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Rampage Sink Destroyers

February 1, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Grand Rapids Rampage News Release


BUFFALO, NY - A revamped defensive unit, coupled with an always explosive offensive, led the Grand Rapids Rampage to a 54-36 triumph over the Buffalo Destroyers on Saturday night at the HSBC Arena, the team's fourth consecutive season opening victory.

Picking up where he left off last season, Clint Dolezel, the league's leading passer in 2002, completed 24-of-33 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns, earning game MVP honors. Also picking up where he left off last season was offensive specialist Steve Smith, who led all receivers with nine catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns. Fullback/linebacker Chris Ryan earned game Ironman honors.

Although the offensive players earned the accolades, it was the Rampage defense that put Grand Rapids over the top. The defense stopped the Buffalo offense a total of four times. Newcomer Lamar Grant led the team with five tackles.

Buffalo quarterback Jeff Loots finished with 246 yards and five touchdowns on 17-of-32 passing. Eight of Loot's passes were caught by offensive specialist Gunnard Twyner, who snagged eight balls for a game-high 134 yards and three touchdowns. After Buffalo recovered a Ryan fumble deep in their own territory, the Destroyers opened scoring with a 25-yard Loots to Twyner TD strike. The score remained 6-0 when Ryan redeemed himself by blocking the extra point. Grand Rapids responded with a six-play drive that was capped off with Dolezel's first TD pass to Smith. Buffalo ended the first quarter and began the second quarter with its own six-play drive, but with a slightly different outcome.

After the offense stalled, kicker Mike Moser missed a 21-yard field goal, giving the Rampage its first defensive stop of the game. Two plays later, Dolezel found Smith again, this time from 27 yards out to give the Rampage a 14-6 lead. Not to be outdone, Buffalo answered with its own two-play TD drive. From his own 22-yard line, Loots hit Twyner for eight quick yards and then found Bret Cooper from 20 yards out to cut the Rampage lead to one, 14-13. On the ensuing kickoff, Willis Marshall returned the ball all the way to the Destroyers' 17-yard line. Grand Rapids capitalized with two Ryan runs, the first for 14 yards and the second for a three-yard TD, his sixth consecutive regular season game with a rushing TD. Loots answered for Buffalo with a 45-yard TD pass to Twyner. The two teams then traded fields goals on their next two possessions.

GR's Brian Gowins connected from 23 yards out, while Buffalo's Moser also split the uprights from 23. Just before the half, Gowins missed a 48-yard attempt, but got another shot after Buffalo was guilty of running into him. With no time on the clock, the former Northwestern standout gave the Rampage a 27-22 halftime lead, connecting from 43 yards out.

The second half began with another Grand Rapids defensive stop, followed by an 11-yard TD pass from Dolezel to Ricky Ross. Buffalo came right back with Loots' second TD pass to Twyner after Jarrail Jackson's 47-yard kickoff return, cutting the Rampage lead to five, 34-29. Grand Rapids closed out the third quarter with a Willis Marshall seven-yard TD run. At the end of three, the Rampage led the Destroyers, 41-29.

The defense began the fourth quarter with another stop, forcing Buffalo into a 58-yard field goal attempt that fell into the hands of Ross, who returned the kick 52 yards for his second TD of the night. Three plays later, Buffalo cut the Rampage lead down to 47-36 on Loot's fifth TD pass of the night. Grand Rapids followed by putting the game away on Dolezel 's third TD pass to Smith at the 2:20 mark of the final frame. Grand Rapids now heads to Denver to take on the John Elway's expansion Colorado Crush on Friday, Feb. 7. The game, which kicks off at 9 p.m. (EST), can be heard live on WBBL 1340 AM.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from February 1, 2003


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