Arena football

Storm snaps losing streak

Tampa Bay defeats Grand Rapids, scoring 70 points for the first time in four seasons.

By FRANK PASTOR
Published March 7, 2005

TAMPA - The field appeared longer, the pass rush fiercer, the blocking better.

In previous weeks, it might have been wishful thinking.

But with receiver/defensive back T.T. Toliver, offensive specialist Freddie Solomon, lineman Kelvin Kinney and fullback/linebacker David White back from injuries Sunday, the promise the Storm showed on paper finally proved true on the field.

With all of its starters healthy for the first time this season, Tampa Bay stopped a two-game Arena league losing streak with a 70-50 victory over Grand Rapids before an announced 16,384 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

"I'm a much better football coach today," Storm coach Tim Marcum said, "than I was at this time last week."

The Storm scored 70 for the first time in four seasons and set a team record with 50 second-half points, eclipsing the 47 it had June 4, 2000, against Florida.

Tampa Bay (3-2) stayed within 11/2 games of Southern Division-leading New Orleans (5-1) and Georgia (5-1) and, with Orlando losing to San Jose, moved within one-half game of the third-place Predators (4-2).

"We're fully loaded now," White said. "Now, instead of lacking those (players), we take care of business."

Solomon, who missed most of the past three games with a high ankle sprain, caught a game-high nine passes for 148 yards and four touchdowns, all in the second half. His ability to stretch the field created space underneath for David Saunders, Lawrence Samuels, Toliver and Clif Dell, who combined for 14 catches and four touchdowns.

Toliver, who tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a preseason scrimmage, pulled in a 5-yard pass from Shane Stafford for the Storm's first score and returned a missed field goal 53 yards for another touchdown.

White, out four games with an ankle injury, scored from 1 yard two plays after converting fourth down with a 3-yard run and fortified the pass protection in front of Stafford, who threw for seven touchdowns, one fewer than his career high.

"That was real important," Marcum said. "We hadn't been doing that from time to time. We protected him, and that makes all the difference in the world."

Kinney made his presence known in other ways after returning from shoulder and ankle injuries. He hit Grand Rapids quarterback Michael Bishop in the head after a first-quarter throw and mixed it up with Rampage's Teto Simpson.

After trailing throughout the first half, Grand Rapids (1-4) tied the score at 20 on Chris Jackson's 16-yard touchdown reception and Peter Martinez's extra-point kick with 45 seconds left in the second quarter.

Martinez, who missed an extra point after the Rampage's first touchdown, had the chance to tie because Travis McDonald blocked a Matt George extra-point attempt with 2:57 left in the half.

Grand Rapids immediately got the ball back at the Storm 7 when Travis Reece recovered Martinez's kick off the iron. Three plays lost 10 yards before Mike Lawson blocked Martinez's 32-yard field-goal attempt.

George missed a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the half.

Grand Rapids took its first lead at 27-20 on Josh Bush's 25-yard touchdown reception on the Rampage's second possession of the second half.

The Storm needed only one play to tie, as Stafford found Solomon open in the left side of the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown.

Tampa Bay's defense took over in the third quarter, limiting Grand Rapids to a field goal on its next two possessions. Meanwhile, touchdown passes of 20 yards to Solomon and 21 to Samuels gave the Storm a 41-30 lead it did not relinquish.

"To be honest with you, I feel we're going to continue all year," Toliver said. "There's going to be no stopping us."

[Last modified March 7, 2005, 01:58:12]