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Shock punch ticket to AFL title game

| August 13, 2010 9:00 PM

SPOKANE — Kyle Rowley completed 28 of 37 passes for 334 yards Thursday night as the Spokane Shock defeated the Milwaukee Iron 60-57 in the Arena Football League National Conference title game in front of 8,151 at the Spokane Arena to advance to next week’s ArenaBowl starting at 5 p.m. in Spokane.

The Shock will face the winner of Saturday’s American Conference championship game between the Orlando Predators and Tampa Bay Storm.

Spokane opened the game by driving down the field and scoring on a 14-yard pass from Kyle Rowley to Markee White. On the ensuing kickoff, Antoine Burns took a Taylor Rowan kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown to even the game following the conversion.

Spokane (15-3) scored 16 unanswered points to close out the first quarter, capped by a 12-yard pass from Rowley to Huey Whittaker to take a 23-7 lead.

Milwaukee rallied to get within 39-37 as it recovered a Rowley fumble on the 4-yard line. Chris Greisen hit Richard Ranglin for a touchdown on the next play.

After a Spokane score, Milwaukee (12-6) got within two points at the end of the third quarter, as Greisen hit Anthony Jones with a 7-yard touchdown to make it 46-44.

Rowley hit Whittaker on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 2:06 remaining to put the Shock up 60-50. On the ensuing possession, Milwaukee marched down the field, getting a score on a 1-yard run by Tyre Young to cut the deficit to 60-57, but the Shock were able to recover the onside kick.

Whittaker finished with 14 catches for 165 yards and four touchdowns for Spokane.

Tickets for Friday’s championship game go on sale today at noon.

Milwaukee 7 16 21 13 — 57

Spokane 23 16 7 14 — 60

Spo — Markee White 14 pass from Kyle Rowley (Taylor Rowan kick)

Mil — Antoine Burns 57 kickoff return (Robert Forstrom kick)

Spo — Huey Whittaker 2 run (Rowan kick)

Spo — Safety (Greisen sacked in the endzone)

Spo — Whittaker 12 pass from Rowley (Rowan kick)

Mil — Forstrom 25 field goal

Spo — Ed Ta’amu 6 pass from Rowley (kick failed)

Mil — Damian Harrell 6 pass from Chris Greisen (Forstrom kick)

Spo — Whittaker 4 pass from Rowley (Rowan kick)

Spo — Rowan 22 field goal

Mil — Tyre Young 1 run (Forstrom kick)

Mil — Richard Ranglin 4 pass from Greisen (Forstrom kick)

Spo — Whittaker 15 pass from Rowley (Rowan kick)

Mil — Anthony Jones 7 pass from Greisen (Forstrom kick)

Spo — White 5 pass from Rowley (Rowan kick)

Mil — Young 7 pass from Greisen (pass failed)

Spo — Whittaker 5 pass from Rowley (Rowan kick)

Mil — Young 1 run (Forstrom kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Mil, Young 5-6, Harrell 1-4, Greisen 1-0. Spo, Whittaker 2-6, Rowley 4-2.

PASSING — Mil, Greisen 24-31-235. Spo, Rowley 28-37-334.

RECEIVING — Mil, Burns 8-84, Harrell 6-61, Jones 5-50, Everett 2-18, Brown 1-11, Young 1-7, Ranglin 1-4. Spo, Whittaker 14-165, Orton 8-94, White 5-69, Ta’amu 1-6.