The Storm receiver/defensive back stared at the congested field, tears streaming from his eyes.

His hat low to his face, he rubbed across his eyes with game-worn tactified gloves still on his hands.

It was done.

The Tampa Bay Storm (15-4) cried all season about what a good defense could do for a team in the Arena Football League.

Sunday, in ArenaBowl XVII, that defense collected two sacks, five turnovers; one interception and four fumble recoveries to hoist the team's fifth AFL championship banner to its rafters.

It was done - a 43-29 victory against the Arizona Rattlers (13-7) in front of the second largest ArenaBowl crowd of 20,496 at the Forum. It was Tampa Bay's second football championship in five months, coming on the heels of the Bucs' Super Bowl victory.

``We just kept fighting man,'' Storm lineman B.J. Cohen said. ``We knew they were going to come in here and try to slow the game down and stay close in the fourth quarter, but we know that pressure bursts pipes.

``I've been saying it all week - continue to fight, continue to come. Be relentless in your rush and they'll quit. They didn't quit, we just were the better team today. We've been a better team all year.''

Not only was is a night for the defense, but it was also Pat O'Hara's coming-out party as well. After throwing just 14 passes on the season, he played nearly all of the second half.

At the 11:41 mark of the third quarter, starting quarterback John Kaleo was drilled in the back after scrambling for a 1-yard gain. He left the game with a strained back.

O'Hara, who admits, ``It's not my first barbecue'' when it comes to playing in the ArenaBowl, completed 7-of-13 passing for 103 yards and two touchdown passes.

``It's a great feeling,'' he said. ``I'm at a loss for words. I've got to say hats off to John Kaleo. John Kaleo had a great year.

``It's my fifth ArenaBowl so I understand the importance of it.''

On his fifth pass of the game and facing a first-and-goal at the Arizona 9, O'Hara hit Lawrence Samuels.

``He's just an all-around ball player,'' said Samuels was named the ArenaBowl MVP and Ironman of the game. ``He won the Arena Bowl in '98. So that experience, right there, was key for us.``

O'Hara found Samuels again on a 43-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, which is a Storm ArenaBowl record. O'Hara later added a 3- yard touchdown run.

``We didn't panic when John went down. This isn't semipro,'' said Storm head coach Tim Marcum. ``Guys are paid to play these positions. I knew it meant just as much to John as it did Pat.''

Arizona coach Danny White thought the Rattlers received a break once O'Hara entered the game: ``You have got to give credit to Tim [Marcum] and the Storm for not allowing us back in the game, even when they lost their quarterback, which we thought would give us a break, but Pat O'Hara stepped in and made some big plays.''

More defense.

Tampa Bay, up 14-10 in the second quarter, was the benefactor of a pair of swift Kelvin Kinney hands.

After Rattlers quarterback Sherdrick Bonner fumbled, Kinney scooped the ball and ran 26 yards for a score.

Two possessions later, Bonner fumbled the snap and the ball was recovered by linebacker David White.

The final minutes of the contest was yet another display of defense. Facing a fourth-and-8 from the Arizona 14, Bonner heaved a pass to Randy Gatewood, who sprinted into Tampa Bay territory.

What appeared to be a sure score for Arizona with less than two minutes remaining, turned into a back-breaking fumble. Gatewood, inside the Storm five, was hit in his back by Smith and fumbled.

``I just hit him in the sweet spot and the ball came out and I knew that was the game,'' Smith said. ``Once I saw the ball come out and we recovered it, I knew it was over.''

After fighting back tears following the contest, Kaleo couldn't contain himself after talking about how long it's taken to win his first championship.

``It's the ultimate goal to achieve as a pro athlete to win it all,'' he said as tears rolled down his cheeks. ``To win it with the guys...''