With eight seconds on the clock, Storm defensive back Traco Rachal made the play of the game on fourth and goal as he out leapt VooDoo receiver Sale Key and snatched the ball in midair. The interception ensured the VooDoo remained winless in the St. Pete Time Forum.
Lawrence Samuels led all receivers with 11 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns. He set the AFL record for most consecutive games with a catch (129) on a five-yard touchdown from Brett Dietz early in the first quarter to put the Storm up 7-0. Sale led the VooDoo with 11 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown in his second game of the season.
Former South Florida Bull and Dixie Hollins grad DeAndrew Rubin evened the score midway through the first quarter on a 13-yard strike from Danny Wimprine. Rubin finished the game with three receptions for 38 yards and touchdown.
Wimprine finished the game 23-of-41 for 240 yards and three touchdowns; however he went 10-of-20 in the second half as the Storm pass rush picked up the pressure.
Torrance Marshall scored two touchdowns on the ground for the third consecutive game as he scooted from two yards put to put Tampa up by seven entering the first quarter. The teams traded touchdowns before recently re-signed kicker Jonathan Ruffin nailed a 36-yard field to at the end of the first half to bring the VooDoo with in five, 21-16. Nevertheless it was a key goal-line stand midway through the second quarter that keyed Tampa Bay's five point lead heading into the half. New Orleans had seven plays in the redzone, including six from four yards in to score, yet had a run stuffed by Kelvin Kinney inside the one-yard to keep James Lynch out of the endzone.
After Storm score to open the second half Lynch found the endzone as the VooDoo thwarted another goal-line stand. Tampa Bay then lost the lead as VooDoo Lineman Justin Brown stripped Torrance Marshall at the VooDoo four-yard line. New Orleans Capitalized two plays later on a 43-yard Wimprine-to-Javarus Dudley touchdown pass to take a 30-28 lead.
Despite having the lead slip through it fingers Tampa Bay fought back. Dietz connected with Samuels on a 37-yard post for a touchdown and then after a Wendell Williams two-yard rushing touchdown Dietz hit Terrill Shaw in the endzone to put Tampa bay up by four with 55 seconds left on the clock.
Tampa Bay squib kicked the ensuing giving the VooDoo the ball at the Storm 23. After a quick reception to Sale and a Storm penalty the VooDoo once again had the ball in the redzone. However a fumbled pitch to Lynch five plays later forced third-and-goal from the nine. With pressure the defensive line forced a Wimprine incompletion on the next play. The Arena went to its feet as New Orleans had one last shot to take the victory away from Tampa Bay, but Traco Rachal denied the VooDoo the opportunity with his third interception the of the season.
Notes
* Recently acquired fullback/linebacker Phil Glover recorded his first sack in a Storm uniform in the second quarter and his first reception in the fourth quarter.
* Samuels set an AFL record for most consecutive games with a catch at 128 games surpassing former Nashville and Orlando star Cory Fleming. With his 111 yards receiving he surpassed 12,500 career receiving yards.
* Samuels also caught his 900th career passing Storm uniform he now has 906 in a Storm uniform. The Ironman performer also registered 3.0 tackles, moving into 13th al-time in the AFL as he surpassed Carlos James. Samuels is sixth among active players in career tackles.
* Brett Dietz surpassed 5,000 career passing yards in the second quarter on a 24-yard pass to Hank Edwards.
* Torrance Marshall has scored two or more rushing touchdowns in a game four times this season.
* Lawrence Samuels younger brother Chris Samuels and AFL commissioner David Baker were in attendance during the game.
* The AFL's number one defense, Tampa Bay, held the VooDoo to its lowest score of the season as well as the second lowest total of offensive yards.
The Storm travel to Grand Rapids next weekend to face the Rampage Friday, May 16 -7:00 p.m. at Van Andel Arena. The game can be heard on 620 AM-WDAE. New Orleans VooDoo enters its bye week before hosting Southern division rival Georgia Force on ESPN Russell Athletic Monday Night Football.
AFL action continues Monday night on ESPN Russell Athletic Monday Night Football in a showdown of National Conference rivals as the Philadelphia Soul (9-1) travel to Georgia to take on the Force (4-5).
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