Storm quarterback Brett Dietz finished the game with 297 yards passing and six touchdowns as he spread the ball around to seven receivers. Lawrence Samuels, quickly approaching the Arena Football League career reception record of 991 receptions (Barry Wagner), finished the game with nine receptions to bring his career total to 986.
Rookie wide receiver and local Tampa product Tyrone Timmons played his first AFL game in place of an injured Hank Edwards. Timmons (6-4, 220) played well, seven catches for 69 yards and three touchdowns, as the Gladiator defensive backs struggled to match up with his size
Despite good pressure by the Storm defensive line, Gladiators quarterback Raymond Philyaw completed 21-of-27 passes for three touchdowns. His primary target was Otis Amey who finished with a game-high 106 receiving yards on eight receptions.
Cleveland led 19-14 at the end of first quarter on a Robert Redd two-yard fumble return for a touchdown after Tampa bay failed to recover a kickoff. However, Jason Ball failed to convert on two extra point attempts as one hit the cross bar and another was blocked by Marcus "Snowball" Owen, his second this season.
Despite another fumble early in the second quarter Tampa Bay was able to take a two-point lead into the half as the Storm outscored the Gladiators 14-7 in the second stanza. Cleveland opened the scoring as the AFL's leading rusher Marlion Jackson scored the first of his two rushing touchdowns. Tampa Bay responded as Dietz connected with Timmons for his first career touchdown on a fade route in the corner of the endzone. Daryon Brutley recovered the following onside kick, which led to Dietz and Timmons replicating the success from the previous drive to take the lead and momentum into the second half.
Each team scored once in the third quarter as Jackson scored his AFL-leading 19th rushing touchdown and Torrance Marshall scored his first rushing touchdown from two-yards out. Marshall would score one more in the fourth, his 18th, to keep pace with Jackson. However the Storm escaped the third quarter with only a one-point lead after failing to convert a two-point conversion.
The fourth quarter began with a huge defensive stand as Kelvin Kinney tackled Jackson for a one-yard loss on fourth and one at midfield. Tampa Bay capitalized two plays later on a 15-yard touchdown reception by Terrill Shaw. Yet the Gladaitors fought back and converted a two-point conversion on the following drive to tie the game at 41. After Marshall's second touchdown of the game, Seth Marler's kickoff bounced off the goal posts and was recovered by Phil Glover, his third consecutive game with a fumble recovery. Three plays later Dietz connected with Timmons for the third time to put Tampa Bay up 55-41. Cleveland tried to make a game off it scoring with 1:23 left on the clock, however, Samuels recovered the ensuing onside kick and Marler drilled a 23-yard field goal to seal the victory and bring the Storm back to .500 on the season.
Notes
* The victory over the Cleveland Gladiators was the 200th victory in franchise history (179 regular season and 21 playoff). That is the most by any franchise in the Arena Football League.
* Lawrence Samuels recorded nine receptions giving him 986 career receptions, six shy of breaking the AFL all-time mark of 991 set by Barry Wagner and 14 shy of becoming only the sixth receiver in football history to reach 1,000 career receptions. This was also the 199th game of his career.
* With a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter Torrance Marshall set a new franchise single-season high with 18 rushing touchdowns, breaking the record he set in 2007 with 17 rushing touchdowns.
* Marshall scored two touchdowns for the fifth consecutive game which ties the AFL record for consecutive multi-touchdown games (Barry Wagner - 2003 and Bernard Hall 1996).
* Tampa Bay Buccaneer linebacker Derrick Brooks, Cleveland Gladiator minority owner and former Cleveland Brown quarterback Bernie Kosar and the Mayor of Tamp, Pam Iorio, were all in attendance.
* Marcus Owen's blocked kick in the first quarter was the 10th of his career and moved him into a tie for third most career blocked kicks in the AFL.
* Tom Briggs recorded his 49th career sack, second most all-time in the AFL.
* Brett Dietz's first quarter touchdown pass to Terrill Shaw was the 100th of his career.
* Tampa Bay surrendered three rushing touchdowns for the first time this season and it was the first time since the Storm surrendered four on the ground May 13, 2006 at Nashville.
The Storm travel to Atlanta to face its Southern Division rival Georgia Force Saturday, May 31 at 7:00 p.m. in what is a crucial game for each team as they fight to get into the playoffs (620 AM-WDAE). Cleveland hosts the Dallas Desperados who are coming off of a big victory over the Orlando Predators. Kickoff at Quicken Loans Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
AFL action continues Monday night on ESPN Russell Athletic Monday Night Football as the Georgia Force (6-5) travel to New Orleans (7-4) to take on the VooDoo in the Graveyard at the New Orleans Arena in a Southern Division matchup - 8:00 p.m. (ESPN2 ESPN HD and ESPN360.com).
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