Grand Rapids alone atop the Central Division
Randy Snow
Tuesday April 1, 2003
After completing a three game road trip that saw the team win one and lose two, Grand Rapids rebounded with a 48-34 victory over division rival Chicago on Saturday night. It was the Rampage’s only home game in the month of March. The 48 points scored represents only the second time this season that the team has failed to score at least 51 points in a game. The Rampage (6-3) now have a one game lead in the Central Division over the Dallas Desperados (5-4).
Both teams were fairly even during the first half of the game. Each scored two touchdowns and missing an extra point to make the score 13-13 at the half.
The Rampage opened up a fourteen point lead in the fourth quarter, but Chicago’s Antonio Chatman ran the ensuing kickoff back 54 yards for a touchdown and the Grand Rapids lead was cut to seven. On the very next series, Rampage QB Clint Dolezel threw a touchdown pass as he was falling to the turf and Grand Rapids was back up by two scores.
Trailing by seven with 58 seconds to go in the fourth, the Rush attempted an onside kick, but Grand Rapids recovered the ball and scored on the resulting drive. Any hope of a comeback by Chicago ended with 30 seconds remaining when Grand Rapids’ Willis Marshall intercepted Rush QB Billy Dicken. The Rampage then ran out the clock.
Miscues were the story of the game for both sides. Chicago missed a field goal and an extra point, was intercepted four times and sacked once. Grand Rapids was intercepted once, sacked once, fumbled once and had an extra point blocked.
Grand Rapids home record so far this season is 3-1 while their road record is 3-2. For the Rampage (and the Dorothy, too) there really is no place like home.
Awards
For their efforts in the game, Rampage QB Clint Dolezel (22 of 30 for 317 yards passing and 5 touchdowns) and DS Mark Ricks (2 interceptions in the second quarter) were named co-MVPs of the game. It was Ricks’ first game in a Rampage uniform. He was signed by the team on March 20 after being released by Arizona. WR/DB Willis Marshall, who ran for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, was named the Ironman of the Game.
Saturday Night Live
Even though there were no nationally televised AFL games Sunday on NBC, the Rampage game against the Rush was aired locally Saturday night by the team’s flagship station, WXSP-TV, Channel 18 in Grand Rapids. It was also the third sellout in four home games so far this season and the seventh in the team’s six year history. They also had three sellouts last season.
Next up for Grand Rapids is another game on the road. They travel to Indianapolis this Saturday to take on another Central Division rival, the Indiana Firebirds (4-5).
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.”