Cleveland Gladiators Staff Directory
Ownership
Majority Owner Dan Gilbert
Minority Owner/Vice Chairman Nate Forbes
Minority Owner/Vice Chairman Jeff Cohen
Executives
CEO, Cavaliers / Quicken Loans Arena Len Komoroski
President Kerry Bubolz
COO/Senior Vice President of Franchise Operations Mike Ostrowski
Communications/Digital
VP of Marketing/Communications Pam Frasco
Mgr. of Broadcast Services &
Team Communications/Play-by-Play Announcer Tony Brown
Communications Coordinator Jeff Elston
Digital Producers Spencer Lee
Josie Janavicius
Sales & Service
VP of Franchise Development Alan Mowrey
Director of Ticket Sales and Service Matt Kalister
Client Event & Member Benefits Manager Celena Zevnik
Manager of Membership Activation Kim Scercy
Membership Activation Representatives Ryan Caler
Kristen Krasinskas
Grace Ferut
Gladiators Group Event Specialist/Youth Football Specialist, Ticket Sales Joe Kummerl
Gladiators Group Event Specialist Gina Wall
Business Development Specialist, Ticket Sales Kent Petrunger
Manager, Youth Sports and Group Sales Dave Aitken
Group Event Specialists Jessica Kelly
Senior Premium Sales Executive Mike DeAngelo
Corporate Partnerships
Director of Corporate Partnership Sales and Service Greg Prymicz
Account Managers Mike Sedlak
Mike Sansone
Craig Frederick
Corporate Sales Development Bruce Burge
Corporate Partnership Activation Specialist Matt Sharp
Broadcast Services
VP, Broadcasting Dave Dombrowski
Producer/Editor Scott Smoot
Director of Engineering Joe Frietchen
Engineering Managers Ken Barski
Stacy Knox
Broadcast Manager/Traffic Ryan Banks
Marketing and Game Presentation
VP of Marketing & Communications Pam Frasco
Sr. Director of Game Presentation Matt Bettinger
Marketing/Community Relations Coordinator Ben Adams
Marketing/Advertising Coordinator Noah Volz
Manager of Video Graphics A.J. Johnson
Manager of Production Matt Eck
Production Coordinators Mark Zaremba
Coree Miracola
Senior Producer Paul Mazzoleni
Producers Chris Thomas
Alison Cole
Gameday and Metadata Manager Tim Long
Production Assistant Erik Shear
In-Arena Host/Special Projects Coordinator Ahmaad Crump
P.A. Announcer Ryan Pritt
Graphic Design
Graphic Designers Blaine Fridrick
Nick Prost
Medical Staff
Team Dentist D. Todd Russell, DDS
NEO Spine and Sport Dr. Tim Keyes
Center for Orthopedics, Medical Orthopedist Harkeet Sandhu, MD
Center for Orthopedics, Orthopedic Surgeons Daniel J. Zanotti, MD
John K. Krebs, MD
Robert J. Berkowitz, MD
Robert M. Zanotti, MD
William B. Stanfield, MD
David G. Marsh Jr. MD
Team Physician Scott Singer, MD
Week Nineteen Schedule
Playoffs: First Round
Saturday, August 6th
Jacksonville at Orlando – 7:00 p.m.
Portland at Arizona – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 7th
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia – 6:00 p.m.
Cleveland at Los Angeles – 6:00 p.m.
2016 AFL STANDINGS
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Team W-L PF-PA PCT. Conference Home Away Philadelphia 13-3 983-776 .813 6-2 7-1 6-2
Orlando 12-4 893-781 .750 5-3 6-2 6-2
Jacksonville 7-9 835-774 .438 4-3 3-5 4-4
Tampa Bay 2-14 568-868 .125 0-8 2-6 0-8
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Team W-L PF-PA PCT. Conference Home Away Arizona 13-3 1068-766 .813 8-0 8-0 5-3
Los Angeles 7-9 736-748 .438 4-4 5-4 2-5
Cleveland 7-9 826-934 .438 2-4 4-4 3-5
Portland 3-13 670-932 .188 1-7 3-4 0-9
2016 CLEVELAND GLADIATORS
TEAM ROSTER- ALPHABETICAL
# POS NAME HT WT DOB COLLEGE HOMETOWN
10 WR Beavers, Larry 5’11 180 10/07/85 Wesley Annapolis, MD
69 OL Brandel, D.J. 6’5 305 03/15/91 Chapman Villa Park, CA
96 DL Colling, Randy 6’5 325 11/06/92 Gannon Arcade, NY
78 OL Jasperse, Chris 6’4 300 04/04/91 Marshall Greensboro, NC
22 DL Keoshian, Collin 6’3 260 04/10/91 Illinois State Santa Clarita, CA
11 DL Koroma, Abe 6’3 300 05/01/88 Western Illinois Hershey, PA
6 WR Lewis, Thyron 6'4 205 11/25/82 Howard Inglewood, CA
74 OL Madsen, Joe 6’3 315 09/01/89 West Virginia Chardon, OH
44 OL Manley, Phillip-Keith 6’4 340 05/07/90 Toledo Hamilton, OH
2 QB Nelson, Arvell 6’5 225 09/27/88 Texas Southern Cleveland, OH
15 QB Panasuk, Stephen 6’2 210 01/19/89 La Salle Jackson, NJ
20 DB Phinisee, Joe 5’10 190 01/06/86 Walsh Warren, OH
21 DB Powell, Joe 6’2 205 02/25/94 Globe Tech Portsmouth, VA
9 DB Rodgers, Kelvin 6’1 180 06/26/87 Minnesota State East St. Louis, IL
4 DB Ross, Marvin 5’11 180 05/11/90 Florida A&M Jacksonville, FL
99 DL Seither, Nick 6’3 275 03/02/93 Georgetown Hamilton, OH
18 WR Sims, Quentin 6’3 205 07/11/90 Tennessee-Martin Cincinnati, OH
66 OL Somsel, Jesse 6’4 315 06/25/91 Saginaw Valley State Rockford, MI
1 DB Stephens, Brandon 5’11 210 12/04/87 Miami, OH Strongsville, OH
72 OL Sterling, Aslam 6’4 315 08/20/92 Kansas Springfield Garden, WI
17 WR Taylor, Collin 6’1 195 02/28/87 Indiana Carmel, IN
19 K Trevino, Adrian 5’11 190 01/02/88 Missouri Valley Merced, CA
13 WR Wilson, Devin 6'2 205 10/13/90 Tennessee State Nashville, TN
93 DL Young, Curtis 6’1 270 01/08/87 Cincinnati Cleveland, OH
INACTIVE
33 MLB Brikowski, Brian 6’5 265 02/11/89 Monmouth Freehold, NJ
70 OL Burkland, Skyler 6’7 315 10/10/91 Michigan State Sunbury, OH
8 DL Dunning, Isiah 6'3 285 05/09/92 Grand Valley State Ravenna, MI
-- WR Holt, Josiah 5’9 170 07/10/92 Baldwin Wallace Elyria, OH
3 DB Robinson, Demarcus 6’2 200 06/03/86 Henderson State Tyler, TX
75 FB Schofield, Chad 6’4 315 12/19/87 Marshall Strongsville, OH
COACHING STAFF
Steve Thonn – Head Coach
Ron Selesky – Asst. Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Mike Smith – Head Line Coach
Dominic Jones – Defensive Backs Coach
Jeff Lambert-Shemo – Head Athletic Trainer
Aimee Cline – Assistant Athletic Trainer
Mike Buchanan – Head Equipment Manager
Giovanni DiSiena – Assistant Equipment Manager
Jordan Smith – Video Coordinator
Brent Overholt – Football Operations Assistant
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Chad SCHOFIELD (Sko-field)
Steve THONN (TUNN)
THYRON Lewis (THA-ron)
Collin KEOSHIAN (KEY-o-shee-in)
2016 CLEVELAND GLADIATORS
TEAM ROSTER- NUMERICAL
# POS NAME HT WT DOB COLLEGE HOMETOWN
1 DB Stephens, Brandon 5’11 210 12/04/87 Miami, OH Strongsville, OH
2 QB Nelson, Arvell 6’5 225 09/27/88 Texas Southern Cleveland, OH
4 DB Ross, Marvin 5’11 180 05/11/90 Florida A&M Jacksonville, FL
6 WR Lewis, Thyron 6'4 205 11/25/82 Howard Inglewood, CA
9 DB Rodgers, Kelvin 6’1 180 06/26/87 Minnesota State East St. Louis, IL
10 WR Beavers, Larry 5’11 180 10/07/85 Wesley Annapolis, MD
11 DL Koroma, Abe 6’3 300 05/01/88 Western Illinois Hershey, PA
13 WR Wilson, Devin 6'2 205 10/13/90 Tennessee State Nashville, TN
15 QB Panasuk, Stephen 6’2 210 01/19/89 La Salle Jackson, NJ
17 WR Taylor, Collin 6’1 195 02/28/87 Indiana Carmel, IN
18 WR Sims, Quentin 6’3 205 07/11/90 Tennessee-Martin Cincinnati, OH
19 K Trevino, Adrian 5’11 190 01/02/88 Missouri Valley Merced, CA
20 DB Phinisee, Joe 5’10 190 01/06/86 Walsh Warren, OH
21 DB Powell, Joe 6’2 205 02/25/94 Globe Tech Portsmouth, VA
22 DL Keoshian, Collin 6’3 260 04/10/91 Illinois State Santa Clarita, CA
44 OL Manley, Phillip-Keith 6’4 340 05/07/90 Toledo Hamilton, OH
66 OL Somsel, Jesse 6’4 315 06/25/91 Saginaw Valley State Rockford, MI
69 OL Brandel, D.J. 6’5 305 03/15/91 Chapman Villa Park, CA
72 OL Sterling, Aslam 6’4 315 08/20/92 Kansas Springfield Garden, WI
74 OL Madsen, Joe 6’3 315 09/01/89 West Virginia Chardon, OH
78 OL Jasperse, Chris 6’4 300 04/04/91 Marshall Greensboro, NC
93 DL Young, Curtis 6’1 270 01/08/87 Cincinnati Cleveland, OH
96 DL Colling, Randy 6’5 325 11/06/92 Gannon Arcade, NY
99 DL Seither, Nick 6’3 275 03/02/93 Georgetown Hamilton, OH
INACTIVE
3 DB Robinson, Demarcus 6’2 200 06/03/86 Henderson State Tyler, TX
8 DL Dunning, Isiah 6'3 285 05/09/92 Grand Valley State Ravenna, MI
33 MLB Brikowski, Brian 6’5 265 02/11/89 Monmouth Freehold, NJ
70 OL Burkland, Skyler 6’7 315 10/10/91 Michigan State Sunbury, OH
75 FB Schofield, Chad 6’4 315 12/19/87 Marshall Strongsville, OH
-- WR Holt, Josiah 5’9 170 07/10/92 Baldwin Wallace Elyria, OH
COACHING STAFF
Steve Thonn – Head Coach
Ron Selesky – Asst. Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Mike Smith – Head Line Coach
Dominic Jones – Defensive Backs Coach
Jeff Lambert-Shemo – Head Athletic Trainer
Aimee Cline – Assistant Athletic Trainer
Mike Buchanan – Head Equipment Manager
Giovanni DiSiena – Assistant Equipment Manager
Jordan Smith - Video Coordinator
Brent Overholt – Football Operations Assistant
PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
Chad SCHOFIELD (Sko-field)
Steve THONN (TUNN)
THYRON Lewis (THA-ron)
Collin KEOSHIAN (KEY-o-shee-in)
2016 TEAM DEPTH CHART
CLEVELAND GLADIATORS
Note: Depth chart is subject to change.
