Good to last Shock

The Spokane Shock have made extraordinary finishes almost seem ordinary all season.

But the Shock’s latest thrill ride – a 50-47 arenafootball2 playoff win Saturday over fifth-seeded Bakersfield at the Spokane Arena – might have topped all of their previous white-knuckle affairs. That’s saying something, given Spokane’s body of work with dramatic endings.

This time, Spokane rallied from a two-touchdown deficit in the third quarter. This time, the Shock offensive line kept Bakersfield’s fierce pass rush at bay, at least in the second half. This time, the Shock trailed 47-43 with 18 seconds left, but drove 36 yards in three plays for the winning touchdown in front of 9,692 delirious fans.

Top-seeded Spokane advances to face No. 5 Arkansas (12-6), which upset No. 2 Tulsa 53-51, for the National Conference championship Saturday at the Arena. The winner advances to the ArenaCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Aug. 26. Spokane drubbed Arkansas 46-23 last month.

“The reason we didn’t panic is because we’ve had so many close games – eight or nine,” Shock head coach Chris Siegfried said. “Our guys have an unbelievable ability to just keep fighting and making plays and that’s the difference between being 14-2 and teams that are maybe 10-6 of 9-7.”

Make that 15-2, and consider one of those two losses repaid in full. Bakersfield thundered Spokane 52-20 in early May, the Shock’s only home loss this season.

For a good chunk of the rematch, it appeared the Blitz were going to use the same formula – stingy defense and an efficient offense – to subdue Spokane again.

That all changed in the third quarter, after the Blitz had marched in for a touchdown to take a 33-19 lead.

The Shock scored three unanswered touchdowns to take a 40-33 lead, but the Blitz regrouped and reclaimed and lead at 47-43 when Bobby Pesavento connected with DeRonn Finley from 11 yards out with 18 seconds remaining.

Shock quarterback Kyle Rowley hit Antwone Savage for 11 yards and Bakersfield was penalized for encroachment, moving the ball to the Blitz 20-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Rowley found Charles Frederick crossing the middle and hit him in stride. Frederick broke away from a defender and scored, setting off a wild celebration.

“I knew I was going to catch that ball, no matter what,” said Frederick, who finished with four touchdowns, including a 57-yard return on the opening kickoff. “It was a clear-out route, but I just gave him a fake and he went for it. I think (Rowley) saw it and got it to me. I thank him for getting me the ball.”

Spokane was planning on throwing a shorter route, but was surprised when Bakersfield’s defensive back didn’t play press coverage on Frederick.

“We actually anticipated throwing to the back-side (receiver) and getting it down to the 10-yard line, but we caught them basically in off-man coverage on ‘E.T.’ (Frederick’s nickname), which is probably a mistake, as they found out,” Siegfried said.

The problem: There were still 2 seconds left and Bakersfield knew it would receive one untimed down after it got the ball because Spokane was penalized in the aftermath of Frederick’s TD catch.

Blitz kicker Jaret Johnson’s 48-yard field-goal attempt was on line but 5-10 yards short.

“It was a great game,” Bakersfield coach Gary Compton said. “We’re disappointed, obviously. We thought we played well enough to win, but they’re 14-2 for a reason.”

Rowley finished with 241 yards passing and six TDs. Savage had seven catches, two for TDs, and Frederick added five receptions for 88 yards.

“I got hit a little bit in the first half, but the line played well and held up,” Rowley said. “What matters is how you play in the second half.”

Pesavento was 25 of 42 for 234 yards and four TDs for Bakersfield, which finished 10-8.