Rattlers come up short against Rampage

They turned the ball over just once, and the miscue came on just their third offensive play of the game.

Slideshow: Rattlers fall to Rampage

But that proved to be too much for the Rattlers to overcome Monday night, as they lost their nationally televised Arena Football League playoff opener, 48-41, to the Grand Rapids Rampage at US Airways Center.

The Rattlers finished the season 8-9.

That’s a big improvement over last year’s 4-12, but coach Kevin Guy vowed their season-ending three-game slide, with all of the losses coming at home, would spur a search for player upgrades.

Monday’s tone was set early.

The Rampage, leading 7-0, got a one-handed interception of a Jeff Smoker pass by Jermaine Lewis. The Rampage (7-10) converted the turnover into a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

The Rattlers spent the rest of the game playing catch-up, and succeeded in tying the score three times. But they could never come up with a complete stop on defense, though they did hold Grand Rapids to two field goals.

The Rattlers had one last chance to send the game into overtime or even go for a win on a 2-point conversion.

Down 48-41 with 1 minute to play, and with a first goal at the 3-yard line, they tried to manipulate the clock by running the ball three straight times.

“We didn’t want to leave them enough time to kick a field goal to win it,” Guy said.

That left the Rattlers with a game-deciding fourth-and-goal at the one. They ran a “check” play, with Smoker deciding whether to run left or right based on the defensive backs’ look. He picked left. So did the Rampage defense.

They stopped Smoker for the win.

Guy bemoaned the fact his top two fullbacks, Chris Robinson and Johnathan Ingram, were out with injuries, which limited his options.

“I don’t know how you miss a playoff game. ... Only those guys know,” Guy said.

Smoker said, “It’s a tough way to end the season. I wish I didn’t have to run the ball. I’m a quarterback. I’m not a running back. I think we have other guys who can do that. Now, I feel I’m partly to blame because I didn’t get the ball in the end zone.”

Still, both Guy and Smoker noted their goal-line group has been successful this season.

“We bring in those extra linemen and fullbacks and pound it in,” Smoker said. “We’ve been able to do it all year. I don’t know if we’ve been stopped like that down there all year if I can remember. What a time to have it happen.”

The Rattlers also were hurt by a missed extra point by Eric Houle.

“That was the difference in the game,” Guy said. “Their kicker (Brian Gowins) was on, and we missed a key extra point.”

The Rattlers succeeded in putting the Rampage in a host of third- and fourth-down situations, but couldn’t close the deal. The best example: They forced a fourth-and-2 midway through the fourth quarter, but Grand Rapids quarterback James McPherson threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Higgins.

That gave the Rampage a 48-41 lead.

“We had a chance to get ’em off the field, and we didn’t,” Guy said.