Orlando Ambushes Storm With 75-60 Victory

Published on July 31, 2010 under Arena Football League (AFL)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


TAMPA - T. T. Toliver caught a season-high 6 touchdown passes and defensive backs Kenny McEntyre and Rashaun Kizer had an interception each that led to touchodowns as Orlando jumped to a 45-20 halftime lead and the Predators went on to a 75-60 win over the Tampa Bay Storm in an Arena Football game Saturday night.

Despite the loss, the Storm (11-5) will travel Saturday to Tulsa to take on the Talons (10-6), winners of the Southwest Division, and Orlando (8-8) will head up the road next Friday to take on the Jacksonville Sharks (12-4), winners of the South Division.

An incident with 41 seconds left in the first half, overshadowed an outstanding overall effort by the Predators in this storied series of the "War on I-4" between these two teams when two Orlando starting players went into the stands and ended up confronting fans.

Guard Julius Wilson and outstanding wide receiver Bobby Sippio were ejected from the game. This could cost the pair the remainder of the season and participation in the AFL playoffs. This game marked the end of the AFL regular season.

The Preds built a 28-7 first-quarter lead following interceptions by the veteran McEntyre and Kizer, who now leads the Arena League with 12 INTs. Both came off the arm of Tampa Bay quarterback Brett Dietz, who ended with 310 yards and 0 touchdowns.

Dietz now becomes the all-time, single-season passing yards record holder for the Storm with 5,054, surpassing Shane Stafford's 4,793 yards passing in 2006.

But youngster Nick Hill had one of his best games for Orlando, connecting on 19-26 for 284 yards, 8 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Toliver, who played for the Storm in 2007 and caught 99 passes and 18 for touchdowns that season, finished with 9 receptions for 123 yards.

According to Orlando PR director Adam Soucie, Wilson went to deliver a ball to his father in the stands when a fan knocked the ball from his hand and 5 to 6 fans rushed for the ball but knocked his father backward and onto the steps. Wilson threw a punch at a fan and a melee ensued.

Replay accounts show Sippio going up the stairs first followed by Wilson. Sippio's father was also sitting in the same area. No matter what the outcome, following an investigation by the AFL, the league considers this egregious conduct and it will probably result in automatic suspensions. The fans involved were also escorted from the area by police and security.

Sippio for the game had 74 yards on four catches and two scores. McEntyre also had another interception in to start the third quarter that led another Predators' score.

The Storm's DeAndrew Rubin's 17 catches surpassed a game-high franchise record of 15, set by James Bowden in 2001 against Carolina and Lawrence Samuels versus Orlando in 2006.

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