The Crush saved the best for last and gained home-field advantage for the Arena Football League playoffs.
With offensive specialist Damian Harrell tying another league record, the Crush rolled to a 59-35 victory Friday over Arizona at the Pepsi Center. Colorado (11-5) earned the top seed in American Conference.
The Crush’s playoff run to a possible repeat as ArenaBowl champions begins in two weeks. Colorado has a first-round bye.
Harrell and quarterback John Dutton were unstoppable. Harrell scored five touchdowns, one on the first play. That catch tied the league record for consecutive games with a touchdown at 65.
Harrell’s first touchdown came 39 seconds into the game. Then receiver/linebacker Willis Marshall jumped in front of Arizona quarterback Sherdrick Bonner’s first pass and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
“Those plays gave us a buffer,” Crush coach Mike Dailey said. “It doesn’t mean in this league that it’s enough to win, but it gives you a little momentum, and we carried it through the rest of the game.”
Defensive specialist Rashad Floyd also broke into the league record book with 10 tackles that increased his season’s total to 136.
