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Storm earn 3rd straight win

June 5, 2010 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


TAMPA BAY - Four Tampa Bay defenders, led by lineman Cliff Dukes, buried Oklahoma fullback Chad Cook on a 2-point conversion run with 9 seconds left to lead the Storm to its 3rd straight win, 50-48, over the visiting Yard Dawgz in an Arena Football League game Saturday night.

Following Dukes initial hit, Jermaine Smith, Eric Ortiz and Erick McIntosh drove Cook, who had scored the touchdown from two yards out just seconds before, at the three yard line. The Dawgz then attempted an on-side kick that the Storm's Brandon Hefflin recovered on the Oklahoma 11 yard stripe.

Quarterback Brett Dietz then ran out the clock for the Storm (5-3) on two incomplete passes, sandwiched by a Tampa penalty. Dietz, who started slow and did not have an exceptionally good game, was 18 of 35 with 2 interceptions, 226 yards and six touchdowns.

For Oklahoma (3-6), quarterback Tommy Grady was 18 of 36, for 192 yards, 4 TDs but had no interceptions. HIs main target for the Dawgz' who have lost three of their last four, was Timon Marshall with six grabs for 87 yards and pair of scores.

Hank Edwards led Tampa Bay with 9 ctaches for 102 yards and 4 touchdowns. DeAndrew Rubin and Tyrone Timmons each had a touchdown reception, with Rubin collecting 72 yards.

Grady fumbled the ball with just less than 4 minutes remaining at the five yard line and the ball squirted through the end zone for a safety. With 3:36 remaining, the Storm took a 43-42 lead. Oklahoma then had to kick the ball off to the announced crowd of 16,200. The on-side attempt was recovered by Tampa at the OKC 9-yard line and along with a penalty put the ball on the 4 with 3:25 left.

In one rushing play, from the 5 yard line, by Terrence Royal bounced in for the TD at 2:30 and the extra point made it Tampa Bay, 50-42.

Oklahoma head coach Sparky McEwen saw as many as 13 roster moves this last week, but the one that pleased him the most was the acquisition of linebacker Kevin McCullough. The outstanding defender led Spokane in defense this season with 31 tackles, but more importantly had two sacks with the Shock and one interception for a touchdown.

The 6-foot-2, 250-pound McCullough made an almost game-changing interception with 11:35 left in the fourth quarter when he picked Dietz at his own 4-yard line and returned the ball 46 yards for a score. That gave Oklahoma a 42-41 lead, following the extra point.

Leading 28-21 at halftime, the Storm had first possession in the second half and an opportunity to widen the margin. A Dietz to Timmons went to the Dawgs' 4 yard line, but Timmons fumbled after the hit and Fred Shaw picked it up and returned the ball to the Tampa 16 yard line. From there, Oklahoma went the distance with Grady connecting with Anthony Hines for 11 yards to tied the game at 28 with 9:44 left in the 3rd period.

Despite the Storm coming back on the next possession to score on a Dietz to Edwards for 19 yards, but the snap on the extra point was bobbled and kicker Garrett Rivas was unable to connect and Tampa Bay led 34-28 with 7:52 remaining in the 3rd.

Oklahoma then scored on a Grady to Anthony Hines pass for 10 yards and "emergency kicker" Andy Eminger converted the extra point for a Dawgs' 35-34 lead.

Dietz got off to a slow start in the first half, connecting on only three of nine tosses. He warmed up to six of 10 in the second period, but it was nothing like his 78.9 percentage in the last two games for 699 yards. He had 102 first-half yards, four touchdown passes, three of those to Timmons for 28, 34 and 10 yards.

Defensively, the Storm put pressure on Grady in the first half, forcing him into more two and 3-step drops. But it was the defensive backs Brandon Hefflin with three pass breakups and LB Eric Ortiz and Daryon Brutley, who sustained a bruised left thigh with 40 seconds left in the 2nd period. He was expected to return for the final 30 minutes of play.

Storm linebacker Cliff Dukes collected his 4th sack of the season in the first half, giving him 4.5 on the season.

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