Arizona Rattlers

Arizona Rattlers QB Nick Davila threw for 266 yards and nine touchdowns, while WR Maurice Purify caught nine passes for 143 yards and seven TD's to lead the Arizona Rattlers over the Philadelphia Soul 72-54 to win Arena Bowl XXV in New Orleans on Friday night.

This is the first time since 1997 that the Foster Trophy is going back to Arizona.

Philadelphia was playing catch-up all game long, as Soul quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw an interception on the first possession of the game. 

The Rattlers jumped out to a 27-13 lead at the end of the half behind Arkeith Brown's two second-quarter interceptions. 

The Soul only turned the ball over once more after the first half, but couldn't find a way to stop Arizona's offense. Philadelphia's offense was the story of the game, as they had only scored under 60 points in three of their 22 games.

Raudabaugh completed 26 of his 42 passes, throwing for 285 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions in the loss. WR Larry Brackins caught four of Raudabaugh's seven TD's, but the Soul could not get any stops.

In the third quarter, Arizona extended its lead out to 34-13 on a 38-yard Davila to Purify touchdown. The Rattlers would lead 54-34 at the end of the third quarter.

It went back and forth in the fourth quarter, but Philadelphia kept attempting onside kicks, which gave Arizona a short field.

The buzzer would sound, and the Rattlers would claim their franchise's third AFL Championship. The Soul, after having a disappointing 6-12 season is 2011, will have to settle for the silver medal. 

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The defending Arena Football League (AFL) champion Spokane Shock are no longer defending their title, as the top-seeded Arizona Rattlers (17-2) beat them in commanding fashion, 62-33.

The first half was anything but clean, as the two sides combined for five turnovers.  The Rattlers scored a touchdown in the closing seconds of the half to take a 21-13 lead into the locker room.

Arizona had an opportunity to separate themselves from the Shock (9-10), as they received the opening kickoff of the second half.  

Former Shock quarterback Nick Davila (15-for-24, 167 YDS, 4 TD, 2 INT) drove Arizona the length of the field.  With a chance to take a commanding lead, Davila threw his second interception of the game.  

Spokane's next drive failed to gain traction, though, and QB Kyle Rowley (25-for-45, 210 YDS, 4 TD, 3 INT) missed on a fourth-down pass from his own end zone.  However, the Rattlers were called for roughing the passer.

Rowley wasted no time, connecting with Randy Hymes for a long TD pass on the very next play.  Spokane had cut the Rattler lead to 21-20 and seemed to have momentum on their side.

They didn't, and the Rattlers scored the next 14 points.  Arizona dominate the fourth quarter, outscoring Spokane, 27-13.

Spokane brought in backup QB Steven Sheffield (7-for-9, 90 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT), but he wasn't able to change Spokane's fortunes.

The Spokane Shock had won the prior two Arena championships.  They were AFL champions last season and won the AF2's Arena Cup in 2009, the dark season for the AFL.

The Rattlers will host the Chicago Rush (14-5) in the National Conference Championship next week, as they beat the Dallas Vigilantes(11-8), 54-51. 

The Arizona Rattlers easily defeated the Cleveland Gladiators in a victory that put the Rattlers at 9-2 on the season and four games out of reach from both the Utah Blaze and the San Jose Sabercats.

Out of the contest emerged an unlikely leader in Jason Geathers.

He has been a dependable wide receiver for the team throughout the season but has not been able to escape the shadows cast by Rod Windsor’s 1,186 yards and Trandon Harvey’s 1,038. Up until Saturday Geathers only had 470 yards and 10 touchdowns to his name.

Against the AC East’s best from Cleveland, Geathers tallied 111 yards, beating Harvey by 20 yards and Windsor by 23 yards. Geathers led the night for the Rattlers in touchdowns as well by pulling down four.

This year Geathers is on track for his second football championship. According to his bio on azrattlers.com his first championship was earned as a receiver/tailback on the 2001 University of Miami Hurricanes NCAA Championship team.

After a few seasons touring the NFL and CFL, Geathers has made his name in both the AFL and AFL2. Geathers is in his fifth year as an arena veteran. Geathers is a two-edged sword and though he has mainly been seen on offense and special teams this season; he can also threaten opponents on defense as well.

With the Rattlers posturing for the postseason and possibly a championship, Geathers is the man that can trip up the best defenses that can cover Windsor and Harvey.

