Story by Will Ogburn
Tampa, FL-The Predators traveled exactly one hundred miles on Saturday for their matchup with the Tampa Bay Storm. The rivalry, known as the War on I-4, is always a heated one. This week they played not only for pride, but also for bragging rights in the division. Though a win would still put the Preds at a half game up in the division, the Storm’s playoff chances would plummet if they were swept by their in-state rival. The Preds came in at (8-5) with a one game lead in the American Conference South. Their offense was potent, raking 1st place in total yards per game. The Storm were nipping at the Preds heels prior to the game with a (7-6 record) – the swagger of a four game winning streak and the roar of the hometown crowd at their backs.
From the first play, there was a sense that Saturday's game would be a close one. Tampa received, but their drive ended in disaster as quarterback Randy Hippeard was picked off for the 18th time this season. From there, it became a battle of the QBs as the Preds' Bernard Morris and Hippeard traded TDs. On the next drive Morris turned a fourth down into a touchdown, but Mark Lewis’ kick sailed wide. That one point would be a thorn in the Predators’ side for the rest of the game. Hippeard showed his athleticism today, rushing a game high nine times for twenty yards. In the first, he ran in his first of three touchdowns to counter the one on the ground and one in the air by Morris.
During the I-4 game, Greg Carr put on a show like no one else. His signature moment in a game where he was named offensive MVP was his thirty five yard grab in the back of the end zone with 7:04 left in the second quarter. He finished with a herculean one hundred twenty nine receiving yards, nearly fifty more than his nearest competitor. In the second, each of the dueling QBs ran and rushed for another touchdown, leading to a halftime score of twenty one to twenty seven in favor of Orlando.
In the second half, Tampa Bay’s defense doubled down and began to assert their dominance. The Storm’s D caused four turnovers while the offense had zero. The defensive barrage started on the first drive of the half as Storm defensive back James Harrell picked off Morris and set up the Storm offense. With that chance, Hippeard made the play of the game. He rolled left, dodging pressure, launched off his back foot, and hit a tiptoeing Amarri Jackson in the back corner of the end zone. That would be the only score of the third, leaving Tampa a missed PAT ahead.
The fourth quarter was a microcosm of the game with an ending that went down to the wire. Morris came out slinging early, and the offense looked like it was back to its old form. They scored early and put the Tampa offense behind the barrel again.With his team down six, Randy Hippeard lead a comeback that will go down among the greats of the War on I-4 rivalry. Looking at second and goal from the one, Hipp called his own number. Nothing. Dexter Jackson plunged up the middle on third, stopped again – two yard loss. On fourth and goal, Hippeard knew it was all or nothing as he took the snap, rolled out to the left, and flung his body just past the goal line to the eruption of the crowd. The score stood at 34-35 as the PAT sailed through. That one point off of the first score of the game came back in the worst way for Orlando. During the Preds’ next possession, the wheels came off. Morris’ pass was thrown high as is sailed over the middle, hit the hands of his receiver, and landed neatly into the hands of Rod Isaac.
“This game really meant something” Said Harrell, whose two picks were a big part of the Storm’s win. “we felt like we really had to get that one. it was a big game.” Coach Samules said on the mood of his team after the win “It’s a great atmosphere, great environment, and the guys got everything laid out in front of them. All our goals are obtainable, we just gotta keep pushing for six next week.” That next game will certainly be a test, as the Storm travel to Cleveland to take on the second winningest team in the league. The Storm will take on the Cleveland Gladiators next saturday before their bye week.