Arena Football League

Tim Tebow has been the hottest debate on the planet, at least when it comes to the NFL. With his unorthodox throwing motion and his uncanny inaccuracy, it is amazing that just two seasons ago he led the Denver Broncos to a playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Now, on the cusp of possibly being released by the New York Jets, Tebow may have to find a new home in order to progress his craft: the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League.

That's right, the Arena Football League. Predators owner Brett Bouchy told Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel:

"Tim would certainly want to first exhaust his opportunities in the NFL, but we'd love to have him. I think he would definitely improve as a quarterback in our league. Kurt Warner told me once that when he got back to the NFL after playing in the Arena League, the NFL game was like slow motion. Everything in the Arena League is just so much faster and quicker and predicated on accuracy. Whenever Tim is willing, we have a contract waiting for him to sign."

There is no doubt that Tebow has been a winner his whole life, at every level. But that does not necessarily translate into a surefire NFL career, and he has certainly learned that the hard way. The AFL is a fast-paced game that requires accuracy from its quarterbacks and that is one tangible that Tebow seems to lack.

If you buy into the fact that Tebow alone led the Broncos to the playoffs and a win against the Steelers, you would be sorely mistaken.

The Denver defense was incredible that year, recording 52 sacks, 16 interceptions and forcing 20 fumbles. They kept their team in games late, which allowed Tebow and kicker Matt Prater the opportunity to seal it at the end.

Yes, Prater had four game-winning field goals in 2011, which is usually pushed aside when talking about the Tebow phenomenon. The Broncos were 8-8 that season, and if it weren't for the San Diego Chargers' and Kansas City Chiefs' ineptitude, they would not have even made the postseason.

This past year, Tebow could not even unseat a struggling Mark Sanchez for a starting spot. Let me repeat that. Tebow could not unseat a quarterback whose biggest highlight of the year was a butt-fumble. Even his teammates could not grasp the fact of how anyone would believe that Tebow will ever be an NFL quarterback.

So I will ask this question once. Why would the Predators be interested in Tebow?

The answer is simply to sell seats. It can not possibly be for the fact that Bouchy believes he will become a better quarterback, a la Kurt Warner. At least Warner had basic throwing skills before mastering them in the AFL.

Tebow has no such skills. He had a 46.5 percent completion rate in 2011, with six interceptions and seven fumbles as a starter. That is one more turnover than touchdowns. If he could not start for a dysfunctional team such as the Jets, then he will never make it in the NFL, or even the AFL for that matter.

The Jets have announced that they have brought in quarterback David Garrard to battle for a job with Sanchez. This all but leaves the writing on the wall for Tebow. They could not find an NFL suitor for him at the combine, and they will not find one for him now. Maybe Tebow would be better off taking his shot in the AFL with the Predators. One thing we will all realize if that happens: once Tebow leaves the NFL, he will never step through those doors again.

On Wednesday, December 12, three-time world champion San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League called to inform Nate Lewis—who had just piled on more AAA records to his growing legend during the Catalina Kickoff Classic—that he would be worked out for a week by the coaches and staff on January 13 as the team searches for a new cornerstone.

At the December 8 game, 6'5", 235-pound SoCal Coyote quarterback Nate Lewis threw for three first-quarter touchdowns, added another in the second and finished the first half 17 for 21 (.810 percent) for 331 yards and an astronomical QB rating of 127.0. Two other drops would have put him over 400 yards, but hey, who's counting?

The final result was a 56-8 annihilation of a stocked Division I-talent team that called itself the "Elite," but on this night, Lewis taught them the meaning of the word. He was also benched for the first time as a Coyote, when head coach J. David Miller mercifully sat him down at half time.

It was hard to believe this was the same quarterback who considered quitting football just a year ago and had once asked Coach Miller if he had "a legitimate chance to go to the next level if I give this game everything I have."

Miller, a veteran of Arena Football wars, assured him yes.

"If you don't believe in yourself," Miller told him, "the vote's unanimous. Trust yourself, trust your teammates, trust the system. When we're finished, you're going to get your shot. All you can ask for in life is a legitimate shot."

And that shot came.

Will Lewis Make the SaberCats?