GLADIATORS OFFENSE
QB 2 NELSON 15 Panasuk
FB 44 MANLEY 78 Jasperse
WR 18 SIMS 13 Wilson
WR 17 TAYLOR 13 Wilson
WR 10 BEAVERS
OL 69 BRANDEL 72 Sterling
OL 74 MADSEN 78 Jasperse
OL 66 SOMSEL 72 Sterling
GLADIATORS SPECIAL TEAMS
K 19 TREVINO
H 2 NELSON
LS 74 MADSEN
KR 10 BEAVERS
GLADIATORS DEFENSE
DE 11 KOROMA 99 Seither
DE 22 KEOSHIAN 99 Seither
NG 96 COLLING 11 Koroma
MLB 93 DUNNING
JLB 20 PHINISEE
DB 4 ROSS 20 Phinisee
DB 21 POWELL
DB 9 RODGERS
GLADIATORS INJURED RESERVE (INACTIVE)
DB 3 Robinson
DL 8 Dunning
MLB 33 Brikowski
OL 70 Burkland
FB 75 Schofield
WR -- Holt
Combined Team Statistics
RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL ALL GAMES (7-9) (4-4) (3-5) (0-0) CONFERENCE (2-3) (1-2) (1-1) (0-0) NON-CONFERENCE (5-6) (3-2) (2-4) (0-0)
DATE OPPONENT W/L SCORE ATTEND
------------ ------------------------ --- ----- ------
Apr 01, 2016 PHILADELPHIA SOUL L 41-69 12944
Apr 09, 2016 TAMPA BAY STORM W 41-29 11892
Apr 16, 2016 LA KISS L 42-47 12243
Apr 23, 2016 at Philadelphia Soul L 50-67 7057
Apr 29, 2016 ORLANDO PREDATORS L 56-76 13429
May 07, 2016 JACKSONVILLE SHARKS W 41-40 8056
May 16, 2016 PORTLAND STEEL W OT 55-48 6733
May 23, 2016 at Tampa Bay Storm W OT 70-63 9722
May 28, 2016 PHILADELPHIA SOUL W 63-49 11278
Jun 03, 2016 ARIZONA RATTLERS L 62-77 11797
Jun 11, 2016 at Orlando Predators L 56-59 11117
Jun 18, 2016 at Portland Steel W 58-49 4516
Jun 25, 2016 at Jacksonville Sharks W 48-47 10645
Jul 09, 2016 at Philadelphia Soul L 62-83 5593
July 16,2016 at LA KISS L 61-63 8069
Jul 24, 2016 at Arizona Rattlers L 20-68 12823
TEAM STATISTICS CLE OPP FIRST DOWNS 310 358 Rushing 37 38 Passing 226 261 Penalty 47 59 RUSHING YARDAGE 339 369 Rushing Attempts 101 109 Average Per Rush 3.4 3.4 Average Per Game 21.2 23.1 TDs Rushing 22 21 PASSING YARDAGE 4100 4534 Comp-Att-Int 336-572-20 389-593-19 Average Per Pass 7.2 7.6 Average Per Catch 12.2 11.7 Average Per Game 256.2 283.4 TDs Passing 85 104 TOTAL OFFENSE 4439 4903 Average Per Play 6.4 6.9 Average Per Game 277.4 306.4 KICK RETURNS: #-Yards 98-1519 96-1515 FG RETURNS: #-Yards 1-7 2-1 INT RETURNS: #-Yards 19-416 20-264 FUMBLES-LOST 19-14 12-6
http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=cle0401http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=cle0409http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=cle0416http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=phi0423http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=cle0429http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=cle0507http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=cle0516http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=tbs0523http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=cle0528http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=cle0603http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=orl0611http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=pdx0618http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=jax0625http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=phi0709http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=lak0716http://www.afldigital.com/index.cfm?view=stats&year=2016&report=ari0724
PENALTIES-Yards 122-777 134-917 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game 31:02 30:14 3RD-DOWN Conversions 45/105 51/94 4TH-DOWN Conversions 24/46 13/33
Score by quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total
Cleveland Gladiators 173 264 152 223 14 826
Opponents 213 299 194 228 0 934
RUSHING GP Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G
NELSON, Arvell 16 59 212 0 212 3.6 11 14 13.2
HAVRILLA, D. 4 7 36 0 36 5.1 3 21 9.0
MANLEY, Phillip-Keit 16 17 39 6 33 1.9 3 8 2.1
BEAVERS, Larry 16 8 27 1 26 3.2 4 13 1.6
DIEKER, C. 1 3 26 0 26 8.7 1 23 26.0
TAYLOR, Collin 16 5 13 9 4 0.8 0 8 0.2
WILSON, Devin 7 2 4 2 2 1.0 0 4 0.3
Total.......... 16 101 357 18 339 3.4 22 23 21.2
Opponents...... 16 109 376 7 369 3.4 21 23 23.1
PASSING GP Rating Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yards TD Long Avg/G
NELSON, Arvell 16 113.3 261-439-11 59.5 3425 70 49 214.1
HAVRILLA, D. 4 88.0 52-89-4 58.4 535 11 35 133.8
DIEKER, C. 1 45.4 19-35-4 54.3 196 2 33 196.0
Panasuk, Stephe 1 45.8 3-8-1 37.5 40 1 17 40.0
BEAVERS, Larry 16 127.1 1-1-0 100.0 5 1 5 0.3
TEAM 13 39.6 0-0-0 0.0 -101 0 0 -7.8
Total.......... 16 103.5 336-572-20 58.7 4100 85 49 256.2
Opponents...... 16 114.8 389-593-19 65.6 4534 104 46 283.4
RECEIVING GP No. Yards Avg TD Long Avg/G
TAYLOR, Collin 16 110 1437 13.1 32 43 89.8
SIMS, Quentin 12 92 1112 12.1 27 39 92.7
BEAVERS, Larry 16 50 703 14.1 8 49 43.9
LEWIS, Thyron 7 25 362 14.5 4 35 51.7
GOODMAN, D. 4 24 188 7.8 3 22 47.0
WILSON, Devin 7 21 262 12.5 9 25 37.4
MANLEY, Phillip-Keit 16 7 78 11.1 0 27 4.9
BRANDEL, DJ 15 5 36 7.2 2 11 2.4
SOMSEL, J 15 2 23 11.5 0 20 1.5
Total.......... 16 336 4201 12.5 85 49 262.6
Opponents...... 16 389 4589 11.8 104 46 286.8 FIELD GOALS Made-Att Pct 01-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-99 Long Blkd TREVINO, Adrian 1-4 25.0 0-0 1-2 0-2 0-0 0-0 22 1
PATs
SCORING TD FGs Kick Rush Rcv Pass 2PT Saf Points
TAYLOR, Collin 32 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 192
SIMS, Quentin 27 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 162
TREVINO, Adrian 0 1-4 98-107 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 101
BEAVERS, Larry 13 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 78
NELSON, Arvell 11 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 1-3 0 0 68
WILSON, Devin 9 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 54
LEWIS, Thyron 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0-0 0 0 26
POWELL, Joe 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 24
GOODMAN, D. 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0-0 0 0 20
MANLEY, Phillip-Keit 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 18
HAVRILLA, D. 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1-3 0 0 18
ROSS, Marvin 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 18
BRANDEL, DJ 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 12
SEITHER, Nick 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 6
BENDER, Jamie 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 6
Total.......... 119 1-4 103-112 1-1 2 2-6 0 0 826
Opponents...... 135 2-3 116-134 0-1 0 0-0 0 1 934
INTERCEPTIONS No. Yards Avg TD Long
ROSS, Marvin 6 97 16.2 3 42
POWELL, Joe 5 160 32.0 3 52
ROBINSON, Demarcus 3 63 21.0 1 45
YOUNG, Curtis 1 5 5.0 0 5
BENDER, Jamie 1 32 32.0 1 32
NELSON, Arvell 1 8 8.0 0 8
RODGERS, Kelvin 1 2 2.0 0 2
STEPHENS, B. 1 49 49.0 0 49
Total.......... 19 416 21.9 8 52
Opponents...... 20 264 13.2 4 49
FG RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD Long
BEAVERS, Larry 1 7 7.0 0 7
Total.......... 1 7 7.0 0 7
Opponents...... 2 1 0.5 0 1
KICK RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD Long
BEAVERS, Larry 90 1488 16.5 1 58
LEWIS, Thyron 2 11 5.5 0 9
SIMS, Quentin 1 3 3.0 0 3
POWELL, Joe 1 5 5.0 1 5
GOODMAN, D. 1 4 4.0 0 4
ROBINSON, Demarcus 1 0 0.0 0 0
TAYLOR, Collin 1 8 8.0 0 8
PHINISEE, Joe 1 0 0.0 0 0
Total.......... 98 1519 15.5 2 58
Opponents...... 96 1515 15.8 3 56
ALL PURPOSE GP Rush Rcv FG KR IR Total Avg/G
BEAVERS, Larry 16 26 703 7 1488 0 2224 139.0
TAYLOR, Collin 16 4 1437 0 8 0 1449 90.6
SIMS, Quentin 12 0 1112 0 3 0 1115 92.9
LEWIS, Thyron 7 0 362 0 11 0 373 53.3
WILSON, Devin 7 2 262 0 0 0 264 37.7
Total.......... 16 339 4201 7 1519 416 6482 405.1
Opponents...... 16 369 4589 1 1515 264 6738 421.1
TOTAL OFFENSE GP Plays Rush Pass Total Avg/G
NELSON, Arvell 16 498 212 3425 3637 227.3
HAVRILLA, D. 4 96 36 535 571 142.8
DIEKER, C. 1 38 26 196 222 222.0
Panasuk, Stephe 1 8 0 40 40 40.0
MANLEY, Phillip-Keit 16 17 33 0 33 2.1
Total.......... 16 673 339 4100 4439 277.4
Opponents...... 16 702 369 4534 4903 306.4 Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Fumbles Blkd DEFENSIVE LEADERS GP Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds No-Yds Int-Yds BU PD Qbh Rcv-Yds FF Kick Saf 4 ROSS, Marvin 16 72 25 84.5 . . 6 - 97 24 30 . 1 - 0 2 . . 3 ROBINSON, Demarcus 14 63 25 75.5 . . 3 - 63 14 17 . . . . . 1 STEPHENS, B. 9 35 14 42.0 . . 1 - 49 7 8 . . 1 . . 21 POWELL, Joe 8 30 22 41.0 . . 5 - 160 6 11 . . . . . 20 PHINISEE, Joe 12 22 14 29.0 . . . 6 6 . 3 - 2 . . . Total.......... 16 374 208 478.0 14 - 59 11 - 55 19 - 416 70 89 30 6 - 22 9 1 . Opponents...... 16 346 196 444.0 31 - 111 24 - 101 20 - 264 60 80 27 14 - 26 16 3 1
