By Staff
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Looking to avenge their pair of regular-season losses to Chicago, the Grand Rapids Rampage came through in dramatic style, knocking off the Central Division champion Rush, 58-41, here this afternoon.
Grand Rapids' defense logged four stops while the Rampage offense turned the ball over only once in the victory.
Rampage quarterback James MacPherson (Tucson, Ariz.) set a team record with 33 completions on just 39 attempts, as he threw for 326 yards and six touchdowns while being intercepted only once. Meanwhile, receiver Kenny Higgins (Long Beach, Calif.) continued his strong playoff play, catching 14 passes for 167 yards and three scores.
Chicago jumped out to a quick start when receiver Travis LaTendresse eluded a pair of Rampage defenders and raced 33 yards for an early score. But Grand Rapids' newest acquisition Jason Shelley (Vallejo, Calif.), who replaced injured receiver Chris Johnson (Americus, Ga.) for the playoffs, tied the game with a 24-yard touchdown catch of his own.
The Rampage took their first lead of the game after their defense forced a missed field goal attempt by Rush kicker Todd France. MacPherson found an open Cole Magner (Palmer, Alaska) in the back of the end zone on third down to give the visitors a 14-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Following a game-tying score by Rush receiver Donovan Morgan, Higgins made an acrobatic touchdown grab of his own, tipping a lobbed pass away from Chicago defensive back Jeremy Unertyl and securing the football in the end zone. But LaTendresse's second touchdown of the night knotted the score, 21-21, once again.
Grand Rapids took the game's first double-digit lead thanks to another stand by its defense. Following Higgins' second touchdown catch of the game, Chicago advanced the ball inside the Rampage five-yard line and seemed primed to tie the score. Grand Rapids defensive back William "Roc" Haith (Washington, D.C.) intercepted a fourth-down pass by Rush quarterback Russ Michna, however, and returned the ball out to his own 20-yard line. Rampage kicker Brian Gowins (Birmingham, Ala.) connected on a 25-yard field goal to send Grand Rapids into the locker room ahead, 31-21.
Chicago logged its only turnover of the game at the start of the second half when Unertyl intercepted MacPherson over the middle of the field. The Rush made good with a Michna 19-yard touchdown pass to LaTendresse, pulling the home team within three.
The Rampage restored their two-score lead, 38-28, with Higgins' third touchdown catch of the game. But another Rush touchdown, a two-yard carry by Dan Alexander, sliced Grand Rapids' lead to three points with one quarter remaining.
Grand Rapids continued to keep pace, as MacPherson dove behind his offensive line for a one-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. Then, following an Alexander fumble inside the Rampage five-yard line, the Rampage extended their lead thanks to a one-yard rush by fullback Terrell Browden (Baton Rouge, La.). A missed extra point kept Chicago within two scores, however.
The Rush answered immediately, as Michna found an open Morgan for a 17-yard touchdown catch.
Chicago failed on a two-point conversion, however, keeping Grand Rapids ahead by 10 points, 51-41. The Rampage then grabbed an all-important three score lead as Magner, who set a team playoff record with 15 receptions, pulled in his second touchdown of the night.
The Rampage defense closed the door with its fourth stop of the night, marking the second straight game Grand Rapids held its opponent to 41 points despite finishing the regular season allowing 60.5 points per game.
The team's next stop will be San Jose, as the Western Division champion SaberCats will host Grand Rapids on Saturday (July 12) at 3:30 p.m. EDT in the American Conference Championship.