That was the $64,000 question that immediately rumbled through Coyote nation.

The optimists predicted Lewis's arm, maturity and mastery of the offense would impress the veteran San Jose coaching staff. Behind Lewis, the Coyotes rolled up 5,212 yards in total offense last season, and Lewis was named National Player of the Year.

The SaberCats have asked starting quarterback and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Garcia to groom the next cornerstone of the franchise that the team selects, whomever he might be.

Lewis's teammates were ecstatic, especially All-American wide receiver Rashad Roberts, who was asked by the SaberCats to accompany Lewis. Backup Coyote quarterback Travis Russell—himself only a few years removed from being one of the nation's most highly recruited college quarterback—suddenly had the look of a high school senior who might get to drive the family car, for real, for the first time.

But make no mistake: Good, bad or indifferent, all eyes were on Lewis, who scouts compared to a young Kurt Warner in size, strength and ability. Coaches around the nation called to congratulate Lewis and the Coyotes, regardless of the outcome.

"This is a great day for football and why every kid should never give up on his dream," said one coach in a text. "Whether he makes it or not isn't the issue. He earned the right to be there."

"We hope Nate makes the Sabercats," texted an Arizona opponent. "Let the Arena League figure out how to stop him, because we damn sure couldn't."

It was a heady day for the 26-year-old Lewis, a minor-league football emigrant who now made the scouts who overlooked him years ago embarrassed, set new AAA records for attempts and completions every time he took a snap and in his last six quarters of work was averaging a touchdown about every 5 attempts.

How did the best AAA quarterback celebrate? He mowed grass and directed employees at his landscaping business.

"I'm speechless," he said when he heard the news by phone and got the email from San Jose. "I've trained my whole life for this. But can I call you back? I've got to finish this job for a client, and I gave them my word that it would be done today."

Favoritism on Miller's Part?

On Saturday, Lewis had 177 yards and three touchdowns—in the first quarter. His final stats were surreal, namely because he didn't appear to be sweating in the 48-degree ocean air. There's no way to quantify Lewis's commanding pocket presence, his ability to release the ball just before the rush arrived or the amazing array of passes he threw with chilling accuracy.

Somehow Lewis became a player so lightly regarded out of Fairmont State that pro scouts ignored his MVP status from the College of the Desert and state-championship prowess from Cathedral City High School. But after being resurrected by Miller, Mouse Davis and the entire Run 'n' Shoot family, he is playing like a natural-born thriller.

"He's in a zone," says Miller. "I've never been around any quarterback that is this hot, and that includes 'Sugar' Shane Stafford when he lit up the Tampa Bay Storm (AFL)."

Miller has been criticized publicly for his promotion of Lewis, and the coach doesn't flinch under scrutiny. It has come from former players and opponents alike, who protested the Coyotes' "classless" wide-open aerial assault and Miller's "favoritism" of his signal-caller.

Miller had this to say:

Oklahoma ran the wishbone for 12 years and won multiple national titles, but when they got Marcus Dupree, Barry Switzer went to the I-formation. When Don Shula drafted Dan Marino, the Dolphins went four-wide and Marino became the face of the franchise. We are the Run 'n' Shoot. We aren't changing our offense because we have the best quarterback in football and we're winning 50-0 and you can't stop us.

That's your job. And yes, I show him favoritism. He works so hard it would be shameful not to. What are we doing wrong? Take Nate away from us last season, and we're a great defensive team that can't score points on offense. His arm and proclivity in the passing game, even the threat of it, makes everything work, including our running game.

Such proclamations might serve as a red flag for even the mildest of cynics, but once you meet Lewis and hear his story, it's awfully tough to question Miller's faith. He is as grounded and solid as a redwood, and it's certainly no accident that he has emerged as the anti-Ryan Leaf, a quiet leader who exudes maturity, was handed nothing and is grateful to even earn a shot to make an AFL roster.

Sheer hope guided Lewis along his unlikely path to AAA football prominence, from his time as a  two-year starter and MVP at College of the Desert to earning a full scholarship at Division II Fairmont State, before a broken collarbone put him on the bench. 

