Locomotives quarterback Tim Rattay out for the season

By Case Keefer (contact)

Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010 | 5:30 p.m.

If the Las Vegas Locomotives hope to repeat as UFL champions, they will have to do it without their starting quarterback.

The Locomotives have placed Tim Rattay on the injured reserved list, coach Jim Fassel announced through a press release Sunday afternoon.

Rattay left in the fourth quarter of Friday’s 26-3 win against the Sacramento Mountain Lions with an injury. It was determined to be a ruptured Achilles tendon.

“I feel bad for Tim and it’s very unfortunate to rupture your Achilles tendon,” Fassel said. “Tim has done an outstanding job for us. Obviously any time you lose a player of this caliber, especially your quarterback, it can affect the team.”

Rattay had led Las Vegas to a 3-1 start to the season, good for first place in the UFL standings. He took over as the starter after serving as a backup to J.P. Losman last season.

Rattay had completed 83 of 126 passes this season for 791 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.

The quarterback job will now go to one of the two former college standouts on the Locos roster — Drew Willy or Chase Clement.

Willy set every school passing record at the University of Buffalo and led the Bulls to their only conference title in school history when they won the Mid-American Conference during his senior year in 2008.

Clement has a similar history. Clement led Rice to its first bowl victory in 54 years his senior season in 2008, when he passed for 4,119 yards with 44 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Willy has served as Rattay’s backup all season, but Fassel has not announced who will start Saturday at home against the Hartford Colonials (1-3).

“I have a lot of confidence in these young men, they know our system and they been very productive” Fassel said. “We will be able to adapt and move on.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.