In a game where they scored 28 straight points to overcome a 33-14 hole, only to blow a 10-point lead themselves, the Tampa Bay Storm won a 62-61 thriller on Randy Hippeard's 1-yard touchdown run with three seconds remaining.
Hippeard threw for 395 yards and seven touchdowns, and three Storm receivers all went for double-digit catches and at least 100 yards. Joe Hills had 15 catches for 141 yards and four scores, including three straight to put Tampa Bay ahead 42-33 in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay led 49-39 after another exchange of scores.
However Cleveland never went away, and recovered an onside kick in the final minute, then scored on the next play -- too soon, as it turned out -- on a 37-yarder to Quentin Sims to lead 61-56 with :28 remaining. Sims caught five touchdown passes and had 205 yards receiving.
Hippeard calmly led the Storm (2-1) on a five-play, 46-yard drive although his winning run was not by design. Receiver Lamark Brown (11-142-2) told Storm Radio after the game the play was designed for Hills, and Hippeard with no timeouts was able to avoid a tackle and get in for the win.
All of the audio highlights from our Darek Sharp via Storm radio are (here).
In spite of all the eye-popping offensive numbers, the play of the game was probably an onsides kick recovered by the Storm, who could not stop Cleveland QB Arvell Nelson (26-35-358 with seven TD) in the first half. Nelson completed his first 12 passes in leading the Gladiators to touchdowns on the first five drives for a 33-14 lead. Cleveland's defense sacked Hippeard three times in garnering a turnover on downs, along with a fumble forced from receiver Kendrick Ings (10-107-1).
But after the Storm pulled within 33-21 in the final minute of the half, former Robinson High and USF kicker Delbert Alvarado executed a perfect onside kick recovered by Ings. It allowed the Storm to make it 33-28 at half on a TD strike to Hills with nine seconds left.
Alvarado, added before the game, was actually voted MVP and deserved it: he was 8-for-8 on extra points after the Storm had missed on six kicks in the first two games.
And Tampa Bay's defense was much better in the third quarter. The Storm were actually stopped for a third time, but the defense answered with a key turnover after Cleveland reached the 1-yard line. After two run stuffs, the line again stopped Nelson on a sneak attempt and linebackers Alvin Ray Jackson (forced fumble) and Dexter Jackson (recovered) combined for the game-swinging play. A long drive produced the only points of the third guarter, and a 35-33 lead, then Storm got their first pass break-up (Cortez Stubbs) and QB pressure (Jordan Miller) before Stubbs' coverage led to a stop.
Tampa Bay maintained the advantage until the last-minute onside kick, setting the stage for the dramatic end.
A loss would have had the Storm tied for last in the five-team Arena Football League. Instead, Tampa Bay sends Cleveland to 3-0 and is itself alone in second place behind Philadelphia (2-0). The Storm are on a bye before returning to play May 7 at Baltimore (1-1).
photo courtesy Getty Images