Photos & Story By: Kevin Pakos for S&E News

On a nationally televised game on Monday Night Football ESPN2 viewers saw a Rattler veteran stand and deliver an Amazing Performance. Wendall Gaines had three sacks against the Avengers and played lights out football all night long. He even came in at the end to play some offensive line. Too bad the Rattlers (1-1) fell to the LA Avengers (2-0) 65-33.

Wendall led a defensive charge that put the heat on the Avengers QB Sonny Cumbie all night long. Unfortunately for the Rattlers, every time the defense put LA in a fourth and long or third and long Sonny Cumbie would fire a pass to get LA a first down or into the end zone.

After the game, I spoke with Wendall outside the locker room. Some of his comments on his young team. “There are a lot of growing pains obviously. On the defensive side of it, LA scored 21 points on fourth down. That is telling us we have a young defense. You gotta be able to grow from it and learn to close it out.” “It makes a big, big difference when we battle for three downs then lose it on the fourth down. We can change it around in the coming weeks.”

I mentioned to Wendall that at the close of last season he was hoping that it would work out that he could return to play for the Rattlers and that as the senior member of the defense he had three sacks and is on track for a league record. He said; “In all honesty, the records do not mean anything, we are a good team, we are young and very talented.  I think that the coaching staff we have now will look at the film and coach it up from the film and we will be ok. But we have to be coachable, we are playing, but we just gotta make plays on both sides of the ball. “

I asked Wendall about putting this game behind him and getting ready for the next game in San Jose. “It is going to be tough, San Jose is our biggest rivalry and with HC Kevin Guy having coached there for a couple of years, it is going to be heated. He is fired up right now. We have to deal with it, take this loss, look at the film and move on. You win and lose the game on the defensive and offensive line. There were mistakes on both sides, offside’s on the D line and not protecting or quarterback on the O line. I take the blame as far as the D line.”

I reminded him that the D line played well. “We played well, but we have to play as a group. For me I can’t say we did a good job, we did, but we win and lose as a team.

On the new rule and not having to go both ways. “You know what, I don’t mind, but at the end of the game I am still that fourth or fifth O lineman. So for emergency purposes at the end of the game, I went in on offense. I am prepared to do that. I don’t mind the Ironman game."

On stops. “Kevin is (HC Kevin Guy) big on stops, you get four or five a game, you win the game.” You got one tonight! “Yeah, we had opportunities; we let ‘em go. They got 21 points, it would be like third or fourth and 20, and he had too much time to throw the ball. “

Are you going to be able to pick these guys up, to encourage them? “I think so. There are injuries right now and we have a short week going to San Jose, but we will be ready to go.”

The attendance was listed as the largest opening crowd in two years at 11,532. Clearly many that had tickets stayed home. The lower bowl had so many empty seats on the west side that if a ball did go into the stands there, it may not have gotten close to any fans. The upper deck had more security staff then fans.

After starting well, QB #6 Jeff Smoker had the wheels come off and he was sacked four times in his first six series. To add insult to injury he had the ball stripped from him by LA’s Clay Harrell and that was run in for a touchdown and pretty much sealed the deal. At that point, the remaining Rattler faithful were in a race to their cars.

If there was a turning point in the game, it was not Campbell’s injury or any of the mistakes and bad bounces the Rattlers had come their way. It was an interception by LA’s Eddie Canonico which set up the 30 yard scoring drive for LA giving them a 28-13 lead. It was the way he intercepted that made it clear the Rattlers would have to play perfect, mistake free ball to win. Burley had broken open and was nearing the NE corner of the end zone with his hands ready to pull in the easy score. Canonico came from his coverage on the east sidelines and leapt up and pulled the ball out of the air just as it was going fall into Siaha’s hands for the score. It was an amazing play. After that, the Avengers spent the evening making big play after big play.

The Rattlers got only one stop on the night. They also had many chances early in the game to shut down LA by putting them in fourth and long situations only to watch as LA would score and leave the Rattler defense tired and frustrated. Add to that, all the dropped interceptions by the Rattlers DB’s in the first half and the team was playing catch up. It did not help that on several fourth downs the Rattlers were sacked and got no points.

Watching the game live, it is easy to see why Rattler fans could be so frustrated. This game is designed for teams to score on every possession. The defense is in handcuffs and if they don’t get 4-5 stops, they usually cannot win. But in spite of the score, in spite of the mistakes, the Rattlers played well. Sure, both Keyuo Craver and Isaiah Trufant dropped interceptions that would have changed the outcome to a large degree.

But the Rattler defense was playing against an LA QB whom could become the most prolific passer in AFL history. He is well on his way. Sonny Cumbie has now thrown for more than 8,000 yards in only 31 games. That is an AFL record. He did it while taking a pretty good beating by the Rattlers defense led by Gaines, Darrell Shropshire, and Kurt Kahui. They put a lot a pressure on and forced many errant passes, just like they were supposed to. AZ just forgot to catch the gift INT’s.

Sonny Cumbie LA QB

The offensive line is going to take a lot of heat for this game. If so, it is unfair. They blocked well, the problem is that they were being forced to hold their blocks way to long. In a passing game that usually sees the ball released almost instantly, the Rattlers O line was fighting for their lives as Smoker held onto the ball for three times longer than he should have.

This is a young, talented, well-coached team that has its back against the wall now due to the QB situation. Injuries plagued the team last season as well. Two weeks into it and the Rattlers are already losing starters.

Some game stats: AZ Jeff Smoker 13/28 for 220 yards, 2 TD’s, 1 INT, LA Sonny Cumbie 15/29 267 yards and 7 TD’s, 0 INT’s. Receiving: AZ Siaha Burley 6 catches 101 yards and 3 TD’s. LA Timon Marshall 6 catches 119 yards and 2 TD’s. Defense: AZ Wendall Gaines 3 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 tackles for losses. LA Damen Wheeler 7 tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass breakup.

The game awards went to:

Offensive POG: LA QB Sonny Cumbie

Defensive POG: AZ DL Wendall Gaines

Ironman of the Game: LA WR Timon Marshall

If you are going to give a game ball to someone in the Rattlers secondary, give it to Isaiah Trufant. His cover skills are amazing. There were times when I thought he was the LA receiver’s jersey.

If you are a Rattlers fan, forget about the silly “money back” PR stunt. Because that is, what it was. Until an owner puts on the pads, nothing they say should matter to a true fan. Just take a look at the level of talent this team has from the players and the coaches and get yourselves to the games. I promise you will see some great football. Besides that, with very little TV and NO, none, nada, zip radio coverage, you have no choice, see it live and live it large…….

Next up for Arizona: A road trip on Saturday, March 15 to San Jose to play the Sabercats at 7:00 PM Local Radio Station 1010 AM KXXT will keep fans updated with scores during the game. Listen in to "Game of the Week" from 8-10 PM to get the latest in scores and hi-lights. Join host Kevin Pakos and his roomful of sportsnuts and stay in the game..

This game will be discussed as will every game on the weekly radio shows "Game of the Week" and "Amazing Performances" heard each week on 1010 AM KXXT. Game of the Week is a Saturday night 8-10 PM weekend sports wrap show that covers all Arizona teams. The Friday 3-4 PM show Amazing Performances has features that showcase the best in sports and entertainment.