Yet he clung to his dream of playing football, even when it seemed he didn't have a prayer—but the doors just didn't seem to open. He toiled in the minor leagues, including a season in which he played safety just to get on the field, and in one game as a backup quarterback completed only four of 12 passes for 41 yards. Other minor league 'coaches' (many of whom had never coached)  thought his size might actually make him a good defensive end.

Lewis admits there were times when he lost his grip on his confidence. He built up his own business and was on the verge of putting the game behind him for good. Until his wife encouraged him to give his first love one more shot.

Enter Miller, Mouse, June Jones and about a combined 100 years of Run 'n' Shoot experience.Lewis said about them:

I don't know where these guys came from, but thank God they did. They all told me they believed in me, and that restored my belief in myself. They never asked me to do things I couldn't do. They took what I could do, built around it, and exploited every single skill and asset I brought to the table.

What he brought to the table was plenty. "Which is uncanny leadership, a cannon arm, intelligence, and what all the great ones have," says Miller. "An unbelievable, unexplainable desire to win, and the ability to put the dagger in you, in ways you didn't think were possible."

Lewis' Potential

Many highly drafted or scouted quarterbacks typically don't shine quickly, but Lewis's minor-league seasoning might allow him to burst onto the scene like an old pro.

"His accuracy is frightening, and he shows poise, toughness and an aptitude for reading defenses in a hurry," says Nick LaPointe, who coached last year at a nearby college and joined other coaches and scouts on the sidelines to witness Lewis and the Coyotes first-hand. "You have to see it to believe it. The Coyotes wide-open style has helped Nate perfect the art of making quick, decisive throws."

"A lot of young quarterbacks struggle to adjust to the speed of the game," says Mouse Davis. "That's something you can't glean from watching them practice. This kid slows the game down a little bit, and part of that's because of running our deal. It's not uncommon for us to throw the ball 300 times in a single practice, and we will keep throwing until we get it right."

Nate's speed is unexceptional, but his arm strength is impressive, and the touch on his passes is as soft as fleece. He can make all the throws, as he proved with his touchdown passes against the Elite: a hard, 15-yard arrow to slot Mondo Delgado after freezing the safeties with a pump fake; a willowy, 46-yard fade to Josh Asuncion in the back right corner of the end zone; a crisp 18-yard curl to Rashad Roberts that the receiver caught in stride and turned into a 53-yard score; an airtight, 67-yard strike to a well-covered Roberts along the left sideline.

The defense threw a variety of blitzes at Lewis, but he never flinched—which wasn't surprising to his teammates.

"We make a a conscious effort to pressure and confuse Nate every practice, but none of it fazes him," says assistant head coach Wayne Anderson Jr.

The more you watch Lewis interact with his family—and reaffirm his faith—the less stunning his phenomenal ascent seems. He appears to be sincere, unabashed and unspoiled.

"Nate's the most grounded person you'll ever meet," says Coyotes S-back David "The Diesel" Cathcart. Even though Lewis is off the charts right now, "there's no way he'll let this go to his head, regardless. He's Nate Lewis, week in, week out."

Preparation

When Coach Miller got off the phone with San Jose, he called his former pastor in Florida who has become a rabid Coyotes fan and broke the news.

 "Lord, we ask sharpness and clarity for Nate Lewis," the minister prayed. "He is still a Coyote, and he still has games to win in the desert before he goes. Let him stay humble and focused, yet be bold and perform beyond the realm of the skills you've blessed him with."

Then Miller scrambled to replace Lewis's NFL practice footballs with Arena game balls for Saturday's 7 a.m. practice at Freedom Park, where the quarterback's time as a Coyote might be dwindling.

"Go in there, work your ass off, make all of your throws, listen more than you talk, lead with your actions, and the other guys will accept you," Miller advised Lewis. "There are only two kinds of quarterbacks in the world: One gets better when he gets his shot, and one gets worse."

"Coach, I'm blessed to have this opportunity, even if it's for a single day," Lewis replied. "But this is only the beginning. We have to climb the mountain. I know I can play at this level."

Already, Miller was preaching to the choir.

Read more about the team on facebook at facebook.com/thesocalcoyotes

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. 

