One and done for Rush
The Chicago Rush entered its Arena Football League Divisional playoff game bearing the slogan, "One's Not Enough," referencing its 2006 ArenaBowl title.
The Grand Rapids Rampage, winners of the 2001 Bowl, arrived sans slogan. They'll have time to conjure something catchy following Sunday's 58-41 win in front of 14,338 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.
"We need one. If you've got one we'll take it," said Steve Thonn, the Wheaton native and first-year Rampage head coach whose quarterback, left-hander James MacPherson, completed 33 of 39 passes for 326 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Fellow lefty Russ Michna, the 1999 Conant graduate and Rush quarterback, was 19 of 32 for 252 yards and 5 touchdowns, He'll have to watch MacPherson face the San Jose SaberCats in the Amercian Conference Championship on July 12.
Two regular-season wins over Grand Rapids helped the Rush (11-6) to the conference's top seed. This time, sixth-seeded Grand Rapids' offensive and defensive fronts did more heavy lifting.
"Their front players played much better than they did the previous two times we played them," said Rush coach Mike Hohensee. "They put pressure on the quarterback; they did a decent job protecting the quarterback."
Grand Rapids (8-10) - which lost receiver Jason Shelley to ejection after one of the chippy game's many personal fouls - successfully converted on 9 of 11 possessions. The Rampage led 14-7 after a quarter and 31-21 at halftime, on Kenny Higgins' 11-yard touchdown catch. A few plays later William Haith intercepted a Michna pass in his own end zone. Former Northwestern kicker Brian Gowins ended the half with a 25-yard field goal.
"Once we got the lead, we knew we just had to keep it going the rest of the half," Thonn said.
The Rush opened the third quarter with a Michna touchdown pass to Travis LaTendresse to pull within 31-28, and Dan Alexander's 2-yard run at 3:17 of the third again had the Rush within 3 points, at 38-35.
MacPherson answered with a 1-yard touchdown run, but the back-breaker was a fumble by Rush fullback Dan Alexander at Grand Rapids' 3-yard line. Hohensee requested a review of the play, but the call stood. Grand Rapids followed with a 47-yard touchdown drive for a 51-35 lead with 4:49 left.
"I felt like he had bounced off the wall (before the fumble), but what can you do about it?" Michna said. "At that point I really felt like we were going to win the game."