Rattlers Down to One More Game
Patrick Daly
Friday June 20, 2003
Once again, it comes down to one game. This time it will determine whether it is Arizona or the Tampa Bay Storm who spends the offseason wondering what might have been.
There are plenty of storylines for this game. For example, Storm head coach Tim Marcum has compiled 157 total victories and six league titles, while Rattlers head coach Danny White holds the number two spot with 128 wins with two ArenaBowl titles. In their previous meetings, Tampa Bay holds a 6-4 advantage.
 This Could be Sherdrick Bonner`s last game Image courtesy of Ken LaRue |
In a way, the Storm may have contributed to the Rattlers’ second half success. A number of key mistakes cost the Rattlers a shot to beat Tampa Bay in a game that ended in an embarrassing 68-39 loss and dropped the Rattlers to 4-5. White singled out two of his veterans, WR/LB Hunkie Cooper and WR/DB Randy Gatewood, in a seemingly risky move that instead motivated the entire team to begin a 9-1 run the following week.
Now, all of that is behind them and the regular season means virtually nothing.
“Whatever happened in the regular season is not important right now,” said Cooper. “We know that San Jose beat us twice and we came back and they’re sitting at home. Tampa Bay, they beat us pretty bad and I don’t think they think it’s going to be the same kind of cakewalk. They’ve got to beat us on Sunday. That’s what matters. What they did earlier in the season doesn’t matter.”
What also matters is how the Rattlers have come together over the course of the season, melding experienced veterans with younger players who continue to push the envelope of their own talents. It’s that chemistry that has played a key role as the season has progressed.
“I think, more than anything, it’s been the natural maturing process of this team,” said White about the factors contributing to Arizona’s success. “The chemistry has kicked in. We got healthy. I think those two things, more than anything else, are the reason for the turnaround. I think there is a lot of pride here, too. We’ve got some veteran players that don’t like losing very much.”
That includes Cooper, who remains the heart of the Rattlers.
“Last year was sickening,” said Cooper about last season’s ArenaBowl loss. “I’ve never been to a championship game and lost. That thing still rides in me. We got San Jose off our backs. We beat the world champs and there’s no better way to win a championship than to go through the world champions.”
After the semifinal win in San Jose, Cooper’s emotion showed through during a postgame interview on NBC. However, that emotion was not the result of the win over the SaberCats, but due to the fact that the Rattlers were once again headed to the ArenaBowl.
“It’s not so much beating San Jose, but just being in the championship game and getting there again,” said Cooper. “When we were 4-5, everybody doubted us. Nobody believed in us but the 30 guys we have around here. We knew that we could be 1-0 every week.
“Now we’ve got things rolling the way we need to be rolling. We’ve just got to go down and play one more good game and be 1-0 at the end of next week.”
That shot to go 1-0 just one more time is truly special for veterans like QB Sherdrick Bonner, who may call it a career after Sunday.
“We’re blessed to be here and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to win a championship,” said Bonner. “You never know when you’re going to get back to this point. That really hit home, especially with the older players. It’s an awesome experience, but to take advantage of it is key.”
To take advantage of this opportunity, the Rattlers need to continue the defensive momentum they’ve built over the last few weeks. Tampa Bay has already demonstrated they can rush the passer and force errors. The Rattlers need to match that and even do the Storm one better.
“The further you get in the playoffs, the more defense typically plays a role,” said White. “I think it will come down to defensive stops. I don’t think this is a game where both teams are going to score at will. One team is going to get five [stops] and the other team is going to get six, and the one that gets six is going to win.”
One of the players helping provide those stops has been Gatewood. While he exploded for big numbers against San Jose last week, he also grabbed a key interception in the semifinals against San Jose that helped close out the win. That pick goes along with his team record nine interceptions during the regular season.
“I think what it’s going to boil down to in this game is who makes the least amount of turnovers, mistakes and mental errors,” said Gatewood. “If we can continue to execute like we have the last nine or ten weeks, we like our chances and we feel like we’ve got a really good chance to win this game.”
So, throw out the past and live in the now.
“This is a new season,” said Bonner. “This is one game, all or nothing.”
Just Kick It
Only one previous ArenaBowl has come down to a late field goal, when David Cool’s 19-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Orlando Predators to a 41-38 win over the Nashville Kats in ArenaBowl XIV. With a potential defensive battle on Sunday, ArenaBowl XVII might just come down to a big kick.
“Eventually, in one of these games, it’s going to come down to it,” said Rattlers kicker Nelson Garner. “I’m surprised more games haven’t this year. You’ve got to be ready when it does.”
That means Garner had better be prepared should the need arise. And, that’s exactly what’s he’s been working towards.
“I’ve been trying all year, especially in the playoffs, to prepare myself each week, more mentally than physically, for that opportunity,” said Garner. “I’m out here trying to create scenarios in my mind and replay those scenarios in my mind a hundred times at night. When you’re laying in bed you just envision it.”
Whether it’s golf, baseball or the kicking game, mental preparation can play a big part of success.
“I’m not a huge sports psychology guy, but the more times you can positively envision it, the better chance you have.”
Given that attitude, would Garner welcome the opportunity to make a game-winning kick? The answer: “Yes, Absolutely.”
“I’d be happy if we won by 28,” said Garner. “But sure, I’d love the opportunity to win it.”
No matter what happens, it sounds like he’ll be ready.
Patrick Daly has been an Arena Football League enthusiast since he first stumbled across the late-night ESPN broadcasts and has followed the Arizona Rattlers since their inaugural season in 1992. He graduated from Arizona State University with an engineering degree and is currently a member of a web development team for Direct Alliance in Tempe. Patrick currently resides in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona with his beautiful wife, son and a very large football helmet collection.
