ArenaBowl XI was the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

's eleventh ArenaBowl. The game featured two American Conference teams, the #2

Iowa Barnstormers The Iowa Barnstormers are a professional indoor American football, indoor football team based in Des Moines, Iowa. They are currently members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). They play their home games at Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, Iowa) ...

(11–3) against the #1 Arizona Rattlers (12–2). Iowa was coming from losing

ArenaBowl X ArenaBowl X was the Arena Football League's tenth ArenaBowl. The game featured the #2 Tampa Bay Storm of the National Conference against the #1 Iowa Barnstormers of the American Conference. Both teams ended their regular seasons at 12-2, yet Iowa h ...

to the

Tampa Bay Storm The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The f ...

and were still looking for their first championship title, while Arizona was making its second appearance after winning ArenaBowl VIII against the

Orlando Predators The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played its ...

three seasons ago. Now, they were trying to acquire their second league title.

Game summary

In the first quarter, the Rattlers slithered first with Kicker Anthony Brenner getting a 19-yard Field Goal, yet the Barnstormers responded with Quarterback

Kurt Warner Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend fr ...

completing a 30-yard touchdown pass to OS Lamont Cooper. In the second quarter, Arizona lead off the period with FB/LB Bob McMillen getting a one-yard touchdown run, while Iowa kicker Mike Black nailed a 25-yard field goal. The Rattlers would begin to take command with QB

Donnie Davis Donnie Davis (born December 16, 1972) was the starting quarterback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1993 and 1995. He later played in the Arena Football League for the Arizona Rattlers, Milwaukee Mustangs, and Georgia Force. College D ...

(who was filling in for an injured

Sherdrick Bonner Sherdrick Deon "Sed" Bonner (born October 19, 1968) is a former American football quarterback who played fifteen seasons in the Arena Football League (AFL). High school years Bonner attended Azusa High School in Azusa, California and was a stude ...

) completing a 4-yard touchdown pass to WR/LB Hunkie Cooper, while the Barnstormers' only response was Black kicking a 20-yard field goal. Immediately afterwards, the Rattlers continued striking as Hunkie Cooper would return the kickoff 56 yards for a touchdown to end the half. In the third quarter, Arizona continued its domination as Davis got a one-yard Quarterback sneak run for a touchdown, while Hunkie Cooper returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown. Iowa's only response from the period was Warner completing another 30-yard touchdown pass to Lamont Cooper. Afterwards, the Rattlers wrapped up the period with Davis completing a 49-yard touchdown pass to WR/LB Calvin Schexnayder. In the fourth quarter, the Barnstormers tried to fight back with WR/DB

Willis Jacox Willis Jacox (born March 25, 1966 in Bloomington, Minnesota) is a former professional American football player. Jacox attended the University of North Dakota in the mid-1980s, where he played both wide receiver and kick returner. Following his ...

getting a one-yard touchdown run, yet Arizona wrapped the game up with Davis and Schexnayder hooking up with each other again on a 28-yard touchdown pass, while Brenner would put on the finishing touches with a 44-yard field goal. All that was left of Iowa's attack was Warner completing a nine-yard touchdown pass to WR/LB Leonard Conley. With the win, the Rattlers got their second Arena Bowl title in franchise history.

Scoring summary

1st Quarter * ARI – 19-yard FG Brenner * IOW – Cooper 30-yard pass from Warner (Black kick) 2nd Quarter * ARI – McMillen 1-yard run (Brenner kick) * IOW – 25-yard FG Black * ARI – Cooper 4-yard pass from Davis (Brenner kick) * IOW – 20-yard FG Black * ARI – Cooper 56-yard Kickoff Return (Brenner kick) 3rd Quarter * ARI – Davis 1-yard run (Brenner kick) * ARI – Cooper 30-yard Interception Return (Brenner kick) * IOW – Cooper 30-yard pass from Warner (Black kick) * ARI – Schexnayder 49-yard pass from Davis (Brenner kick) 4th Quarter * IOW – Jacox 1-yard run (Black kick) * ARI – Schexnayder 28-yard pass from Davis (Brenner kick) * ARI – 44-yard FG Brenner * IOW – Conley 9-yard pass from Warner (Warner pass failed)

External links

ArenaFan box score
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arenabowl Xi 011 1997 Arena Football League season Iowa Barnstormers Arizona Rattlers New York Dragons 1997 in sports in Arizona Sports competitions in Phoenix, Arizona 1997 in American television August 1997 sports events in the United States 20th century in Phoenix, Arizona