Rattlers’ Win Over Wranglers Keeps Hope Alive
Patrick Daly
Monday April 25, 2005
Arizona saw QB Sherdrick Bonner return to the field after injury for the second time this season and no one was more excited than Bonner himself. After getting through some pregame jitters, Bonner settled in and directed the type of Rattler offense we’ve seen in seasons past during more successful campaigns.
For Rattlers head coach Todd Shell, the decision to put Bonner back into the lineup once he was healthy was an simple decision to make despite the recent success of QB Joe Germaine. Rather than allow an injury to cost Bonner his starting spot, Shell opted to go back to veteran.
"He’s been the guy in this league for a long time," said Shell about Bonner. "Joe was really playing well, but Sed is the quarterback here and it’s unfortunate that he hasn’t been healthy. He was ready with the extra week. He looked pretty good coming up to that and so I knew he’d be ready for this game."
Bonner, despite the injuries, has made the most of his situation after spending time on the sideline.
"I love this game so much," said Bonner. "You really don’t realize what you have until it’s gone. When you’re not out there and able to do the things you’ve been blessed with the ability to do it’s tough to sit around and watch. For me, it’s been great to watch Joe come along like he has. He’s been incredible and he’s been an incredible teammate. It’s strengthened our relationship and I think it’s made me a better player."
Although this is another win against a team with a losing record—all four of Arizona’s wins have come against teams that are less than .500—this was the type of win that will build the team’s confidence.
"It’s very easy for us to be 3-8 and have the team fall apart," said Bonner. "We’ve been able to stay together. It’s been a blessing. Now the confidence is there in everyone on the team."
One person that seemed to exude confidence throughout the game was newly added kicker Gary Kral. After struggling through a 3-18 stretch of field goal attempts in Nashville the Kats cut him loose in favor of kicker Tony Dodson, who himself had been recently released by the Austin Wranglers. Kral had shown some promise last season with the New York Dragons, but couldn’t put it together with the expansion Kats.
When a nerve injury sidelined Rattlers kicker Anthony Brenner it was Kral that found himself kicking on Friday night in a Rattlers uniform. Not only did he hit all seven of his point after tries, but Kral also nailed a 48-yard field goal attempt and consistently put his kickoffs into the nets.
"He kicked really well against us in Nashville so I had no problem bringing him in here, when Anthony Brenner had the nerve problem," said Shell. "Now he may have kicked himself into a job."
In all, the important thing to come out of this win is that, while the Rattlers need a lot of help, they can still help themselves by winning out, particularly with the remaining four games all against teams that are in the thick of the Western Conference race. Although, that doesn’t mean that Arizona can look any further than this week’s trip to Los Angeles to face the 7-5 Avengers.
"We’re not really concerned about the playoffs," said Bonner. "We’ve got to get to 5-8 and each week we need to take it up. It’s not in our hands. What is in our hands is what we do on the field and that’s the only thing we can control."
For now, hope continues to glimmer in the desert and fans hope that it’s not just a mirage.
"It’s one week at a time," said Shell. "We’ve got to be 8-8. Who knows what’s going to happen."
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.
