: 8,636 (4th)
Washington Commandos (2-4)
Head Coach: Bob Harrison
Passing Leader: Rich Ingold (1726)
Rushing Leader: Brett Wilson (42)
Receiving Leader: Dwayne Dixon (68-810)
Average Attendance: 11,525 (3rd)
FRIDAY JUNE 19
PITTSBURGH 48, Washington 46 (12117) - Pittsburgh QB Mike Hohensee completed 25 of 39 passes for 364 yards and three TDs in the first Arena game. The first play was a 42-yard TD from Hohensee to Russell Hairston
WASHINGTON - 7 15 5 19 - 46
PITTSBURGH - 11 11 14 12 - 48
1st - PIT - Russell Hairston, 42-yard pass from Mike Hohensee (Run failed) PIT 6-0 1st - PIT - Safety, Walter Holman tackled in end zone by Mike Stoops PIT 8-0 1st - WAS - Richard DuPre, 12-yard pass from Mike Calhoun (Dale Castro kick) PIT 8-7 1st - PIT - Lee Larsen, 41-yard field goal PIT 11-7 2nd - WAS - DuPre recovered fumble in end zone (Kick failed) WAS 13-11 2nd - PIT - Hairston, 36-yard pass from Hohensee (Kick failed) PIT 17-13 2nd - PIT - Safety, Calhoun tackled in end zone by Earnest Adams PIT 19-13 2nd - WAS - Castro, 50-yard field goal PIT 19-16 2nd - PIT - Larsen, 27-yard field goal PIT 22-16 2nd - WAS - Dwayne Dixon, 15-yard pass from Rich Ingold (Kick failed) TIED 22-22 3rd - WAS - Creig Federico tackled in end zone by Jon Riehlk WAS 24-22 3rd - PIT - Rock Richmond, 11-yard interception return (Kick failed) PIT 28-24 3rd - WAS - Castro, 26-yard field goal PIT 28-27 3rd - PIT - Hairston, 28-yard pass from Hohensee (Hairston pass from Hohensee) PIT 36-27 4th - WAS - Dixon, 20-yard pass from Ingold (Castro kick) PIT 36-34 4th - PIT - Mike Powell, 35-yard pass from Hohensee (Kick failed) PIT 42-34 4th - WAS - Castro, 26-yard field goal PIT42-37 4th - WAS - Castro, 50-yard field goal PIT42-40 4th - PIT - Federico recovered missed FG in end zone (Kick failed) PIT 48-40 4th - WAS - DuPre, 24-yard pass from Ingold (Drop kick failed) PIT 48-46
SATURDAY JUNE 20
Denver 52, CHICAGO 44 (OT) (10103) - Denver QB Stuart Mitchell threw for 6 TDs including a 39-yarder to Durell Taylor in OT that helped cap the Dynamite's win. Mitchell completed 21 of 42 passes for 298 yards.
DENVER - 6 12 12 14 8 - 52
CHICAGO - 10 7 10 17 0 - 44
1st - CHI - Richard Rogers, 1-yard pass from Mike Hold CHI 7-0 1st - CHI - Nick Mike-Mayer, 21-yard field goal CHI 10-0 1st - DEN - Stuart Mitchell, 2-yard run CHI 10-6 2nd - CHI - Rogers, 3-yard pass from Hold CHI 17-6 2nd - DEN - Gary Mullen, 32-yard pass from Mitchell CHI 17-12 2nd - DEN - Chris Brewer, 12-yard pass from Mitchell DEN 18-17 3rd - CHI - Reggie Smith, 7-yard pass from Hold CHI 24-18 3rd - DEN - Steve Trimble, 9-yard pass from Mitchell TIED 24-24 3rd - DEN - Mitchell, 2-yard run DEN 30-24 3rd - CHI - Mike-Mayer, 45-yard field goal DEN 30-27 4th - DEN - Mullen, 41-yard pass from Mitchell (Mullen pass from Mitchell) TIED 44-44 OT - DEN - Durell Taylor, 39-yard pass from Mitchell DEN 50-44 OT - DEN - Safety, Mike Hohensee tackled in end zone by Keith Smith DEN 52-44
STANDINGS
Denver 1 0 0 1.000 52 44 Chicago 0 1 0 .000 44 52
Pittsburgh 1 0 0 1.000 48 46 Washington 0 1 0 .000 46 48
FRIDAY JUNE 26
Pittsburgh 60, CHICAGO 23 (7153) - Mike Hohensee threw a 6-yard TD to Creig Federico on the game's first possession and the Gladiators reeled off 17 straight points for a 24-7 first-quarter lead, before Hohensee's season ended with a knee injury. Brendan Folmar came in to throw three TD passes and run for one more, while the Pittsburgh defense shut out Chicago in the second half.
