Rattlers Destroy Columbus, Win Third Straight
Brian Knapp
Sunday March 7, 2004
“The last few weeks we’ve turned it up a notch in practice, and its paid off in the game,” wide receiver/defensive back Randy Gatewood said.
Players such as quarterback Sherdrick Bonner, offensive specialist Siaha Burley, and lineman Wendell Gaines have quickly lifted the Rattlers out of the cellar and into the driver’s seat. Bonner was clicking on all cylinders in the win over Columbus, completing 11 of 14 passes for 148 yards and four touchdowns.
Burley was on the receiving end of two of those scores, caught two more from backup quarterback Joe Germaine, and added a 54-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Burley ended the evening with 199 total yards and five scores, which isn’t bad for a receiver who caught just 34 passes last season. Gaines recorded four tackles on the night, and caught a touchdown pass for the second week in a row.
“Siaha is getting better,” Rattlers head coach Danny White said. “He’s got great instincts; he sees things and just reacts to it.”
The Destroyers didn’t look like a 1-3 team early, as they answered all three Rattler scores with touchdowns, taking a 21-17 lead midway through the second quarter. Quarterback Ryan Vena hooked up with Cornelius White for a touchdown, and added a score of his own on a sneak from two yards out. White led the Destroyers with 99 yards and two touchdowns.
The Rattlers quickly stole the momentum from Columbus as Bonner and Burley hooked up twice in the final two minutes of the first half, giving Arizona a 10-point halftime lead.
The floodgates opened midway through the third quarter as the Rattlers scored three unanswered touchdowns, taking a 30-point lead. Bonner, Burley, Gatewood, and fullback/linebacker Bo Kelly each scored for the Rattlers in the second half. The Destroyers cut the lead to 16 with 55 seconds left, but it was too little, too late.
“It was a nice game to come out and take control of in the second half,” coach White said. “Guys played hard up front, and we played solid on both sides of the ball.”
The Rattlers played well on defense as well as on special teams against Columbus, forcing two turnovers (interception and turnover on downs) and two missed field goals by Steve Videtich.
The intensity factor has definitely increased for the Rattlers in the past three weeks. The team that three weeks ago appeared destined for an ugly season now looks like a team with the fire to win.
“I think guys now are getting more comfortable with what they’re doing so they can be more aggressive and have that intensity,” defensive specialist Ricky Parker said.
Arizona must now turn its attention to next Sunday’s intra-division match up with the Las Vegas Gladiators. Despite winning three straight, coach White believes his team has some things to work on before hitting the road to Las Vegas. Missed tackles and confusion in the secondary are primary targets that the Rattlers plan to work on during the long week.
“We’ve got to be careful, because these last three games are teams that we should have beat,” White said. “We’ve got to focus on the fact that we’re playing a quality team, and batten down the hatches for this one, because this is going to be a tough game.”
Brian Knapp was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2003 to 2005.