Game Superlatives
INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS
Rushes 9 NELSON, Arvell at Jacksonville Sharks (Jun 25, 2016)
Yards Rushing 35 HAVRILLA, D. at Philadelphia Soul (Apr 23, 2016)
TD Rushes 3 NELSON, Arvell vs Jacksonville Sharks (May 07, 2016)
Long Rush 23 DIEKER, C. vs Philadelphia Soul (Apr 01, 2016)
Pass attempts 44 NELSON, Arvell at Tampa Bay Storm (May 23, 2016)
Pass completions 32 NELSON, Arvell at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Yards Passing 404 NELSON, Arvell at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
TD Passes 8 NELSON, Arvell at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Long Pass 49 NELSON, Arvell vs Philadelphia Soul (May 28, 2016)
Receptions 13 TAYLOR, Collin vs LA KISS (Apr 16, 2016)
Yards Receiving 198 SIMS, Quentin at LA KISS (July 16,2016)
TD Receptions 5 SIMS, Quentin at LA KISS (July 16,2016)
Long Reception 49 BEAVERS, Larry vs Philadelphia Soul (May 28, 2016)
Field Goals 1 TREVINO, Adrian at Portland Steel (Jun 18, 2016)
Long Field Goal 22 TREVINO, Adrian at Portland Steel (Jun 18, 2016)
Long MFG Return 7 BEAVERS, Larry vs Jacksonville Sharks (May 07, 2016)
Long Kickoff Return 58 BEAVERS, Larry vs Orlando Predators (Apr 29, 2016)
Tackles 13.5 ROSS, Marvin vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Sacks 1.0 KEOSHIAN, Collin vs Tampa Bay Storm (Apr 09, 2016)
COLLING, Randy vs Tampa Bay Storm (Apr 09, 2016)
KEOSHIAN, Collin vs LA KISS (Apr 16, 2016)
COLLING, Randy vs Philadelphia Soul (May 28, 2016)
COLLING, Randy vs Arizona Rattlers (Jun 03, 2016)
COLLING, Randy at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Brikowski, Brian at Portland Steel (Jun 18, 2016)
KOROMA, Alim at Jacksonville Sharks (Jun 25, 2016)
KOROMA, Alim at Arizona Rattlers (Jul 24, 2016)
Tackles For Loss 2.0 COLLING, Randy vs Tampa Bay Storm (Apr 09, 2016)
Brikowski, Brian at Portland Steel (Jun 18, 2016)
Interceptions 2 POWELL, Joe vs Philadelphia Soul (Apr 01, 2016)
POWELL, Joe vs Tampa Bay Storm (Apr 09, 2016)
ROBINSON, Demarcus vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
TEAM GAME HIGHS
Rushes 10 at Portland Steel (Jun 18, 2016)
at Jacksonville Sharks (Jun 25, 2016)
Yards Rushing 53 at Philadelphia Soul (Apr 23, 2016)
Yards Per Rush 7.6 at Philadelphia Soul (Apr 23, 2016)
TD Rushes 3 at Philadelphia Soul (Apr 23, 2016)
vs Jacksonville Sharks (May 07, 2016)
Pass attempts 45 at Tampa Bay Storm (May 23, 2016)
Pass completions 32 at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Yards Passing 385 at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Yards Per Pass 10.6 at LA KISS (July 16,2016)
TD Passes 8 at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Total Plays 52 at Tampa Bay Storm (May 23, 2016)
Total Offense 409 at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Yards Per Play 9.1 at LA KISS (July 16,2016)
Points 70 at Tampa Bay Storm (May 23, 2016)
Sacks By 3 at Jacksonville Sharks (Jun 25, 2016)
First Downs 29 at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Penalties 16 at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Penalty Yards 90 at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Turnovers 5 vs Philadelphia Soul (Apr 01, 2016)
Interceptions By 4 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Long MFG Return 7 vs Jacksonville Sharks (May 07, 2016)
OPPONENT INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS
Rushes 10 RICHARDSON, Jer, at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Yards Rushing 48 ROSS, Derrick, vs Jacksonville Sharks (May 07, 2016)
TD Rushes 3 RICHARDSON, Jer, at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Long Rush 23 ROSS, Derrick, vs Jacksonville Sharks (May 07, 2016)
Pass attempts 56 AUSTIN, Shane, vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Pass completions 36 AUSTIN, Shane, vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Yards Passing 363 AUSTIN, Shane, vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
TD Passes 9 DAVILA, Nick, vs Arizona Rattlers (Jun 03, 2016)
Long Pass 46 RAUDABAUGH, Dan, at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Receptions 16 GILSON, Tom, vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Yards Receiving 160 GILSON, Tom, vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
TD Receptions 5 THOMPKINS, Bran, vs Orlando Predators (Apr 29, 2016)
HILLS, Joe, at Jacksonville Sharks (Jun 25, 2016)
WINDSOR, Rod, at Arizona Rattlers (Jul 24, 2016)
Long Reception 46 KAULEINAMOKU, S, at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Field Goals 1 PETERSON, Craig, vs Tampa Bay Storm (Apr 09, 2016)
LEWIS, Mark, at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Long Field Goal 25 PETERSON, Craig, vs Tampa Bay Storm (Apr 09, 2016)
Long MFG Return 1 THOMAS, Clevan, vs LA KISS (Apr 16, 2016)
Long Kickoff Return 56 THOMPKINS, Bran, vs Orlando Predators (Apr 29, 2016)
AMOS, Anthony, at Arizona Rattlers (Jul 24, 2016)
Tackles 10.0 BELTON, Tracy, at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Sacks 2.0 FRITZ, Rodney, at Arizona Rattlers (Jul 24, 2016)
GLASPER, Tyre, at Arizona Rattlers (Jul 24, 2016)
Tackles For Loss 3.0 FRITZ, Rodney, at Arizona Rattlers (Jul 24, 2016)
Interceptions 2 HOLLIS, Dwayne, vs Philadelphia Soul (Apr 01, 2016)
OPPONENT TEAM GAME HIGHS
Rushes 14 at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Yards Rushing 48 vs Jacksonville Sharks (May 07, 2016)
Yards Per Rush 6.0 at Jacksonville Sharks (Jun 25, 2016)
TD Rushes 4 at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Pass attempts 56 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Pass completions 36 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Yards Passing 363 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Yards Per Pass 16.0 at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
TD Passes 9 vs Arizona Rattlers (Jun 03, 2016)
Total Plays 64 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Total Offense 401 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Yards Per Play 11.5 at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Points 83 at Philadelphia Soul (Jul 09, 2016)
Sacks By 5 at Arizona Rattlers (Jul 24, 2016)
First Downs 31 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
at Orlando Predators (Jun 11, 2016)
Penalties 16 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Penalty Yards 126 at LA KISS (July 16,2016)
Turnovers 4 vs Portland Steel (May 16, 2016)
Interceptions By 4 vs Philadelphia Soul (Apr 01, 2016)
Long MFG Return 1 vs LA KISS (Apr 16, 2016)
2016 GLADIATORS SCHEDULE
WK Date Opponent Time/Result
1 April 1 PHILADELPHIA L, 69-41
2 April 9 TAMPA BAY W, 41-29
3 April 16 LOS ANGELES L, 47-42
4 April 23 at Philadelphia L, 67-50
5 April 29 ORLANDO L, 76-56
6 May 6 JACKSONVILLE W, 41-40
7 May 13 PORTLAND W, 55-48
8 May 23 at Tampa Bay W, 70-63
9 May 28 PHILADELPHIA W, 63-49
10 June 3 ARIZONA L, 77-62
11 June 11 at Orlando L, 59-56
12 June 18 at Portland W, 58-49
13 June 25 at Jacksonville W, 48-47
14 BYE WEEK
15 July 9 at Philadelphia L, 83-62
16 July 16 at Los Angeles L, 63-61
17 July 24 at Arizona L, 68-20
18 BYE WEEK
ALL TIMES EASTERN
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
TEAM W L T % PF PA
Arizona 13 3 0 .813 1068 766
Los Angeles 7 9 0 .438 736 748
CLEVELAND 7 9 0 .438 826 934
Portland 3 13 0 .188 670 932
COMMUNICATIONS CONTACTS
Cleveland Gladiators
Pam Frasco
Office: 216-420-2213
Cell: 216-310-6959
pfrasco@theqarena.com
Los Angeles KISS
Will Proctor
Office: 714-587-2632
Cell:805-722-0075
wproctor@lakissfootball.com
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
mailto:pfrasco@theqarena.commailto:wproctor@lakissfootball.com
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 1
Philadelphia Soul 69, Cleveland Gladiators 41
In the first of four meetings between the two teams, the Philadelphia Soul cruised to a 69-41 opening night victory over the
Cleveland Gladiators in front of 12,944 fans at Quicken Loans Arena. Philadelphia quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw for 233 yards
and seven touchdowns with wide receivers Darius Reynolds and Shaun Kauleinamoku hauling in three touchdowns apiece.
Gladiators defensive back Joe Powell returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the loss.
