Blaze trade lineman to Kansas City

Danny White, halfway through the first season as head coach/general manager of the expansion Utah Blaze of the Arena Football League, still believes his team can make the playoffs.

To that end, White is still trying to get the right personnel in to make a playoff push. White on the eve of the AFL's trade deadline, traded one of the team's most highly paid players, lineman Bryan Henderson, to Kansas City for a pair of linemen — Aaron Hamilton and Matt Walls on Wednesday. He also cut two players — Bernard Holsey and Sullivan Beard.

Henderson "missed all of last year, but he was coming along and getting his feet back under him," said White. "But I just don't have much more time to wait. We had to start winning now. I think it makes us better, getting two veteran linemen like that." Hamilton and Walls may even be in uniform Friday night in the Delta Center when the Blaze face the Las Vegas Gladiators. They will go through today's light practice and then White will evaluate whether either one or both is ready to help the Blaze on Friday.

Hamilton is a five-year AFL veteran who has played for Nashville, Dallas, Colorado, New Orleans and Kansas City. Walls played in eight games last year for Grand Rapids and was on Colorado's practice squad two seasons ago. He was valuable to the Blaze since he is a center on offense and White has been looking for a third-string center.

"We didn't have a third center and that's been scary for me all year," said White "So we got a third center out of the deal. And Aaron Hamilton is just a quality, two-way lineman. I talked to Kevin Porter, the coach of Kansas City, about him and we kinda felt like a change of scenery would be good for both (Henderson and Hamilton) and would help both teams." The Blaze cut Holsey because they got two linemen in the trade and needed to free up a spot. They have not yet filled Beard's position, but it may well go to ex-Ute linebacker Kautai Olevao, who has been on the team's practice squad all season.

Olevao "is primarily a defensive player, so he's just been learning the fullback position," said White. "We hoping he's ready. We're at the point where we don't know until we get him on the field." White also hopes another AFL rookie, quarterback Jason Gesser, is ready.

Last weekend, ready or not, Gesser was thrown into the fire against Grand Rapids due an injury to Joe Germaine. Gesser got off to a rocky start, throwing four first-half interceptions, and the Blaze couldn't recover as they fell to 3-5 on the year.

Still, Utah is just one game out of first place in the Western Division.

Three other teams are tied with the Blaze at 3-5, while the Arizona Rattlers are leading the division at 4-4 after winning four straight games.

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Blaze on the air

Las Vegas Gladiators (3-5) at Utah Blaze (3-5)

Friday, 7 p.m. Delta Center

TV: Ch. 14

Radio: 1280 AM

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E-mail: lojo@desnews.com