PITTSBURGH - 24 21 13 2 - 60
CHICAGO - 14 9 0 0 - 23
1st - PIT - Creig Federico, 6-yard pass from Mike Hohensee (Lee Larsen kick) PIT 7-0 1st - CHI 0- Richard Rodgers recovered missed field goal in end zone (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) TIED 7-7 1st - PIT - Mike Stoops, 34-yard pass from Hohensee (Larsen kick) PIT 14-7 1st - PIT - Larsen, 23-yard field goal PIT 17-7 1st - PIT - Hohensee, 12-yard run (Larsen kick) PIT 24-7 1st - CHI - Rodgers, 45-yard pass from Mike Hold (Mike-Mayer kick) PIT 24-14 2nd - PIT - Russell Hairston, 44-yard pass from Hohensee (Larsen kick) PIT 31-14 2nd - CHI - Steve Finch, 34-yard pass from Hold (Kick failed) PIT 31-20 2nd - CHI - Mike-Mayer, 16-yard field goal PIT 31-23 2nd - PIT - Safety, Craig Walls tackled Hold in end zone PIT 33-23 2nd - PIT - Hairston, 22-yard pass from Brendan Folmar (Kick failed) PIT 39-23 2nd - PIT - Hairston, 19-yard pass from Folmar (Kick failed) PIT 45-23 3rd - PIT - PIT - Hairston, 48-yard pass from Brendan Folmar (Larsen kick) PIT 52-23 3rd - PIT - Folmar, 14-yard run (Kick failed) PIT 58-23 4th - PIT - Safety, Willis Yates tackled Sean Payton in end zone PIT 60-23
SATURDAY JUNE 27
WASHINGTON 36, Denver 20 (13587) - Rich Ingold continued his assault on enemy secondaries. Ingold, who came off the bench a week ago, completed 17 of 28 passes for 195 yards and three TDs
DENVER - 7 0 13 0 - 20
WASHINGTON - 17 7 6 6 - 36
STANDINGS
Pittsburgh 2 0 0 1.000 108 69 Washington 1 1 0 .500 82 68
Denver 1 1 0 .500 72 80 Chicago 0 2 0 .000 67 112
THURSDAY JULY 2
PITTSBURGH 49, Chicago 14 (11807) - QB Brendan Folmar threw for five TDs and WR/DB Russell Hairston scored three times, returning an interception 49 yards on the final play of the game for the Gladiators.
CHICAGO - 7 0 7 0 - 14
PITTSBURGH - 12 15 13 9 - 49
1st - PIT - Mike Stoops, 26-yard pass from Brendan Folmar (Kick blocked) PIT 6-0 1st - CHI - Richard Rogers, 45-yard pass from Mike Hold (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) CHI 7-6 1st - PIT - Russell Hairston, 45-yard pass from Folmar (Pass failed) PIT 12-7 2nd - PIT - Stoops, 6-yard pass from Folmar (Pass failed) PIT 18-7 2nd - PIT - Lee Larsen, 20-yard field goal PIT 21-7 2nd - PIT - Larsen, 19-yard field goal PIT 24-7 2nd - PIT - Larsen, 23-yard field goal PIT 27-7 3rd - PIT - Hairston, 4-yard pass from Folmar (Kick failed) PIT 33-7 3rd - CHI - Steve Finch, 33-yard pass from Hold (Mike-Mayer kick) PIT 33-14 3rd - PIT - John McClennon, 11-yard pass from Folmar (Larsen kick) PIT 40-14 4th - PIT - Hairston, 50-yard interception return (Larsen kick) PIT 47-14 4th - PIT - Safety, Hold tackled in end zone by Craig Walls PIT 49-14
FRIDAY JULY 3
DENVER 73, Washington 57 (10191) - Denver QB Whitt Taylor threw for 399 yards and 10 touchdown passes, four of them to Durrell Taylor. Washington QB Rich Ingold threw for 382 yards and eight TDs.
