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Power will face second straight undefeated foe in contest against Cleveland

Jerry DiPaola

Power coach Ron James is aware of what happened the first time his team played the Cleveland Gladiators:

• His predecessor, Derek Stingley, was fired after the Power squandered a 17-point lead and lost 63-53.

• James was hired, immediately turning one of the Arena Football League's worst teams into one of the best.

• The Gladiators (5-0) vaulted toward first place in the American Conference East, where they are one of only two undefeated teams in the Arena Football League. The Arizona Rattlers (5-0) are the other after beating the Power, 73-69, on Saturday night.

Showdown II appears on the schedule for the second consecutive week Saturday at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena when the Power get a second shot at the Gladiators. The Power have a score to settle, but that's not James' focus.

“I know what happened in the first game,” he said. “(But) it's a new season for us.”

The games will start growing in importance, with the Power (3-2) playing division rivals Cleveland and the Philadelphia Soul in their next two games. If the Power can't defeat the Gladiators, they would have to make up four games to win the division because they would lose the tiebreaker.

“We have to start making hay in our division,” James said.

The Gladiators are riding more than the crest of their five-game winning streak. They have the added boost of momentum from their dramatic, 52-50 victory in Spokane on Saturday night. Cleveland won on the game's final play when wide receiver Thyron Lewis made a diving 29-yard catch of a ball that caromed off the end-zone net.

“They are going to be bouncing in the positive direction,” James said. “Whenever you get one of those miracle finishes, you feel good about yourself.”

The Power can't be feeling too bad after they fought back from a 27-7 first-quarter deficit to trail by five at halftime and take the lead briefly in the second half before losing.

Wide receiver Aaron Lesue set a franchise record with six touchdown receptions, doubling his season total to 12.

“Aaron had a great game,” James said. “We expect him to play those type of games. He is a clutch performer. I can't say enough about the way he handled himself under pressure in Arizona.”

The Power's point total was one short of their season high, and they stand third in the AFL (59.2 per game). The Gladiators, however, lead the league in scoring defense (41.2), setting up what could be another interesting game. Cleveland's average margin of victory is only eight points.

Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.