Philadelphia opened up the scoring as Raudabaugh found wide receivers Ryan McDaniel and Reynolds for two scores to put the Soul
up 14-0 early in the first quarter. The Soul would then capitalize on a Gladiators turnover as Raudabaugh found Kauleinamoku for his
first touchdown of the night, a five-yarder, as the visitors quickly built a 21-0 lead.
The Gladiator offense would respond as Dieker would find wide receiver Dominick Goodman for a six-yard score to close the gap to
21-7 at the close of the first quarter.
The Soul offense would strike back early in the second when Raudabaugh would again find Reynolds in the end zone for an 18-yard
touchdown. Kicker Tommy Frevert’s extra point would extend the Soul lead to 28-7. Philadelphia would hit pay dirt on the ensuing
two Cleveland drives when jack linebacker Joe Goosby and defensive back Dwayne Hollis would pick off Dieker passes and return
them for Soul touchdowns, increasing their lead to 42-7 with 7:25 remaining in the first half.
The Gladiators would build some momentum with a couple scores late in the second quarter as wide receiver Collin Taylor hauled in
his first touchdown of the season, a 18-yarder from Dieker. That, followed by the first interception return for a touchdown by
Powell, a 13-yarder, trimmed the Philadelphia lead to 42-21. The Soul would, however, close out the first half with two scores, a 32-
yard strike from Raudabaugh to Kauleinamoku, and a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown by defensive back Tracy Belton to
go into the half on top, 55-21.
The Cleveland offense got off to a fast start in the second half, as the Gladiators capped off a three-play, 22-yard drive with a four-
yard touchdown run on a sweep by wide receiver Larry Beavers. That was followed by Powell’s 45-yard interception return for a
touchdown, his second of the night, which shrank the deficit to 55-34 after kicker Adrian Trevino’s extra point.
The Soul would counter again as Kauleinamoku would catch his third touchdown of the game, a nine-yarder from Raudabaugh, to
cap off the scoring for the night and put the game out of reach for good, 69-41.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 2
Cleveland Gladiators 41, Tampa Bay Storm 29
In the first of two meetings between the teams, the Gladiators outlasted the Tampa Bay Storm on Saturday night, 41-29, in front of 11,892 fans at
Quicken Loans Arena. The Gladiators were led by defensive back Joe Powell who, for the second time in as many games, intercepted two passes,
including the game-winner in which he returned 52 yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Dennis Havrilla led the way on the offensive side of the
ball, throwing for 219 yards and five touchdowns in his debut with the Gladiators, while Thyron Lewis surpassed 5,000 career receiving yards in the
game, catching ten passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
After a Gladiators turnover on the opening kickoff, Tampa Bay used four plays to go 17 yards capped off with a two-yard touchdown run by
quarterback Adam Kennedy. A missed extra point by kicker Craig Peterson put Tampa Bay up 6-0 early. After another turnover on the ensuing
possession, the Storm marched 43 yards on eight plays finished off by an 18-yard strike from Kennedy to wide receiver Phillip Barnett. Peterson
would miss the extra point once again, making the score 12-0 Tampa Bay at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the momentum shift toward the direction of the Gladiators as Havrilla finished off a six-play, 42 yard drive by finding wide
receiver Thyron Lewis for a nine-yard score. On the next possession, jack linebacker Arvell Nelson picked off a Kennedy pass to set up first and goal
from the four. On the next play, Havrilla found wide receiver Collin Taylor for the score. Kicker Adrian Trevino’s extra point gave the Gladiators their
first lead of the game, 14-12.
On the next drive, Kennedy would be picked off by Powell, his first of two interceptions on the night. The Cleveland offense would give it right back
a few plays later when Havrilla was picked off by Tampa Bay defensive back Cortez Stubbs to close the first half of play.
The Storm would respond to open the second half as quarterback Jonathan Bane, filling in for the injured Kennedy, found wide receiver V’Keon
Lacey for an eight-yard touchdown to give Tampa Bay back the lead, 19-14. The Gladiators would answer quickly as Havrilla hit a wide open Taylor
for his second touchdown of the game, a 19-yard to give Cleveland the lead once more, 21-19. Tampa Bay’s offense would counter again with Bane
finding Lacey for a three-yard touchdown at the end of the third quarter to put the Storm back in front, 26-21.
The lead exchanges would continue into the fourth quarter as Havrilla would hit Lewis for his second touchdown of the night, a 19-yarder, as the
Gladiators reclaimed the lead, 28-26. The Storm’s next drive would stall out at the Cleveland 10-yard line, leaving Peterson to boot a 25-yard field
goal to give Tampa Bay a 29-28 lead with 3:46 left to play.
On Cleveland’s next drive, Havrilla would hook up with Taylor for the third time in the game for a 26-yard touchdown to give the Gladiators another
lead, 34-29 with just under a minute left in the ball game. On Tampa Bay’s final drive, Bane’s desperation pass to the end zone with nine seconds
left was picked off again by Powell and returned for the game-sealing touchdown.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 3
Los Angeles KISS 47, Cleveland Gladiators 42
In front of 12,243 fans at Quicken Loans Arena, the Gladiators fell in the first of two meetings with the Los Angeles KISS by a score of 47-42,
dropping Cleveland’s record to 1-2. KISS quarterback Nathan Stanley threw for 191 yards and four touchdowns while wide receiver D.J. Stephens
caught 12 passes for 109 and two touchdowns. Gladiators wide receiver Collin Taylor racked up 13 receptions for 101 yards and three touchdowns
in the defeat.
The KISS got the scoring started when defensive back Rayshaun Kizer picked off a Dennis Havrilla pass and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown
putting Los Angeles on top 7-0 early in the first quarter. After Gladiators kicker Adrian Trevino missed a 31-yard field goal attempt on the next
drive, the KISS offense sputtered themselves, turning the ball over on downs and setting up the Gladiators offense on the KISS nine-yard line.
Havrilla capitalized on the very next play to start the second quarter, finding Taylor in the back of the end zone for his first of three scores to even
things up at 7.
The Los Angeles offense would respond, as Stanley would find wide receiver Donovan Morgan for a 14-yard hook up. Kicker Kevin Goessling’s
missed extra point made the score 13-7 in favor of the KISS. On the ensuing kickoff, Goessling booted the ball off the crossbar leading to a
fortuitous bounce and a Los Angeles recovery. Morgan would score again on a sweep from one-yard out to extend the KISS lead to 20-7 with 8:23
remaining in the second quarter. The Cleveland offense answered, marching 45 yards on six plays, capped by Havrilla finding Taylor for his second
touchdown of the night and trimming the deficit to 20-14. After a failed onside kick by the Gladiators, Stanley would be intercepted in the end zone
by defensive back Brandon Stephens and returned 49 yards to the KISS nine-yard line. The Gladiators would score on the next play, as Havrilla
found offensive lineman D.J. Brandel on a screen for the score. Trevino’s extra point gave the Gladiators the lead for the first time on the night, 21-
20. Once again, the KISS responded quickly as Stanley found Morgan for a 27-yard gain before fullback Rory Nixon scored from six yards out to
reclaim the lead for Los Angeles, 26-21, heading into halftime.
Los Angeles opened up the scoring in the second half when Stanley found Stephens for a six-yard strike, extending their lead to 33-21. On the next
drive, however, Taylor would find pay dirt for the third time on the night when Havrilla hit him for a quick four-yard score to pull within 33-28. After
the KISS turned the ball over on downs for the second time of the night, Havrilla plunged into the end zone from one yard out to give the Gladiators
the lead. A Havrilla to wide receiver Dominick Goodman two-point conversion made the score 36-33 in favor of the Gladiators with 12:31 remaining
in the game.
The KISS jumped back on top on their next drive as Stanley capped off an eight-play 44 yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown strike to wide
receiver Brandon Collins, making the score 40-36 with 6:16 remaining in the contest. On the ensuing possession for the Gladiators, Havrilla was
picked off by defensive back Fred Obi leading to a 19-yard throw and catch touchdown from Stanley to Stephens, extending the lead to 47-36 with
3:06 to play in the game. The Cleveland offense would cap off the scoring for the night on the next drive with a four-play, 40 yard drive capped off
by a Havrilla to Goodman six-yard touchdown making the final score 47-42.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 4
Philadelphia Soul 67, Cleveland Gladiators 50
In their first road contest of the season, the Cleveland Gladiators started fast but ultimately fell to the Philadelphia Soul Saturday afternoon in front
of 7,057 fans at Wells Fargo Center, 67-50. Soul quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw for 315 yards and eight touchdowns while wide receiver
Darius Reynolds hauled in ten passes for 114 yards and three scores. Wide receivers Thyron Lewis, Collin Taylor, and Quentin Sims each found the
end zone in the Gladiators loss.
The Gladiators opened the scoring with a three-play 35 yard drive, capped off by a two-yard scoring draw from quarterback Dennis Havrilla. On the
ensuing possession, Raudabaugh would answer for the Soul, finding wide receiver Shaun Kauleinamoku for a nine-yard touchdown to even the
score, 7-7. On the following drive the Cleveland offense, set-up by a 27-yard catch and run from Phillipkeith Manley, pulled ahead 14-7 on another
Havrilla touchdown run, this time from one-yard out to reclaim the lead 14-7.
Raudabaugh and the Soul offense would recover as wide receiver Ryan McDaniel was left all alone in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown catch.
However, another missed extra point from Clarke kept it a two-score game, 28-19. After a Gladiators turnover on downs, Raudabaugh would find
Reynolds in the back corner of the end zone for his first of three touchdowns, an 11-yarder, to close the gap to 28-26 at the end of the half.
The Soul received the second-half kick-off and only took two plays to get in the end zone, as Raudabaugh connected with Reynolds for a 13-yard
score, his second of the game, to give Philadelphia its first lead of the game. A third missed extra point made the score 32-28. The lead didn’t last
long as Havrilla would hook up with Lewis for a 35-yard score, giving the Gladiators the lead once again, 35-32.
On the following drive, Reynolds would find pay dirt for the third time, a six-yarder from Raudabaugh, to give the lead back to the Soul, 39-35 with
6:05 left in the third quarter. After Havrilla was intercepted by jack linebacker Joe Goosby on the next drive, the Soul would score once again as
Richardson would plunge into the end zone from two-yards out, his second score of the game, increasing their lead to 46-35 with 1:50 left in the
third quarter.
With Havrilla leaving the game due to injury on the interception, jack linebacker Arvell Nelson stepped under center and hit Sims for his first catch
and touchdown as a Gladiator, a 16-yarder. The Soul responded on the next possession, with Raudabaugh tossing a six-yard touchdown pass to
McDaniel to bump their lead to 53-43 with 10:29 left. Nelson would answer quickly, finding Taylor on the first play of the ensuing drive for a 35-
yard touchdown. Kicker Adrian Trevino’s extra point pulled Cleveland to within 53-50 with 9:02 remaining.