Follow Teddy Bailey (@TheTeddyBailey) on Twitter:

Who: (15-3) Philadelphia Soul vs. (13-5) Arizona Rattlers

What: Arena Bowl XXV

When: Friday, August 10th at 10:30PM

Where: New Orleans Arena (Home of NBA Hornets and AFL VooDoo)

TV/Radio: NFL Network

The last time the Philadelphia Soul were Arena Bowl champions was the 2008 season in New Orleans. Now it's 2012, and the AFL Championship is back in the Big Easy. The Soul went 15-3 in this year's Arena Football regular season, outscoring opponents 1228 to 919. First-year head coach Doug Plank has turned the franchise over after the disappointing 2011 season where Philadelphia was 6-12—last in the East Division.

Philadelphia will take on a tough Arizona Rattlers squad, who finished the 2012 campaign with a 13-5 record.

Philadelphia's Road to Arena Bowl XXV:

Round 1:

Defeated New Orleans VooDoo 66-53:

Soul Quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw for 250 yards and 7 touchdowns in the 13-point victory over New Orleans. Philadelphia was leading by just one at halftime (31-30), but they pulled away with three Raudabaugh touchdowns in the second half.

Round 2:

Defeated Jacksonville Sharks 89-34:

The Soul's offense has been lethal all year long. The 89 points against Jacksonville set a new AFL postseason record for most points in a game. Wide Receiver Larry Brackins caught five TDs from Raudabaugh in the blowout semifinal victory. Confetti fell from the Wells Fargo Center's ceiling as the Philadelphia Soul are headed to the franchise's second ever AFL Championship Game.

Arizona's Road to Arena Bowl XXV:

Round 1:

Defeated San Jose SaberCats 51-48:

Arizona didn't have the easiest trip to the 2012 Arena Bowl. The Rattlers sneaked out a 51-48 victory over upset-minded San Jose. WR Maurice Purify caught four touchdowns and 134 yards from quarterback Nick Davila in the victory. The Rattlers jumped out to a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but San Jose  played tough and almost pulled off a shocking first-round win.

Round 2:

Defeated Utah Blaze 75-69:

The 13-7 Utah Blaze outscored Arizona 35-16 in the second quarter, but Davila threw for 331 yards and eight TDs as the Rattlers held back Utah in the National Conference semifinal. Blaze quarterback Tommy Grady threw for 441 yards and 10 TDs in the losing effort.

Keys to Arena Bowl XXV:

For Philadelphia:

Offense, Offense, Offense:

The Soul only had three games where they scored less than 60 points. If Philadelphia can put up at least 70 points, their defense is good enough to stop the Rattlers on a couple of possessions. The Philadelphia offense has embarrassed AFL defenses all season long, and it would be no surprise if the Soul did that in Arena Bowl XXV.

For Arizona:

Get Some Stops:

It's almost impossible to stop the Soul offense, but Arizona will need to slow it down to win the Arena Football Championship.

Prediction:

Philadelphia Soul 69, Arizona Rattlers 55

Philly's offense is way too lethal for the Rattlers, who will give a good showing, but fall short in the second half. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if the Soul score more than 69 points.

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Ignore the 7-12 record for the Iowa Barnstormers.

To them, they're 1-0 and are already thinking about the 2013 season.

After defeating the San Antonio Talons, the No. 1 overall team in Arena Football, 66-63, all the Barnstormers can do is keep positive.

“It’s certainly exciting for us to win in the fashion we did tonight,” said Barnstormers quarterback J.J. Raterink. “It’s also sad that this certain group of guys won’t be together again, but we can say we went out with a win.”

The Barnstormers won in dramatic fashion thanks to a walk-off 28-yard field goal by kicker Chris Camay, who came into that kick only 3-of-10 on the season.

“That was the season for me,” said Camay. “I’ve gone through so many highs and lows this season, but I couldn’t have gone out in better fashion tonight.”

Another Barnstormer who gets to go out in high fashion is fullback Rodney Filer.

Filer has spent 13 seasons in Arena Football and he ended it in perfect fashion in his mind.

“You always want to end a season in winning fashion,” said Filer. “After Camay made it at the end, I felt great.”

