Strong finish on Utah Blaze agenda

PHOENIX — There may be no games left on the home schedule, but the Utah Blaze have three more tries to salvage something, anything, from the season.

At 1-12, the Blaze know they will not be in the AFL playoffs this year.

Still, Utah's coaches and players want to finish the season strong and put another win or two in the standings.

"If we play like we did in the second half (last week) in the whole game," Blaze coach Ron James said, "we can finish a game out the right way and win one."

The Blaze have struggled defensively as much as they have on offense and frequently find themselves trailing by two or three scores heading into the final quarter. That's made keeping a positive attitude challenging, especially considering the team is on a nine-game losing streak.

Getting that win won't be easy, of course. Standing in the way are the Arizona Rattlers and former Blaze coach Danny White, now the offensive coordinator for Arizona.

The Rattlers handed Utah an 83-58 loss on May 28 and have the sixth-highest scoring offense in the AFL.

Blaze on the air

Utah Blaze (1-12) at Arizona Rattlers (8-5)

Today, 7 p.m.

TV: none

Radio: 1280 AM

e-mail: jeborn@desnews.com