By Staff
KALAMAZOO – Saturday's Great Lakes Conference Championship was a night full of up and down emotions for the Xplosion.
Just hours before kickoff, the team had been informed that head coach Mike Sparks' mother had passed away after a battle with cancer.
It was unsure if Sparks would make the game, but near the end of the first quarter at a stoppage of play, Sparks came bolting out of the Xplosion locker room into the open arms of his players.
Sparks was followed by a tardy David Gater, who was the best man at a friend's wedding earlier in the day, and the crowd immediately electrified and watch their savior come to the rescue.
Gater picked off three Steven LaFalce passes, including a 34-yard pick-six to end the first half and give the Xplosion a 29-28 lead at halftime.
Xplosion quarterback Randy Hutchison led his troops on the offensive side of the ball, hurling five touchdown passes, two of which ended up in Kalamazoo native Eric Gardner's arms.
Midway through the third quarter, Kalamazoo started a 27-0 scoring run that was eventually answered by Rock River on a nine-yard touchdown pass from LaFalce to Luke McArdle with 58 seconds left in the game.
Xplosion wide receiver Dan Musielewicz caught touchdown passes from 12 and 14 yards, respectively, the first late in the third quarter to tie the game at 35-35, and then again early in the fourth quarter to give the Xplosion a 42-35 edge.
The win marks the first time in franchise history the Xplosion has won the Great Lakes Conference, as it finished runner-up last season to the Port Huron Pirates.
The Xplosion advances to the 2008 CIFL Championship Game with a 56-42 win over the Rock River Raptors.
Kalamazoo will host the championship game Sunday at 3 p.m against either the Saginaw Sting or the Lehigh Valley Outlawz.
The teams will play today for the Atlantic Conference Championship.