Grand Rapids Shows Life in Loss to VooDoo
Randy Snow
Sunday April 24, 2005
For a team that has struggled offensively and defensively at times this season, the Rampage (1-11) gave the visiting New Orleans VooDoo (8-4) all they could handle on Saturday night in the first ever meeting between the two teams.
The Rampage put forth a valiant effort against a solid team. However, Grand Rapids came up on the short end of a 49-47 loss to the VooDoo in front of a raucous crowd of 8,422 at the Van Adel Arena.
It was evident that the Rampage came to play right from the start when WR/DB Josh Bush caught a 39-yard pass for a touchdown from quarterback Michael Bishop on the second play from scrimmage, giving Grand Rapids a 7-0 lead. Look for this catch to be one of the top plays on AFL Weekly this week as Bush bobbled the ball no less than three times but never lost his concentration and held on for the score as he rolled into the end zone. It would be Bush’s only catch of the night but what a catch it was.
"When I was adjusting to the ball, I kind of lost track of it in the lights," said Bush. "I felt it hit my hands, but once it hit my hands, it popped out. I had to catch it about two or three times. The only thing I was thinking about was when I dropped that ball in the Chicago game. There was no way I could drop this one."
The VooDoo countered with a one-play dive of their own on their first possession, a 45-yard catch and run by WR/DB Lamont Moore, to tie the game. Bush then took the ensuing kickoff and ran it all the way down to the New Orleans 5-yard line, setting up a touchdown catch by WR/LB Anthony Hines and a 14-7 lead for Grand Rapids.
By the end of the first half, the Rampage trailed New Orleans 28-24. Grand Rapids head coach Sparky McEwen was interviewed at halftime and he commented that he had not heard a Rampage crowd this enthusiastic at a Rampage game since the 2001 Arena Bowl.
The Grand Rapids defense held the VooDoo scoreless in the third quarter but could only score once themselves. Kicker Peter Martinez connected on a 54-yard field goal after missing a 60-yard attempt in the first quarter. The kick was an AFL career best for Martinez and made the score 28-27 at the end of the third quarter. Martinez’ career best was a 55-yard field goal in 2003 while playing with the af2 Richmond Speed.
In the fourth quarter, McEwen decided to make a quarterback change, replacing Bishop with Nick Browder, after the offense could not take advantage of the third quarter shutout by the Grand Rapids defense. "We came out (in the second half) and we got stopped twice after our defense made back-to-back stops. We just felt that we needed a spark at that time," said McEwen.
Late in the fourth, FB/LB Chris Avery fumbled the ball while trying to score, but Rampage OL/DL Teto Simpson was there to recover the loose ball in the end zone for the touchdown. It was Simpson’s first AFL touchdown. A two-point conversion attempt failed and the Rampage still trailed 35-33.
With just over a minute left in the game and trailing 42-40, Grand Rapids did something they have not done all season long. They recovered an onside kick. However, in the final minute, New Orleans intercepted a Browder pass and ran it back for a touchdown, increasing their lead to 49-40. The Rampage countered with a touchdown by WR/DB Timon Marshall with 18 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the ensuing onside kick by Grand Rapids was recovered by New Orleans, who ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
Earlier this season, the Rampage offense was putting up some serious points, scoring 50 points or more in four games. But the defense had allowed their opponents to score over 60 points in six of their games. Despite their record, it was obvious that the team has not given up on the season, and it was also evident that the fans who were there Saturday night have not given up on this team either. If their performance against the VooDoo is any indication, fans can expect this team to keep fighting right to the end.
NEXT GAME
The Rampage (1-11) take on the Colorado Crush (8-4) next Saturday night at the Van Andel Arena. Kickoff is set for 8:00PM. The game will also be broadcast regionally on FOX Sports Net.
RANDOM THOUGHT
On the second day of NFL Draft this past weekend, one college player selected was unique among his peers. Taken in the 5th round by the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Adrian McPherson from Florida State already had pro football experience on his resume. McPherson played Arena football during the 2004 season with the Indiana Firebirds. Ironically, 10 years earlier, another Florida State alum, Tamarick Vanover, also played pro football prior to being drafted into the NFL. Vanover spent the 1994 season with the Las Vegas Posse of the Canadian Football League and then was drafted in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Both players left college early due to NCAA rules violations.
Randy Snow covered the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League for ArenaFan from 2003-2008. He also covered the Fort Wayne Fusion of arenafootball2 in 2007. From 2004-2008 and in 2010, he was a member of the Arena Football League Writer’s Association and, since 2011, has been a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association. Randy lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan but will travel just about anywhere for a football game or a great football story. He runs the web site www.theworldoffootball.com and hosts a podcast with his son, Adam, called “This Week in The World of Football.”
