Gladiators Fall to Tampa Bay in Home Opener, 46-40
Saturday April 8, 2017
QB Shane Boyd throws for 288 yards and five TD’s in defeat
CLEVELAND, OH – In front of 12,865 fans at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cleveland Gladiators, presented by Unique Home Solutions, fell to the Tampa Bay Storm, 46-40, in Saturday night’s 2017 home opener. Quarterback Shane Boyd passed for 288 yards and five touchdowns in the loss, while wide receiver Larry Brackins totaled three touchdowns in his Cleveland debut. Tampa Bay quarterback Randy Hippeard threw for 205 yards and six touchdowns in the victory for the Storm.
The Tampa Bay Storm got on the board first with 2:44 remaining in the first half when Cleveland quarterback Shane Boyd’s quick screen pass tipped off wide receiver Larry Brackins hands and into the waiting arms of defensive lineman Caesar Rayford for Tampa Bay. Rayford stumbled four yards into the end zone to give the Storm the early 7-0 lead.
Cleveland answered on their next drive as Boyd found veteran wide receiver Collin Taylor for his first touchdown of the season, a 29-yarder, to pull even with the Storm 7-7 with 14:29 remaining in the first half.
After a Tampa Bay score, the Gladiators quickly responded on their ensuing drive as Boyd found Taylor for his second touchdown of the game, a 10-yard strike to give Cleveland its first lead of the game at 14-13 with 4:50 left in the second quarter. The Storm would however cap off the first half with quarterback Randy Hippeard hooking up with wide receiver Joe Hills for the pair’s second touchdown of the game, reclaiming the lead for Tampa Bay, 19-14.
The Gladiators opened the second half with the ball and quickly found pay dirt as Boyd connected with wide receiver Brandon Thompkins on a 24-yard throw and catch to push Cleveland back into the lead. Kicker Drew Basil, an Ohio State alumnus, tacked on the extra point to make the score 21-19 early in the third quarter.
After a couple of Tampa Bay scores, the Gladiators offense struck again on a two-yard rushing touchdown from Brackins, trimming the Storm lead to 32-28 with 7:06 remaining in the game. It didn’t take long for Tampa Bay to extend their lead once more as Hills hauled in his third touchdown of the game, a seven-yarder from Hippeard to push the Storm lead up to 39-28. Cleveland answered once again, this time an eight-yard toss from Boyd to Brackins to pull the score to 39-34.
After a Storm touchdown put the game out of reach for good, it was Cleveland who capped off the scoring for the evening with a two-yard touchdown strike from Boyd to Brackins, his third score of the night, giving the opening night victory to Tampa Bay, 46-40.
Next up for the Gladiators is a home date with the expansion Baltimore Brigade Saturday, April 15th at 7:00pm. The game can be streamed live on ClevelandGladiators.com and heard on 92.3 The Fan.
Notes: DB Rayshaun Kizer made his first interception of the season, picking off Hippeard in the first quarter.. Former Ohio State kicker Drew Basil made his rookie debut with Cleveland, making good on all four of his extra points on the evening.. JLB Terence Moore led the defense in tackles with 8.5.. DL Nick Seither and Darryl Cato-Bishop each picked up their first sack of the season, Bishop also forced a fumble.. DL Willie McGinnis made his first career reception in the third quarter, a five-yard catch.
Post-Game Awards:
MVP of the Game: Randy Hippeard (TB) – 22/31, 205 yards, 6 touchdowns
Offensive Player of the Game: Joe Hills (TB) – 7 receptions, 53 yards, 3 touchdowns
Defensive Player of the Game: Caesar Rayford (TB) – 4 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble 1 interception, 1 defensive touchdown
Tickets for every Gladiators home game start at just $10 and are on sale now! Full and partial season ticket memberships are also available and provide you with the best seat locations, custom member benefits and the lowest ticket prices. All tickets can be purchased by visiting ClevelandGladiators.com, calling (216) 420-0000, visiting The Q Box Office or any Northern Ohio Discount Drug Mart. Be sure to follow the Gladiators on Twitter @clegladiators, or on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/clevelandgladiators.
The Cleveland Gladiators are part of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena organization also owned by a group led by Cavaliers Majority Owner and Quicken Loans Founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert. The group also owns and operates the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League playing at Quicken Loans Arena and the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League playing in nearby Canton, Ohio at the Canton Civic Center.
