Gladiators rally to end losing streak

Steve Azar kicked a 22-yard field goal as time expired Friday night and the Gladiators snapped a nine-game Arena Football League losing streak with a 54-53 victory over the Utah Blaze at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City.

Backup quarterback Nick Rolovich, starting in place of Brian Jones, directed Las Vegas from its own 10-yard line to the Blaze 7 before Azar was called upon to get the Gladiators (2-10) their first victory since Week 2, when they beat the Grand Rapids Rampage, 79-69.

Utah (5-7) had taken a 53-51 lead with 36 seconds remaining on a 17-yard field goal by former Gladiators kicker Steve Videtich.

The Gladiators, who on Monday announced that head coach Danton Barto and his staff would not be retained after this season, fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter. But they quickly rallied behind Rolovich, a second-year player out of the University of Hawaii who completed 28 of 42 passes for 329 yards and seven touchdowns.

Las Vegas finally went ahead 44-42 with 10:41 left when Rolovich teamed with Marlion Jackson on a 32-yard scoring pass.

The teams then traded touchdowns before Videtich gave the Blaze a short-lived lead.

Rolovich threw four TD passes to Travis LaTendresse, two to Thabiti Davis and one to Jackson.

Utah's Joe Germaine was 28-for-36 passing for 322 yards and six touchdowns and also rushed for a TD.

Tom Pace and Siaha Burley had three TD receptions apiece for the Blaze, which dropped its fifth straight game.

The Gladiators, who had lost their previous nine games by an average of almost 21 points, are off until June 3 when they host the Arizona Rattlers.