SaberCats Bite Sharply Into Arizona’s Perfect Record, 62-33

Griffin Aseltine
Saturday June 28, 2014

Coming into Friday night’s matchup between bitter rivals from both historical and modern perspectives, playoff implications were hardly in the discussion of what was on the line. With both the Rattlers and the SaberCats already punching in their tickets to the postseason, revenge, momentum, and perfection represented the true elements of what was really at stake. Before this shocker unfolded, the Arizona Rattlers held a 14-0 record and had a favorable chance at being the first Arena Football League franchise to drive through a full year undefeated.

Now, the chances of single-season history being made have completely vanished, as the archrivals from San Jose have shattered the streak with an unbelievable and unexpected victory. After dropping a 57-51 heartbreaker at home to the Rattlers early on in the season, the SaberCats managed to turn the tables around on Friday night and do the unthinkable, jumping to a 41-7 lead at halftime, and a 55-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. Arizona had a minor rally during the final eleven minutes when backup quarterback Dennis Havrilla took over for San Jose, but it was too late to resurrect the perfect record.

“We had to get the monkey off our back,” head coach Darren Arbet said in reference to finally coming out on top over the Rattlers. “We had a great opportunity, and our guys played great. They’re really getting better and better every week.”

Quarterback Nathan Stanley continued to prove how much of a worthy replacement he is for the currently injured Russ Michna, going 14-of-22 for 167 yards and three touchdowns. His only major error of the night was a fourth quarter interception returned for a touchdown when the fate of the game was already sealed and determined. Key offensive contributors in the receiving core included Reggie Gray (three receptions for 62 yards plus one touchdown), Jason Willis (four receptions for 35 yards), Rod Harper (four receptions for 50 yards plus two touchdowns), Dominique Curry (two receptions for 32 yards), and surprisingly, offensive linemen Rich Ranglin (two receptions for 43 yards) and Jeff Nady (3-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter). Fullback Odie Armstrong also managed four touchdowns on the ground in 10 rushing attempts.

“Our offense really did a great job,” Armstrong said on Friday night following the huge victory. “We knew we would need to come out and get physical with an incredible team like Arizona, and we did. I feel like our entire team really came together this week.”

Of course, in addition to the powerful offensive performance, the defense continued to display its outstanding consistency. Even in a wild, unpredictable league like the AFL, some things never change. San Jose managed to hold the two-time defending ArenaBowl champions to a season-low of just 33 points. Even then, the score is heavily misleading in Arizona’s favor, as only seven points were on the board until garbage time unfolded towards the beginning of the fourth quarter, when backup quarterback Dennis Havrilla fumbled his first offensive snap.

Speaking of backup quarterbacks, the Rattlers essentially threw in the towel at halftime by putting Jason Murrietta behind center. His first pass ended up being an interception by Ken Fontenette. Only in the fourth quarter would he eventually find a rhythm, finishing the night 11-of-19 for 93 yards and two touchdowns, a night that was debatably better than that of starting quarterback Nick Davila (8-of-22 for 114 yards and only one touchdown).

With six defensive stops on fourth down and two turnovers, it is difficult to determine which play made the difference during Friday night’s matchup. Perhaps the key moment for the defense was the turnover that started it all. Late in the first quarter, an 8-yard sack by defensive lineman Terrance Carter forced Nick Davila to fumble, resulting in a recovery returned for a touchdown by linebacker Francis Maka. The sudden momentum-shifting score gave the SaberCats a 21-7 advantage, and San Jose stayed in front by double-digits throughout the rest of the night.

“I beat the guy covering me on the edge of the line,” Maka said in describing the game-changing play. “The ball was loose and in front of me. Normally I’d just dive on the ball, but that time I knew there was a scoring opportunity.”

In addition to the tone-setting defensive performance by San Jose, another primary story of Friday night’s matchup was the controversial officiating on both sides of the ball. A total of 21 penalties were called throughout the night, slightly lower than the 26 called during the original showdown between these two teams back in Week Five, but still relatively high for an intense rivalry game.

One of the more controversial calls occurred at the conclusion of the first half, when a 40-yard pass from Nick Davila to Maurice Purify was ruled down at the one-yard line. The play was challenged by Arizona head coach Kevin Guy as a potential touchdown, leading to a review that was accepted by the officiating crew. Interestingly, the SaberCats had a similar situation just two weeks prior against the Shock, when Darren Arbet tried to challenge a Spokane touchdown as incomplete. The request was rejected, however, and the referee’s explanation was that a review within the one-minute warning needed to be initiated from the booth. In this situation, however, the ruling was apparently different, as the officials went along with review. Despite Guy’s efforts, however, the ruling was upheld.

Officiating aside, however, Friday night’s victory was huge for the SaberCats. Not only have they prevented their ultimate rivals from completing a perfect season, but they have proven that they are, in fact, capable of beating the best in the league, which is an important skill to develop as the regular season comes to a close. With a 10-4 record, and the Spokane Shock sitting at 7-7, the SaberCats will need just one more win (or a loss by the Shock) to clinch their first division crown since 2008. Next week’s matchup against the Kiss in Los Angeles could be the perfect opportunity for the final dagger.

“I really like this football team,” head coach Arbet said in optimism for his players. “I honestly think the sky is the limit. They work hard and truly believe in our system.”