Gladiators and Rampage Squeak by Wild Card Round

The (4) Cleveland Gladiators emerged as the only team in the AFL to win a Wild Card Playoff game at home; the other three teams failed, making this year the first year in AFL history where three road teams won their Wild Card matchups. The Gladiators, led by QB Raymond Philyaw, edged out Shane Stafford's (5) Orlando Predators 69 to 66. A Predator fumble recovered by Cleveland's Brandon Hefflin with two minutes left in regulation led to the game-winning touchdown by Willis Marshall of the Gladiators. Philyaw completed 29 of 48 passes, of which eight ended up in the endzone in the hands of a fellow Gladiator, for 436 yards; only Rickey Foggie of the New Jersey Red Dogs threw for more yards in an AFL postseason game (446). Stafford, on the other hand, went 30-for-42, but for only 376 yards; he also threw for eight touchdown passes. The (4) Cleveland Gladiators play the (2) Georgia Force next Monday at 8 PM EST.

In the later matchup, the (6) Grand Rapids Rampage survived a late scare from the (3) Arizona Rattlers as they defeated the home team 48 to 41. The Rampage needed a goal-line stand to prevent the Rattlers from scoring a late touchdown and sending the game into overtime. The (6) Rampage will play the (1) Chicago Rush, which forces the (5) Colorado Crush to play the (2) San Jose Sabercats. The Crush and Sabercats will play this Saturday at 3 PM EST while the Rush and Rampage play on Sunday at 3 PM EST.