That was as close as the Gladiators would get as Raudabaugh would cap the scoring with touchdown throws of seven and 45 yards to
Kauleinamoku and wide receiver Chris Duvalt, respectively, resulting in the 67-50 Philadelphia victory.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 5
Orlando Predators 76, Cleveland Gladiators 56
In front of 13,429 fans, the team’s largest home crowd of the year, the Cleveland Gladiators were defeated by the undefeated Orlando Predators (5-0) on
Friday at The Q by a final score of 76-56. With the loss, the Gladiators fell to 1-4 on the season and remain alone in third place in the AFL’s National
Conference standings.
The Predators capped a three-play scoring drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Randy Hippeard to Brandon Thompkins early in the
opening quarter before the Gladiators tied the game on their next possession on a three-yard touchdown rush by Larry Beavers. Orlando re-claimed the
lead late in the first quarter with another Hipperad to Thompkins touchdown throw, but Beavers provided Cleveland with another response with just under
five minutes remaining in the quarter by returning the ensuing kickoff 57 yards for the Gladiators’ first kickoff-return touchdown of the season.
The Predators continued Friday’s see-saw first half with a 28-yard touchdown toss from Hippeard to Thompkins before Cleveland capped the quarter with a
30-yard touchdown connection from Northeast Ohio native Arvell Nelson to Collin Taylor, marking Taylor’s 21st-consecutive game with at least one
touchdown reception. Orlando reclaimed the lead late in the second quarter on a fumble return for a touchdown, before Nelson completed a four-yard
touchdown pass to Quentin Sims to again draw the Gladiators even on the scoreboard. With just over three minutes remaining in the second quarter,
Hippeard and Thompkins connected again to pull the Predators ahead by a score of 34-28, but Nelson found a familiar target in veteran wideout Dominick
Goodman with just under two minutes remaining in the half to put Cleveland in front 35-34 after a successful Adrian Trevino PAT.
The first half’s scoring was far from over, however, as a two-yard rushing touchdown from Thompkins put Orlando up 41-35 with just 34 seconds remaining
in the second quarter, but yet again, Nelson and the Gladiators punched back, as the Glenville native striped a touchdown pass into the hands of Sims to put
Cleveland up 42-41 with just 17 seconds left in the half. The Gladiators stayed hot to start the third quarter, as Nelson and Taylor hooked up for a 23-yard
TD pass to make it 49-41 before Thompkins registered his sixth TD of the game on a 56-yard touchdown return of the ensuing kickoff for Orlando just under
five minutes into the third to draw the Predators back within just one point at 49-48. After Nelson threw his first interception of the game in the GEICO Blue
Zone with just over six minutes to go in the third quarter, Hippeard completed a 45-yard touchdown strike, again to Thompkins, to give the Predators a 55-
49 advantage.
A lengthy Gladiators drive ensued, culminating in Nelson’s sixth touchdown throw of the night, and third to Taylor, in the third quarter’s final m inute to,
after another successful point after from Trevino, reclaim the edge for Cleveland at 56-55. A 40 yard passing play for the Predators set up a goal-line stand
for the Gladiators’ defense, but after pushing Orlando to third down, Kippeard connected with offensive lineman Jordan McCray on a one-yard shovel pass
for a Predators touchdown, making it 62-56 for the visitors. After a Gladiators fumble, the Predators extended their lead on a ten-yard Hippeard-to-
Thompkins touchdown toss, Thompkins’ seventh score of the game, to make it 69-56 Orlando with 4:20 remaining in the game. In the wake of another
Nelson interception, the Predators took over on the Gladiators’ 15 yard-line with 2:39 left in the game and, after the one-minute warning, punched home a
one-yard TD run from Hibbeard with 10.3 seconds left in the game to cap the scoring at 76-56 Predators.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 6
Cleveland Gladiators 41, Jacksonville Sharks 40
In front of 8,056 fans at Quicken Loans Arena, the Gladiators defense clamped down on Jacksonville in the second half and quarterback Arvell
Nelson found wide receiver Collin Taylor for the game-winning 26-yard touchdown to cap off 20 unanswered points and a 41-40 home victory over
the Sharks. Nelson threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for three more in the win. Taylor finished the game with six receptions
for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Jacksonville wide receiver Joe Hills finished with 14 receptions for 131 yards and four touchdowns in the loss.
After a Gladiators turnover on downs, the Sharks opened up the scoring when quarterback Tommy Grady hooked up with Hills for an eight-yard
touchdown on Jacksonville’s opening drive. A missed extra point by kicker Marco Capozzoli gave the Sharks a 6-0 lead to start the game. Cleveland
answered on the next possession when Nelson plunged ahead from three-yards out to give the Gladiators the early lead, 7-6. Jacksonville
reclaimed the lead when fullback Derrick Ross took a hand-off and ran 23 yards untouched into the end zone, giving the Sharks a 13-7 lead at the
end of the first quarter.
On the first drive of the second quarter, Nelson would find pay dirt once again, capping a four-play, 45-yard drive with a sneak from one-yard out
to give the Gladiators the lead right back. The extra point from emergency kicker Jon Striefsky made the score 14-13. The Shark offense answered
quickly once again when Grady found Hills for his second score of the game, a 14-yarder that put Jacksonville back in front, 19-14. After the
Gladiators turned the ball over on downs for the second time of the game, Hills would catch his third touchdown of the game, this time a three-
yarder from Grady to extend the Sharks lead to 26-14 going into the half.
On the opening drive of the second half, Grady would find Hills for his fourth touchdown of the night, a 19-yarder to push the Sharks lead to 33-14.
The Cleveland offense countered with Nelson’s third rushing touchdown of the night, another three-yard scamper to close the deficit to 33-21 with
4:46 remaining in the third quarter. On Jacksonville’s ensuing possession, wide receiver Tiger Jones would catch his first touchdown of the night
from Grady, a six-yarder that capped off a three-play, 16-yard drive. Capozzoli’s extra point made the score 40-21 with 2:05 left in the third quarter.
Cleveland’s next drive saw Nelson find Taylor for a 32-yard touchdown, his 22nd
consecutive game with a touchdown, to pull the Gladiators to
within 40-28 as the game entered the fourth and final quarter.
Cleveland’s defense would step up and force a Jacksonville turnover on the next series when defensive back Marvin Ross stripped Hills of the ball
and pounced on it for the recovery. The Gladiators capitalized seven plays later as Nelson hit wide receiver Quentin Sims for an eight-yard score to
close the gap to 40-35 with 8:19 remaining in the game.
The Sharks would turn the ball over on downs on their next possession, setting up the Gladiators offense with a first ten at mid-field with 42
seconds remaining. On the next play, Nelson hit Taylor on the deep fade for a one-handed 24-yard score. A missed two-point conversion would put
Cleveland ahead 41-40 with 34 seconds remaining in the contest. Capozzoli’s game-winning field goal attempt clanked off the left upright as time
expired to secure the Gladiators victory.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 7
Cleveland Gladiators 55, Portland Steel 48 (OT)
The Steel began the scoring when former Gladiator quarterback Shane Austin led a five-play, 47-yard drive capped off with a touchdown to another
former Gladiator, wide receiver Tom Gilson for a 21-yard touchdown to put Portland on top 7-0 early. The Gladiators offense responded on the
following drive by marching 38 yards in six plays with Arvell Nelson finding wide receiver Quentin Sims for a six-yard score to even things up 7-7. On
the ensuing possession, Austin found Gilson once again for a 13-yard score to put the Steel in front 14-7, but a five-yard touchdown run from
Nelson saw the first quarter end with the score all tied up, 14-14. After defensive end Curtis Young intercepted Austin on a screen pass attempt on
the first drive of the second quarter, Nelson found Sims once again on the following play for a 23-yard score in the corner of the end zone to put
the Gladiators in front for the first time on the night, 21-14. The Steel righted the ship on the next drive when Austin found wide receiver Tyrone
Goard for a 12-yard score, knotting things up at 21 with 4:56 remaining in the first half.
The Gladiators struck again on the next series when Nelson found wide receiver Collin Taylor for a 35-yard touchdown. A missed extra point by
kicker Adrian Trevino made the score 27-21 in favor of Cleveland. The next drive for Portland saw an odd turn of events as 6’3”, 330 lb. offensive
lineman Deveric Gallington took a hand-off from Austin and rumbled to the two yard line before fumbling into the end zone, where fellow
offensive lineman John Collins pounced on it for the Steel touchdown after a wild scrum. The extra point by kicker Ernesto Lacayo put Portland
back in front, 28-27. Nelson followed that up with another rushing score, this time from eight yards out to put Cleveland on top once again, 34-28,
with a minute remaining in the half. The Gladiators defense stepped up on the next series as defensive back Demarcus Robinson intercepted
Austin, sending the squads into halftime with Cleveland ahead, 34-28.
Cleveland would open the second half with the ball but a Nelson fumble on the third play of the drive would give the ball back to the Steel.
Portland couldn’t capitalize, however, as the Steel offense turned the ball over on downs, leading to a 33-yard strike from Nelson to wide receiver
Thyron Lewis to extend the Gladiators lead to 41-28. Portland would turn it over again on the next drive as Austin would be picked off for the
second time by Robinson. Robinson would return the interception 45 yards for a Gladiators score, bumping the score to 48-28.
Austin and the Portland offense answered with a six-yard throw-and-catch touchdown to Goard to make the score 48-35 with ten minutes
remaining in the game. Nelson would be intercepted on the next two drives, with the first leading to an 11-yard touchdown from Austin to
defensive back Christian Wise to trim the Gladiators lead to 48-42. The second interception, made by Wise, led to the Steel offense getting the ball
back with under a minute to go. With 2.4 seconds left in the game, Austin would find Goard for a five-yard touchdown as time expired to tie the
game. However, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty pushed the ball back to the 12-yard line, making Lacayo’s extra point a 27-yard attempt. The
kick pushed wide left, sending the game into overtime.
