The Gladiators still face a long road to make the Arena Football League playoffs. But they were able to keep those hopes alive Saturday night in their final road game of the season.
By Ken HornackSpecial To The Plain Dealer
But they were able to keep those hopes alive Saturday night in their final road game of the season.
John Dutton and Chris Johnson teamed up on a 9-yard scoring pass on the opening possession of overtime as the Gladiators pulled out a 77-70 victory over the Orlando Predators.
Unlike the overtime rules in the NFL, both teams receive a possession after regulation. But the Predators couldn’t convert their opportunity as Nick Hill’s final two passes were dropped by Jerrian James and Bobby Sippio.
The Gladiators had forced overtime when Dutton and Brent Holmes hooked up for a touchdown for the fifth time Saturday. Holmes went to his knees in the end zone to gather in Dutton’s pass from 5 yards out with 6.8 seconds to go.
At 6-7 with three games remaining — all at The Q — the Gladiators remain a long shot to qualify for one of the four National Conference playoff berths. But to lose a game that they had led, 21-0, after one quarter would have been devastating.
“We know we’ve got to win all three,” said Ben Nelson, who extended his streak of games with at least one touchdown to 21.
Two takeaways — a fumble recovery by Davion Mitchell and an interception of a Hill pass by Levy Brown — led to touchdowns that gave the Gladiators a big lead early on. The Predators (5-7), however, would not fold.
Before his drop on the game’s final play, Sippio had given the Gladiators fits in his first game back after missing four weeks with a fractured rib. He had five scoring receptions, the last of which tied the game at 56 with 9:14 to go in regulation.
Shortly thereafter, Kenny McEntyre’s 23-yard interception return gave the Predators their first lead. The 39-year-old defensive back stepped in front of a pass intended for Johnson, who walked disgustedly toward the bench as McEntyre raced untouched to the end zone.
But Dutton, who finished with 36 completions in 53 passing attempts for 411 yards and 10 TDs, shrugged off his second interception to keep the Gladiators in the game.
“We always preach about not letting adversity take over,” Holmes said. “So somebody needed to step up and make a play.”
Holmes became their third receiver to go over 1,000 yards for the season and finished the game with 12 catches for 199 yards. Nelson had 17 receptions for 163 yards despite a sore right knee.
But Nelson was guilty of the half’s costliest turnover when, in an attempt to pick up extra yardage after hauling in a short pass from Dutton, he was stripped of the ball. C.L. Grogan scooped it up and raced untouched down the sidelines for a game-tying, 40-yard touchdown.
The Gladiators led, 35-28, at halftime. The half ended with Predators offensive lineman Julius Wilson being ejected after getting into an altercation with Larry Harrison of the Gladiators.
Ken Hornack is a freelance writer in Ormond Beach, Fla.