Small Steps for Gladiators Lead to Big Win in Cleveland

Jonah Rosenblum
Sunday June 8, 2014

Gladiators tie franchise record with 10th win as they easily down sloppy Barnstormers.

Cleveland has made winning look hard of late, whether it was having to come back late against Philadelphia or trailing all evening in Pittsburgh.

It doesn't have to be.

And it wasn't Saturday, as the Gladiators tied a franchise record with their 10th win of the season, easily pushing aside the Iowa Barnstormers, 86-49, at downtown Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland maintained a one-and-a-half game lead in the East with Saturday's win.

The Gladiators (10-1) took an enormous lead early based on a few big throws and a few bigger gaffes by the Iowa Barnstormers (6-6).

Cleveland's quick and dominant lead wasn't based on arcing passes down the left sideline or leaping defensive backs undercutting the Iowa wideouts. In fact, the Gladiators led 21-7 after a quarter despite being out-gained 85-57. They led by 30 at the half despite an advantage one-sixth the size, a measly five, when it came to the yardage battle.

Cleveland won by doing the little things right.

With Aaron Pettrey struggling to get length on his kicks early, a capable coverage unit filled the void. On the first Cleveland kickoff of the game, Brandon Stephens sped down the field and successfully pursued the returner toward the sideline as he cut right. On the second, the coverage unit quickly filled up the space down the middle to stuff the Barnstormers returner. By the fourth quarter, after Gladiators defensive back Dominic Jones leapt on his back at the six, frustrated Barnstormers returner Julian Williams had nothing left to do but slam the ball into the turf.

Meanwhile, Cleveland kick returner Dominic Jones unleashed his usual havoc. Already leading 41-14, Jones fielded a low line drive and paused for what in football equates to an eternity. He cut right, before stepping back artfully at the five, and turning left. Aided by a big block, he made it to midfield along the left sideline, before once again stepping out and heading right for a few extra yards. One play later, Shane Austin arced one to Collin Taylor for a score.

Easy.

In the first quarter, Shane Austin had five completions - two for touchdowns. On the game's first play from scrimmage, he hit Dominick Goodman on a screen, an easy pass to complete but only a perfect throw would lead Goodman properly. It was perfect and off Goodman went, tilting left and eluding tacklers for a 34-yard gain. Austin finished the drive with a plunge into the end zone. On Cleveland's next possession, Collin Taylor broke double zone coverage, slanting left through the two defensive backs and Austin found him right before he hit the back wall for the score.

And while Cleveland played with precision, Iowa played with anything but.

The Barnstormers struggled to figure out the center-quarterback connection early, leading to two first-half turnovers, key in a game where stops come at a premium,

Even when quarterback Brian Reader actually got the ball in his hands, he struggled with the speed of the game. There is a certain clock in the Arena Football League that is perceptible in Section 209 in the upper rafters as much as it is to the wise wizards of the press box. Thrice, Reader waited in the pocket. The first time, he took a sack, tantalizingly close to a safety. That one wasn't his fault. He was working with limited space and his first option was quickly sealed off. The second time, the defense slowly closed in on him. Apparently unaware, Reader took a hit from Anthony DeGrate. The third was more deadly, as Randy Colling hit Reader as the ball crowned out of his hand. Luke Black was there to pick up the carnage.

On the other hand, on one of their few broken plays all night long, Austin stumbled right of the pocket but deftly recovered in time to flip the ball into the stands.

Easy.

And when you build a 30-point lead at the half, well, the driver's seat is a pretty nice place to be. After Iowa came out of the locker room with a quick touchdown, the Barnstormers, forced by desperate circumstances to gamble, went with an onside kick. The Gladiators recovered and stumbled and pushed and fought their way into the end zone.

Easy.

Not a word most Cleveland sports fans are used to hearing.

Leadership: Credit Willie McGinnis for approaching Pettrey as he marched off the field following an errant kickoff wide of the rebound net, and giving his teammate a fist bump. Small gestures can go a long way.

Welcome to the CLE: Tom Gilson added some quick speed to the Gladiators' receiving corps, balancing the toughness that is characteristic among Thyron Lewis, Dominick Goodman and Collin Taylor. He had a big grab on third-and-long from the Cleveland one, one of the few moments of fear at Quicken Loans Arena all night long, as he got a break on his crossing route. He then showed a strong hand as he made another catch despite lacking any separation. Finally, in the third quarter, he took a hard shove into the boards and held on for a score.

Whispered Warning: Iowa didn't do much right Saturday and Cleveland didn't do much wrong, but that being said, Darius Reynolds did manhandle the Gladiators defense. One postcard play featured Reynolds pushing Stephens off and leaving Stephens on his butt on a 49-yard touchdown grab. He ended the first half with six grabs for 153 yards and two scores. He started the second the same way, easily reaching over Dominic Jones for a score. Safe to say nearly every Gladiators defender bounced off, was left in the dust by or reached over for a touchdown by Reynolds at some point.

Just Kicking It: Aaron Pettrey was short on his kickoffs to start but he quickly gained power and more important, demonstrated precision on extra points, making six of seven in the first half and 10 of 11 overall and striking the ball as squarely as he has all season. He ended perhaps his best half of the season with a 25-yarder right through the uprights as the halftime horn went off.

Underrated: In a secondary featuring stars like Dominic Jones and veterans like Joe Phinisee, a guy like Marrio Norman can slip through the cracks. Make no mistake about it though, the defensive back had one of the game's biggest plays with Cleveland leading 21-7 toward the end of the first quarter. On fourth and goal from the Iowa 24 (yes, the Iowa 24, you read that correctly), Reader completed it to the always dangerous Reynolds in the middle of the field. Reynolds nearly had it with several blocks helping him along, but Norman broke through the pack, getting a helmet on Reynolds right as he made his leap. Reynolds ultimately came close, crashing down inches from the goal line.

Jekyll's Back: After an uncharacteristically wild evening in Pittsburgh, Shane Austin was deadly in Cleveland, hitting all the tight seams. He finished the first half having completed 14-of-20 and other than one overthrow on a deep ball was nearly perfect. One example came in the first, as Austin found Lewis right on the right sideline for a 17-yard touchdown. Lewis didn't have much room. Indeed, his defensive back was on him (and ended up flipped over the wall fighting for the ball), but it was no matter as Austin threw it just inches shy of the wall and right into Lewis' hands. Under Austin's leadership, Cleveland set a franchise record for points Saturday.