by Connor Penn

Just minutes before the opening kickoff on Saturday night, the Tampa Bay Storm stepped out of the locker room as one team. On any other night, standout players would be greeted with individual introductions as they entered the playing field. This night, however, was the American Conference Championship game. If the Storm were to defeat the Orlando Predators, the only team standing in their way for a spot in the ArenaBowl, they would have to face their in-state rivals together.

The Storm and Predators had met just two weeks prior in the final game of the regular season. Looking back on that game in which the Predators took an early lead, offensive lineman Tom Kaleita acknowledged that once the Storm had realized that playoff home field advantage was unattainable with either a win or loss, “we didn’t come out intense because we had a few things that didn’t happen that we were hoping would happen.” The following week when postseason play began, the Storm routed the Tulsa Talons in Oklahoma and the Predators squeaked by the top-seeded Jacksonville Sharks with a 4 point win, setting the stage for the fourth installment of this season’s “War on I-4.”

On the Storm’s opening drive, a fourth down attempt fell short as quarterback Brett Dietz could not connect with 6’4” receiver Tyrone Timmons. Orlando took advantage by completing three consecutive passes on the ensuing drive, ending with Antoine Toliver’s touchdown reception.

Down an early seven points, DeAndrew Rubin out of the University of South Florida came up with two big catches for the Storm on the following drive, finding the end zone to tie the game. Later, a bad snap turnover from the Predators allowed fullback Terrence Royal to pound in a touchdown from 1 yard out and give the Storm the lead.

The two teams continued to swap scores throughout the game, but the difference came in who scored for their teams. Only two Orlando players combined for the team’s nine touchdowns, while the Storm had five different players break the plane of the end zone, including center Robert Powell. Credited for being in the right place at the right time, his fumble recovery for a touchdown marked the first of his career. After the game, Powell joked that “when a lineman scores, it’s one for the big boys.”

Though the Storm held a 14 point lead at halftime, the game’s momentum swung back and forth throughout the second half with both teams attempting numerous onside kicks to try to gain an edge. With 49 seconds remaining in the game, Orlando’s Nick Hill found Antoine Toliver in the end zone for the 7^th time in the game, drawing the Predators within one point of the Storm with the extra point still to be attempted. Two consecutive false start penalties, however, pushed the point-after attempt so far back that kicker Carlos Martinez hit the right netting.

Although the Predators onside attempt failed when rookie Michael Hawthorne held on to the kick, Orlando would have one final shot to win the game after 12-year pro Kenny McEntyre intercepted Brett Dietz in the end zone on fourth down. Still down just one point, Carlos Martinez lined up for a 54 yard attempt with 2.9 seconds remaining, and the over 10,000 fans in attendance held their breath. In a post-game press conference, Brett Dietz talked about Martinez’s game-ending field goal attempt. “When he kicked it, I looked up and saw it and I thought it was actually a little left. When it landed, I didn’t know if it was good or not good. I couldn’t tell. I saw Sedrick (Robinson) start to celebrate and they waved no good.”

The ball fell short, and the celebration began.