Filer first came onto the Barnstormers in 1998 after spending his four college years at Iowa. Filer has worn five different uniforms in his Arena career: the New York Dragons from 2001-04, the Las Vegas Gladiators from 2005-06, and two one-season stints with the Tampa Bay Storm in 2007 and Utah Blaze four years ago.

Filer did spend two seasons with the San Diego Chargers before returning to sign with the Barnstormers.

Filer got five carries in his career finale for 14 yards and a touchdown.

“I had a good time and kept playing,” said Filer.

One reason Filer remained to play so long in Arena Football was that he wanted his family to enjoy the experience as well.

“I wanted to let my kids see me play, and they’re old enough to remember it,” said Filer.

Barnstormers general manager John Pettit is sad to see Filer stop playing but blessed to have him inside the franchise.

“He’ll always be a part of the franchise; he’s not going far away,” said Pettit. “When you start with Rodney Filer in the locker room how he conducts himself on and off the field, that’s what you want in a leader.”

Raterink knew these guys had to get a win for their leader.

“This win means a little more for Rodney, and it was an honor to play with him,” said Raterink.

Saturday night was also a special night for Raterink. His eight touchdown passes put him as the franchise’s single-season leader for passing touchdowns.

The guy who had it before Raterink was not Kurt Warner, but Raterink’s counterpart on Saturday, Aaron Garcia.

“Any time you’re in the company of someone who may go down as the best quarterback in Arena Football, that’s certainly special,” said Raterink. “I’m humbly honored to be in that category with any of those guys when their names come up. It was nice on a personal level, but to cap it off with a win was certainly more special.”

So the offseason begins Sunday for the Barnstormers.

“There certainly are some things we need to look at,” said Head Coach Mike Hohensee.  “I just want to make sure we want to keep the guys that we want to keep, and I want to take care of our guys first, then we’ll look into free agency.”

Before heading off into the offseason, Hohensee knows how much this win propels them into the next one.

“This win was huge for the fans,” said Hohensee. “It’ll get them fired up for next season, and we had fans that came to their first game tonight and they saw a great football game.”

As all coaches do, Hohensee is disappointed to see this season end.

“I am proud of every single one of our guys,” said Hohensee. “They played with so much heart, a lot like I did when I played. These guys never gave up, and tonight, they along with fans saw that.”

Zachary James is a contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Edit: After this article was published, the AFL used its flex system to change the NFL Network game from Pittsburgh at Cleveland to Philadelphia at Milwaukee. Changes have been made accordingly.

For your Arena Football League fix, here is a short roundup of what's going on in the league.

Kenny McEntyre Returns

The 41-year-old McEntyre has played in the Arena Football League for now 14 seasons. All but one of those was spent with the Orlando Predators.

A product of Kansas State, McEntyre has been named Defensive Player of the Year three times in his career. He holds more of those awards than anyone in league history.

Last season, "The Glove" made 61 tackles, the fourth most of his career. He only had five interceptions and eight pass breakups, however, which are some of his lowest outputs.

McEntyre will suit up once again after signing with the Predators this week.

Hello, Goodbye

Say hello to Jeron Harvey, Jacksonville. The Sharks' main target has been on the injured list as of late but will return this week. So far this season, Harvey has put up good numbers, with 48 receptions for 450 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Say goodbye to Nate Forse, Milwaukee. A staple to your fans, especially those who migrated from Green Bay. He's caught 49 passes for 492 yards and five scores for the Mustangs but was traded to the Preds. He is on refused to report, however, in Orlando.

Developmental League?

AFL Commissioner Jerry Kurz said he plans to have a developmental league for the AFL next year. How he plans to do this with the indoor football market so watered-down already, who knows?

The league, however, could potentially buy out owners of a current league and take over, I presume. Doubtful the AFL wants to do that, though.

Throwback to the '90s

The Milwaukee Mustangs will be paying homage to their previous franchise when they don purple and teal for this week's game against the Philadelphia Soul.

The team had the uniforms made from replica jerseys hanging in the team offices. That means those fans who bought replica Mustangs jerseys in the '90s now have authentic ones. Nobody could find a real jersey and make the new ones identical? Shameful.

