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Storm hold on to beat Desperados, advance to playoffs as No. 7 seed

May 30, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Tampa Bay Storm News Release


DALLAS, Tex. - The Tampa Bay Storm stopped Dallas Desperados quarterback Scott Dreisbach one yard short of the endzone on a two-point conversion play with no time left on the clock to seal their ninth win of the season and advance to the Arena Football League postseason for the 14th consecutive season.

With the win the Storm ended the regular season with a 9-7 overall record. Tampa Bay, winners of six straight games, is seeded seventh in the playoffs, where it will begin defense of its ArenaBowl championship.

Dallas finished the regular season with a 6-10 record, losing seven straight to close the season.

Tampa Bay looked to have the game in-hand after David White ran for a 14-yard touchdown, putting the Storm on top 59-51 with 38 seconds left to play. But kicker Ignacio Brache missed the extra point, his third miss of the game, leaving it a one-possession game.

Following the kickoff, the Desperados drove 24 yards in five plays, with Bobby Sippio hauling in a 10-yard touchdown pass as time expired in regulation to cut the Storm lead to 59-57. Dallas then attempted a two-point conversion that would have tied the game, but quarterback Scott Dreisbach, after his pass was batted into the air, caught the ball and scrambled toward the endzone. He was dropped, however, at the one-yard line, giving the Storm a 59-57 win.

Storm quarterback Shane Stafford finished 20-of-30 for 259 yards and seven touchdowns. His favorite target was offensive specialist Freddie Solomon, who had seven catches for 80 yards and two touchdowns in earning Offensive Player of the Game honors.

Storm WR/LB David Saunders was named Ironman of the Game after also catching two touchdown passes. He finished with four catches for 67 yards and had a season-high five tackles on defense.

Lawrence Samuels was named Defensive Player of the Game after collecting a tackle, an interception, and a pass breakup. Samuels' interception was the 19th of his career, moving him into sole possession of second place on the Storm's career interceptions list.

Dallas scored the first touchdown of the game when Dreisbach hit Bobby Sippio with the endzone for a 22-yard touchdown pass. Dallas kicker Carlos Martinez connected on the extra point attempt, and the Desperados led 7-0 with 10:04 left in the first quarter.

Dallas added to its lead when Sippio stepped in front of a Stafford pass, returning it 40 yards for a touchdown. Martinez's extra point pushed the Desperados' advantage to 14-0 with 7:01 left in the first quarter.

Tampa Bay finally got on the scoreboard on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Saunders. Brache connected on his first extra point of the game, cutting the Dallas lead to 14-7 with 4:53 left in the first quarter.

Martinez pushed the Dallas lead to 17-7 with 11 seconds left in the first quarter after hitting a 43-yard field goal. But seven plays later the Storm answered, scoring on a 10-yard TT Toliver touchdown reception. The play capped off a 45-yard drive and cut the Dallas lead to 17-14 with 8:21 left in the first half.

Dreisbach fumbled the center-quarterback exchange on Dallas' next play from scrimmage and Ernest Certain recovered for Tampa Bay at the Desperados' nine-yard line. On the next play Stafford hit Freddie Solomon in the back of the endzone for a touchdown that gave the Storm their first lead of the game. Brache added the extra point to put the Storm on top 21-17 with 6:23 left in the second quarter.

The Storm defense continued to provide scoring chances for the Tampa Bay offense. Samuels intercepted Dreisbach at the Dallas 19-yard line, returning it to the 11. Two plays later Stafford hit Saunders for a touchdown and a 28-17 Storm lead.

After the Storm defense forced a missed 50-yard field goal, Tampa Bay took over at their own seven-yard line with 38 seconds left in the half. The Storm drove down to the 13 and tacked on a 28-yard Brache field goal to go on top 31-17 with just two seconds remaining in the first half.

Dallas made the first big play of the second half, recovering a fumbled snap from center by the Storm. Duke Pettijohn pounced onto the football at the one-yard line and rolled into the endzone for a touchdown. Martinez's extra point cut the Tampa Bay lead to 31-24 with 13:23 left in the third quarter.

Brache hit a 19-yard field goal to score the Storm's first points of the second half. That kick put Tampa Bay up 34-24 with 8:37 left in the third quarter.

Dreisbach and the Dallas offense cut the Tampa Bay lead even further via a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sippio. Martinez's kick, however, was no good, leaving the Storm with a 34-30 advantage with 5:46 left in the third quarter.

Tampa Bay answered with a touchdown of its own, a seven-yard pass from Stafford to Clif Dell. But Brache's kick banged off the upright, leaving the Storm with a 40-30 lead with 2:33 left in the third quarter.

Dallas cut the lead to 40-37 on a five-yard touchdown pass from Dreisbach to Jason Shelley with 13:12 left in the game. But the Storm answered with a 40-yard scoring drive, with Solomon catching all three passes, including the 12-yard touchdown reception. The score put the Storm on top 47-37 with 10:28 left in the game.

Jason Shelley hauled in his second consecutive touchdown reception, this time a 21-yard catch, to pull the Desperados to within 47-44 with 5:54 left in the game before Dell caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Stafford. Brache again missed the extra point, leaving the Storm with a 53-44 lead with 3:15 left to play.

Dallas again went to Shelley in search of a touchdown and Dreisbach found him for a 26-yard score. Martinez's extra point pulled the Desperados to within two points, 53-51, with 47 seconds left in the game.

Dreisbach completed 22-of-39 passes for 282 yards and six touchdowns. The Desperados had a pair of receivers surpass the 100 receiving yards plateau. Shelley had eight catches for 125 yards and three touchdowns, while Sippio finished with six catches for 103 yards and three scores.

The Storm will face the second-seeded San Jose SaberCats on Saturday, June 5. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:45 pm Eastern and will be broadcast live on NBC Sports.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 30, 2004


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