FUN, GAMES FOR AVENGERS AVENGERS 65, BUFFALO 14.

Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer

The Avengers were ahead by three touchdowns and well on their way to an easy 65-14 victory Friday night.

Then Buffalo Destroyers quarterback Kevin Mason had his first Arena Football League start in nearly two years come to an abrupt end against the Staples Center wall.

Mason suffered a neck injury in the first half and was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Mason, who had completed as many passes (one) to Avengers defenders as his own receivers in the first quarter, looked downfield and had what would be his final throw of the evening intercepted and returned by Cornelius Coe on the sideline.

Mason decided to take matters into his own hands, with scary results to follow.

Trying to tackle Coe, Mason dived headfirst into the padded wall surrounding the field, straining his neck on the play and drawing groans from the crowd of 11,410 when the replay was shown on the arena scoreboard.

``I heard (Mason) hit it, but I didn't have any idea he was down until I got to the sideline,'' Coe said. ``It was just hard into the wall.''

Mason walked off the field with a trainer's help and appeared to be unharmed. But the news from Destroyers assistant Ryan Gallo that Mason went to the hospital came as a surprise to Avengers players and coaches.

``I actually didn't see it,'' Avengers coach Ed Hodgkiss said. ``I only saw him come out. Somebody just told me after the game that he went into the wall pretty hard.''

Mason is expected to travel home with the team today.

It was the only blight on the Avengers' romp over the Destroyers, who made Mason their fifth quarterback of the season this week and have lost seven of their past eight. Mason previously had been on the practice squad as a wide receiver/linebacker.

For the Avengers (9-3), Tony Graziani completed 13 of 29 passes for 160 yards and six touchdowns. Chris Jackson caught five of the scores and the team's beleaguered defense stopped Buffalo on its first five possessions, allowing the fewest points in franchise history.

With three road games left on their schedule beginning April 27 against Dallas, the Avengers know the rest of the season will be far from easy. They also weren't perfect against Buffalo (4-8). Friday night's rout, though, was remarkable nonetheless.

First, the Avengers' defense, which entered the game last in the AFL, didn't allow Buffalo a first down until the final 30 seconds of the first half. By then, the Avengers were ahead 35-0.

The Avengers also set the single-game record for fewest points allowed and set a franchise record for wins in a season (nine) with the widest margin of victory (51 points) in their four-year history.

More importantly, they successfully rebounded from a shocking 82-76 loss five days earlier to the Arizona Rattlers.

``You can look at (the win) a million different ways,'' Hodgkiss said. ``We know we have some tough road trips ahead. I think our guys are mentally prepared for that. They just were talking in the locker room, saying, `Let's get ready for Dallas.' ''

Besides Mason's injury, the only significant problem Friday came from Avengers kicker Remy Hamilton, who missed a 20-yard field goal in the first half and an extra point and second field goal in the second half. Hamilton also missed a pair of game-winning kicks against Arizona.

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The Avengers' Chris Jackson celebrates after scoring a touchdown Friday.

Edna T. Simpson/Daily News