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Over Powered Vigilantes Lose in Heartbreaker, 76-75

May 28, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Dallas Vigilantes News Release


DALLAS, TX- They say all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, that was the case in tonight's battle at the American Airlines Center, as the Dallas Vigilantes (6-5) lose their first home game of the season, falling to the Pittsburgh Power (6-4), 76-75. Despite the loss, Vigilante quarterback Dan Raudabaugh had an impressive performance, going 28 of 36 for 433 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"I thought both sides of the ball played well off of each other tonight, but we just came up short," Raudabaugh said. "I real proud of all of our guys for fighting to the end, but now we have to do some soul searching, because we're at a cross roads right now. We're either going to come together and conquer this mountain that we have to climb or fall apart as individuals. But I have all of the faith in the world in this team. We'll fix this."

Pittsburgh jumped on top early, as Power quarterback Bernard Morris led a six-play, 34-yard drive that would result in a 18-yard scoring strike to receiver Michael Washington.

But after a 22-yard RJ Jackson return on the ensuing kickoff, Dallas got to work, scoring on the first play of its first offensive drive with a 28-yard reception in the back of the end zone by receiver Tiger Jones.

After another Power touchdown, Raudabaugh and the Vigilante offense responded again, with Raudabaugh finding receiver DeAndrew Rubin on 15-yard touchdown strike. The score would knot the two at 13 a piece with 2:13 left to play in first quarter, both team's kickers missing a PAT each.

However, the game would not be deadlocked for long. Vigilante receiver Matt Fields opened up the second quarter diving across the goal line on a six-yard reception.

At the 6:11 mark, Morris would find Washington in the end zone for the duo's second touchdown of the game, but the tie ball game would be short lived, as Raudabaugh and Jones would up the ante with their second touchdown of the night, good for 30yards. But Dallas was not done. In the next kickoff, Rubin de-cleated Power kick returner Jason Willis, forcing a fumble in the end zone that was recovered for by Jackson for another Vigilante touchdown, putting Dallas up by 14 at 34-20.

"Their returner wasn't taking the ball cleanly off of the net, so I figured if I timed it right, I might be able to field the ball myself," Rubin said. "I was able to get there when I needed to, I hit him, and I was able to jar the ball loose for RJ [Jackson] to scoop it up for a touchdown."

After a 27-yard Morris scramble that inched Pittsburgh closer by a score of 34-27, Dallas ended the quarter getting stopped just shy of the Power goal line, slating the score at halftime with the Vigilantes leading by seven.

It took some time for the score to change once the third quarter got under way. Right on cue, the Power would tie the game again, this time off of a 39-yard strike to Washington, his third of the night.

Pittsburgh eventually grabbed the lead at the 3:50 mark, but the Vigilantes quickly responded with a three-play 43-yard drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown reception by offensive lineman Tony Washington.

The shoot out continued in the fourth quarter, with Dallas tiying the game, 48-48, off of a 37-yard bomb to Rubin at 7:54 in the fourth quarter.

With 58 seconds to go in the game, Raudabaugh found Jones on a 22-yard strike, dead locking the game at 62 a piece. In the ensuing kickoff, Dallas kicked an onside kick, but before the ball could go 10 yards, it was snatched by a fan reaching over the wall. The mishap gave the Power the ball on the Vigilante nine-yard line. Another touchdown strike by Morris put Pittsburgh ahead, 69-62, with 50 seconds left.

But Dallas stayed ice cold, as Raudabaugh found Jones on a clutch, 40-yard lob, tying the game back up, 69-69, with 41 seconds remaining. Dallas felll behind again, but Raudabaugh did not let that rattle him. With 10 seconds to go, the signal-caller connected with Rubin for a 22-yard strike. The Vigilantes decided to gamble by going for the two-point conversion, but would fall just short on an incomplete pass to Rubin, putting Dallas down, 75-76.

"With all of the injuries we had in this game, we wanted to go for the win when we had the chance to," Vigilante head coach Clint Dolezel said. "You won't always convert that play, but that's the nature of this game. We went down swinging."

That's where Vigilante kicker Remy Hamilton and the Dallas special teams took over, recovering the onside kick on its 10-yard line. And with just a second to spare, Hamilton was set-up for a 32-yard field goal attempt, but the kick would pull to the right of the uprights.

With zeros left on the scoreboard, the Pittsburgh Power defeated the Dallas Vigilantes, 76-75, forcing Dallas' first home loss of the season.

The Vigilantes are now 6-5 on the season and will have to recover quick for their next battle, a June 4, 7:30 p.m. home game versus veteran quarterback Mark Grieb and the San Jose Sabercats (5-5).

"We'll need to put a lot of pressure on San Jose," Dolezel said. "If you can't find a way to put pressure Mark Grieb, he'll pick you apart. We can't let that happen."

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