Sharp Quarterback, Hard-Hitting Defense Propel Gladiators To 3-0
Jonah Rosenblum
Saturday April 5, 2014
Gladiators tie franchise record with three straight victories.
CLEVELAND — One rough series and Chris Dieker got the hook.
Shane Austin was more than ready, leading the Cleveland Gladiators to a 54-47 victory over the visiting Iowa Barnstormers.
"Coach said all week for both of us to just stay ready and stay prepared," Austin said. "Every game, whether I'm the backup or the starter, I always prepare myself mentally as a starter."
Austin finished 19-of-27 for 259 yards and six touchdowns.
"Chris is struggling a bit, and we've started off slow every game almost," coach Steve Thonn said. "We really wanted to get a quick start so it's really not so much against Chris. It's just that Shane is good."
Austin also had a spectacular second-quarter rushing touchdown, taking a step left before switching directions and squeezing under an arm tackle for a 16-yard scamper into the end zone.
Most important, he simply made good decisions.
"He does a good job of just getting back and reading it quick and getting rid of it and that's Arena Football," Thonn said. "It's easy to read the defenses sometimes but it's tough to get rid of it. He makes a good decision and gets rid of the ball really quick."
Leading by a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, the Gladiators (3-0) found themselves backed up by a holding call. On third and 20, wide receivers Thyron Lewis and Dominick Goodman crossed the field at different depths and Austin wisely chose Goodman with the short cross for a 16-yard gain. On fourth and four, Austin made another good call. Seeing Lewis well-covered on a crossing route, Austin arced a ball toward the right sideline, which Goodman caught with both arms outstretched over his head, backing into the wall.
Cleveland's 47-33 lead with 9:07 remaining would hold — though barely. Iowa answered quickly as Marco Thomas burned Dominic Jones for a 44-yard touchdown pass, as Jones fell in coverage. The Gladiators responded with a nice easy slant pass from Austin to Tyrone Collins to go up 54-40 with three and a half minutes remaining. The Barnstormers (1-2) took their time, too much time, marching down field, but nearly got away with it, when Goodman dropped Iowa's onside kick attempt with less than a minute remaining.
For a moment, the ball popped free. What followed was pandemonium. It appeared Iowa had it. A Barnstormers player came away with the ball. One referee signaled Cleveland ball. Another signaled in Iowa's favor. The players started pushing and shoving each other. The referees conferred for what seemed an eternity. Thonn and Iowa coach Mike Hohensee chatted with each other and with the referees.
"At first, I thought we had it and then when I saw them all scrambling for it, it looked like they had it," Thonn said. "One of the officials called it for them, but the guy who made the call first gave it to us, so I really didn't know."
Finally, the decision was announced. Goodman and the Iowa player had simultaneously recovered the ball, and simultaneous recovery favors the receiving team. Cleveland had won the game.
The Gladiators' win went beyond Austin's heroics and tight calls, however. They were also buoyed by a sharp, hard-hitting defense. Defensive back LaRoche Jackson ended the game with 12 tackles and a pass breakup, doing well to corral Iowa's receivers right after the catch and near the line of scrimmage. Dominic Jones had three pass breakups.
"Our defensive backs, they're a hitting group," Thonn said. "We want to be physical and try to make them catch it underneath, come up and make the hit and try to get the turnover."
Cleveland started the second half with a stop, as a Jones hit on third down helped force a fourth and 10, which the Gladiators handled with a perfectly aligned secondary for the forced turnover on downs.
"D.J. is a veteran. He's been in this game for a minute. He knows the game. Marrio's been in the game for a minute. He knows the game. I've been in the game for four years. We all know the game," Jackson said.
Iowa's first drive of the fourth quarter met the same result. Jackson beautifully anticipated a screen pass on first down, sprinting from the middle of the field to bring down Dejay Lester. On third and one, Jackson lurked patiently behind Lester, waiting for the throw, and hopping in with perfect timing to deflect it away. On fourth down, an errant lob gave Cleveland the ball.
The Gladiators can set a franchise record with their fourth straight win Saturday in Los Angeles.
"We believe. We're a team that believes," Jackson said. "It ain't Cleveland no more; it's believe-land."