Arizona Puts Finishing Touches On Soul In ArenaBowl XXV
Joe Kauffman
Friday August 10, 2012
0:00 4Q: The Rattlers wound down the clock and won ArenaBowl XXV over the Soul 72-54 to win their third championship in franchise history.
0:42 4Q: Larry Brackins' fourth TD catch of the game was probably too little, too late for the Soul. They cut Arizona's lead down to 72-54, but a failed two-point convert left the margin too much to come back from barring a miracle.
2:48 4Q: Maurice Purify extended hisw record performance with his 7th TD reception of ArenaBowl XXV. The pass from Davila was his 9th TD pass, tying a record set by Kyle Rowley in ArenaBowl XXIII in 2010. The score is 72-48.
4:48 4Q: Larry Brackins scored his third touchdown of the night on an eight yard pass from Dan Raudabaugh, his sixth. The two point attempt fell incomplete. The 5 play,37 yard drive lasted 2:34 making the score 66-48.
8:06 4Q: Odie Armstrong scored his first rushing touchdown of the game from 2 yards out to cap a 4 play, 12 yard drive that lasted 2:27. The Gould PAT attempt was tipped at the line. The Rattlers maintain a 66-42 lead.
11:26 4Q: Larry Brackins scored his second touchdown of the game and Emery Sammons scored on a two point conversion as the Philadelphia Soul pulled back within 18. The 3 play 38 yard drive lasted 1:33 and made the score 60-42.
13:49 4Q: Maurice Purify opened 4th quarter scoring with his 6th touchdown reception of the game, setting an ArenaBowl record. The 13 yard drive took 30 seconds of the clock. The PAT was wide, and the Arizona Rattlers extended their lead back to 60-34.
End 3Q: Emery Sammons scored quickly on a 21 yard pass from Dan Raudabaugh, but the two point conversion attempt failed on an offensive pass interference call. The 2play,27 yard frive lasted just :53, and pulled the Soul back within 20 at 54-34.
1:18 3Q: The Arizona Rattlers got a net recovery and Maurice Purify scored on the next play on a pass from Nick Davila to extend the lead to 54-26. It was Davila's 7th TD pass and Purify's 5th, tying an ArenaBowl record.
2:42 3Q: Following a Philadelphia Soul onside kick, the Arizona Rattlers quickly scored as Marquis White scored on a 10 yard touchdown pass from Nick Davila to make the score 48-26. The score was Davila's sixth TD pass of the game.
3:52 3Q: Larry Brackins caught a 10 yard touchdown pass from Dan Raudabaugh to conclude a 4 play drivelasting 3:20 for 37 yards. The Philadelphia Soul score pulls them ca little closer, but the Arizona Rattlers maintain a 41-26 lead.
7:42 3Q: Arizona Rattlers QB Nick Davila threw his fifith TD pass of the game to Maurice Purify, his fourth, as the Rattlers push the lead to 41-19.
9:26 3Q: Dan Raudabaugh threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Ross, but Fabrizio Scaccia missed the PAT. The Philadelphia Soul pulled within 34-19. The drive was 5 plays for 48 yards and 2:58.
13:08 3Q: The Arizona Rattlers opened up the second half with Nick Davila hitting Maurice Purify for a 38 yard touchdown pass on a drive that lasted 2 plays for 43 yards. The Rattlers extended their lead over the Philadelphia Soul 34-13.
It's halftime at ArenaBowl XXV, and the Arizona Rattlers have taken a commanding 27-13 lead over the Philadelphia Soul. Arizona will get the ball coming out of the break with a chance to take an even more dominating 21-point edge. No team has ever come back from more than eight points down to win an ArenaBowl in the history of the AFL.
However, the Soul probably have to feel lucky to be in the locker down just two touchdowns. Arizona had to settle for a pair of field goals by K Chris Gould, including one that came right at the end of the first half as time expired.