WASHINGTON - 21 7 12 17 - 57
DENVER - 14 25 14 20 - 73
STANDINGS
Pittsburgh 3 0 0 1.000 157 83 Washington 1 2 0 .333 139 141
Denver 2 1 0 .667 145 137 Chicago 0 3 0 .000 81 161
FRIDAY JULY 10
CHICAGO 37, Washington 36 (8653) - Chicago's Nick Mike-Mayer drilled a 35-yard FG with 45 seconds left for the Bruisers' first win. In the fourth quarter, Washington had 2 TDs nullified by pass interference calls.
WASHINGTON - 6 17 0 13 - 36
CHICAGO - 3 21 10 3 - 37
SATURDAY JULY 11
Pittsburgh 49, DENVER 32 (12634) - Russell Hairston caught 12 passes for 247 yards and six TDs, while QB Brendan Folmar thew for 318 yards and seven TDs as the Gladiator clinched an Arena Bowl berth.
PITTSBURGH - 14 22 13 0 - 49
DENVER - 17 13 0 2 - 32
STANDINGS
X-Pittsburgh 4 0 0 1.000 157 101 Chicago 1 3 0 .250 104 197
Denver 2 2 0 .500 104 129 Washington 1 3 0 .250 175 178
X - Clinched Arena Bowl berth
NOTE: Detroit was awarded an expansion franchise on July 10
THURSDAY JULY 16
Chicago 64, WASHINGTON 61 (10122) - Despite seven TD passes by Commandos' QB Rich Ingold, the Bruisers rallied, taking the lead with 10:52 left on William Stone's 2-yard run. Commando WR Dwayne Saxon had 20 catches.
CHICAGO - 7 27 16 14 - 64
WASHINGTON - 17 29 6 9 - 61
FRIDAY JULY 17
Denver 32, PITTSBURGH 31 (14644) - Denver QB Whit Taylor led the Dynamite with three TD passes, two of them to Gary Mullen. Pittsburgh scored three TDs in the final quarter but failed on a two-point conversion with 29 seconds.
DENVER - 0 26 6 0 - 32
PITTSBURGH - 6 6 0 19 - 31
1st - PIT - Brendan Folmar, 2-yard run (Kick failed) PIT 6-0 2nd - PIT - Craig Walls recovered fumble in end zone (Pass failed) PIT 12-0 2nd - DEN - Gary Mullen, 35-yard pass from Whit Taylor (Marco Morales kick) PIT 12-7 2nd - DEN - Chuck Harris recovered fumble in end zone (Kick failed) DEN 13-12 2nd - DEN - Richard Rodgers, 5-yard pass from Taylor (Kick failed) DEN 19-12 2nd - DEN - Kelly Kirchbaum, 8-yard return of blocked field goal (Morales kick) DEN 26-12 3rd - DEN - Mullen, 24-yard pass from Taylor (Kick failed) DEN 32-12 4th - PIT - Jim Rafferty, 16-yard pass from Folmar (Lee Larsen kick) DEN 32-19 4th - PIT - Rafferty, 4-yard pass from Folmar (Kick failed) DEN 32-25 4th - PIT - Russell Hairston, 2-yard pass from Folmar (Pass failed) DEN 32-31
STANDINGS
Pittsburgh 4 1 0 .800 188 133 Chicago 2 3 0 .400 168 258
Denver 3 2 0 .600 136 160 Washington 1 4 0 .200 236 242
X - Clinched Arena Bowl berth
THURSDAY JULY 23
WASHINGTON 52, Pittsburgh 31 (10866) - Washington QB Rich Ingold completed 31 of 39 passes for 338 yards and six TDs to lead the Commandos. Ingold added two rushing TDs late to ice the win
PITTSBURGH - 6 6 6 13 - 31
WASHINGTON - 6 13 12 21 - 52
