Spokane 65 - Stockton 47
Sunday July 13, 2008
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Spokane Shock used a 21-6 run through the span of the final three quarters to snap the Stockton Lightning (4-11) two-game winning streak, sending the Lightning to a 65-47 defeat before a crowd of 4,919 at Stockton Arena on Saturday, in Week 16 of arenafootball2 play.
The Shock, who improved to 13-1 to clinch the best record in the af2 for the 2008 season, improved to a 7-0 clip against the Lightning in the lifetime series. QB Nick Davila, the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, threw for 269 yards, 5 touchdowns and a 23-for-41 clip while WR Andy Olsen posted 11 catches, 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Lightning QB Andy Collins was held to a season-low 142 passing yards, completing a 16-for-31 rate while managing 5 touchdown passes.
Spokane jumped out to a 21-6 lead into the second quarter before the Lightning answered with a 15-2 spurt, beginning with a 32-yard rush by Collins with 9:34 left in the first half. DL Manase Hopoi then took down Davila in the end-zone for a safety and five-yard sack with 7:06 remaining, cutting the Lightning deficit to 23-14.
DB Ruschard Dodd-Masters, who garnered JLS Ironman of the Game honors, ran back a 57-yard kick return for a touchdown - the first Lightning score from a kickoff this season - to close the gap to 23-21 with 6:54 left.
Spokane then embarked on their game-deciding run with 5:29 left, when Davila found Olson on a 28-yard pass to the left corner of the end zone to hike the Shock lead to 30-21.
Spokane scored the first two tallies of the second half on a safety by Harrison Nikolao and a one-yard keeper by Davila with 7:05 left, stretching the Lightning deficit to 39-21. Justin Taplin answered with his first of two TD catches of the game - a 12-yard pass from Collins with 4:54 left - cutting the Shock lead to 39-27. The touchdown helped the Lightning surpass the 2,000 point total in the franchise’s three-year history.
Ex-Lighting receiver and former AFL all-Ironman Etu Molden posted the next two Spokane scores to push the margin back to 51-27 when he hauled in a 21-yard bullet from Davila, then recovered an onside kick and ran it back for 35-yards for a touchdown with 14:09 left.
In the fourth quarter, the Lightning were outscored 26-20 when Collins threw his final 3 of 5 touchdown passes in the game and Davila found Olson on a 17-yard connection for Olson’s second receiving score of the game. Spokane backup QB Jason Murietta’s one-yard keeper and Lighting FB Andre King’s 7-yard touchdown reception finished the scoring.
