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The Rattlers are back in the United Bowl. But they needed the Indoor football gods to look down on them Sunday at Footprint Center.
With 4,538 fans on their feet, the Rattlers got an offensive pass interference with three second left, then watched Kevin Goessling miss a 26-yard field goal try as time expired.
Surviving with a 58-55 win over Duke City, the Rattlers will be back at Footprint Center next Sunday to play second-seed Massachusetts Pirates for the championship.
Coach Kevin Guy came into the post-season interview room out of breath from dancing in the locker room with the players.
“I had to break my dance moves back out,” Guy said. “It’s been a while.”
After Darrell Monroe scored from four yards out with 18 seconds left, Dello Davis took the kickoff and got into Rattlers territory before having the ball stripped from him by Braxton Haley.
The ball skidded towards the Rattlers end zone, before a Gladiators player recovered it at the 1 with seven seconds to play.
Guy’s emotions were all over the place at that moment.
“We were going to have owners meetings at the United Bowl,” Guy said. “When that ball rolled and they spotted it for them, I was thinking, ‘Damn, I’ve got to book a flight to Massachusetts.”
Nate Davis, who threw six TD passes, had his man in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, but pass interference was called on the receiver, pushing the ball back to the 11.
Guy said he was going to challenge the call if a flag hadn’t been thrown, because he saw defensive back Tyrell Pearson get hooked in the end zone.
“It was the only call that went our way,” Guy said.
Instead of leaving it up to Davis to win it, the Gladiators (8-8) decided to try to send the game into overtime.
Rattlers players ran up and down the field in celebration after the kick was wide.
This was another wild playoff finish for the Rattlers, who have had a long history of celebrations and heart break.
Two years ago, the Rattlers let a lead slip away at the end in the United Bowl in a 56-53 loss to Sioux Falls.
In 2011, the Rattlers’ first trip to the ArenaBowl under Guy, the Rattlers lost to the Jacksonville Sharks on the last play, a touchdown pass by Aaron Garcia.
“It’s kind of new building for us, so I’m hoping the worm turned for us,” Guy said. “We’ve had great endings, winning and losing. We just figured out a way. I kept saying myself, ‘All we have to do is make one play on defense and we can get up by two scores.’ But we never could make that play. But did we make the play? Really it came down to a penalty.”
Rattlers quarterback Drew Powell couldn’t watch the kickoff after the Monroe gave his team a three-point lead with 18 seconds left.
“Then, when I saw it on the 2, I thought it was over,” he said. “But once they went back and sent the kicker onto the field, I knew we were going to win. They would have been better off having their offense on the field.”
Unable to put enough pressure on Davis, the Rattlers got down 21-7 in the opening quarter of the Indoor Football League semifinals.
It wasn’t until Powell ran into the end zone from one yard out on the first series of the second half that the Rattlers had their first lead.
They teams traded leads the rest of the game, making it come down to who had the ball last. But it ended up working in the Rattlers’ favor with only their second stop of the game at the end.
Powell and Monroe each ran for three touchdowns, letting their offensive linemen to pave the way to the championship game.
“I was feeling it,” Monroe said. “Coach called my number, and I had to score.
“The offensive line was locked in. They helped me run the ball, helped Drew pass.”
The Rattlers could have taken the lead at the half, but Powell, after avoiding a sack, took off and ran the ball nine yards to the 2. The Rattlers were out of time outs and the half expired, the Rattlers trailing 27-23.
It was the first time this season they trailed at home at the half.
The Rattlers ran only two offensive plays in the first quarter with Davis throwing two touchdown passes and Raymond Taylor running from two yards out for another score.
The Rattlers only score came on Jarrod Harrington’s 54-yard kickoff return. Harrington, however, later suffered an injury in the half and didn’t return.
The Rattlers finally stopped Davis with Pearson pulling in a one-handed interception at his 5. That led to Powell’s second rushing TD that tied the score at 21-21 with 3:14 left in the half.
Unable to recover an onside kick, the Gladiators were given a short field, and, after a pass interference penalty called on the Rattlers on fourth-and-goal from the 5, Davis scored two plays later on a 2-yard run.
Josh Gordon blocked the point-after attempt, and Pearson recovered it and returned it back to give the Rattlers two points. That cut the Gladiators’ lead to 27-23.
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.
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