Xplosion Improve to 4-0
by Randy Snow
Published on March 28, 2008 under Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
Kalamazoo Xplosion
The Kalamazoo Xplosion and the Fort Wayne Freedom of the Continental Indoor Football League are looking to have the same kind of rivalry in indoor football that the cities already have with their minor league hockey teams. The two teams traded scores and kept it close in the first half of Thursday night's game in Fort Wayne (March 27). But in the end, Kalamazoo improved to 4-0 on the season with a 50-34 road win over the Freedom. Fort Wayne's record dropped to 1-1.
For the 2,550 fans in attendance, they saw both teams score on every possession until the final minute of the second quarter. Kalamazoo quarterback Randy Hutchison, who currently lives in Fort Wayne, connected with three different receivers for touchdowns in the first half and kicker Brad Selent booted a 16-yard field goal. Freedom quarterback Eric Hooks connected with wide receiver Luther Stroder for three touchdowns in the first half. He also threw a touchdown pass to running back Terrell White in the second quarter, giving the Freedom a 26-23 halftime lead.
However, it was a different story in the second half. Kalamazoo kick returner Kelly Baraka returned the second half kickoff of a touchdown, but the play was nullified by a penalty. A subsequent Kalamazoo field goal attempt by Selent of 49-yards had the distance, but was wide left of the goal posts.
The Xplosion took the lead for the first time in the game with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter when Hutchison connected with wide receiver Dan Musielewicz for a 4-yard touchdown. It was the only score in the entire third quarter as Fort Wayne fumbled the ball away on one possession and Hooks was intercepted by Xplosion linebacker Chris Sheftic on another.
In the fourth quarter, Kalamazoo's special teams unit blocked a field goal attempt by Fort Wayne, which set up a 25-yard touchdown pass by Hutchison to wide receiver Brian Dolph, extending the Xplosion lead to 37-26. On Fort Wayne's next possession, Hooks' fourth down pass went incomplete and Kalamazoo took over on downs. The ensuing Kalamazoo drive ended in a 27-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Musielewicz, his second of the game, and a 44-26 Xplosion lead.
The Freedom scored their only points of the second half with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter when running back Rocky Harvey caught a short pass but stumble to the ground after the reception. Several Xplosion players were near him at the time, but the officials ruled that he was not touched by any of the Kalamazoo players while he was on the ground. Harvey then got up and raced 45-yards for a touchdown. Quarterback Hooks ran for the two-point conversion himself and Fort Wayne cut the Kalamazoo lead to 44-34.
On the ensuing onside kick attempt by the Freedom, the ball bounced off the wall and was picked up by Kalamazoo linebacker Scott Russell, who returned it 14 yards for the final score of the game. Xplosion defensive back David Gater ended the Freedom's last drive with an interception in the end zone with 48 seconds remaining in the game, preserving the 50-34 win. It was Gater's ninth interception of the season.
After the game, Xplosion head coach Mike Sparks talked about the play of his quarterback. "(Hutchison) stays cool under pressure and moves the ball around. He takes what they give us. As long as we continue to be patient in that respect, we're going to be O.K. I think the most important statistic is, we didn't turn the ball over (tonight). That's what it's all about.
"We'd love to be in a shootout with people right now. We think that they don't have enough bullets in the gun. We know that we can keep mixing it up and moving the ball around."
For Kalamazoo, Hutchison completed 19 of 26 passes for 170 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. His counterpart, Eric Hooks of Fort Wayne, completed 14 of 36 passes for 225 yards, five touchdowns and was intercepted twice.
Fort Wayne wide receiver Luther Stroder had seven catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns. He also had four kick returns for 83 yards. Kalamazoo wide receiver Brent Lesniak led the team with six receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown while Dan Musielewicz had five receptions for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
NEXT GAMES
The Xplosion are on the road again next week and travel to Muskegon to take on the Thunder on Friday night, April 4. Kickoff is set for 7:30 at LC Walker Arena.
The Freedom will also be on the road that same night. They will be in Rockford, Illinois to take on the Rock River Raptors.
- - -
Randy Snow is a freelance football writer from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Since 2003, he has covered the Arena Football League, arenafootball2, United Indoor Football, the Continental Indoor Football League and the All American Football League. Randy has been a member of the Arena Football League Writer's Association since 2005 and can be reached at randysnow22@yahoo.com.
Continental Indoor Football League Stories from March 28, 2008
- Xplosion Improve to 4-0 - OSC Original by Randy Snow
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
