SaberCats Contain Division Rival Shock, 47-37
Griffin Aseltine
Sunday June 15, 2014
The San Jose SaberCats successfully came out on top against Spokane on Saturday night with a relieving victory that dramatically skyrockets the chances of their first division crown since 2008. With a 9-4 record, San Jose now has a three-game lead in the National Conference Pacific with just five left to play, as well as the critical head-to-head tiebreaker over Spokane due to winning the season series 2-1 after initially trailing 1-0. To top the night off, the SaberCats have now officially clinched a playoff spot for the third season in a row as well as for the 15th time in franchise history.
According to head coach Darren Arbet, San Jose is right on pace with the season’s blueprint to an ArenaBowl championship. “There are three key objectives to every team in any sports league,” Arbet declared following the victory. “You want to clinch a playoff spot, you want to win the division, and you want to win the championship.”
Perhaps a major reason why the SaberCats are right on track is the solid performance by backup quarterback Nathan Stanley, who went 18-of-31 for 240 yards, four touchdowns, and limited himself to just one interception that was unluckily deflected off the referee, all during his fourth start in the Arena Football League.
“You could always do better as a player,” Stanley spoke of himself following Saturday night’s win. “There were a few missed reads out there that I could have made… But as a team this was no doubt a great win.”
Helping out Nathan Stanley in the receiving core were Reggie Gray (four receptions for 65 yards plus one touchdown), Jason Willis (five receptions for 77 yards), Rod Harper (four receptions for 33 yards plus one touchdown), Dominiqu Curry (four receptions for 50 yards plus one touchdown), and Rich Ranglin (15-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter). J.J. Payne and Curry also each managed a rushing touchdown.
Perhaps the biggest story of the night, however, was yet again the solid performance on defense. Back in week four, the SaberCats allowed a disappointing season-high of 73 points against Spokane at home. This time, however, they retained their astounding dominance and consistency from previous weeks, particularly on the defensive line. It did not matter who took the snaps for the Shock, as Jason Stewart, Francis Maka, Marc Schiechl, Terranc Carter, and Joe Sykes all accumulated to eight sacks, four on Brian Zbyndiewski, and four on Erik Meyer. In the second half, only 13 points were allowed for Spokane, all of which occurred in the fourth quarter. After Saturday night, the average amount of points scored against the SaberCats was lowered to approximately 40.6 per game, currently a league-best.
“It’s really a group effort with this defense. We need everyone,” Francis Maka said in describing the defensive performance. “As a line, we made it an important point to communicate. We like to get pressure, allowing the DB’s to get potential picks.”
Momentum-shifting plays were also a primary aspect of this divisional matchup, particularly in the first half. On the very first play, defensive back Terrance Sanders returned the opening kickoff all the way for a Spokane touchdown, and on the ensuing SaberCats drive, possession was turned over on fourth down. It seemed as if the Shock would be able to put the game out of reach early on, but a botched snap on Spokane’s first offensive play was successfully recovered by San Jose defensive lineman Francis Maka. The SaberCats then went on to score 14 unanswered points, taking a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, however, a fourth-down penalty by Clevan Thomas led to a Spokane touchdown, and on the ensuing SaberCats drive, a pass by Nathan Stanley bounced off the referee and was picked off by Bryant Nnabuife. Fortunately, San Jose’s defense held strong and limited the Shock to a field goal attempt. After both teams exchanged touchdown drives, a huge 42-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Gray followed by an end zone interception by Simeon Castille at the end of the second quarter gave the SaberCats a 27-24 lead and the momentum going into the locker room.
“I noticed Spokane jumped offsides and it was a free play,” Stanley said when describing the 42-yard touchdown play. “As a result, I just took a shot, and Reggie got it… It’s really comforting knowing we have guys on offense with good hands.”
That crucial touchdown pass turned out to be the overall climax of the night. In the third quarter, San Jose managed to take a relaxing 41-24 lead with the help of two well-developed touchdown drives and two fourth-down stops. In the fourth quarter, two successful field goal attempts by Nick Pertuit and two key onside kick recoveries by Dominiqu Curry was enough to completely put the game away with a final score of 47-37.
Moving on ahead after what was arguably the most important win of the season thus far, the San Jose SaberCats head into a comfortable bye week, with a brutal matchup against the undefeated Arizona Rattlers at home to follow.
“We’re going to break down the film of Arizona over these next two weeks,” Darren Arbet stated. “The Rattlers are the best team in the league, and our match against them is a perfect opportunity to see where we stand as a team.”
Indeed it is. The SaberCats have been one of the few teams in the league to give Arizona a run for their money, especially early on the season where a late lead was achieved but soon lost in the final seconds with a 57-51 final score. The rematch on Friday, June 27 will be an ultimate chance for the SaberCats to prove that they can beat the best team in the league, a potential tone-setter for a possible playoff match between these two rivals.
“We’ve got to get after them,” Francis Maka said in reference to the Arizona Rattlers. “They know how we play, and we know how they play. It really comes down to who is going to make the big plays.”