Friday, May 20, 2005 | 10:31 a.m.
Noon Sunday, Thomas & Mack Center Radio: ESPN 920-AM
Sunday's the end of something for the Gladiators.
It could be the end of their season. It could be the end of frustration. One way or another, though, it's the end.
By the time the Gladiators finish Sunday afternoon's game against Arizona at the Thomas & Mack Center, they will either be ending a season of disappointment or ending questions about whether this group of players is capable of winning an ArenaBowl title.
The playoffs are still within reach for the Gladiators (8-7) as they draw the curtain on their third regular season in Las Vegas. They must defeat the Ratters (6-9) and also have help, needing a loss by either San Jose (8-7) or Chicago (8-7) to earn one of two wildcard spots in the American Conference.
San Jose plays at Southern Division champion Georgia (11-4) on Saturday night, while Chicago kicks off at Nashville (6-8-1) at the same time the Gladiators' game starts.Las Vegas lost control of its playoff fate last week by losing at Los Angeles, 63-60. The Gladiators have struggled in their three years in town to win the most important of their games, yet they still get this last chance to come through in the big one.
The task is not easy against Arizona. Although the Rattlers (6-9) are eliminated from playoff contention, they have played a major role in the postseason chase in the past two weeks by upsetting Chicago and San Jose. How interesting: just as much as they've helped keep the Gladiators in the playoff race, the Rattlers could remove them.
"I think they're playing some of their best football of the year," Gladiators coach Ron James said. "I think they've relished the role of being a spoiler."
Arizona suffered through a stretch of seven consecutive losses earlier in the year. After playing in the past three ArenaBowls, the Rattlers fell apart without departed coach Danny White and injured quarterback Sherdrick Bonner. Against the Gladiators in March, Bonner injured his knee and missed a month, which capped the tumultuous first half of Arizona's season.
The Rattlers are still battling, though, having won four of their past five games to pull toward a respectable record. Gladiators quarterback Clint Dolezel feels that Arizona is not quite the juggernaut that has frustrated Las Vegas, even if it is playing well.
"They're still not the Arizona of old, but they're definitely a dangerous football team to play right now," Dolezel said.
Arizona relies on offensive specialist Siaha Burley in much the same way that Las Vegas calls upon Marcus Nash. In his fifth season, Burley is enjoying an All-Arena caliber season, compiling 115 catches, 1,533 yards and 43 touchdowns in the air. He is chasing the single-season league record of 46 scoring catches, held by a handful of players including Nash.
Burley torched the Gladiators for one of his best games of the season on March 19. He totaled 10 catches for 132 yards and four touchdowns, but the Rattlers could not overcome the Gladiators in a 66-63 loss that proved to be the bottom of a bad drop.
Las Vegas survived that game because of Dolezel and Nash. Dolezel tossed nine touchdown passes, five of which went to Nash, and finished 31-of-40 for 280 yards. Starting March 12 at Columbus, when Dolezel returned from a broken finger, the Las Vegas offense has scored at least 56 points in eight of nine games.
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