Gladiators Earn Much Needed Win
Marc Viquez
Monday May 14, 2001
New Jersey bullied their way for 47-unanswered points., They did not allow Detroit to score until midway through the 3rd quarter, and did not even let them have the extra point. The end result was not even close, as New Jersey played strongly on both sides of the ball. The team scored 30 points alone in the 2nd quarter, a point total they had not even reached in their first four games of the season!
Gladiators QB Connell Maynor knew that it was only a matter of time before the team started winning, as he shined the way he did last August in Arenabowl XIV, completing 17 out of 25 passes for 225 yards and six touchdowns. There were no late game leads blown tonight, as Detroit could not get anything to work right at the Continental Airlines Arena floor. It seemed that everything went the Gladiators way, penalties, dropped passes, missed PATs, and lucky bounces.
The Gladiators’ defense wreaked havoc on Fury QB Scott Semptimphelter, as they sacked him 5 times and picked him off 4 times. The first two lead to scores in the first half, as did a fumble recovery by Chris Brantley in the 2nd half. The Fury came in with two straight wins, but they looked like the winless team in tonight’s massacre.
It was a joyous celebration as the team has bitten the bite of the Red Dogs’ ghost. Maynor, the game’s MVP, and the rest of his teammates, signed autographs to young fans on poster night. The sidelines were stacked full of players signing hats, shirts, posters, and any other paraphernalia. Maynor, even threw one of his game towels to a young boy.
This was a good night to be a Gladiators fan with a good old-fashion shellacking and a hopefully rejuvenated squad that had hit a few bumps the first four weeks. The team travels to Orlando next weekend to battle a team that has had its own troubles this season. The team showcased their brutal assault of offense and defense, and hope to continue the march for a few more weeks. The first win is out of the way, assuring the team of better things to come in this young 2001 season.
A fan of the sport since 1990 Marc has covered both the New Jersey Gladiators and Cincinnati Swarm (Af2) for Arenafan Online. Marc now resides in Indianapolis after graduating with a Masters in Sports Management from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind. When not at a Firebirds game Marc can be found traveling the Midwest covering sports for various Internet and print publications.