They'll likely forget the third receiver on the field; that's when Geathers can shine.

Week 10 in the Arena Football League, and the Arizona Rattlers boast a 7-1 record and a 5-0 home record. Their at-home magic will be put to the test again as the Chicago Rush travel to the desert home that is getting hotter by the day along with the Rattlers.

After the tough divisional stretch the last three weeks, the Arizona Rattlers maintain control of their division by a two-game lead. And they are knocking at the door of being mathematically qualified for the postseason.  Next on the list is the Chicago Rush.  

An angry and emotional Chicago Rush will travel to Arizona and look to reestablish their dominance over the NC Central, following their second-half meltdown in Tulsa that resulted in defeat. 

Chicago doesn’t necessarily top any of the league’s top statistics, but they are still a dangerous team that could throw a wrench in Arizona’s gears. They did so last year when they defeated the Rattlers with superior defensive plays.

Even with the second-best defense in the league, the Rattlers' offense will need to be careful to protect the ball. The Rush field DB Vic Hall, who has tallied eight interceptions over the course of the season.

He may prove to be the thorn in the side of Arizona’s Nick Davila, who has thrown eight interceptions so far. However, Vic Hall may be so busy figuring out what Arizona receivers Trandon Harvey and Rod Windsor are going to do next that he might not get a chance at the ball.

Saturday will be a great opportunity for coach Kevin Guy to showcase RB Oddie Armstrong, who has 11 touchdowns and 146 rushing yards. Armstrong could be the key player in keeping Vic Hall not only honest, but also keeping the ball out of his hands and keeping their home record perfect.

The Arizona Rattlers were looking to push the Spokane Shock out of their rearview mirror in the West Division of the Arena Football League.  The Shock had other ideas in the Spokane Veteran Memorial Coliseum, also known as “Deaf Valley.” 

A win over the 6-0 Rattlers would put the 2-4 Shock back into the playoff race and keep them from guaranteeing their worst record in franchise history. 

These two teams are not overly fond of each other, and it showed early and often.  Arizona is home to two former Spokane Shock stars, QB Nick Davilla and LB Kevin McCullough, adding to the division rivalry.  Play was consistently stopped by penalties, even though much of the extra-curricular contact was overlooked.

Spokane entered the contest with a track record of winning big or losing close, and the end of this game looked like both could happen. 

The rattlers were driving with a little over two minutes remaining, trailing 63-49.  Following a 15-yard gain on 3rd-and-12, Davilla had his team inside the Shock 5-yard line.  Ruschard Dodd-Masters made two solid plays on 2nd- and 3rd-and-goal and the Shock crowd got really loud for the first time of the night on fourth down.  It worked, as Davilla threw the ball through the end zone. 

However, a questionable defensive holding penalty gave the Rattlers a new set of downs and Odie Armstrong pushed his way into the end zone on first down.

Down by seven, the Rattlers tried a tricky onside kick to the short-manned side of the field.  It worked perfectly…for the Shock.  Raul Vijil scooped up the ball and walked into the end zone, extending their lead back to 14.

An inexperience Arena Football fan might think that was the final nail in the Rattlers’ coffin.  The Rattlers drove the field on the ensuing possession, scoring with 49 seconds remaining.  They uncovered the onside kick, setting up a chance to pull even or take the lead with a two-point conversion. 

Arizona quickly reached the Shock 14-yard line and opted for two running plays to burn some clock.  This left them with 3rd-and-4 from the Shock eight.  Davilla’s third-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone.  On fourth down, Davilla was hit while trying to throw and the ball.  The ball hit the turf and trickled up to the line of scrimmage and the Shock thought the game was over.

However, despite the ball being knocked down in the backfield, the officials called pass interference on this Shock, giving the Rattlers a fresh set of downs.  After the game, I asked Shock head coach Rob Keefe about the call. 

“I’m not going to argue with the refs," he said.  "They see what they see.  I wish it wasn’t a call.”

Arizona scored a TD with 12 seconds remaining and attempted a two-point conversion to take the lead.  The Shock applied pressure on Davilla on the two-point try, hitting him as he released the ball. 

The ball fell to the turf, leading to another onside kick. 

The Rattlers recovered the ball at their own 17-yard line with 8.5 seconds remaining.  Davilla’s first-down pass downfield went through the hands of Jason Geathers.  With four seconds remaining, the Rattlers opted for a field-goal attempt to win the game. 

