UNIONDALE, N.Y.— Nearly two months ago, the Dragons started the season in ignominiousfashion. A late rally fell short and quarterback Aaron Garcia suffered yetanother leg injury in a Week 1 loss in Cleveland. The team’s fortunes didn’timprove in the subsequent weeks as quarterback instability and defensiveinconsistency contributed to a 1-4 start.

But things changed once the calendar flipped toApril. A healthy Garcia revived the Dragons’ offense and the defense generatedpressure even against upper-echelon passing attacks.

Cleveland saw the improvement first-hand Saturdaynight, failing to curtail Garcia during his seven-touchdown effort in a 56-39Dragons’ victory at the Nassau Coliseum. Kevin Swayne logged four touchdownreceptions as the Eastern Division rivals split the season series.

“You see the guys starting to believe in each otherand see what we have here,” coach Weylan Harding said. “The scariest thing iswe can be so much better. We had so many opportunities in the first half wherewe could have stopped them. We need to get those things cleaned up and makesure guys are staying hungry.”

Garcia finished 26-43 for 279 yards and zerointerceptions, capping a 4-0 month that revived his team’s playoff chances. TheDragons (5-4) have outscored opponents by a combined 83 points during thewinning streak, none by fewer than 17 points. The onslaught will be put on holduntil May 10 thanks to the upcoming bye week.

“When you’re 37 years old, you’ll take a week offany time you can get it,” Garcia said. “Guys are beat up, so we’ll rest up.Hopefully we can be even better.”

Improvement for one the Arena Football League’shottest teams could be a scary thought upcoming opponents like Los Angeles.Complementary receiver Jason Willis’ benefitted from the coverage rolled toSwayne, allowing the wide out to make a game-high 12 receptions for 158 years.Willis also added two touchdown catches and Terry Moss contributed a TDreception as the announced crowd 9,991 cheered.

“Coming out of the second half of games, we haven’tbeen relaxing,” Willis said. “We’re going out there with the mentality oftrying to put them in the dirt and finish each game and not make it close. Thatwas our problem early in the season, losing the game by a couple of points.

“Coach is always emphasizing, ‘finish, finish,finish.’ We definitely wanted this game, and the games we’ve been winning, tonot even be a contest.” 

Cleveland cut the lead to 49-39 late in the fourthquarter. Jason Ball wasted a chance to make it a one-possession game, missingfrom 20 yards out by knocking the ball off the right upright with 47 secondsleft. Willis added the back-breaking 31 yard touchdown strike three plays laterto secure the win.

Dallas (7-0, 3-0) and Philadelphia (8-0, 2-0) arestill the division’s standard-bearers. The Dragons have lost to both once butclose out the regular season by playing each team again. Harding saw his teamlose a 33-31 heartbreaking to the Desperados before the winning streak commenced.Since that game, the Dragons have allowed an average of 39 points, whichrepresents the AFL’s best mark.  

 “We’rechasing two teams in our division that are undefeated, so there’s no time torest or relax,” Garcia said. “We have to keep pushing until we get to the top.”

Idris Price led a rabid pass rush, logging threetackles while sacking Gladiators’ quarterback Raymond Philyaw twice, forcing afumble on one hit. Constant pressure also supported the secondary.

 Clevelandwideout Otis Amey captured the league’s Offensive Player of the Week for his15-catch, 208-yard performance against the Avengers. Bill Parker and the otherDragons’ defensive backs limited Amey to just four receptions and 38 yards.

Parker also added an interception in the first-half,facilitating a Garcia touchdown pass that helped establish 35-20 halftime lead.The secondary compensated for Angel Estrada’s absence. The DB was placed oninjured reserve, a product of a right knee injury sustained in the previousweek’s win in Tampa Bay.

“As a defense, we didn’t go into this walk talkingabout shutting down a particular receiver,” Parker said. “We adjusted to[their] formation pretty well. We slowed up that motion pretty well.”   

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