1st - PIT - Russell Hairston, 39-yard pass from Brendan Folmar (Kick blocked) PIT 6-0 1st - WAS - Walter Holman, 3-yard pass from Rich Ingold (Kick failed) TIED 6-6 2nd - WAS - Lenny Taylor, 19-yard pass from Ingold (Dale Castro kick) WAS 13-6 2nd - PIT - Creig Federico, 2-yard run (Kick blocked) WAS 13-12 2nd - WAS - Taylor, 4-yard pass from Ingold (Kick failed) WAS 19-12 3rd - PIT - Hairston, 29-yard pass from Folmar (Pass failed) WAS 19-18 3rd - WAS - Steve Griffin, 33-yard pass from Ingold (Kick blocked) WAS 25-18 3rd - WAS - Dwayne Dixon, 18-yard pass from Ingold (Pass failed) WAS 31-18 4th - PIT - Craig Walls recovered missed field goal off net (Lee Larsen kick) WAS 31-25 4th - WAS - Griffin, 5-yard pass from Ingold (Dixon pass from Ingold) WAS 39-25 4th - PIT - Mike Powell, 27-yard pass from Folmar (Kick blocked) WAS 39-31 4th - WAS - Ingold, 1-yard run (Kick failed) WAS 45-31 4th - WAS - Ingold, 1-yard run (Castro kick) WAS 52-31
FRIDAY JULY 24
DENVER 52, Chicago 35 (13470) - Dynamite QB Whit Taylor threw for four TDs, while Richard Prather ran for two TDs. The Dynamite failed at the gate, drawing only 13,470 fans, and lost the Arena Bowl home-field advantage
CHICAGO - 6 8 13 8 - 35
DENVER - 14 14 10 14 - 52
STANDINGS
X-Pittsburgh 4 2 0 .667 219 185 Chicago 2 4 0 .333 203 310
X-Denver 4 2 0 .667 188 195 Washington 2 4 0 .333 288 273
X - Clinched Arena Bowl berth
ARENA BOWL I (August 1 at Pittsburgh - 13,232)
DENVER DYNAMITE (4-2) 45, PITTSBURGH GLADIATORS (4-2) 16 - The Dynamite got off to an early start with a fumble recovery for a touchdown by OL/DL Phil Forte, along with a two-yard touchdown run by FB/LB Richard Prather (with a failed two-point conversion) in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Denver's domination continued with Quarterback Whit Taylor completing a 26-yard touchdown pass to WR/DB Gary Mullen (with another failed two-point conversion) for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, the Dynamite continued their destruction with Taylor completing a 32-yard touchdown pass to WR/LB Richard Rodgers, along with WR/DB Steve Trimble returning an interception 47 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Gladiators finally managed to score as Quarterback Mike Hohensee completed an 11-yard touchdown pass to WR/LB Russell Hairston (with a successful two-point conversion). Denver would wrap up the game with Taylor and Mullen hooking up with each other on a five-yard touchdown pass and even a 19-yard touchdown pass (failed PAT). Pittsburgh's final strike came from Quarterback Brendan Folmar to WR/DB Rodney Richmond.
DENVER - 12 6 14 13 - 45
PITTSBURGH - 0 0 0 16 - 16
1st - DEN - Phil Forte fumble return (Kick failed) DEN 7-0 1st - DEN - Richard Prather, 2-yard run (Pass failed) DEN 12-0 2nd - DEN - Gary Mullen, 26-yard pass from Whit Taylor (Run failed) DEN 18-0 3rd - DEN - Richard Rodgers, 32-yard pass from Taylor (Marco Morales kick) DEN 25-0 3rd - DEN - Steve Trimble, 47-yard interception return (Morales kick) DEN 32-0 4th - PIT - Russell Hairston, 11-yard pass from Mike Hohensee (Jim Rafferty pass from Hohensee) DEN 32-8 4th - DEN - Mullen, 5-yard pass from Taylor (Morales kick) DEN 39-8 4th - DEN - Mullen, 19-yard pass from Taylor (Kick failed) DEN 45-8 4th - PIT - Rock Richmond, 14-yard pass from Brendan Folmar (Hairston pass from Folmar) DEN 45-16
