Rattlers Drop Nail-Bitter To Los Angeles, 66-59
May 4, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Arizona Rattlers News Release
LOS ANGELES - The Rattlers continued their four-game sackless streak tonight and the offense scored on nearly every drive, but it wasn't enough as Arizona fell three yards short of a potential game-tying score as the clock expired.
The team's final play featured a series of laterals in which the team appeared to recover a fumble in the endzone that would have brought the score within one with an extra point upcoming, however FB/LB CHRIS ROBINSON was ruled to have been down before lateraling the ball.
"It's a game of inches, and we did not get the inches," said Rattlers Head Coach KEVIN GUY. "We battled through some controversy, and our guys played hard. We thought we had the onside kick in the last minute of the game. On the last play, Chris Robinson lateralled the ball, it hit an LA player and one of our guys fell on it for a touchdown. The inches didn't go our way tonight."
The game turned on a fluke ball off the net in the early part of the fourth quarter which pinballed between several players before landing in the arms of Kevin Ingram. The Avengers took a 52-45 lead on the play, and while the game would tie up twice afterwards, the Rattlers never regained the lead.
Arizona's offense went its second straight game without turning the ball over, and this is its third out of four. QB LANG CAMPBELL was efficient, completing 22 of 34 passes for 277 yards and seven touchdowns. Campbell continued to spread the ball around; tonight's favorite target was WR TOD DEVOE, who snagged eight passes for 74 yards and two scores. WR TRANDON HARVEY again collected the lion's share of the team's all purpose yards, racking up 259 (158 kick return, 99 receiving, 2 rushing), while notching three scores, one on a kickoff return in the second quarter.
The defense was led by DL DARRELL SHROPSHIRE, who notched a sack and two pass-breakups, while harassing Avenger QB Tim Hicks all night. WR/LB JERRIAN JAMES, who started at the Jack linebacker position, notched three tackles and a forced fumble.
The Rattlers next take on the AFL defending champion San Jose SaberCats (5-5) at USAirways Center at 7:00pm PT in a battle for first place in the in the Western Division. Rattler legend RANDY GATEWOOD'S number 17 will be retired at halftime of that game.
GAME NOTES
Arizona opened up the game with a defensive stop, holding the Avengers to a field goal, the first time since against New York (3/21/08)...Campbell was near-perfect in the first quarter, going 4/5 with two touchdowns...Harvey ran back a kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter, his third in as many games, the first time the Rattlers have done that since Hunkie Cooper in 2000...the Rattlers came away with points every trip down the field during the first half...Arizona held Los Angeles scoreless in the third period, the first time the team has held an opponent scoreless since June 11, 2007 (also against the Avengers)...each of the Rattlers starting receivers caught at least two touchdowns tonight, while WR SIAHA BURLEY caught three, extending his streak of scoring at least one touchdown in every game played.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 4, 2008
- Avengers Back in the Hunt - OSC Original by Tim Peterson
- Rattlers Drop Nail-Bitter To Los Angeles, 66-59 - Arizona Rattlers
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