It was a disastrous first half for QB Dan Raudabaugh. He went just 7-of-17 for 93 yards with a single TD against three picks. The last time a quarterback was picked off three times in an ArenaBowl was Connell Maynor in 1999 for the Orlando Predators against the Albany Firebirds. No quarterback had ever been intercepted three times in the first half of an ArenaBowl before tonight.
WR Jeff Hughley was a bright spot for the Soul in the first half, catching four passes for 64 yards and a TD. FB Derrick Ross rushed for 21 yards and a score.
The Arizona offense was efficient, but not nearly perfect. QB Nick Davila threw for 132 yards and three scores, and he hit WR Kerry Reed six times for 69 yards and a TD in the opening stanza.
Teams that are leading at halftime are 22-1 in ArenaBowl history. The only team that blew a lead was none other than these Rattlers, who were ahead of the Jacksonville Sharks last year at halftime 35-32.
END 1H: Chris Gould was money from 20 yards out to give the Arizona Rattlers a 27-13 lead at halftime of ArenaBowl XXV over the Philadelphia Soul. The Rattlers, up two stops, will get the ball first in the second half.
4:54 2Q:Ending a 12:38 scoring drought, Dan Raudabaugh threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to Jeff Hughley, the fitrst of the game for both players. The 3 playe, 40 yard drive lasted 1:30 and moved the Soul back within eleven at 24-13.
7:28 2Q: Arkeith Brown ended a second straight Philadelphia Soul drive with an interception, but Arizona's drive stalled out. Chris Gould nailed a 30 yard field goal to extend their lead to 24-6 midway through the second quarter.
11:29 2Q: Two plays after an extended play stoppage when Rattlers DB Marquis Floyd hit the end wall hard, his teammate Arkeith Brown picked off a Raudabaugh pass in the end zone and returned it 22 yards. Nick Davila hit Maurice Purify on the next play for a 29 yard touchdown pass. The Rattlers hold a 21-6 lead, up two stops in the first half.
End 1Q: Nick Davila hit Kerry Reed for a 14 yard touchdown pass, and Chris Gould made the extra point as time expired in the first quarter to give the Arizona Rattlers a 14-6 lead. The drive lasted 3 plays for 36 yards and 2:24.
2:32 1Q: Derrick Ross ran the ball from seven yards out for the Philadelphia Soul's first score of the game. Fabrizio Scaccia's PAT missed wide left, as the Arizona Rattlers retianed a 7-6 lead. The Soul drive lasted 6 plays for 45 yards in 4:03.
7:18 1Q:Nick Davila hit Maurice Purify on a seven yard yard post to open the scoring in ArenaBowl XXV. The drive was six plays, for 22 yards in 4:02 as the Rattlers take the 7-0 lead.
11:53 1Q: Soul quarterback Dan Raudabaugh's pass was batted at the line of scrimmage by a Rattlers defender, then tipped by the Soul and the Rattlers before Kevin McCullough grabbed the interception. The Rattlers took over at the Soul 23 yard line.
9:35: The Arizona Rattlers won the coin toss, defering to the second half. Philadelphia will receive the opening kickoff of ArenaBowl XXV.
9:15 PM: Only 20 minutes remain until the beginning of the NFL Network broadcast of ArenaBowl XXV. The Philadelphia Soul offense, wearing blue jerseys with slate colored pants and helmets, are being introduced at the New Orleans Arena.
9:10 PM: With 25 minutes until ArenaBowl XXV, the Arizona Rattlers defense, wearing white jerseys, wearing white jerseys with teal shoulders white pants, and white helmets, are being introduced.
8:00 PM: ArenaBowl XXV is just 90 minutes away, and the gates have opened to allow fans into the game. We're expecting a great game between the Arizona Rattlers and the Philadelphia Soul in the fight for the Foster Trophy. Keep it locked here to ArenaFan.com for the latest updates for the biggest game of the year!