NEW ORLEANS – The Philadelphia Soul captured Virgin Mobile ArenaBowl XXII this afternoon, knocking off the San Jose SaberCats, 59-56, in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,244 at New Orleans Arena. The victory gave Philadelphia its first title in franchise history and denied San Jose its second straight ArenaBowl championship.
Soul quarterback Matt D’Orazio (Columbus, Ohio) completed 26 of 43 pass attempts for 302 yards and seven touchdowns and rushing for one score to be named Mitsubishi Motors ArenaBowl XXII MVP. Meanwhile, Philadelphia receiver Chris Jackson (Santa Ana, Calif.) was named the Offensive Player of the Game after totaling 11 catches for a game-high 146 yards and three touchdowns.
The SaberCats, who were looking to earn their fourth championship in seven seasons, had several opportunities catch up to the Soul, who posted an AFL-best 13-3 regular-season record. But early mistakes and turnovers allowed Philadelphia to jump out to a 19-point third-quarter advantage it would not relinquish.
San Jose took the opening kickoff and methodically moved down the field, scoring the game’s first points on a Rodney Wright (Bakersfield, Calif.) eight-yard touchdown catch. But the explosive Philadelphia offense responded when Brent Holmes (San Antonio, Texas) broke free behind the SaberCats defense for a 34-yard score.
The SaberCats put together their second straight 45-yard drive to retake the lead on a five-yard screen pass from quarterback Mark Grieb (San Jose, Calif.) to wide receiver/linebacker Jason Geathers (Boca Raton, Fla.). Not to be outdone, Philadelphia mimicked its opening scoring possession as well, cashing in on a 34-yard heave from D’Orazio to Jackson to knot the score, 14-14, at the end of the first quarter.
After another pair of touchdown catches by Geathers and Jackson, Philadelphia logged the game’s first defensive stop, forcing a San Jose turnover on downs. The Soul took advantage on the very next play, as Larry Brackins’ (Dothan, Ala.) 20-yard touchdown catch put Philadelphia ahead, 27-20. The Soul extended their lead to 14 points thanks to an interception by Eddie Moten (Dallas, Texas) and a D’Orazio eight-yard touchdown scramble.
Down by seven following Geathers’ third touchdown of the afternoon, San Jose head coach Darren Arbet (Stockton, Calif.) made the first challenge of a official’s call in ArenaBowl history, arguing that his team had recovered a fumble by Philadelphia tight end Phil Bogle (Spring Valley, N.Y.). Referee Bill LeMonnier upheld the call on the field, however, ruling that Bogle had recovered the ball on his own. A 20-yard field goal by Connor Hughes (Williamsburg, Va.) gave the Soul a 37-27 halftime lead.
Overall, three calls were challenged during the game, with only one being overturned following video review. Coaches challenges were approved for use during the playoffs for the first time in AFL history earlier this season.
The SaberCats finally slowed the Soul offense on Philadelphia’s opening drive of the second half when defensive back Clevan Thomas (Miami, Fla.) broke up a fourth-down pass attempt by D’Orazio. But Philadelphia took control of the ball once again after defensive lineman Gabe Nyenhuis (St. Charles, Ill.) sacked Grieb and forced a fumble. The Soul pushed their lead to17 points with Jackson’s third touchdown catch of the night.
Philadelphia’s defense continued to flex its muscle, as Raheem Orr (Elizabeth, N.J.) sacked Grieb in the end zone for a safety. San Jose responded with a defensive stop of its own, however, as a D’Orazio fumble caused by George Williams (Roseboro, N.C.) led to a 12-yard touchdown catch by Geathers. Despite the score, the SaberCats found themselves down, 46-34, with one quarter remaining.
San Jose’s defense stepped up once again on Philadelphia’s next drive, forcing a field goal attempt that was botched by holder and backup quarterback Tony Graziani (Modesto, Calif.). In an unusual turn of events, however, the Soul recovered the ball on the same play after Graziani’s desperation pass attempt was intercepted and then fumbled by Rodney Wright (Bakersfield, Calif.). Philadelphia’s Bogle jumped on the loose ball, setting up a touchdown pass to Brackins that put the game virtually out of reach.
A Brian Johnson (Littleton, Colo.) three-yard touchdown catch pulled San Jose back to within 10 points, 52-42. The SaberCats could not recover an onside kick attempt, however, allowing the Soul to open up a 17-point lead with a two-yard touchdown pass to Bogle with 39 seconds remaining in the game.
The SaberCats refused to go out quietly. Wright narrowed the lead to 11 points with his 13th catch of the night, an ArenaBowl record. San Jose’s Trestin George (Berkeley, Calif.) then recovered an onside kick, setting up Geathers’ fifth touchdown grab of the night and bringing the SaberCats within a field goal. The miracle comeback came up short, however, as Philadelphia’s Rod Davis (Gulfport, Miss.) recovered the final onside kick of the night.
Score by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Final
San Jose SaberCats 14 13 7 22 56 Record: (11-5, 2-1)
Philadelphia Soul 14 23 9 13 59 Record: (13-3, 3-0)
LEADERS:
PASSING: D’ORAZIO, Matt (PHI) 26-43-302-7; GRIEB, Mark (SJS) 27-44-299-8
RECEIVING: JACKSON, Chris (PHI) 11-146-3; WRIGHT, Rodney (SJS) 13-144-2
PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
Offensive: Chris Jackson (PHI)
Defensive: Gabe Nyenhuis (PHI)
Ironman: Mike Brown (PHI)
Mitsubishi Motors ArenaBowl XXII MVP: Matt D’Orazio (PHI)
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