Late 2-point conversion gives Shock victory

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kyle Rowley passed for 320 yards and seven touchdowns and the Spokane Shock guaranteed themselves at least a .500 season, using a late 2-point conversion to grab a 49-48 victory over the Kansas City Command in Arena Football League action on Saturday at the Sprint Center. Spokane (9-8) jumped out to a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter on a pair of scoring passes from Rowley to Adron Tennell. Rowley’s 2-yard TD pass to Rod Harper stretched the lead to 21-0 at the 7:04 mark of the second quarter. The Command bounced back with a pair of scoring drives to cut the lead to 21-14. Rowley hooked up with Tennell for a third touchdown to put the Shock up 28-14. Kansas City (3-14) answered to pull within 28-21 at halftime. The Command pulled even in the third quarter after recovering a Tennell fumble at their own 1-yard line. They drove the length of the field and Lee Bryant punched it in on a 2-yard run. Spokane retook the lead 35-28 on a Rowley-to-Harper 4-yard strike in the third quarter. After the Command tied the score early in the final quarter, the Shock scored on a 17-yard pass from Rowley to Andrew Nierman but missed the PAT for a 41-35 lead. KC went on top 42-41 with 6:02 left then took possession again at the Shock 16 after stopping Spokane on a fourth-down play with 2:42 left. The Command scored with 53 seconds left, but missed the PAT, for a 48-41 advantage. A pass-interference penalty set up Spokane with a first-and-goal with 16 seconds left. Rowley found Jeffrey Solomon in the back of the end zone for a touchdown and connected with Solomon again on a two-point conversion try for the lead. KC’s James Wilhoit hit the upright on a 47-yard field-goal attempt on the game’s final play.