Nighthawks Best Pioneers
May 11, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Norfolk Nighthawks News Release
NORFOLK - QB Aaron Sparrow led his Norfolk Nighthawks to a seemingly easy 45-32 win at Norfolk Scope in front of 3,813 fans. The Nighthawks were in complete control until the fourth quarter, and thanks to several miscues and mistakes by the Norfolk's team, the Pioneers were able to make the game much more interesting.
The Nighthawks picked up from where they left off in their game on May 3rd versus the Cape Fear Wildcats. The Nighthawks generated nearly 300 yards of offense to keep pace with the Wildcats, who did win the contest with last minute theatrics by OS Matt Burstein. Norfolk's offense was pumping and Sparrow was a big part of that. He amassed for 261 yards on 25-34 passing. Among those passes were an amazing six touchdowns, with just one interception. Norfolk's OS Travis Burns had another excellent evening, as he caught nine passes for total of 109 yards; WR/LB Stuart Brown enjoyed a healthy game with eight catches for 105 yards.
But perhaps the real story of the game was the Nighthawks' defense. Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator Rick Frazier seemed happy with the victory, but upset with his team's trend of winning the first three quarters and then allowing the opponent to climb back into the game for the fourth. This game was no different, as the Nighthawks held the Pioneers to just 12 points until the 4th Quarter.
"I was really pleased with the way the defense played until (the Pioneers) went into a hurry-up offense and then we seemed not to be able to play anything," said Frazier. "Everything we were doing fine the whole game just went out the window."
'Doing fine' might just be a little understatement. The Nighthawks dominated the game for three quarters and could do little wrong. From the very beginning, the Nighthawks were in control. Norfolk marched down the on their first drive and scored on a Sparrow to Travis Burns touchdown with just over four minutes left in the quarter. On the Pioneers next possession, QB Chris Boden fired an ill-fated pass into the arms of the Nighthawks' WR/LB Melvin Coleman. That interception snuffed out a drive which had the Pioneers poised to score.
The Nighthawks offense trotted back onto field at the own six yard line. Sparrow, with excellent protection from his offensive line, guided his team down the field with crisp passes to WR/LB Jay Clarke, Coleman, Travis Burns and Stuart Brown. Brown hauled in the touchdown 31 seconds before the end of the quarter, making the score 13-0, Nighthawks. K Steven Scaldaferri made it 14-0.
The game went on much like this for two more quarters. The Nighthawks 'D' terrorized the receivers and linemen for the Pioneers. Until the fourth.
The quarter started with the Nighthawks squarely in command of the game and of the momentum. They led 36-12 and they looked to add to their total and avoid the unpleasant ending they endured with Richmond and at home from Cape Fear.
K Steven Scaldaferri put three more on the board for the Nighthawks, making the score 39-12, in favor of the home squad. Then the Pioneers found a way to score. Boden and Pioneers' WR/LB hooked up twice on the drive, the final pass being a touchdown. Boden also threaded the ball to OS Cosmo DeMatteo for a 2-point conversion, making the score 39-20. Suddenly, the Nighthawks points padding seemed to be eroding,
And it would some more. On the ensuing kickoff, Travis Burns attempted to catch the ball off the nets, but instead, it bounced off his helmet and onto the turf. The Pioneers' DS Leon Grove scooped it up for his team. The Nighthawks defense was able to again stop the Pioneers, holding the offense to -3 yards on the possession.
Perhaps one fumble deserves another. Nighthawks FB/LB Daryl Richardson fumbled on the Nighthawks' own 15 yard line. That turnover, complete with excellent field position, enabled the Pioneers to punch the ball into the end zone, to make the score 39-26.
The Nighthawks exchanged two more scores in the exciting end and withstood an onside kick attempt to seal the victory.
"They ran a lot of zone defense," said Sparrow. "But I know that I just have to make my reads. And the name of the game is adjusting to what the defense gives you. And that's what we did tonight."
The game marked the first-ever meeting of these two franchises and the first ever win for the Nighthawks over the Pioneers. The two will renew their series next Saturday at the First Union Arena in Wilkes-Barre (Pa.).
"(The Pioneers) are going to do what we are going to do," said Frazier. "They are going to take a look at tonight's film and try to fix some mistakes and try to come up with some things defensively to counter act us offensively."
"We've got some room to improve," said Nighthawks Head Coach Rick Frazier. "And we're about to attempt the hardest thing in pro sports to play the same team on back-to-back weeks. And when you combine that with the fact that only 30 percent of the games in the arena league are won on the road, it's double-tough."
Aaron Sparrow was voted the MVP of the game with his 6 TDs and 267 passing yards..The ADT Defensive Player was DS Kofi Smith, thanks to his timely interception, 3.5 tackles and one tackle which resulted in a 16-yard Pioneers' loss. The IRON MAN award went to Norfolk WR/DB Dominic Banks. Banks finished the game with three catches for 13 yards and one interception.
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