Rampage Secure Home Playoff Date with 63-60 Win

Published on July 19, 2002 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


Auburn Hills, Mich. - They don't know who their opponent will be or exactly when they will play them, but the defending ArenaBowl Champion Grand Rapids Rampage do know they will host a home playoff date next weekend after defeating the Detroit Fury, 63-60, Saturday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Chris Ryan's game-winning touchdown with only 11 seconds remaining on the clock guaranteed the Rampage will host at least one game in the 2002 ArenaBowl playoffs. Grand Rapids finishes the 2002 regular season with a two-game win streak and an 8-6 overall record. Detroit, losers of 11 straight games, dropped to 1-13.

Clint Dolezel led Grand Rapids' offensive attack with 294 yards and seven touchdowns on 23-of-37 passing. He finishes the season with 79 touchdown passes, one short of becoming the first player in AFL history to throw for 80 TDs in four different seasons.

Detroit native Willis Marshall and Terrill Shaw led the Rampage with seven catches apiece. Marshall finished with 116 yards and three touchdowns, while Shaw ended up with 77 yards and a score. Gary Compton also added six catches for 66 yards and two TDs.

Former Rampage backup quarterback Nick Browder, who was named the game's MVP, completed 23-of-32 passes for 299 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He also added a 16-yard rushing TD. Shawndel Tucker led all receivers with 11 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns, while Grand Rapids' native Jeremy Dutcher, who was named Ironman of the Game, caught four balls for 92 yards and three touchdowns.

For the first time this season, Grand Rapids opened the game with a touchdown on its very first play as Dolezel hit Marshall for a 41-yard TD strike. After struggling to move the ball against the Rampage defense, Detroit settled for a 45-yard field goal from kicker Brad Selent, cutting the GR lead to four, 7-3. The Rampage answered with another Dolezel touchdown pass, this time to Shaw from eight yards out to give GR a 14-3 with 7:04 remaining in the first quarter. The Fury's offense started to finally move just before the end of the first quarter, but Kenyatte Morgan's interception in the end zone kept the score 14-3 at the end of the one.

The second quarter began with more Rampage scoring as Chris Ryan scored his 11th rushing touchdown of the season, giving Grand Rapids a 21-3 lead. Detroit responded with its first touchdown of the night on a Browder to Dutcher 13-yard TD strike. After Dolezel threw his third TD of the night to Rickie Simpkins, Grand Rapids got the ball right back when Brian Gowins kickoff bounced off the uprights into the hands of Marshall. One play later, Dolezel threw his fourth TD of the night to Compton to take a 35-10 lead, their biggest of the night. Detroit then rattled off 14 straight points on a Browder TD run and pass (Dutcher), cutting the Rampage lead to 35-24 at the end of the half.

Detroit carried its momentum from the second quarter right into the third as the second-year franchise came back from 25 points down to take its first lead of the game, 46-42. Browder threw TD passes three, four and five (Dutcher, Tucker x 2) and the Fury special teams added a safety on a kickoff when Kenyatte Morgan was tackled in the end zone after previously stepping out. The Rampage did manage touchdown on a Dolezel to Marshall TD pass and catch, but were outscored 20-7 in the quarter.

The Rampage regained the lead, 49-46, when Dolezel found Compton for his second TD of the night at the 11:08 mark of the final frame. Four plays later, the Fury jumped back on top, 53-49, when Errick Herrin ran for his first score of the night. Dolezel then connected with Marshall on a 20-yard scoring strike that put Grand Rapids back on top 55-53 with 3:36 remaining in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, the Rampage tried to catch Detroit asleep with an on-side kick attempt, but found out the Fury were wide awake as former Rampage defensive specialist Tawambi Settles scooped up the kick and took it in for the eight-yard score. Down 55-60 with under three minutes remaining, Grand Rapids ate the entire clock and capped off a 10-play drive with the one-yard Ryan score. Detroit then had seven seconds to pull off the comeback victory, but a denied pass attempt to the end zone and a partially blocked 53-yard field goal attempt, sealed the three-point win for the defending champs.

Grand Rapids will now wait to see who they will host in the first round of the ArenaBowl XVI playoffs at Van Andel Arena. Time and date of the game will be announced after the weekend.

Game Notes:

-Grand Rapids scored on the first play of its very first possession for the first time this season.

-Rampage FB/LB Chris Ryan broke his own team single-season record with his 12th rushing TD of the season.

-Rampage FB/LB's Travis McDonald and Chris Ryan became the first 100-yard rushing duo in team history.

-Rampage WR/DB Kenyatte Morgan recorded his first career interception in the first quarter.

-Rampage OL/DL Rickie Simpkins caught the first pass and scored the first TD of his career. -Fury WR/DB/QB Ty Grovesteen left the game in the first quarter on a stretcher after going head first into the boards. He did not return, but was up and moving around later in the game. -Fury WR/DB and Grand Rapids native Jeremy Dutcher recorded his first AFL touchdown.

-Grand Rapids finished the season 4-3 on the road.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from July 19, 2002


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