SAN JOSE, Calif. — After eight years spent building and molding the San Jose SaberCats, Darren Arbet created a nearly perfect team.
John Dutton passed for 236 yards and five touchdowns as the SaberCats won their first ArenaBowl, holding the Arizona Rattlers scoreless in the first three quarters of a 52-14 victory Sunday.
Arbet became the first black coach to win a pro football title with a record-breaking performance by a team that just might be the best in Arena football's 16-year history.
The SaberCats went 16-1 and scored at least 50 points in every game. They capped their title run in the ArenaBowl by playing more than 50 minutes of shutout defense in a decidedly offense-oriented sport.
"It's something that we've been working on for eight years here," Arbet said. "We've been trying to get to this point, and we finally did. We're going to enjoy this championship. . . . Whether we're the best team (in Arena football history), I don't know."
Arbet, an original member of the SaberCats' coaching staff, has been the team's director of player personnel since the start. He took over as head coach four years ago, winning two AFL coach of the year awards for his strategic acumen while still collecting the SaberCats' peerless talent.
James Hundon caught three TD passes, and Barry Wagner rushed for a score as the SaberCats emphatically avenged their only defeat of the season — a 59-52 loss at Arizona last month — and staked their claim as perhaps the best Arena team ever with the most lopsided victory in the bowl's history.
"We didn't just want to win this game, we wanted to dominate," said Dutton, the game's MVP. "Are we the best ever? I don't know, but we played like it today."
With San Jose's powerful offense rolling, the Rattlers trailed 24-0 at halftime and 38-0 after three quarters. Arizona barely avoided the second shutout loss in Arena football history when Maurice Bryant broke free for a 30-yard TD pass from Sherdrick Bonner with 9:24 left.
"I was enjoying seeing that zero up there," Arbet said. "All year, we hadn't put together a complete game. Today, I think we did it."
Dutton, who won his fourth game since stepping in for injured star Mark Grieb, was 20-for-26. After the game, Dutton and Grieb shared a hug as the sellout crowd cheered wildly and their teammates celebrated on the confetti-covered field.
"We could have had Joe Montana or Jerry Rice out there today, and it wouldn't have made a difference," Arizona's Hunkie Cooper said. "They dominated the game top to bottom."
It was the first time in franchise history that Arizona had been held scoreless for an entire half. It was also the first shutout half in the ArenaBowl since the inaugural game 15 years ago.
"That's the most dominating game, on both sides of the ball, that I've ever been involved with in 30 years of coaching," San Jose defensive coordinator Michael Church said.
The SaberCats' shot at the first undefeated season in Arena history ended in Phoenix last month, when the Rattlers beat San Jose and broke the collarbone of Grieb, the AFL's offensive player of the year.
Still, San Jose was as close to perfection as anyone is likely to get — particularly since 16 SaberCats became free agents Sunday.
The Arena league, which unveiled a new logo during the weekend, will add the expansion Colorado Crush — with team president John Elway — for its 17th season next spring. The league also will expand its television presence with 71 games on NBC.