The Old South Rises Again
Jason Lucas
Monday May 31, 2004
Both Orlando and Tampa Bay were down in the middle of the season; counted out by the experts and opposing fans alike. Neither team ever really believed they were done and have miraculously qualified for the AFL playoffs in stunning style.
Orlando, with their 52-50 win over the Los Angeles Avengers, clinched the number six playoff seed. Orlando trailed by a point with one second remaining when newly signed kicker Jason Wells knocked in a 31-yard field goal at the buzzer. This sent the Predators into a mad celebration on the turf at the Staples Center closing out the regular season with a 10-6 record and a trip to face third seeded Chicago this Sunday.
Tampa Bay clinched the seventh seed in the AFL playoffs by virtue of defeating the Dallas Desperados on Sunday, 59-57, and finished the season with a 9-7 record. With the win, Tampa Bay will head out to California to face the second seeded San Jose SaberCats on Saturday.
Over the last 13 seasons Orlando and Tampa Bay have each made the playoffs one way or another. This season, despite lingering around .500 all year, they have both still found a way to make the AFL playoffs.
Orlando and Tampa Bay have met 35 times in their hated rivalry, the “War on I-4.” The players do not like one another, and the fans are not supposed to like one another, although I could tell you differently. This season, the fans of Tampa and Orlando never gave up on their teams, and for the last six weeks or so, they have pulled for each other to get into the playoffs. Fans from both teams have called for an Orlando against Tampa Bay ArenaBowl, and despite the odds it still has a chance to happen.
Ladies and gents the Predators and Storm have risen to the occasion once again. The Old South has been down this year, but it has risen once again. The Orlando Predators and the Tampa Bay Storm are two teams poised with years of experience and they are coming out to eliminate all of the competition to bring Arenabowl XVIII to Orlando for “War on I-4” XXXVI.
Jason Lucas is a part-time freelance writer based in the Orlando, Florida area. A former director of media relations with the Orlando Predators, Jason is making his return to Arenafan.com after a short stint as a public relations assistant with the UFL‘s Florida Tuskers in 2010. Lucas has followed the AFL since 1992 and began covering the Predators for Arenafan during the 2004 season. He held that position until being picked up by the Preds front office after the 2007 season. Jason‘s knowledge of arena football and love of the game is what drives him to continue covering the sport.