Gladiators opened up the extra frame on offense. Six plays later, Nelson found Taylor for his second touchdown of the game, a 10-yard strike that
put Cleveland back on top 55-48. On Portland’s next drive, Austin would be picked off for the fourth time, this time by defensive back Marvin Ross,
to seal the 55-48 win.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 8
Cleveland Gladiators 70, Tampa Bay Storm 63 (OT)
The Storm opened the scoring when Boltus hooked up with veteran wide receiver T.T. Toliver for a 31-yard touchdown on Tampa Bay’s opening drive. Kicker Delbert Alvarado’s extra point gave the Storm an early 7-0 lead. The Gladiators answered right back on the next drive when wide receiver Larry Beavers took a reverse hand-off from Nelson and then, to the defense’s surprise, threw a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Quentin Sims in the corner of the end zone to even things up at 7 with 9:27 remaining in the opening quarter. After Tampa Bay turned the ball over on downs on the ensuing possession, Nelson found wide receiver Collin Taylor on a quick hit for a six-yard score to give Cleveland their first lead of the night, 13-7 to end the first quarter. Boltus gave the lead back to the Storm on the first drive of the second quarter by finding wide receiver Phillip Barnett for a 20-yard touchdown, making the score 14-13. Tampa Bay looked to extend their lead after the Gladiators turned the ball over on downs but Boltus’ pass on 3
rd-and-10
would be picked off by rookie defensive back Jamie Bender and returned 30 yards for the defensive score, giving Cleveland a 20-14 edge. The Storm offense recovered on the next possession when Boltus found offensive lineman Anthony Parker for an 11-yard score, re-claiming the lead once again for Tampa Bay. Alvarado’s attempted onside kick on the ensuing kick-off backfired when defensive back Joe Powell recovered and stumbled five yards into the end zone for a Cleveland touchdown. The seesaw battle continued as the Storm struck again when Boltus found wide receiver Julius Gregory for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game at 28. However, another failed onside kick attempt set up the Gladiators for a quick score when fullback Phillipkeith Manley took a hand-off from Nelson and scored from four yards out to give Cleveland a 35-28 lead. Sticking with the theme of the first half, Gregory would catch a two-yard touchdown from Boltus on the final play of the half to again even the score at 35 going into the break. The teams traded touchdowns to open the second half when Nelson tossed a 22-yard touchdown to Sims and Boltus finding Toliver for a 23-yard strike. Then, after Nelson scored again, this time on a run from three yards out, Boltus hit Toliver for his third touchdown of the night: this time, a 20-yarder to tie the game up at 49 with 11:29 remaining in the game. The following drive saw Cleveland’s offense turn it over for the first time when Nelson was picked off by defensive back Cortez Stubbs. Six plays later, Boltus plunged into the end zone from one-yard out to give Tampa Bay the lead, 56-49, with 4:34 remaining in the game. Nelson and the Gladiators offense responded, as Taylor snared a 30-yard touchdown reception at the wall despite being blanketed by coverage, his second of the game, to tie it up once again at 56 with 2:47 remaining in the contest. On the next drive, Boltus connected with Gregory for his third touchdown of the game, a 33-yarder, to give the Storm a 63-56 lead with 54 seconds remaining. Taylor came up big on the next drive, catching a 12-yard touchdown pass, his third of the game, to send the game into overtime tied at 63. On the first drive of overtime, Nelson connected with Beavers for a 24-yard score to give the Gladiators the lead, 70-63. On Tampa’s possession, defensive back Marvin Ross came through for the second time in as many weeks, intercepting Boltus to seal the game and the victory.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 9
Cleveland Gladiators 63, Philadelphia Soul 49
In front of 11,278 fans at Quicken Loans Arena for Military Salute Night, the Cleveland Gladiators defeated the Philadelphia Soul on Saturday night
63-49. The win improves Cleveland’s record to 5-4 as they sit in second place in the National Conference. Quarterback Arvell Nelson threw for 307
yards and seven touchdowns in the win while wide receiver Quentin Sims caught 10 passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns. For the third
game in a row Marvin Ross intercepted a pass, a 19-yarder, that he returned for a touchdown to essentially seal the win for the Gladiators.
Philadelphia’s quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw for 342 yards, seven touchdowns, and an interception in the loss.
After Raudabaugh found wide receiver Shaun Kauleinamoku on the first play of the game for a 40-yard gain to set up first-and-goal from the four
yard line, Cleveland’s defense stood tall and forced a turnover on downs. Five plays later, Nelson found wide receiver Collin Taylor for a 10-yard
scoring strike as the Gladiators jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. The touchdown catch was Taylor’s 25th
game in a row hitting pay dirt. The Soul
responded on the next drive when Raudabaugh found wide receiver Ryan McDaniel in the corner of the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown to even
things up, 7-7. On the ensuing possession, Nelson found wide receiver Larry Beavers on a quick slant for a 49-yard touchdown. Kicker Adrian
Trevino’s extra point gave the Gladiators the lead once again, 14-7. Philadelphia countered with two scores, a 29-yard throw-and-catch from
Raudabaugh to wide receiver Darius Reynolds, and an 11-yard throw-and-catch from Raudabaugh to Kauleinamoku after a Beavers fumble to give
the Soul their first lead, 21-14.
Cleveland struck again quickly on the next series when Nelson found Sims for an incredible 39-yard, one-handed touchdown grab along the wall to
even the score again at 21-21 early in the second quarter. After a Soul turnover on downs, Nelson found Sims once again on a jump ball in the
corner of the end zone for a four-yard touchdown, re-claiming the lead for the Gladiators 28-21 with 7:43 remaining in the first half. It didn’t take
long for the Soul to answer, though, as Raudabaugh hit Reynolds for his second touchdown of the night on the next possession, a 37-yarder to tie it
up once again, 28-28. But it was the Sims show in the second quarter, as Nelson converted on 4th
-and-9 and hit Sims for this third touchdown of the
game, a 14-yarder to push Cleveland ahead 35-28 at the break.
The Gladiators opened up the second half by driving 38 yards on three plays, capped off by a 26-yard touchdown pass from Nelson to Beavers,
increasing the Cleveland lead to 42-28. Philadelphia quickly answered when Raudabaugh hit McDaniel on a 10-yard out to cut the Cleveland lead to
42-35 with 9:37 remaining in the third quarter. After a failed onside kick attempt from the Soul, the Gladiators scored two players later when
fullback Phillipkeith Manley rumbled into the end zone, extending the Cleveland lead to 49-35. After McDaniel caught his third touchdown of the
night on the next possession, Nelson would answer with a 16-yard strike of his own to Taylor, his second touchdown of the game, to again extend
the Cleveland lead to 56-42 at the end of three quarters.
Raudabaugh would keep the Soul within striking distance, hitting Reynolds for his third touchdown of the game on a four-yard connection cut into
the Gladiators lead, 56-49. After a Cleveland turnover on downs, the Soul offense took the field only to see Raudabaugh get sacked twice and then
throw an interception to Ross on 4th
-and-22. Ross returned the pick 19 yards for the score, driving the Gladiators lead back up to 63-49 with 1:30
remaining in the game. On 4th
-and-goal of the next series, Raudabaugh’s completion to Reynolds would be stopped short, sealing the win.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 10
Arizona Rattlers 77, Cleveland Gladiators 62
It was the Gladiators who got on the board first when Nelson found wide receiver Collin Taylor in the corner of the end zone for a 17-yard
touchdown pass, giving Cleveland the early 7-0 lead. The touchdown extended Taylor’s streak to 26 straight games hitting pay dirt. The former
Arena Football League MVP Davila answered on the next series, finding Windsor for a 22-yard touchdown, tying the game 7-7. On the next drive,
Nelson capped off a 10-play, 45-yard drive that took up 7:55 of the first quarter, by connecting with Sims on an impressive one-handed, two-yard
touchdown catch up against the back wall, giving the Gladiators the lead once again, 14-7.
The Rattlers responded again on the first drive of the second quarter when Davila hooked up with wide receiver Maurice Purify for a 12-yard
scoring strike to even up the score once again, 14-14. Cleveland kept the score-trading trend going when Nelson found wide receiver Devin Wilson
for his first career catch, a 22-yard touchdown on fourth-and-10 to push the Gladiators back in front of Arizona, 21-14, with 6:46 remaining in the
half. Windsor caught his second touchdown pass of the game on the ensuing possession for Arizona, a 2-yard strike from Davila to once again knot
the score up at 21-21. After a failed onside kick attempt from kicker Alex Zendejas, Nelson hit Sims on the following play for an eight-yard
touchdown. Kicker Adrian Trevino’s extra point pushed Cleveland in front 28-21 with 1:50 left in the first half.
The Rattlers quickly answered as Davila hit wide receiver Chase Deadder on a 32-yard touchdown on the first play of their next series, evening
things up at 28. After another failed onside kick attempt from Zendejas, Nelson would connect with offensive lineman D.J. Brandel for a nine-yard
touchdown. A missed extra point from Trevino made the score 34-28 Gladiators. After another failed onside kick attempt from Trevino this time,
Davila and Windsor hooked up for Windsor’s third touchdown of the game giving Arizona their first lead of the game, 35-34 with 44 seconds
remaining in the half. However, yet another failed onside kick led to another Cleveland touchdown as Nelson completed a 12-yard pass to Sims,
leading to a score and a 41-35 Gladiators lead with 28 seconds left to play in the second quarter. Arizona concluded first-half scoring with a
touchdown pass from Davila to fullback Mykel Benson to give the Rattlers a 42-41 lead at the break.
Arizona started fast in second half when Davila threw a 19-yard touchdown strike to Purify, his second of the game to increase the Rattler lead to
49-41. After the teams traded turnovers on downs, Nelson found Taylor for his second touchdown of the game, a 23-yarder to close the gap to 49-
48 with 4:47 left in the third quarter. On the next series, a bubble screen from Davila saw Windsor scamper 16 yards into the end zone to extend
the Rattlers lead to 56-48.
Benson would tack on two more touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to distance themselves from the Gladiators, 70-48, with 11:20 remaining in
the contest. The Gladiators would end that run when wide receiver Larry Beavers scored on a reverse to close the Rattler lead to 70-55. The
Rattlers would tack on one final score when Davila found offensive lineman Michael Simons on fourth down for a 17-yard screen for a touchdown,
once again extending their lead to 77-55 with 2:30 remaining in the game. The Gladiators would add on one more touchdown when Nelson
plunged into the end zone from one-yard out to finish the scoring, 77-62.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 11
Orlando Predators 59, Cleveland Gladiators 56
In front of 11,117 fans at the Amway Center, the Cleveland Gladiators fell on Saturday night to the Orlando Predators on a late field goal, 59-56.
With the loss the Gladiators record drops to 5-6 on the season where they remain in second place in the National Conference. Quarterback Arvell
Nelson threw for 296 yards and eight touchdowns in the loss, with wide receiver Quentin Sims catching eight passes for 108 yards and
four touchdowns. Predators quarterback Randy Hippeard threw for 316 yards and four scores and ran in two more touchdowns in the win, with
wide receivers Brandon Thompkins and Greg Carr each catching two scores.
