Beating the Odds
March 23, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Dallas Desperados News Release
Vegas odds probably wouldn't have favored the Dallas Desperados knowing they'd finish Saturday night's game against defending ArenaBowl champion San Jose without quarterback Clint Dolezel and WR/DB Will Pettis.
That's what made their 59-56 victory over the SaberCats (2-2) so rewarding.
Already without Dolezel (separated shoulder) for the third straight game, the Desperados endured a physical second half without Pettis, who left with a concussion late in the second quarter, to snap San Jose's 15-game home winning streak and improve to 4-0 for the second time in club history.
Remy Hamilton, the AFL's all-time leader in field goal makes, erased three missed extra points earlier in the game by drilling a 48-yarder that gave Dallas a 10-point lead with 34 seconds left. SaberCats quarterback Mark Grieb threw his sixth touchdown pass as time expired, but Hamilton's field goal provided the game-winning cushion.
"I couldn't be prouder of our football team right now," Desperados head coach Will McClay said (1310-AM). "I was worried about depth because when we get in those situations - you're one man down, two men down - we planned on using (Pettis) on defense. We just had to kind of rally around and find a way to win."
The Desperados lost Pettis with two minutes left in the first half following a scary helmet-to-helmet collision with SaberCats defensive back Marquis Floyd. The league's Ironman of the Year crumpled to the turf but eventually left the field under his own power.
Pettis was held out as a precaution and will be reevaluated next week. The Desperados are optimistic he won't miss any time.
His absence Saturday left backup quarterback Chris Sanders with only three full-time receivers - Marcus Nash, Anthony Armstrong and Josh Bush, who hobbled through what appeared to be a sore hamstring for most of the game.
The Desperados took a one-point advantage into halftime and eventually took a 56-49 with 2:54 remaining when Sanders hit Armstrong for a 48-yard touchdown. Jack linebacker Bobby Perry, who also filled in some at receiver, then recovered a SaberCats fumble in the final minute to set up Hamilton's field goal.
San Jose's Cleannord Saintil led all receivers with 18 catches for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Armstrong, the second-year receiver out of West Texas A&M, finished with six catches for 133 yards and three scores.
"He's our secret weapon," McClay said. "He's a very, very good player that nobody knows about. They're going to know him more now, though."
Sanders is now 3-0 since Dolezel suffered a grade-three shoulder separation in the March 1 regular-season opener. Dolezel expects to return April 5 against Cleveland when he's eligible to come off the Reserve/Injured list, so Sanders' final game as a starter might be next Sunday at New York. For now, Dolezel is calling the offensive plays for Sanders.
The Dallas native completed 21 of 28 passes for six touchdowns, none bigger than his deep throw to Armstrong down the left hashmark late in the fourth.
"Maybe I'm starting to gel a little bit," Sanders said. "I think of that has come from learning from Clint and him pounding me and pounding me in practice, really trying to get some things done and get me to understand what he wants."
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 23, 2008
- Rampage's First Road Appearance at Kansas City Tomorrow - Grand Rapids Rampage
- Beating the Odds - Dallas Desperados
- Dallas ends SaberCats' home win streak - San Jose SaberCats
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