Savage saves day
Spokane Shock coach Adam Shackleford couldn’t have picked a better time to listen to star receiver Antwone Savage.
It was Savage’s second and final kick return, after all, that put the Shock in position to win with the division lead on the line in Saturday night’s arenafootball2 game at the Arena.
Kelvin Dickens pulled down an 18-yard pass from backup quarterback Justin Rummel as time expired – sending the crowd of 10,484 into a frenzy – and the Shock (5-3) escaped with a 66-63 victory over the Central Valley Coyotes (4-4).
“It didn’t really hit me for a second what had happened because I had so many people swarming me,” Dickens said. “Antwone was supposed to be the first read, but Coach (Shackleford) kept saying if the ball goes into the air one of us better grab it.”
After returning the first kick of the game 49 yards to set up a Ben Brown touchdown run, Savage was replaced on special teams by defensive back Rob Keefe to avoid further injuring his hamstring. But with the game on the line and 14 seconds remaining in regulation, Savage asked to step in.
“He was out the whole game on the return because we didn’t want to risk him getting hurt even worse,” Shackleford said. “But on that last return he told me, ‘I want this one,’ and when one of your big players wants that opportunity – you’ve got to let him do it.”
Despite his injury, Savage finished with six receptions and two touchdowns.
“The whole game I fought through the pain,” Savage said. “But I looked up when we had 14 seconds left and I knew I had to give it my all. I watched Rob return the ball all night and those guys gave him a tough time, so I knew what I would be up against – I just did what had to be done.”
Dickens finished with seven catches for 153 yards to lead Shock receivers. He reached the end zone four times, including a 43-yard catch from Andrico Hines in the opening quarter.
“Kelvin is a guy who has really stuck it out,” Shackleford said. “At times this season he wasn’t on the roster and wasn’t collecting a paycheck and he stuck around. He’s gotten his opportunity the past two weeks and made the best of it.”
The Shock had to make serious adjustments on offense when starting quarterback Hines went down in the second quarter with a pulled hamstring. But Rummel, a recent addition to the Shock roster, stepped in and connected on 12 of 16 passes, threw for five touchdowns and ran for one.
The Coyotes were led by receiver Tonae Martin, who caught eight passes for 117 yards and scored three touchdowns, and quarterback Clay Groefsema, who completed 25 of 39 passes and threw five TD passes.