Orlando jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead after a one-yard touchdown run from Hippeard. Then, following a Gladiators turnover, a 26-yard
touchdown pass from Hippeard to wide receiver Brandon Thompkins gave the Predators an early 14-0 advantage. Cleveland got on the board on
the first play of the next drive when Nelson found wide receiver Larry Beavers for a 37-yard touchdown to pull to 14-7. The Predators answered
right back, scoring on the first play of their next possession, a 32-yard strike from Hippeard to Thompkins, extending the Orlando lead to 21-7.
In the second quarter, Nelson connected with wide receiver Devin Wilson on fourth down for a 14-yard touchdown, closing the gap to 21-14. The
Predators answered when Hippeard rushed for his second touchdown of the night, a 11-yarder to push their lead to 28-14. Nelson and the
Gladiators followed suit when Nelson found wide receiver Quentin Sims for a six-yard touchdown, once again shrinking the Orlando lead to 28-21.
However, just before halftime, Hippeard would hit wide receiver Greg Carr for a two-yard touchdown, sending the Predators to a 35-21 lead at the
break.
The Gladiators offense got off to a fast start in the second half when Nelson found wide receiver Collin Taylor for a 33-yard touchdown, trimming
the Orlando lead to 35-28. After the Cleveland defense recovered an Orlando fumble, the Gladiators were able to capitalize with a four-yard
touchdown reception by Sims to tie the game at 35-35.
Similar to the previous quarter, Cleveland struck quickly when Nelson hit Sims on a 37-yard touchdown pass. Orlando responded when wide
receiver Greg Carr caught a touchdown from Hippeard, giving the Predators a 49-42 lead. Sims continued to light up the scoreboard, as Nelson
found him with a 30-yard touchdown pass to even the game with 3:44 remaining. The Predators regained the lead after Martinez punched in his
second 1-yard rushing touchdown to put Orlando ahead 56-49 in the final minute of play. After a failed onside kick by Orlando, the Gladiators
successfully knotted the game on a 4-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Larry Beavers with 25 seconds left. In the next possession,
Predators’ kicker Mark Lewis made a 23-yard field goal with just two seconds to go, as the Gladiators had one last chance to put points on the
board. However, Nelson’s Hail Mary attempt was batted away in the end zone to make the final score 59-56.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 12
Cleveland Gladiators 58, Portland Steel 49
Thanks to a seven-touchdown performance from quarterback Arvell Nelson, the Cleveland Gladiators defeated the Portland Steel in front of 4,516
fans at the Moda Center in Portland, OR on Saturday by a final score of 58-49. With the win, the Gladiators improved to 6-6 on the season and
remain alone in second place in the AFL’s National Conference standings. Nelson got the scoring started early for Cleveland as the Northeast Ohio
native connected with wide receiver Quentin Sims for a 35-yard touchdown early in the first quarter to make it 7-0 Gladiators. Portland responded
with a 3-yard TD toss from former Gladiator Shane Austin to wideout Rashaad Carter to tie the game at seven before Cleveland WR Larry Beavers
took a 23-yard Nelson pass to the house late in the opening quarter to help the Gladiators claim a 14-7 advantage heading into the second quarter.
Nelson hooked up with wideout Devin Wilson early in the second stanza for a 23-yard scoring strike to make it 21-7 Glads before a one-yard James
Shaw touchdown run for the Steel drew Portland within seven at 21-14. Later in the second quarter, Cleveland receiver Collin Taylor hauled in a
nine-yard touchdown pass from Nelson to make it 28-14 Gladiators before a two-yard strike from Nelson to Sims gave Cleveland its largest lead of
the game at 35-14 with just 18 seconds left in the first half. Portland’s Austin orchestrated a buzzer-beating drive late in the second quarter,
however, that culminated in a three-yard TD reception for Carter with no time left on the clock that drew the Steel within two scores at the half at
35-21.
In the third quarter, Portland started quickly with a 23-yard Austin-to-Shaw TD pass that drew the Steel within a touchdown at 35-28, but Nelson
and Taylor hooked up for a 15-yard TD strike shortly thereafter to put the Gladiators back up by 14 points. Portland’s Austin and Carter then
connected for the third time in the game to make it 42-35 Cleveland before the Gladiators closed out the third quarter with a 14-yard Nelson-to-
Devin connection that made it 48-35 Glads heading into the final frame.
In the first minute of the fourth quarter, Gladiators DB Marvin Ross delivered the defensive play of the game when he returned an Austin
interception 42 yards to the house to claim a 55-35 lead for Cleveland. Portland hung tough though, as back-to-back touchdown passes from
Austin, to Shaw and Jared Perry respectively, drew the Steel within six points at 55-49 before another Austin pick paved the way for a 22-yard
Adrian Trevino field goal, the Gladiators kicker’s first field goal conversion of the season, that iced a 58-49 Gladiators victory with 1:19 remaining in
regulation.
Nelson completed 21 of 35 passes for 249 yards and seven touchdown passes while Taylor extended his franchise-record streak of now 28
consecutive games with at least one touchdown catch by virtue of 90 receiving yards on eight receptions with a pair of touchdown grabs to his
credit. Sims finished with eight catches of his own for 83 yards and two scores while Cleveland WR Devin Wilson hauled in two catches for 38 yards
and two scores. Additionally, Larry Beavers’ two receptions resulted in 32 yards and one touchdown for Cleveland as well.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kelvin Rodgers, Ross and DeMarcus Robinson each registered one interception, while Rodgers led the Gladiators
with seven tackles. With the win, Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak and has now won five of the team’s last seven games.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 13
Cleveland Gladiators 48, Jacksonville Sharks 47
Thanks to six total touchdowns from QB Arvell Nelson, five combined touchdown receptions from WR’s Collin Taylor and Devin
Wilson and three turnovers forced by their defense, the Cleveland Gladiators defeated the Jacksonville Sharks by a final score of 48-
47 on Saturday in front of 10,645 fans at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL. With the win, the Gladiators
swept the Sharks in the two teams’ two-game season series, have won six of their past eight games, are now 7-6 on the year and
remain alone in second place in the AFL’s National Conference standings.
Nelson and Taylor opened the scoring by connecting on a seven-yard touchdown strike early in the first quarter before Jacksonville
QB Tommy Grady sailed a 42-yard TD pass into the hands of Sharks WR Joe Hills on the ensuing possession to tie the game at seven.
After a one-yard Nelson rush made it 13-7 Gladiators, the Sharks tied the game on a four-yard TD pass from Grady to Hills at the
start of the second quarter.
Cleveland DB Joe Phinisee returned a fumble by Grady for the Gladiators’ league-best ninth defensive score of the season on the
ensuing Jacksonville possession and led 20-13 before a 33-yard Nelson-to-Taylor scoring strike with 41 seconds remaining in the half
gave Cleveland their largest lead at 27-13. The catch was Taylor’s 400th career AFL grab and the Indiana native’s 100th career AFL TD
catch.
The Sharks proceeded to rattle off 27 straight points to take a 40-27 lead before Nelson and Devin Wilson hooked up for a 12-yard
score early in the fourth quarter to make it 40-34 until Jacksonville WR London Crawford found the end zone on a one-yard TD run
that made it 47-34 with less than eight minutes remaining in the game. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, Nelson and
Wilson struck again, this time for a 25-yard bomb with less than six minutes left to draw within one score at 47-41.
Then, with just 47 seconds left in regulation, Nelson and Wilson combined for Wilson’s third TD grab of the game, a four -yard
connection, to put the Gladiators on top 48-47, but left former AFL MVP Grady and Jacksonville with plenty of time with which to
work. After the Sharks marched all the way to the Cleveland two-yard line on the ensuing possession, Phinisee iced the win with his
second fumble recovery of the game with just ten seconds left to play to deliver the Gladiators a one-point victory.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 14
Philadelphia Soul 83, Cleveland Gladiators 62
Despite 404 passing yards and eight total touchdowns from QB Arvell Nelson, the Cleveland Gladiators fell to the Philadelphia Soul in a Week 15 road clash in front of 5,593 fans on Saturday at the PPL Center in Allentown, PA. With the loss, the Gladiators are now 7-7 on the season and remain alone in second place in the AFL’s National Conference standings. Soul QB Dan Raudabaugh started the scoring with a two-yard TD pass to OL/TE Adam Smith mid-way through the first quarter before a missed Philly extra point gave way to Cleveland’s first score, a 10-yard Nelson to Collin Taylor hookup that extended Taylor’s franchise-record streak to 30 consecutive games with at least one touchdown catch. Philadelphia’s Jeramie Richardson capped the first-quarter scoring with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 13-7 Soul heading into the second. The Gladiators responded with a 34-yard bomb to start to second quarter from Nelson to WR Quentin Sims that, after an unsuccessful extra point try, left the game tied at 13 apiece. Another Richardson TD scamper made it 20-13 Philadelphia with just under 12 minutes left in the first half before Cleveland WR Devin Wilson hauled in a 24-yard scoring strike from Nelson to tie the game at 20. A 37-yard Soul TD pass from Raudubaugh to Darius Reynolds put Philly back in front with eight minutes left in the second before the Glads once again pulled even on a one-yard Larry Beavers TD run with less than five minutes to go in the half. After Philadelphia parlayed a successful onside kick attempt into 14 more first half points, the Soul scored their third unanswered TD on the first possession of the third quarter on a 10-yard Raudabaugh-to-Shaun Kauleinamoku connection that pushed the Soul edge to three scores at 48-27. A 12-yard TD grab from Taylor, courtesy of Nelson, cut the Philly advantage to 14 points with 10 minutes left in the third quarter, but the Soul rattled off two more unanswered touchdowns to claim their largest lead, a 28-point edge, at 62-34. In the fourth quarter, a 35-yard Nelson-to-Beavers bomb started things in the right direction for Cleveland to make it 62-41, before Raudabaugh connected with Reynolds for a five-yard score. The Gladiators benefitted from back-to-back eight-yard Nelson touchdown passes, to Wilson and Sims respectively, to get back to within two touchdowns at 69-55, but the Soul posted two of the game’s final three scores to claim victory by the final score of 83-62. With the win, Philadelphia claimed the four-game season series vs. the Gladiators three games to one, while Raudabaugh finished the game completing all but one of 21 pass attempts for 335 yards and eight touchdowns. Sims led the way for the Gladiators’ receiving corps with 128 receiving yards on 10 catches for two scores, barely outpacing another big performance from Taylor (10 catches, 101 yards, two TD’s).
