TAMPA - He received second billing entering the game, but Storm quarterback Shane Stafford turned out to be the main attraction in the Storm's 63-55 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday.
Stafford outplayed the Avengers' Tony Graziani, throwing for a career-high 321 yards and tying career highs of 27 completions and eight touchdowns. His career totals: 107 touchdowns and 502 completions.
Graziani, runnerup for Offensive Player of the Year last season, was 17-of-33 for 252 yards and six TDs with two interceptions.
"This is a motivator for Shane," Storm wide receiver/linebacker Lawrence Samuels said. "He's been battling the press and everybody all year, and he's just playing great at this point in time in the season, and that's what we need. We need him to be the leader, and he's leading us now."
Stafford, benched for two games earlier in the season, led the Storm to touchdowns on nine of 11 possessions, converting five of 10 third downs and both fourth downs.
"Our game plan wasn't to come in here and beat them scoring in the 60s," Stafford said. "We wanted to keep it in the 50s or 40s, but that's a championship-type team. You go out on the field and just whatever happens, let the game play itself out and just adjust to it."
MAKING A DEPOSIT: A 10-yard penalty on Los Angeles' Jeremy Staat for hands to the face on a Storm extra point late in the second quarter was put "into the bank," according to game officials.
Rather than being assessed on the ensuing kickoff, which the Avengers' Henry Douglas returned 58 yards for a touchdown, it was added to an offside penalty at the end of Tampa Bay's next kick return, giving the Storm possession at its 23.
A SORT OF HOMECOMING: Los Angeles offensive/defensive lineman Al Lucas made one tackle in his return to the St. Pete Times Forum since helping the Storm to an ArenaBowl victory in June. He has 13 tackles for the season.
MULTITASKING: Quarterback is one of the few one-way positions in Arena football, but Stafford played the part of offensive lineman when his block allowed fullback Umar Muhammad to score on a 5-yard run in the second quarter.
GREAT GAINS: Muhammad increased his career receiving average by 11.5 yards with a 24-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. He entered with one catch for 1 yard in five seasons.
STORM FLURRIES: Fullback David White and linemen D.J. Cooper and Mike Lawson were inactive. ... The Storm gave out 1,000 tickets to military personnel and their families. Free tickets to the home finale against New Orleans will be available May 23 at the box office to anyone with a military ID.
