ArenaBowl XV
Encyclopedia
Game summary
The Grand Rapids RampageGrand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
scored an ArenaBowl
ArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
-record (at the time) 64 points as they sent a sellout crowd home from Van Andel Arena
Van Andel Arena
The Van Andel Arena is a 10,834-seat multi-purpose arena, situated in the Heartside district, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. After a $75 million construction effort, the arena opened on October 8, 1996 and since has attracted over five million patrons. It is home to the popular Grand Rapids Griffins...
happy with a 64-42 victory over the Nashville Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
to claim their first ArenaBowl
ArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
title in team history.
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
quarterback Clint Dolezel
Clint Dolezel
Clint Dolezel is Offensive Coordinator of the Philadelphia Soul, an Indoor Football team belonging to the Arena Football League . As an AFL player, he was originally signed by the Milwaukee Mustangs...
connected with offensive specialist Terrill Shaw for five touchdowns, and threw two others to Demo Odems as the Rampage
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
offense dominated one of the league's marquee defenses. Shaw caught 12 passes for 172 yards on the day en route to being named the game's MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
, while Nashville
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
's top receiving threat, Cory Fleming
Cory Fleming
Cory Lamont Fleming is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played two seasons for the Dallas Cowboys ....
was held to just four catches and no receiving touchdowns.
The game marked the first championship for Rampage
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an Arena Football League team that began playing as a 1998 expansion team. They were coached by Steve Thonn.-History:...
coach Michael Trigg in his 10-year coaching career, and the first in the history of the organization. Meanwhile, it was the second consecutive ArenaBowl
ArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
defeat for the Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
, and the last game the team would play before moving to Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
to become the Georgia Force
Georgia Force
The Georgia Force are an Arena Football League team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States that plays in the South Division of the American Conference. The team is owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Jennings...
. The city of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
would be left without AFL football until a reincarnation of the Kats
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to Atlanta in 2002...
began play in 2005.
Scoring summary
1st Quarter- GR - T.Shaw 6 pass from Dolezel (Gowins kick)
- NASH - Jones 17 pass from Kelly (McLaughlin kick)
- GR - T.Shaw 6 pass from Dolezel (Gowins kick)
- NASH - Grant 1 run (McLaughlin kick)
2nd Quarter
- GR - T.Shaw 41 pass from Dolezel (Gowins kick)
- GR - Odems 14 pass from Dolezel (Gowins kick failed)
- NASH - Jones 34 pass from Kelly (McLaughlin kick)
- GR - Avery 1 run (Gowins kick)
- GR - FG Gowins 36
3rd Quarter
- NASH - Reece 1 run (McLaughlin kick)
- GR - T.Shaw 31 pass from Dolezel (Gowins kick)
- NASH - Hillery 33 pass from Kelly (McLaughlin kick)
- GR - H.Shaw 1 run (Gowins kick)
4th Quarter
- NASH - Baron 28 pass from Fleming (McLaughlin kick)
- GR - T.Shaw 15 pass from Dolezel (Gowins kick)
- GR - Odems 17 pass from Dolezel (Gowins kick)