The situation was clear and the pressure was on. The game was tied with 23 seconds left. All Orlando had to do was work its way down the field and make Mark Lewis’ field goal as easy as possible.
Randy Hippeard led the team like he has countless times before.
A dart toward the sideline boards to Brandon Thompkins, catching it and then spinning along the boards to preserve timeout, waiting for the touch to mark him out and stop the clock.
Then another quick throw. This time with pressure surrounding him, as Cleveland had done throughout the game. The throw looked like it was heading out of bounds, but Greg Carr was wide open. The ball floated away from Hippeard a little bit and into the stands.
Carr had to reach over, hoping no fan touched the ball, making the play dead, and haul it in. As calmly as everything else, he brought it in and set up a game-winning field goal with five seconds left.
There was no doubt for Mark Lewis from 25 yards out. The Predators gave the Gladiators one last Hail Mary chance that was knocked down by a secondary that had come up big in the first half but struggled to corral wide receiver Quentin Sims and quarterback Arvell Nelson.
There were a few heart attacks with how close the game was, as there would be for any coach, but no one would ever know as the Predators won 59-56 at Amway Center on Saturday. The Predators were always in control and always on their way to a victory.
“It was just a situation that we had been through a hundred times,” Carr said. “And we tell ourselves when we are in that situation we have to make a play. Once the opportunity came, we knew what time we were left with and we knew we were an offense that could get into a scoring situation. We just had to execute and do what we had to do.”
That confidence was felt when the Predators opted to kick an onside kick with one minute remaining after scoring a go-ahead touchdown. They wanted the ball last and the chance to win the game on the final possession.
Orlando never trailed but had its share of shaky moments after taking a 14-point lead in the second quarter. The Gladiators used their second half advantage to score on the opening drive of the second half and then tied the game for the first time on a fumble from fullback John Martinez.
Orlando nearly turned it over again when Adrian Trevino kicked it off the cross bar, bouncing five yards into the field of play and leaving the Predators return team a bit exposed. Not even two first-half turnovers in Orlando’s favor created enough distance.
The Gladiators were there to play. Arvell Nelson threw for 296 yards and eight touchdowns. Quentin Sims caught eight passes for 102 yards and four touchdowns. Larry Beavers had eight catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Cleveland was knocking on the door.
“You’ve got to weather the storm,” coach Rob Keefe said. “We are very aware we’re going to get everyone’s best especially when you are 9-2. We have to learn how to finish teams. We have to teach a better killer instinct. At the end of the day, they’re good. We knew they were going to make their little run. Like basketball, you have to weather the storm and when you have opportunities to put them away you have to put them away.”
Orlando was always calm and collected. The Predators got their penalties down — just eight for 47 yards, less than the field of play.
The Predators were able to play the see-saw game of Arena Football. Always yo-yoing into the lead without making mistakes. Taking things down to the last possession and giving themselves the chance to win.
Hippeard was getting chased around the backfield a lot and had to escape pressure constantly. For the most part he did, finding receivers and outlets on numerous occasions.
It could have been on the first play of a drive when he whipped the ball out to Brandon Thompkins early in the game and Thompkins broke a tackle before racing down the sideline for a touchdown. It could have been Hippeard escaping pressure and peeling out to get an 11-yard touchdown run. It could have been Hippeard escaping pressure and finding Greg Carr alone in the end zone for a touchdown at the halftime buzzer.
These are the plays the Predators needed and they did them all so calmly throughout the evening.
Carr said the team knew the situation it was in and that helped the group keep its composure as the pressure mounted. The team was prepared to absorb that run from the Gladiators and answer back when the time came.
Hippeard threw for 316 yards on 23-for-34 passing and four touchdowns. Carr caught nine passes for 95 yards and touchdowns. Brandon Thompkins had eight catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Kendall Thompkins added five for 74.
The team was distributing the ball well and finding ways to score. Improving to 9-2 keeps the Predators on pace to win the conference and compete for one of those top seeds in the league.
It also keeps the target on their back. A target the team has gotten more comfortable with it seems and is playing increasingly better with considering the pressure.
“I wouldn’t say satisfied, but we appreciate the win,” Carr said.” Any time we can get a win, we appreciate it. We’re not satisfied at all. We have to continue to get better. We had a 14-point lead at one time and it came down to a field goal. We know that in situations like that, we have to take teams out and finish them. And once we take leads like that to continue to grow from that and not have setbacks.”
Orlando Pride fall on the road in controversy
Orlando seems to invite officiating controversy everywhere it goes. Orlando City has been on the wrong end of some admittedly wrong calls and there has been plenty of calls supporters have not liked.
The Orlando Pride may have joined that club.
The Pride had a goal waved off and had two non-calls in the box that could have delivered a penalty opportunity as the Western New York Flash’s third minute goal from Mackenzy Doniak stood up for a 1-0 win at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.
Orlando still has only one win on the road and continues to struggle scoring goals away from Camping World Stadium. The Pride had several opportunities, but could not sustain pressure or equalize. The Flash had their opportunities too.
The Pride remain even at .500 — 4-0-4 — but the lack of road scoring is a concern. There is a home stretch coming up in the schedule that should give the Pride a chance to bank up points.
Meet Frank Vogel
No one really knows Frank Vogel. We think we know him because he has established himself in six years as a head coach as a defensive wizard and taken the Indiana Pacers to the NBA Finals’ doorstep.
Most Orlando Magic fans consider his hiring a home run. Someone with proven and deep Playoff experience with a defensive reputation and the ability to develop young players.
Orlando seems to have found a good coach.
No one really knows if this whole thing will work though. How will Vogel adapt to his new team and a new situation?
To get that answer, I reached out to Jared Wade of the Pacers blog 8 Points, 9 Seconds for Orlando Magic Daily to get the lowdown on the new coach:
“He will be great. He has been excellent with young players, giving them discipline in terms of executing D fundamentals and incorporating a system.
“Look at how great Roy [Hibbert], a 17th pick, was. Look at Lance [Stephenson], a second rounder who some considered an All-Star snub in his last year in Indiana. Both were meh to bad their first few years then developed into very good players. Then they left. And nobody wants any of them any more.
“Even Paul George. Maybe he becomes a top-few perimeter defender under other coaches. Maybe he doesn’t. But we know he did under Vogel, and I think Frank can do similar stuff with another team full of young’ns in need of a direction and an identity.”
It will be interesting to see Vogel take charge of this team. He is considered one of the best coaches in the entire league. That is definitely a plus for the Magic as they try to take their next step up.
