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Dietz Throws 6 TD Passes In Key Storm Victory

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By ADAM ADKINS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 24, 2008

TAMPA - Their backs against the wall and their Arena Football playoff hopes on the line, the Tampa Bay Storm rose to the occasion Friday night.

Quarterback Brett Dietz tossed six touchdown passes, three each to receivers Terrill Shaw and Tyrone Timmons, and fullback Torrance Marshall ran for two as the Storm handed Cleveland a 58-48 loss in front of an announced crowd of 15,976 at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The win was Tampa Bay's third straight and fourth in the past five games. It was also the franchise's 200th win. More importantly, though, it was a win that helped the Storm (6-6) make up some ground in the race toward a playoff berth, something they hadn't been able to do despite their solid play during the past month.

"It was a must-win situation, and we had to come out and keep our playoff hopes alive," said Timmons, a Tampa Bay Tech product who was making his AFL debut. "Now that we're at .500 we need to keep going now."

Tampa Bay still remains the No. 8 seed in the National Conference standings, though that could change depending on the outcome of Monday's night's game between Georgia (6-5) and New Orleans (7-4). However, the Storm now own a crucial tiebreaker against the Gladiators (7-5).

"I like the fact that these guys are playing hard. We played hard all the way through," Tampa Bay coach Tim Marcum said. "We fought back."

The game swung to the Storm's favor midway through the fourth quarter. Marshall's 2-yard touchdown run with 6:43 remaining put the Storm ahead 48-41. It was Marshall's 18th touchdown run of the season, which set a franchise single-season mark. It also was the fifth consecutive game Marshall has had multiple rushing touchdowns, tying an AFL record.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Storm caught a break when the ball hit off the goalpost and bounced away from Cleveland's return men and into the arms of Phil Glover at the 9. Three plays later, Dietz found Timmons on an 8-yard touchdown strike, giving Tampa Bay a two-touchdown lead with 3:36 left. Cleveland never recovered.

"It was the difference in the game," Marcum said.

It was a series of executed plays the Storm haven't enjoyed much of this season, and a series Dietz believes shows this team has made a huge turnaround since the five-game losing streak earlier in the year.

"The big difference is we're playing together," Dietz said. "Earlier we had a special teams turnover and an offensive turnover and the defense stepped up and got some turnovers. Then the offense responded and that's the first time this year where that's happened. That's what you need to do to win late in the season. That's what we did last year, we played off each other."

Reporter Adam Adkins can be

reached at (813) 657-4533

or aadkins@tampatrib.com.

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