The Spokane Shock are playoff bound. Following a much needed bye week, the Shock defeated the Tampa Bay Storm by a score of 63-49. Spokane showed some rust early in the game, but managed to rebound in the second half to topple the American Conference foe. They improve to 11-4 and maintain a second place spot in the division.

The first half of Saturday’s contest belonged to the Storm. Adrian McPherson was a late scratch, leaving unproven backup Randy Hippeard to take the snaps for Tampa Bay. Hippeard took advantage of his opportunity early, throwing four first half touchdowns and running for a fifth. The Shock defense was on its heels in the early going. Every Storm possession ended with Shock players catching their breath and a Storm player celebrating in the endzone. It started when Erik Meyer threw a rare interception on the first Shock drive of the evening. Tampa Bay would take advantage of the blunder and capture an early possession lead. Later, Storm kicker Juan Bongarra’s kick would awkwardly bounce off the bar and was recovered by Tampa Bay. Only a late Shock touchdown as time expired stopped the Storm from going into the locker room with a two touchdown advantage.

The game still appeared to be slipping away from Spokane as the second half kicked off. Tampa Bay received the second half kickoff, and wore down Spokane with a five minute touchdown drive. The Storm held a comfortable 42-28 lead. The contest had been dominated by Tampa Bay, but it was about to unravel for them.

After Spokane pulled within seven points, Tampa Bay began to falter. After scoring with ease all evening, Spokane’s defense held strong and stopped the Storm offense on downs. The Shock would not be denied on their following drive, and tied the football game at 42. Tampa Bay needed a strong offensive drive to retake the lead and stop the bleeding. They would never get their chance. The ensuing kickoff this time bounced in the Shock’s favor, a net recovery. Another touchdown and suddenly the Shock had scored 21 unanswered points. Tampa Bay would not be able to recover from the sudden momentum swing.

Besides an opening drive turnover, the offense played up to its usual standards. Erik Meyer had another efficient game, carving up Tampa Bay’s defense to the tune of 303 yards and seven touchdowns. He posted a 71% completion percentage. Meyer’s sterling play at quarterback this season has been remarkable. Despite ranking second in passing attempts, he has thrown only eight interceptions. He leads the league in passing touchdowns and passer rating. Although I would argue that Nick Davila is the better AFL quarterback, it would be hard to argue against Meyer as the league MVP.

Meyer has the luxury of a fine receiving corps, and they stayed true to their reputation on Saturday. Brandon Thompkins had one of the best games of his career. He was the focal point of the offense, catching 12 passes for 123 yards and five touchdowns. The third receiver spot had been a revolving door before Thompkins, but his ascension has solidified the roster spot and given Meyer three talented options in the passing game. Although they were plagued by a few drops early, they rebounded to have another solid outing.

The Shock’s game against the Storm was fairly standard procedure: Some adversity at times, but another comfortable win for one of the AFL's premier teams. The Shock are now officially in the playoffs, but can’t relax for even a second. The San Jose Sabercats are hot on their tail, also with an 11-4 record. Second place in the West will be crucial. Third place will have to travel to Phoenix and attempt to knock off the Arizona Rattlers, a tall task. But with two victories over the Sabercats this season, Spokane controls their destiny. Keep winning, and they will take on the Central Division champion instead of the Rattlers. Part two of the Shock’s Florida road trip takes place this Saturday. It will be another rematch, this time against the Jacksonville Sharks, who were soundly beaten a month ago in Spokane. Kickoff is set for 4:00 PM PST.
 

Jeffrey Giuliani is a sports journalist from Renton, Washington. He is a senior at Western Washington Univeristy where he is studying journalism. Giuliani is currently the sports editor for his college paper, The Western Front and hopes to move on to a daily after obtaining his degree. This will be his third season covering the Spokane Shock for ArenaFan.