Soul roll over Utah, 69-39

IT WAS 3 hours before kickoff and Soul star wide receiver Tiger Jones was sitting in Section 124 of the Wells Fargo Center. He was all alone, except for a dozen or so kids playing a football game on the turf below. He had a set of buds in his ears, a couple of ice packs on his knees and a faraway look in his eyes.

This time last year, Jones was getting ready for Eagles training camp. The NFL is not calling this year, despite Jones again posting astronomical Arena Football League numbers. He turned 31 in May and it's likely the NFL might not call again after 2013.

Bitter? Hardly.

"It's not something I'm focused on," Jones said. "Even last year, I wasn't expecting it to happen, but it did. It was a blessing and a great opportunity. If it happens again, it happens again. I'm focused on just getting better."

Jones, one of the most prolific receivers in AFL history, was invited to Eagles camp last year. He played in three preseason games before he was released. He showed well, but there's not much need for a 30-year-old rookie wide receiver. The Vince Papale story was written in another era.

Last night, Jones was mostly a decoy as the Soul wore down Utah, 69-39, for their sixth consecutive victory. Jones had only three catches for 26 yards, but he threw key blocks on two of Derrick Ross' three touchdowns and cleared out defensive backs while Andrae Thurman caught three of Dan Raudabaugh's six touchdown passes.

"There's no question their goal was to take away Tiger, and they did a good job of that," Soul coach Clint Dolezel said of the Blaze. "It's not always about catching touchdowns and the things that show up in the [stats]. "Tiger did some good things. We blocked well receiver-wise."

Jones is 32 yards away from becoming the first receiver in AFL history with 2,000 yards in a season three times. He is eight catches away from breaking Sean Scott's team record of 274.

"I don't focus on yards or touchdowns," said Jones, who played collegiately at Louisville. "We have team goals, and we've accomplished one of those goals by winning the division. Now we're after the second one: winning the conference. Then there's the third one: winning ArenaBowl."

The Soul improved to 11-5 and hold a tentative half-game lead over Jacksonville for the American Conference's No. 1 seed. Jacksonville (10-5) hosts 11-4 Spokane tonight.

Utah came into the game dragging a 5-10 record. Things got worse when quarterback Jason Boltus was knocked out in the first quarter with a left shoulder injury. Tommy Grady, the AFL MVP last year who was benched midseason, came in, but couldn't provide enough of a spark.

Jones came tantalizingly close to reaching the NFL, but he has no regrets. A reception in a preseason game might seem meaningless, unless it was you who made the grab.

"The fourth-down catch I made against the Steelers that put us in field-goal range to win it," Jones said of his training-camp highlight. "Not a lot of people can say they caught a pass in an NFL game. I was able to catch a couple of them."

Recently released Lakers squirrel Metta World Peace yesterday suggested he was considering either playing in China or possibly giving Arena Football a shot.

"You don't live twice," MWP told ESPN Los Angeles.

Defensive lineman Bryan Robinson registered his 11th sack of the year to break the Soul's single-season record he set last season. He set the franchise's career mark earlier in the year . . . The Soul finish the regular season with trips to San Jose (July 20) and San Antonio (July 27). Philadelphia's first-round playoff game will be at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. . . . Utah, which is under new ownership, is rumored to be courting Soul general manager Tom Goodhines to become Blaze president. Goodhines declined to comment.