The snap from McCullough was a little high and Shock DL Khreem Smith bulled his way through the line to block the kick.

The win was the Shock’s fourth in four games vs. the Rattlers.

When I asked Coach Keefe about holding off the Rattlers at the end of the game, he replied, “We’ll take it.  We knew they were going to go for two.  We knew it was going to come down to another onside kick.  Great onside kick…the guy’s a great kicker. 

"It ended the way it did, but I’m glad.  Because to be honest it was about four different endings in one game that our guys are going to learn from.  Great way to go back to the chart board and figure out what we did wrong and what we did right.”

Shock QB Kyle Rowley was the Offensive Player of the Game, going 21-for-31 for 219 yards, eight TDs, one INT and he rushed for one score.  Greg Orton and Raul Vijil had big games for the Shock, the latter being named game MVP with four TDs.

The Rattlers were led by Davilla’s 29-for-43 effort for 318 yards.  Rod Windsor, the Nifty Playmaker of the Game, had 167 yards on 16 receptions.  Windsor almost didn’t make the game, as he is property of the Cleveland Browns.  With the NFL Lockout temporarily lifted, Windsor missed several days of practice, and if not for the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals granting a stay of an earlier ruling, Windsor would not have been in uniform on Saturday night.

The game started with almost as much excitement as it had at the end.  The Shock won the coin toss and elected to defer.  Taylor Rowan’s kick was returned by Virgil Fray to the Rattler 5-yard line. 

On second down, Davilla mishandled the snap.  The ball popped up and over the center and John Williams recovered the loose ball.  Spokane used three running plays and a defensive penalty to take a 7-0 lead on a one-yard QB sneak by Rowley.

Davilla brought the Rattlers back, sustaining a drive to the Shock two.  However, he fumbled another snap, but Spokane couldn’t quite hold onto the ball.  Davilla recovered and threw an 8-yard TD pass to Geathers two plays later. 

Spokane squandered an opportunity on the next possession.  Terrance Sanders took the kickoff and cut to the right.  He broke two tackles before being brought down at the Shock 17-yard line.  Rowley hit Vigil for a 19-yard gain and then tried to hit Orton in the corner of the end zone. 

He was hit while throwing and didn’t get enough into the pass, allowing Arizona’s Gray to leap and intercept the pass.

The first quarter ended in a 7-7 tie.  The Rattlers were ball hogs, though, holding a time of possession advantage of 11:02 to 3:58.  When they added a TD 2:18 into the second quarter, the Rattlers had extended the spread to almost 10 minutes.

The two sides exchanged TD drives, with Arizona scoring with 55 seconds remaining.

Following an unsuccessful onside kick, Rowley hit Vijil for a short TD pass, leaving the score tied after Rowan’s PAT.

The Shock couldn’t recover a well-executed onside kick from Rowan.  It was a high-bouncing kick down the middle, touching at least four Shock players before dribbling into the hands of a Rattler that was sprawled out on the carpet.  The Rattlers scored a quick TD and then kicked the ball deep to the Shock.

Sanders returned the ensuing kickoff back to the Rattler 5-yard line, but a block in the back call pulled the Shock back to their own two. 

That suited Rowley just fine, though.  He drove the Shock down the field, throwing a perfect arc to the back of the end zone, and Vijil ran under the ball, making a great catch with 5.4 seconds left on the clock.  After two TDs total in the first quarter, each team scored two in the final minute of the half for a 28-28 tie.

Sanders wanted to make it a bit easier to score to start the second half.  He again cut to the right after the kick, but this time used his speed to race past the Rattler defense.  He met two tacklers on the opposing 5-yard line and was brought down at the two.  Following two more penalties (delay of game on the offense and defensive pass interference), Davilla found a streaking Orton coming from out of the backfield for a quick-strike TD.

After the Rattlers worked down the field and scored, the Shock again succumbed in the time of possession battle.  Rowley took over at his 15 following another solid return by Sanders.  Kauleinamoku turned on a deep out, and Rowley’s perfectly timed pass dropped right in his hands as he came out of his turn at the goal line.  Rowan stayed perfect on the night and the Shock led, 42-35.

The teams exchanged quick TD drives.  Rowley kicked off to Arizona, who took over at their own 2-yard line after they were unable to advance the ball out of the end zone.

Spokane forced a fumble on Arizona’s first play, recovered by Antwan Marsh.  This left Spokane with the ball and a 49-42 lead after three quarters of play.

