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Rampage Fall Just Short in 52-48 Loss to Arizona

May 24, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


PHOENIX - Down by four points with less than a minute to play, the Grand Rapids Rampage held the ball at midfield with a chance to orchestrate a game-winning drive. The Arizona Rattlers defense held strong, however, breaking up three straight pass attempts to escape with a 52-48 win here tonight.

Rampage receiver Chris Johnson (Americus, Ga.) put up big numbers, totaling four touchdowns and 121 receiving yards on just four catches. Arizona's methodical offense slowed Grand Rapids' attack, however, as the Rattlers scored on all but one possession and held the Rampage to just 19:25 of possession time, a record low for the franchise.

Arizona began the game with a long nine-play drive culminating in a Chris Robinson one-yard touchdown run, the first of four straight scoring rushes for the Rattlers. Grand Rapids responded on its first play from scrimmage, however, as Johnson caught a 25-yard corner route for his first score of the night.

Robinson's second rushing touchdown of the night gave the Rattlers a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Rampage kept pace, as Kenny Higgins (Long Beach, Calif.) pulled in a 17-yard touchdown pass over the head of defensive back Chris McKenzie to knot the score.

Johnson found the scoresheet again following a Trandon Harvey one-yard touchdown rush, converting a Rampage fourth-down play by finding the end zone from 31-yards away. Then, following another Robinson touchdown rush, Johnson broke away from a Rattlers defender for a 45-yard strike to tie the game with just 27 seconds remaining in the half. But a last-second touchdown pass from Arizona quarterback Jeff Smoker to Siaha Burley sent the home team into the locker room with a 35-28 lead.

Grand Rapids scored the only points of the third quarter, as its defense created the first turnover on downs of the game in between touchdowns from Johnson and Higgins. But Arizona retook the lead early in the fourth quarter, sandwiching a defensive stop of its own between a Harvey 29-yard touchdown catch and an Eric Houle 25-yard field goal.

The Rampage jumped back in front when tight end Josh Sewell (Lincoln Southeast, Neb.) steamrolled his way through a Rattlers defender and into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown catch-and-rumble. Arizona scored the game's final points, however, when Smoker dove over the goal line on a fourth-and-goal play. A one-yard rush by Higgins and three incomplete passes sent the Rampage to their fourth straight loss and the Rattlers to their fifth straight victory.

Grand Rapids(3-9) next faces a critical matchup on June 1 when the 3-10 Utah Blaze visit Van Andel Arena. Meanwhile, the red-hot Rattlers will travel to Orlando on May 31 to take on the Orlando Predators.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 24, 2008


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