Courtesy: J. Meric SaberCats FB/LB Phil Glover

LOS ANGELES (April 29, 2006) - Brian Johnson rushed for three touchdowns and Clevan Thomas made a key interception with 11 minutes left in the game as the San Jose SaberCats defeated the Los Angeles Avengers, 53-36, Saturday night for their fifth straight win clinching a playoff spot in the Arena Football League.

The win pulls the SaberCats (8-6) ahead of second-place Arizona by a full game in the American Conference West with each team having two games to play. San Jose hosts the defending ArenaBowl champion Colorado Crush (9-4) next Saturday and finishes up with the Columbus Destroyers (7-7) in HP Pavilion on Saturday, 13.

Quarterback Mark Grieb directed an assault on the Avengers in the first half and the SaberCats built a 31-21 margin. Johnson scored his first two touchdowns, both from 4 yards out, and fullback-linebacker Phil Glover added another from nine yards away at the end of the second half.

Glover's run gave San Jose a 28-21 lead and Brian Schmitz' 23-yard field goal as time ran out, gave the SaberCats their 10-point halftime bulge.

It took Johnson three attempts to collect his third running score, a one-yard blast, after a Grieb to Charles Pauley 27-yard pass play set up the series, to open the third period. That gave the 'Cats a 37-21 lead.

A 13-yard toss by Grieb to James Roe kept San Jose on top, 44-28, in the third, but Avengers' quarterback Sonny Cumbie tossed a 2-yarder to Rob Turner to close to 44-36.

Schmitz booted a 39-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter to make it 47-36.

Grieb connected on 21 of 38 for 263 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His primary receivers were Roe with 78 yards on seven catches and rookie Rob Nelson, who had 7 grabs and 86 yards. Each had a TD reception.

The running game proved more effective as Johnson had 16 yards and the three scores and Glover added another running touchdown in the fourth period. The five rushing touchdowns was one shy of the performance by the SaberCats against the Tampa Bay Storm on April 7.

Cumbie ended with four TD passes on 20-31 and 278 yards but had the two interceptions, the first by Pauley in the first half.

Tony Locke led the Avengers (3-11) with 102 yards receiving, but had no scores.