Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

Storm

For once, Storm holds on

Tampa Bay nearly lets big lead vanish again before beating Fury 62-60.

By FRANK PASTOR
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 3, 2003

TAMPA -- Storm quarterback John Kaleo and offensive specialist Freddie Solomon had talked about the play, 50 post corner, all game.

Solomon set up Detroit's defense by running 15-yard dig routes, "In, in, in," he said. Finally, when Tampa Bay needed a touchdown most, the first-year receiver faked inside and cut to the corner.

Kaleo lofted a perfect pass over the defense, and Solomon caught it for a 29-yard touchdown that kept the Storm ahead in the final minute of a 62-60 victory before an announced 15,434 Sunday at the St. Pete Times Forum.

"In Arena football, anything can happen," Solomon said. "A minute is like an eternity in this league, and I'm slowly figuring it out. Me and John had been talking about that play all game. We finally called it and scored a touchdown."

After losing two of three consecutive road games, matching the most in team history, the Storm bounced back to win the first of three straight and five of six at home.

Tampa Bay (3-2) pulled its record above .500 for the first time since an opening-week win over Carolina and stayed two games behind Orlando (5-0) in the Southern Division.

Eastern Division co-leader Detroit (3-2) lost for the first time in four games and fell one short of matching a franchise-best winning streak.

For the third consecutive week, the Storm saw a considerable fourth-quarter lead disappear.

After blowing a 21-point lead in an overtime loss at Las Vegas two weeks ago and giving away a 14-point advantage before coming back to beat Grand Rapids last week, Tampa Bay nearly squandered a 17-point lead.

"The mistakes that we made were just mental, and I think a lot of that is due to fatigue," Storm coach Tim Marcum said. "I'm not sure what other reason, because they're happening in the fourth quarter. But, luckily, we're pitching and catching the ball pretty doggone good."

David White's 4-yard touchdown run with 10:59 remaining staked the Storm to a 55-38 lead before two Tampa Bay turnovers and three Marcus Nash touchdowns let Detroit back in the game.

Storm linebacker Lawrence Samuels appeared to put the game away with an interception on the possession following White's touchdown. But Tampa Bay gave the ball back two plays later when wide receiver David Saunders, playing his first game after missing four with an ankle injury, fumbled on the Detroit 2.

Andy Kelly's 48-yard scoring pass to Nash pulled Detroit to 55-45, and Jason Kaiser recovered the ensuing kickoff to give the Fury possession at the Storm 16. Nash's 9-yard touchdown catch on fourth and 3 cut the deficit to 55-53 with 2:55 to play.

"It's very demoralizing, to tell you the truth, when you feel that you've got the game under control," Samuels said. "Things like that happen, but you have to fight through that adversity."

Tampa Bay turned to the post corner, and Solomon's second touchdown catch and fourth score of the game gave the Storm a 62-53 lead with 1:31 remaining.

Detroit closed to 62-60 on Nash's 14-yard touchdown with 22 seconds to go, but Samuels ended any hope of a Fury comeback by recovering Kelly's onside kick.

Kaleo completed 17 of 23 passes for 314 yards and six touchdowns. Solomon had five receptions for 105 yards and two scores. He also rushed for two touchdowns.

Kelly passed for 297 yards and seven touchdowns, becoming the the first Arena quarterback to throw for more than 25,000 in his career.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright