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AFL I Arizona Rattlers

Rattlers Get Defensive in 68-41 Win

March 24, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Arizona Rattlers News Release


You can't blame the Rattlers for feeling a little defensive.

After starting the season 0-3, Arizona knew they were better than their record showed.

Having already proven their offensive prowess to this point, the team turned to their defense on Friday night. The unit made some timely stops and big plays to help the Rattlers earn their first win of the year 68-41 against the Las Vegas Gladiators in front of 9,630 fans at U.S. Airways Arena.

"I feel like this is the team with which we can really do some great things," said receiver and returner Kevin McKenzie, who's all-around game earned him Ironman of the Game honors. "It's so wonderful to come out here after starting out 0-3 and get a win of this caliber. It's really going to jump start our season."

The Rattlers struck first as Sherdrick Bonner completed a touchdown pass to McKenzie on the first play of the game. The Gladiators were able to match Arizona's quick start and move ahead 14-7. It would be the last lead Las Vegas would hold in the game as a McKenzie touchdown with 3:36 left in the opening quarter knotted things at 14 a piece. It would be the first of four consecutive Rattlers scores as the black, copper and teal never looked back.

Despite the 68 points scored, fullback Bo Kelly, who became the league's all time rusher last week in Arizona's loss in Colorado, believes the Rattlers offense has yet to fulfill its potential.

"The offense has been on track," Kelly said. "We kind of struggled last week in Colorado. It was the game plan to be consistent, to score early and keep scoring as much as we can. We have one of the top offenses in this league and we want to keep it like that."

Kelly, of course, is somewhat of an expert on reaching the end zone, having rushed for a pair of scores against the Gladiators, giving him 80 rushing touchdowns for his career. The mark ties him with Chicago's Bob McMillen for the third most in Arena Football League history.

Kelly - who was honored prior to the game for his career accomplishments - was just happy to get the win.

"This was a boost," he said. "This was a game we should've won and we won it."

Offense or defense, the Rattlers never gave the Gladiators enough time to create any momentum. As for the defense, everything came in pairs. Before the end of the first quarter, the Rattlers defense batted down two consecutive passes from Gladiators quarterback Shaun King. Later in the third quarter, the Rattlers tallied their first two sacks of the season, again on consecutive plays. It would be a third quarter to remember as lineman Wendall Gaines notched Arizona's first safety of the season and the team held Las Vegas scoreless through the period.

The defense also ended the night with three interceptions and one fumble recovery.

"We really came together as a team," defense back Joe Todd said. "For the first few weeks we had a bunch of new guys and new faces and we were trying to see if it was going to work. We have lots of talent on the team. It was just a matter of time."

Todd, who ended the night with one interception and the Rattlers' only fumble recovery, was honored as the game's defensive player of the game. Despite starting the season with three losses, Todd and the team were far from pushing any panic buttons.

"We lost three games by a total of ten points so it's not like we're far off," he said. "Every day and every game we'll get better and better. We have to focus on us. As long as we do the things that we're taught we'll be fine."

Though the Rattlers can sleep well tonight with a win in the books, they'll still wake up facing a two-game road trip. The convincing win couldn't have come at a better time with four of their next five games being played away from the Snake Pit.

"It builds our confidence in a major way because now guys know that the hard effort we put in during practice and the discipline through out the year is going to pay off," McKenzie added. "We know that we're going to have to play against the crowd at times. We're probably going to have to come from behind.

"Arena football is usually back and forth and it's going to be like that, especially on the road. We have to stay tight and stay as a team. If we play team football, then we can go out there and win."

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