SaberCats Win, 59-58, On Last Second TD Pass
Published on March 23, 2003 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
San Jose SaberCats News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. (March 23, 2003) -- James Roe made a circus catch in the endzone on the game's final play and Daron Alcorn converted the extra point to give the San Jose SaberCats a dramatic 59-58 win over the Arizona Rattlers on Sunday afternoon for their fifth straight win on the year and 17th straight at home.
Roe, the games MVP, had game-highs of 9 catches and 103 yards, but none bigger than his 6-yard reception as the horn sounded. Roe was hit by an Arizona defender on the initial touch knocking the ball into the air. He stuck with the play and pulled the ball in with one hand for the game winning score.
San Jose QB Mark Grieb completed a season-high 23 passes for 289 yards and five scores and the SaberCats piled up 349 yards of total offense.
The Rattlers took a 58-46 lead with 7:40 left in the fourth when QB Sherdrick Bonner tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to Orshawante Bryant. It was Bonner's eighth touchdown pass of the game and he completed 17 of 28 for 219 yards without an interception.
San Jose pulled within six at 58-42 when Grieb found Jerry Reese in the corner of the endzone on a 12-yard scoring play with 3:07 left. Reese, playing his first game since last year's ArenaBowl, had eight catches for 82 yards and three TDs.
The SaberCats gambled on the ensuing kickoff and it paid off when Barry Wagner recovered the on-sides kick. San Jose drove methodically down the field and Grieb found Roe in the back of the endzone to cap an 8-play, 38-yard drive.
Alcorn, who missed five PATs last week in a win over Buffalo, and had three missed PATs during the game, drilled the game-winning point through the uprights to give San Jose it's fifth straight home win over Arizona and even the all-time series at 10-10.
The game was a see-saw battle from the get-go with nine lead changes featured in the first half alone. Each team scored a pair of touchdowns in the final 1:36 of the half with Bonner finding Randy Gatewood on an 8-yard scoring play with seven seconds remaining for a 37-34 Arizona lead at the break.
Keala Keanaaina rushed for a pair of scores in the final 96 seconds of the half on runs of 9 and 6 yards and finished with a career-high 43 yards for the game.
With their win San Jose remains tied atop the Western Division standings with Los Angeles at 6-2. The SaberCats return to action on Friday, March 28 when they host the Carolina Cobras in the final game of a three game homestand.
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