Rowley hit Vijil on the first play of the fourth quarter, extending the lead to 14 points following Rowan’s eighth PAT on the night.  With a final score of 70-69, Rowan picked the right night to not miss a PAT.

The two sides exchanged TD drives leading up the exciting finish.

Coach Keefe commented on the overall game, saying, “That’s arena football at its greatest.” 

I asked him how this win might impact their attitude and confidence over the rest of the season. 

“It’s such an emotional high…let’s use this,” Keefe replied.

“There are probably about seven teams right now (on the upcoming schedule), I think the best team is Dallas at 5-2 right now, but everybody else is that .500 or below mark, and then we finish up.  Arizona, Utah, San Jose, Jacksonville all in a row.  We’re going to be 10-4 before you know it and then all of this negative criticism goes away.”  

In the rapid, unpredictable tempo of the Arena Football League, an undefeated team can only maintain their status for so long.

With bad blood still running from the 2010 season, the Arizona Rattlers traveled to Spokane, Washington to battle with the division-rival Shock. It was the third week in a row the Rattlers had to battle a back-and-forth game.

In 2010 the Rattlers could not prevail against the Shock in their two regular-season meetings or in their playoff encounter. This led to a rivalry that was played out in a slugfest on the field tonight.

The Rattlers traveled to Spokane with Rod Windsor, who must have been cleared to play by the Cleveland Browns while the lockout troubles still have to be determined. He didn’t miss a step while hauling catches and touchdowns, bringing the needed points to maintain pace with the blitzkrieg led by Shock quarterback Kyle Rowley.

With Rowley passing at his pleasure, the only thing the Rattlers defense could do was get multiple pass interference calls in the end zone, as they were easily beaten in the race by the Spokane receiving corps.

With 1:30 left in the third quarter, an-ill fated Oddie Armstrong fumble recovered by the Shock defense at the Rattlers 5-yard line left the Shock to control the pace of the game going into the fourth quarter.

The Shock began the fourth quarter with a seven-point lead and possession of the ball. It only took a few seconds for the Shock to grab a 14-point lead.

After a long fourth quarter for the Rattlers plagued with flags and mistakes, it came down to just over 2:30 on the clock and the Shock with a lead of seven points. The Rattlers attempted an onside kick, but lost it to Raul Vijil, who took the ball well before it could make it 10 yards and he marched into the end zone to lead the Rattlers by 14 points with two minutes left in the game.

Arizona has overcome some big deficits this season, and when they reached the one-minute warning down by two touchdowns, it was still in the Rattlers' reach to execute a come-from-behind victory.

They began their attempt with Rod Windsor pulling down a touchdown with 52 seconds on the clock. The Rattlers followed by recovering their first onside kick of the season. Nick Davila and his receivers were able to drive the ball to the Shock 10-yard line.

In a 4th-and-4 situation, the Rattlers were about to lose the game on downs but were revived by a flag against Spokane.  A short touchdown run by Oddie Armstrong brought the Rattlers within one point.

Head coach Kevin Guy wanted the win and called for a two-point conversion, but Nick Davila could not connect with Trandon Harvey, leaving 11.9 seconds on the clock.

With 8.5 seconds left, the Rattlers recovered a second onside kick. After a failed reception, the Rattlers called for their field-goal team with 4.5 seconds left. Fabrizio Scaccia, on loan from the 49ers, who had been hot all night, had his kick blocked because of a high snap.

The game and the Rattlers' perfect season ended after they brought the game to within one point. The Rattlers now have four straight losses against the Shock in the last two seasons.

With the Shock traveling to Phoenix on July 2, there will definitely be fireworks that weekend, as the chip on the Rattlers’ shoulder just got heavier.

Right as the AFL's Arizona Rattlers are running on all gears, the NFL has been forced to unlock the doors and let the players return to work. This may damper the Rattlers' hopes to maintain a perfect record as their receiver and kicker may be called back to their NFL franchises.

Wide receiver Rod Windsor and kicker Fabrizio Scaccia are on loan to the AFL as their respective teams allowed them to return to the arena during the dispute between the NFL Players Association and the franchise owners.

According to Fox Sports, on Monday Federal District Judge Susan Nelson ordered the NFL to unlock the gates and let the players return to work on Tuesday. Although the owners will likely sue for a stay on the order, this may still affect the Rattlers if Rod Windsor is called back to the Cleveland Browns and Fabrizio Scaccia is called back to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rattlers may not be the best passing team in the AFL, but with the combination of Trandon Harvey and Rod Windsor, they are rarely lower than fifth in passing.

