Rampage Hold off Avengers
Randy Snow
Monday May 23, 2005
On Saturday night, Grand Rapids scored over 70 points for the first time this season as a crowd of 7,598 witnessed a 71-65 Rampage win over the visiting Los Angeles Avengers. The loss kept LA from clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs in the American Conference. The game also saw Rampage quarterback Michael Bishop break the single-season rushing record.
The Avengers (10-6) started the game with a 13-0 lead early in the contest. Trailing 7-0, Rampage quarterback Michael Bishop was sacked on the team’s first play from scrimmage and fumbled the ball. It was recovered by LA at the 16-yard line. The Avengers scored one play later on a pass from quarterback John Kaleo to OS Tony Locke, but the PAT was missed. By the end of the first quarter, Los Angeles had extended their lead to 20-7.
Rampage FB/LB Chris Avery did his part in the second quarter to get Grand Rapids back into the game. He scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to close the gap to 20-14. Then, on the ensuing Avenger possession, Avery tackled Kaleo in the end zone for a safety making the score 20-16. Kaleo was also flagged for intentional grounding on the play when he threw the ball into the stands, trying to avoid the sack.
Down by four points, Grand Rapids missed a golden opportunity to add to their score after getting the ball back following the safety. The ensuing Rampage drive stalled and kicker Peter Martinez missed a 39-yard field goal attempt. At halftime, the Rampage trailed by seven, 30-23.
In the third quarter, the Avengers put in backup quarterback Brian Mann, who played the remainder of the game. The two teams traded touchdowns in a seesaw quarter that saw each team score three touchdowns. Neither team blinked as they each scored 21 points apiece. The start of the fourth quarter saw Grand Rapids training 51-44, but Rampage WR/DB Timon Marshall took a kickoff back 57 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the quarter to tie the game, 51-51.
Down 58-51, and with the ball on the 2-yard line, Bishop handed the ball off to Avery on a running play. Avery was stopped by the Avenger defense, but managed to lateraled the ball back to Bishop, who ran in for a 2-yard touchdown. Bishop celebrated the touchdown by throwing the ball into the stands and was penalized for un-sportsmanlike conduct. After being backing up five yards for the extra point try, LA blocked the PAT, leaving Grand Rapids down by one point, 58-57.
On the ensuing kickoff, Grand Rapids caught a huge break when the ball bounced off the iron and was recovered by Rampage DS Damon Mason at the seven yard line. He then ran in for a touchdown. Grand Rapids took the lead for good, 64-58.
Rampage DS JoJo Polk recovered a fumble on the ensuing Avenger drive, which led to a four-yard touchdown run by Grand Rapids FB/LB Travis Reece, his second of the game. Reece’s first touchdown came in the second quarter when a high pass from Bishop ricocheted off the iron and he came down with the ball in the end zone.
The Rampage led 71-58 with one minute remaining in the game, But LA scored with fourteen seconds left, closing to within six, 71-65. Los Angeles tried an onside kick, but Rampage WR/DB Dennison Robinson recovered the it at the 13-yard line. Bishop ran the final 12 seconds off the clock by throwing a couple of passes in the upper deck, this time, without being penalized.
Bishop completed 21 of 29 passes for 199 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran four times for 36 yards and another touchdown. In the process, he broke the single-season rushing record of 429 yards set by quarterback Major Harris of the Columbus Thunderbolts back in 1991. He was named Offensive Player of the Game.
He is the first player in the league to have 3,000 yards passing and 300 yards rushing in a single season. In 2005, Bishop had 3,355 yards passing and threw 57 touchdowns. He also had 459 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground.
"(The record) is for the fans. For everyone that’s keeping up with AFL football. It’s a good thing for them," said Bishop. "But for me, the win is more important than the record. If you play football for a long time, the records are going to come. As for me, I’m going to take it with a grain of salt and move on and make myself a better quarterback for the AFL and a better quarterback for the Grand Rapids Rampage."
As a team, the Rampage also set a new league record for team rushing yards in a single season with 766. The 1991 Columbus Thunderbolts also previously held that record too with 747 yards.
After the game, Rampage head coach Sparky McEwen reflected on his first season at the helm of the team. He said perseverance was the key factor in the team’s late season turnaround. "Early in the season, the ball didn’t bounce our way," McEwen said. "But I told (the players) to keep working hard and good things will happen to you. It worked itself out."
He also said that he has a lot of respect for the other coaches in the league who have been successful at this level over the years. "Its hard to win in this game. If you take a look at the winning coaches in this league, your hat has to go off to them. I’ve got a long road ahead of me. But as long as I work hard, I think we can continue to squeak out victories."
Other Game Awards
Rampage FB/LB Chris Avery rushed 4 times for 43 yards, one touchdown and recorded a safety in the game. He was named Ironman of the Game for the second week in a row. Rampage DS Damon Mason was named Defensive Player of the Game for the second week in a row also.
Good Guys Where White
The Rampage wore their white road uniforms at home for the first time Saturday night. Fans had an opportunity to purchase the game worn home player jerseys as well as the road jerseys that were worn during the game. The advantage to buying a home jersey? They had been washed!
Enlistment Ceremony
As part of Armed Forces Day, 50 young men and women from the Grand Rapids area, who had recently enlisted in the United States Army, took the Oath of Enlistment on Centennial Wireless Field at Van Andel Arena, in a pre-game ceremony. Just about the time that you get all caught up in the importance of a game, or a team, or a record, something happens that puts things back into the proper perspective. This was one of those things.
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.”