Nonetheless, the idea is a cool one, I would love to see other teams do this. Hint: Tampa Bay in the zubaz. Orlando, put claw marks back in your numbers.

NFL Network

Due to the throwback uniforms and the records, Philadelphia at Milwaukee will be broadcast on NFL Network.

The originally scheduled Pittsburgh at Cleveland game was flexed off the schedule.

Philadelphia leads the Eastern Division, while Milwaukee is trying to improve their 4-7 record to clinch a wild card spot. This division tilt could have implications on the playoffs, especially with a Milwaukee win.

The game airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Playoff Picture

Only 13 weeks into the season, it can be difficult to put a playoff picture together—especially when the season is 20 weeks long.

Currently, though, Philadelphia looks to have control of the National Conference with a 9-3 record. They lead the Glads (6-5) by 3.5 games in the Eastern Division.

The Southern Division is the one to watch. Jacksonville (6-5) leads Georgia (6-6) and Tampa Bay (6-6) each by just half a game, while New Orleans (5-6) is only one game out. Division winners and two Wild Cards make the playoffs.

In the American Conference, there will be some worthy teams left out for sure.

Currently, San Antonio (8-3) leads the Central Division, while Arizona (9-3) leads the Western Division. Every team in the Western Division owns a winning record, though.

San Jose (8-4) and Chicago (7-4) would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Utah (7-5) and Spokane (6-5) are still within striking distance, however.

Maybe the Iowa Barnstormers should be on national TV more often.

Even though the home Barnstormers (5-7) didn’t come out scoring first, the deep ball was all that mattered to quarterback J.J. Raterink and his crew tonight.

Raterink threw for nine touchdowns in a 70-62 win over the Cleveland Gladiators (6-5) Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena in front of 8,363 fans.  Even though Raterink’s nine throws into the end zone were one short of a record, his main receiver Jesse Schmidt did break a record with his 18 grabs.

“Some of the coverages that they were showing kind of dictated where I needed to go with the ball,” said Raterink. “That being said, you have to make the plays down field that the defense gives, and fortunately, we did tonight.”

It is Schmidt who usually receives the majority of the touchdowns—that was not the case in this game. Marco Thomas received three catches in the end zone while Collin Taylor got one in the first quarter to put Iowa on the board.

“Well, I think when you spread the ball around like that and get guys more involved that way, the guys will stay more in-tuned to things,” said Raterink. “I think that really helped them and allowed their defense to spread out a little bit more.”

Schmidt received the most touchdowns with five.

“Obviously, it was awesome to do it on national TV,” said Schmidt. “To have a game like that in front of all my family and a national TV crowd was certainly special.”

Defensive back Jason Simpson believes that the NFL Network, who televised the game, needs to come back.

“They are definitely welcome,” said Simpson.  “It’s nice to show people that we are better than we have played.”

Simpson had 12 tackles on the night, half unassisted and the other half assisted.

Another defensive player who had a big night was defensive back Cameron McGlenn, who stopped a major Cleveland drive with an interception that was in the end zone.

“Luckily it was a bad ball,” said McGlenn. “I stayed on him through the whole route man-to-man. He had to fall for it, and I had to tip it up and I caught it, but then he knocked it out of my hands.”

The original call was a touchdown, but was reversed to give McGlenn the credit for the pick.

“I knew that they had made the wrong call,” said McGlenn. “My hip hit the wall when the Cleveland guy touched me. It was our ball.”

Iowa went on to score on that drive in the second quarter.

Iowa dedicated their win to two fallen men who passed away this week: San Jose Sabercats fullback Johnie Kirton and Barnstormers owner Ben Silverstein, who died hours before the game.

“The players found out just before the game about Ben,” said Barnstormers Head Coach Mike Hohensee. “They didn’t need the extra motivation, but once they found out about that, I could tell they were ready to go.”

Despite not being with the franchise for very long, Raterink knew what kind of difference Silverstein made.

“He’s one of those guys who helped give us this opportunity, and you feel like that you should thank them everyday and next thing you know, he’s no longer with us. We hope he’s watching this and is as happy as can be.”

Raterink also had to mourn the loss of a former teammate with Kirton’s passing. Raterink was a teammate of his when they both played for the Chicago Rush.

