- ArenaBowl XVIII
Infobox ArenaBowl
ab_name =XVIII
visitor =San Jose SaberCats
home =Arizona Rattlers
visitor_total =69
home_total =62
visitor_qtr1 =14
visitor_qtr2 =21
visitor_qtr3 =7
visitor_qtr4 =27
home_qtr1 =14
home_qtr2 =14
home_qtr3 =14
home_qtr4 =20
date =June 27 ,2004
arena =America West Arena
city =Phoenix, Arizona
attendance =17,391
offplayerofgame =Mark Grieb , QB, San Jose
defplayerofgame =Ricky Ninjaeski, DS, Arizona
ironman =James Roe , WR/LB, San Jose
wincoach =Darren Arbet
losecoach =Danny White
network =NBC
announcers =Tom Hammond Pat Haden Lewis Johnson Marty Snider |ArenaBowl XVIII saw the
San Jose SaberCats andArizona Rattlers competing for the 2004Arena Football League championship. The game marked the last time theArenaBowl was held at the home arena of the higher-seeded team, rather than a neutral site, and 17,391 fans packed the sold-out America West Arena as the visiting SaberCats defeated the homestanding Rattlers, 69-62 in a rematch ofArenaBowl XVI .Game summary
ArenaBowl XVIII featured the league's two top-seeded teams and one of its more storied and bitter rivalries. The Rattlers were looking for redemption, having been demolished by San Jose 52-14 in
ArenaBowl XVI and again falling short, 43-29 to theTampa Bay Storm in the previous year's contest. Meanwhile, the SaberCats were seeking revenge after the Rattlers had swept them during the regular season, winning the Western Division championship and the top seed in the playoffs in the process.The game did not disappoint, as the two teams' offenses matched each other blow-for-blow virtually all game. Perhaps the most stereotypically "
arena football " of allArenaBowl s to date, neither defense proved capable of slowing the opposing offense, and the game appeared as though it would be decided by which team had the final possession.The final play of the first half, however, proved to be decisive. Rattlers legend
Hunkie Cooper had scored a rushing touchdown with seven seconds remaining in the half to tie the game at 28. However, the SaberCats were able to get one final offensive play in before time expired, andJames Roe made the most of it by catching a short pass fromMark Grieb and breaking multiple tackles en route to a spectacular 38-yard touchdown - his fourth of the game - to end the half with San Jose leading 35-28, thus preventing the Rattlers from gaining the lead with their first possession of the second half.The second half played out largely the same as the first, with the two teams again exchanging touchdowns virtually at will. With San Jose leading 63-56, Arizona quarterback
Sherdrick Bonner connected with receiverSiaha Burley for a nine-yard score. Rattlers coachDanny White elected to attempt to break the string of ties by attempting atwo-point conversion , but San Jose defender Omarr Smith broke up a Bonner pass intended for Hunkie Cooper, leaving the SaberCats in front, 63-62. White elected to attempt anonside kick to regain possession, but San Jose's Chuck Reed recovered the ball and quickly returned it seven yards for a touchdown. Scoring so soon could have proven costly for San Jose, as the Rattlers regained possession with 30 seconds left and trailing just 69-62, thanks to a missedextra point by San Jose kickerDan Frantz .Bonner and the Rattlers mounted one final drive, however, advancing to the San Jose five-yard line with two seconds on the clock. However, Bonner's final pass was incomplete, and the SaberCats emerged victorious, 69-62.
The game was the highest-scoring game in
ArenaBowl history, with a combined 131 points being scored, shattering the five-year-oldArenaBowl XIII mark of 107. Roe caught eight passes for 119 yards and an ArenaBowl-record-tying five touchdowns to earn Ironman of the Game honors, while San Jose quarterbackMark Grieb completed 27 of 36 passes for 328 yards and eight scores to be named Offensive Player of the Game. Bonner threw seven touchdown passes - four to Siaha Burley and three to Orshawante Bryant to lead the Rattler offense, while Arizona defensive specialist Ricky Parker was named Defensive Player of the Game.The game marked Danny White's last as head coach of the Rattlers, and indeed the end of an era for the franchise itself. Legendary Hunkie Cooper would see limited playing time early in the 2005 season before retiring, while White, the only coach to date in the 13-year history of the Rattlers organization, would not be retained by new owner
Robert Sarver . Additionally, defensive coordinatorDoug Plank would depart to become the head coach of theGeorgia Force , who he would lead toArenaBowl XIX the following year. Meanwhile, it was the second title in three years for coachDarren Arbet and the SaberCats.coring summary
1st Quarter
* AZ - Burley 29 pass from Bonner (Garner kick) - 7-0 ARI
* SJ - Roe 8 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick) - 7-7-
* AZ - Bryant 33 pass from Bonner (Garner kick) - 14-7 ARI
* SJ - Coleman 22 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick) - 14-142nd Quarter
* SJ - Roe 11 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick) - 21-14 SJ
* AZ - Burley 26 pass from Bonner (Garner kick) - 21-21
* SJ - Roe 3 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick) - 28-21 SJ
* AZ - Cooper 4 run (Garner kick) - 28-28
* SJ - Roe 38 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick) - 35-28 SJ3rd Quarter
* AZ - Kelly 6 run (Garner kick) - 35-35
* SJ - Roe 38 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick) - 42-35 SJ
* AZ - Bryant 21 pass from Bonner (Garner kick) - 42-424th Quarter
* SJ - Wagner 1 run (Frantz kick) - 49-42 SJ
* AZ - Bryant 7 pass from Bonner (Garner kick) - 49-49
* SJ - Hundon 33 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick) - 56-49 SJ
* AZ - Burley 5 pass from Bonner (Garner kick) - 56-56
* SJ - Coleman 2 pass from Grieb (Frantz kick) - 63-56 SJ
* AZ - Burley 9 pass from Bonner (Bonner pass failed) - 63-62 SJ
* SJ - Reed 7 kick return (Frantz kick failed) - 69-62 SJTrivia
On the Arena Football League's 20 Greatest Highlights Countdown (shown on arenafootball.com during the league's 20th season), [http://www.arenafootball.com/mediaPlayer/video.dbml?DB_MENU_ID=&SPSID=38064&SPID=3172&DB_OEM_ID=3500&CLIP_ID=26477&CLIP_FILE_ID=29976&CONTENT_TYPE=ONDEMAND this] is at #18.
External links
* [http://www.arenafan.com/statistics/?page=boxscore&gameid=2327 ArenaFan Box Score]
* [http://arenabowl.nmnathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3550&ATCLID=121120 Recap and Box Score from Arenabowl.com]
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.