Head Coach Kevin Guy was questioned by Arizona Republic reporter Richard Obert on the possibility of Windsor’s departure he remained confident in his team.

"We're glad we've got him, but we also want guys that we can maintain. We were winning games before Rod got here. All Rod does is enhance our system. A system is a system, and we just plug guys in. We've got six receivers here in whom we've got confidence. They can make plays. But we're happy to have him."

The loss of Rod Windsor and his unique ability to break tackles in the cramped 50 yards in the Arena would be missed sorely even with a great system.

Adding to the wound would be the loss of Fabrizio Scaccia. When the Rattlers began their season with Joe Schroeder as their kicker, they had a consistency problem with point after attempts and had to compensate with multiple two-point conversion attempts. Since Fabrizio has returned, he has only missed one out of 17 PAT’s; Schroeder was 19-of-27.

Coach Guy is right to be confident in his team, but Windsor and Fabrizio have stepped up in areas that can’t be filled easily.

Over the next three weeks, the Arizona Rattlers will be facing the entire NC Western Division. Kevin Guy will have to display the mastery of his craft to maintain the divisional lead.

But Coach Guy has a wild card up his sleeve that could make the difference in the division.

Kevin Guy has a team that is consistently among the top 10 passing teams and has sat at the top of the coaches polls for three weeks. His receivers are playmakers and his quarterback is a fearless gunslinger. What else could Coach Guy have that would tip the scales in the west?

It is the possibility of a blistering rushing attack.

Fullback Oddie Armstrong is the steam engine that led the AFL in rushing yards in 2010 for the Tulsa Talons. According to the Rattlers Website, in Tulsa, Armstrong totaled 349 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 4.7 yards per carry.

In a league geared for a passing attack, Armstrong commanded the field with his rushing.

So far in the 2011 season, he has only 39 rushing yards and four touchdowns and his yards per carry are 2.7 right now as well. With these numbers, Armstrong has been a bit of a non-factor so far. It’s possible his presence has been affecting some opposing scheming, but he has yet to be truly unleashed.

Armstrong’s biggest night so far was against his former team.

In Tulsa, he rushed seven times for 10 yards and two touchdowns. This seems underwhelming compared to last year, when he left defensive coordinators scratching their heads and linebackers icing their bruises.

Right now, Arizona Fans can only hope that Coach Guy has been saving his fullback for the divisional battle. If that is not the case, it is time to increase the steam and let him thunder down the field.

After six weeks of the AFL regular season, the Arizona Rattlers will finally face a divisional rival when they host the Utah Blaze in Phoenix on Saturday.

The Blaze are within striking distance two games behind the undefeated Rattlers on the divisional leader board.

The matchup between the Blaze and Rattlers may make for one of the best games this week. According to AFL.com the Blaze are the first-ranked scoring offense and second-ranked in total offense.

That shouldn’t bother the Rattlers as they are the first-ranked scoring defense and second-ranked in total defense.

Tommy Grady is leading the Blaze as he sits ranked in the AFL’s two-spot with his air superiority. Grady has currently thrown for 1,532 yards and 33 TDs, and has also rushed for four touchdowns. His dynamic counterpart is Aaron Boone who has 699 yards, with an average of 139.8 yards per game.

Rattlers quarterback Nick Davila may not be totaling as many yards but he is also in the top 10 at No. 7. His totals are 1,402 yards and 30 touchdowns from the air and a single rushing touchdown.

Davila has two veteran receivers in Trandon Harvey and Rod Windsor that make big plays when they are most needed.

Rod Windsor will play a key role against Utah. Windsor came back to the AFL after the NFL lockout and started out a little slow, but has improved and is returning to his old scoring form.

Each week he does better than the last game and against the Command he recorded 16 receptions for five touchdowns and 217 yards. His habit of breaking tackles and turning five-yard receptions into 20-yard plays has payed dividends.

The Rattlers defense tripped and stumbled against the Kansas City Command last week but only through poorly-timed penalties and mental mistakes.

The key to containing Grady and Boone will be to utilize the same strategy they used against the Command. Grady and Boone will connect but if they are held to minimal yardage after the catch, the Rattlers could wear them out long enough for Davila to lead the offense to a major divisional victory.