“We were fantastic friends, and it just goes to show how precious life can be,” Raterink said. “He used to call me ‘Rev’ (because Raterink is an ordained minister) and used to pick me up when things got tough. He will be missed.”

Simpson also played with Kirton, and admitted that emotions ran high during the game.

“He was in my head and my heart throughout the game,” said Simpson. “He was a teammate who you wanted to get to know.”

The Barnstormers will hit the road June 9 to face the Arizona Rattlers, whom they defeated 56-54 on April 14.

Zachary James is a Contributor for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

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 Spokane Shock secured a playoff berth with a wild Hail Mary pass as time expired in a 63-61 win over the San Jose SaberCats.

Shock head coach Rob Keefe may need an updated schedule, as he said this week that “it’s the second week of the playoffs.”  In his defense, his team needed a win last week to stay alive to defend their 2010 Arena Bowl Championship. 

A win vs. the SaberCats would all but seal up the fourth playoff spot for Spokane, while a loss would put them in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

The Shock (9-8) used an opportunistic defense and a virtually perfect offensive showing last Saturday to separate themselves from the Utah Blaze in the game and standings. 

Following that win I asked Keefe about their preparation for the rematch with San Jose and he spoke about the poor treatment his team had received there in week one.  The Shock were taunted and engaged by the SaberCat players and fans alike, including a barrage of late contact and having beer poured on them.  

“Let’s not forget that San Jose beat us by about 40 points in the first week of the season.  I’m not forgetting that,” Keefe said.  “I’m not forgetting how we were treated down there.  We have some redemption coming up.”

Redemption is precisely what was in store for Spokane.  The SaberCats scored a TD with 3.9 seconds remaining in the game to give them a four-point lead.  But Shock QB Kyle Rowley connected with newly-acquired Randy Hymes for their fourth TD of the game, sealing the 63-61 victory.

“There’s no love lost between the clubs.  They were pretty brazen and pretty in our face and flamboyant when they beat us 76-48.  Something we didn’t forget about,” Keefe said. 

“Not only did we beat them but we sent them home.  They’re not in the playoffs.  They should be very proud of themselves because they had a great season.  They had a lot of injuries but I’m happy that we’re the ones that put them out.”

The game did not start off well for Spokane as San Jose won the coin toss.  After deferring their selection to the second half, SaberCat Juan Gamboa sent the opening kick off of the goal post.  It bounced back to the Spokane five-yard line and was recovered by SaberCat WR Victor James.  A TD pass from Mark Grieb to James Roe gave San Jose an early 7-0 lead.

Spokane responded with a solid drive, blending nice passes and a few defensive penalties.  After a first-down reception at the SaberCat eight-yard line, the SaberCats picked up where they left off in San Jose.

Quinton Andrews took the Shock receiver over the wall after the whistle, edging Spokane closer to the goal line.  On the following play Shock QB Erik Meyer scrambled and ran to the goal line.  A hard hit brought him down at the one-inch line and knocked him out of the game with a shoulder injury. 

Following the play Eddie Moten threw a punch to the face of a Adron Tennell.  He was ejected from the game and play was fairly clean from that point on.

Kyle Rowley scored on the shortest TD run possible, making it a 7-6 game after a missed PAT.

San Jose responded with a quick drive, capped off by a TD run by James.  On their next possession Spokane had the ball fourth-and-two at their own 15.  Rowley went deep to an open Brandon Thompkins.  The ball was catchable, but a little short.  Thompkins bobbled it and the closing defender batted it away.

San Jose scored on another James run, giving the SaberCats a 21-6 lead as the first quarter ran down.

Spokane rallied on their next possession, moving the length of the field.  The drive was capped by Hymes’ first TD reception for Spokane, closing the gap to 21-13.

San Jose had a decision to make on their next drive.  They drove the length of the field and had fourth-and-one from inside the Shock five.  They opted to tap James for yet another run; coming off the left end he took an inside handoff and was met by the Shock defenders at the line of scrimmage. 