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 15
Los Angeles KISS 63, Cleveland Gladiators 61
Despite eight total touchdowns from QB Arvell Nelson, the Cleveland Gladiators were defeated by the LA KISS on Saturday in front of 8,069 fans at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., by a final score of 63-61. With the loss, the Gladiators fell to 7-8 on the season and currently sit alone in third place in the AFL’s National Conference standings. Nelson started the scoring for the Gladiators with a 19-yard strike to WR Quentin Sims early in the first quarter before LA tied the game at seven thanks to a six-yard touchdown pass from QB Nathan Stanley to KISS WR Donovan Morgan shortly thereafter. Later in the frame, Nelson delivered a three-yard rushing TD before Stanley connected with Morgan once more to knot things up at 14 apiece. Cleveland WR Collin Taylor had the last opening-quarter laugh, however, as the Indiana native reeled in a 28-yard TD heave from Nelson as time expired in the first to extend his franchise-record streak to 31 straight games with at least one touchdown reception. In the second quarter, Stanley connected with OL/TE Colin Madison on a four-yard TD pass to tie the game at 21 before Nelson and Sims combined on a seven-yard pitch-and-catch to deliver the Gladiators a 28-21 advantage. However, LA once again rallied to tie the game as Stanley and wideout DJ Stephens hooked up for an 11-yard score with just seconds remaining in the half. In the third and early fourth quarters, LA rattled off 21 unanswered points before Nelson hit Sims for another passing TD, this one from 15 yards out, to start a Gladiators comeback at 49-34 midway through the final stanza. After a successful onside kick attempt, Nelson launched a 38-yard bomb, again to Sims, to continue the rally before an eight-yard passing score from LA’s Stanley to Morgan stopped the bleeding for the KISS and pushed LA’s edge to 56-41. The ensuing drive resulted in a one-yard Nelson QB sneak that made it 56-48 and led to another successful onside kick that was batted all the way inside the KISS 10-yard line before it was scooped up by Cleveland rookie DL Nick Seither, who took it to the house, hoisting the Glads to within a single score at 56-54 after an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt. LA recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt though and benefitted from Stanley's eighth TD pass of the night with less than one minute remaining in the game, a seven-yard connection to Stephens, and, after a 19-yard Nelson to Sims hookup for Cleveland, the KISS held on for a dramatic 63-61 victory. Nelson finished with 21 completions on 31 pass attempts for 332 yards and eight total touchdowns (two rushing), while Sims paced the Gladiators’ receiving corps with 12 catches for 197 yards and five touchdowns and Taylor supplied four grabs for 81 yards and one score.
2016 GAME SUMMARIES
Game 16
Arizona Rattlers 68, Cleveland Gladiators 20
In the team’s final game of the 2016 AFL regular season, the Cleveland Gladiators were defeated by the Arizona Rattlers on Sunday at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., by a final score of 68-20 in front of 12,823 fans. With the loss, the Gladiators finished the campaign at 7-9 to end the year in third place in the AFL’s National Conference standings. Cleveland will face the second-place LA KISS on the road in the first round of the AFL Postseason on August 6th with the time of the game currently TBD. After the Rattlers registered a safety on the Gladiators’ first play from scrimmage, Arizona’s Anthony Amos returned the ensu ing Cleveland kickoff 56 yards for a touchdown to give the Rattlers a 9-0 edge. Arizona pushed their lead to 15-0 less than five minutes into the game when Rattlers QB Nick Davila connected with WR Rod Windsor for an 11-yard touchdown strike. The Gladiators responded with a 16-yard touchdown pass from QB Arvell Nelson to WR Larry Beavers to make it a one-score game, but multiple Cleveland turnovers led to 20 unanswered Arizona points to make it 35-7 Rattlers late in the second quarter. With just over two minutes remaining before halftime, the Gladiators’ offense perked up and delivered a 16-yard Nelson touchdown toss to wideout Collin Taylor that extended Taylor’s franchise-record streak to 32 consecutive games with at least one touchdown reception. Arizona added a late second quarter Davila-to-Windsor score, however, to take a 42-14 lead into halftime. From the start of the third quarter into the early stages of the final frame, Arizona piled up three more unanswered scores to make it 61-14 before Taylor reeled in another Gladiators TD, this time from backup QB Stephen Panasuk, to make it 61-20. The touchdown pass was Panasuk’s first in his AFL career and it came with just 6:05 remaining in the game. A nine-yard TD pass from backup signal-caller Shane Boyd to Windsor with 2:30 remaining in the fourth quarter was the cherry on top for Arizona in a 68-20 Rattlers victory. Nelson threw for 155 yards on 13-of-34 passing with two touchdowns, while Taylor led all Cleveland receivers with six receptions for 88 yards and two scores and Beavers caught five balls for 71 yards and one TD. On the other side, Davila turned in a 223-yard performance on 20-of-25 passing with six touchdowns and one interception, hauled in by Gladiators DB Joe Powell in the first half. Arizona’s Windsor reeled in seven catches for 75 yards and five scores while Amos led all Rattler receivers with 96 yards on six receptions. Arizona WR Maurice Purify was solid as well, catching five passes for 57 yards and two touchdowns.
2016 WEEKLY AWARDS
RUSSELL ATHLETIC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WK TEAM PLAYER
1 ORL #12 Randy Hippeard
2 JAX #81 Joe Hills
3 ARZ #10 Nick Davila
4 PHI #5 Dan Raudabaugh
5 ORL #15 Brandon Thompkins
6 ORL #12 Randy Hippeard
7 PHI #5 Dan Raudabaugh
8 JAX #4 Tommy Grady
9 JAX #81 Joe Hills
10 ARZ #10 Nick Davila
11 PHI #5 Dan Raudabaugh
12 CLE #2 Arvell Nelson
13 ORL #5 Bernard Morris
14
15 PHI #5 Dan Raudabaugh
16 ARZ #10 Nick Davila
17 JAX #39 Derrick Ross
18 PHI #5 Dan Raudabaugh
RIDDELL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
WK TEAM PLAYER
1 ARZ #32 Damien Borel/#93 Luis Vazquez
2 CLE #21 Joe Powell
3 LAK #7 Rayshaun Kizer
4 ORL #10 Varmah Sonie
5 ARZ #96 Dimetrio Tyson
6 LAK #6 Josh Victorian
7 CLE #4 Marvin Ross
8 JAX #21 Greg Reid
9 CLE #4 Marvin Ross
10 POR #9 Sergio Gilliam
11 JAX #21 Greg Reid
12 ARZ #20 Jeremy Kellem
13 ARZ #20 Jeremy Kellem
14
15 ORL #3 Paul Stephens
16 PHI #8 Jake Metz
17 TB #94 James McClinton
18 POR #9 Sergio Gilliam
J. LEWIS SMALL PLAYERMAKER OF THE WEEK
WK TEAM PLAYER
1 PHI #21 Shaun Kauleinamoku
2 ARZ #1 Rod Windsor
3 PHI #98 Teddy Jennings
4 ARZ #2 Maurice Purify
5 PHI #7 Darius Reynolds
6 CLE #2 Arvell Nelson
7 TB #50 James Gordon
8 CLE #17 Collin Taylor
9 LAK #1 Donovan Morgan
10 ORL #14 Brandon Thompkins
11 PHI #7 Darius Reynolds
12 ORL #6 Greg Carr
13 PHI #21 Shaun Kauleinamoku
14
15 ARZ #1 Rod Windsor
16 LAK #4 D.J. Stephens
17 ARZ #1 Rod Windsor
18 JAX #81 Joe Hills
CUTTERS CATCH OF THE WEEK
WK TEAM PLAYER
1 LAK #1 Donovan Morgan
2 TB #11 Phillip Barnett
3 CLE #1 Brandon Stephens
4 PHI #7 Darius Reynolds
5 ARZ #1 Rod Windsor
6 CLE #17 Collin Taylor
7 PHI #7 Darius Reynolds
8 ARZ #13 Joe Matthews
9 CLE #18 Quentin Sims
10 ORL #10 Varmah Sonie
11 ORL #6 Greg Carr
12 ARZ #2 Maurice Purify
13 PHI #19 Ryan McDaniel
14
15 ORL #6 Greg Carr
16 ARZ #2 Maurice Purify
17 JAX #81 Joe Hills
18 ORL #1 Larry Brackins
AFL HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
WK TEAM PLAYER
1 CLE #21 Joe Powell
2 ORL #9 Kent Richardson
3 ORL #14 Brandon Thompkins
4 CLE #4 Marvin Ross
5 TB #17 Mike Washington
6 PHI #22 Dwayne Hollis
7 ORL #4 Greg Carr
8 PHI #23 LaRico Stevenson
9 TB #1 T.T. Toliver
10 JAX #1 Reggie Gray
11 TB #1 T.T. Toliver
12 JAX #81 Joe Hills
13 CLE #17 Collin Taylor
14
15 PHI #7 Darius Reynolds
16 POR #81 Nick Truesdell
17 TB #94 James McClinton
18 POR #9 Sergio Gilliam
2016 CLEVELAND GLADIATORS
THE COACHES
STEVE THONN
Head Coach
Steve Thonn enters his seventh season with the Gladiators. Thonn was named head coach
and director of football operations of the Cleveland Gladiators on December 23, 2009 after
spending the 2008 AFL season as the head coach of the Grand Rapids Rampage.
The Gladiators finished the 2014 season with a 17-1 record under Thonn. Last season’s 17
wins set a new AFL record for wins in a regular season. Thonn’s Gladiators won the East
Division and American Conference en route to a berth in ArenaBowl XXVII, where they fell
to Arizona. Thonn was named AFL Coach of the Year following the season.
In his first year with the Gladiators, the team compiled a 7-9 overall record. Despite the
sub-.500 finish, the Gladiators outscored their opponents 938-906 on the year and had
receiver Ben Nelson and offensive lineman Adam Tadisch named to the AFL First Team and defensive lineman
Anthony Hoke was named to the AFL Second Team. Quarterback John Dutton finished the season with 5,104 passing
yards – second-best in the league.
In 2008, the Rampage’s 956 total points and 59.5 points-per-game average, both franchise records, were second best
in the AFL behind only the 13-3 Philadelphia Soul. In Thonn’s lone season, Grand Rapids posted the four highest
single-game point totals this season (92 in Week 4; 84 in Week 5; 84 in Week 15; 86 in Week 17) and became the first
team in AFL history to post four 80+ point games in a single season. Grand Rapids’ 92-point outburst at Kansas City
in Week 4 marked the highest total for a road team in AFL history and the second highest point total overall.
Prior to the Rampage, Thonn s