Spokane took over on their own two-yard line and Rowley went to work.  Hi hit Adron Tennell for 12 and nine-yard gains.  After a five-yard penalty Rowley hit Hymes for a 19-yard gain.  A nine-yard sack put Spokane in second-and-long again, but not for long.  Thompkins took his running start and made a quick move to the outside.  Andrews had tight coverage on the play for San Jose, but Rowley was right on target with his pass.  A well-timed leap brought down the TD pass for Spokane.

San Jose and Spokane exchanged TDs before San Jose had time for one last drive.  Roe made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the corner of the end zone as time expired, giving the SaberCats a 35-27 lead and the opening kickoff in the second half.

The SaberCats picked up where they left off, taking their first possession of the second half to the Shock end zone on a 26-yard TD pass.  The PAT was blocked, though, and the lead was 41-27.

Spokane had a free play early in the next drive, as Rowley’s hard count again had San Jose offsides.  He had Thompkins open deep and this time hit him in stride.  However, the ball was still bobbled in the end zone for an incomplete pass.  Rowley eventually hit Tennell on a two-yard TD pass and they cut the lead to 41-34.

The SaberCats drove the field but their drive stalled in Shock territory.  They opted to try to extend their lead to two possessions with a FG attempt, but it was again blocked by the Shock defensive front. 

Rowley connected with Thompkins for a TD on the first play of the fourth quarter.  The SaberCats got a paw on the PAT, leaving Spokane trailing 41-40.

After San Jose responded with a TD, Chris Pino provided one of the biggest sparks of the game.  The 320-pound lineman took off downfield and was wide open.  Rowley hit him in all of his stride’s glory and Pino continued to rumble down to the five-yard line.  Rowley connected with Hymes for a TD pass on the next play and a 48-47 deficit.

The SaberCats again moved the ball with precision on their next drive.  Grieb found openings in the Shock secondary and threw another TD pass.  The PAT was good, despite a five-yard procedure penalty pushing the SaberCats back.

The Shock needed a quick score to close the gap, and the SaberCats obliged.  Gamboa kicked the ball to the side of the back net, giving Spokane the ball at the 20.  A nifty move by Tennell led to a 20-yard gain and Thompkins picked up eight on the following play.  Hymes was held on the following play and caught a TD pass from Rowley after the next snap. 

Trailing by two with 1:00 remaining, the Shock went for a two-point conversion.  Rowley faked an inside handoff and then pitched the ball to Thompkins coming around from the left end.  He ducked inside one defender and outraced Dwight McLean to the goal line, leaving the score tied at 55.      

This would not be the final two-point play of the game.  The ensuing kickoff was taken by Marco Thomas and he attempted to run down the left sideline.  He was stopped by a Shock defender and he turned inside where he was tackled in the end zone.  However, Thomas crossed the goal line before retreating.  The result was a safety and the Shock felt as though they were in control of the game.

The nature of Arena Ball dictates that leaving early is a bad idea, but some fans attempted to beat the rush of the 9,680 in attendance. 

Big mistake.

Another bounce went in favor of San Jose as they recovered their onside kick following the safety.  Grieb began driving the field and burning clock, throwing the go-ahead TD on the seventh play of the drive with just 3.9 seconds remaining.  They were not successful on the two-point conversion that would have made the lead six points.

The stands emptied even further as there was a break before the ensuing kickoff, an occurrence that was noticed by the players.  After the game Hymes commented “I feel bad that so many of the fans missed such an exciting finish.”

Spokane notified the officials that they intended to down the ensuing kickoff, which would lead to a one-second runoff.  Gamboa squibbed the ball downfield and Alex Teems made a clean recovery, leaving time for one final play.  Rowley made a high, deep pass down the middle of the field.  It was intended for Hymes but he was being pulled away from the play. 

“I told (Tennell) to trail the play the whole way,” Rowley said.  

He leapt for the ball, bringing it back from over the wall.  Rowley and many in attendance thought he had caught the ball, but it slipped out of his hands and right into the chest of Hymes who had closed from the side. 

Finally a bounce went the right way for Spokane.

Spokane has a game at Jacksonville next week before starting the playoffs in Arizona. 

“We could not be more thrilled right now that we’re in the playoffs after starting the season at 1-4,” Keefe said.