Silverbacks Slip in Second Half
March 15, 2010 - Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
Dayton Silverbacks News Release
For a half, the Miami Valley Silverbacks seemed poised to shock the indoor football world and end their 14-game losing streak in the process.
Then, fatigue and injures took over, as the Silverbacks fell to the Cincinnati Commandos, 53-26, in the season opening game of the Continental Indoor Football League Saturday night at the Cincinnati Gardens.
"We've got to play two halves. Period," said Silverbacks head coach Brian Wells. "It was a good first half, the second half stunk."
Miami Valley took advantage of three Cincinnati turnovers and outgained the Commandos, 104 yards to 50, in the first half to lead, 26-21, at halftime.
The Commandos picked off three Antonio Davis penalties in the second half, however, outscoring the Silverbacks, 33-0, in the second half.
Davis and the running game had helped the Silverbacks lead throughout the first half, starting with Derrick Moss's 4-yard touchdown run after a 28-yard pass interference penalty 3:36 into the game.
Derrick Crawford recovered a fumbled snap late in the first quarter which led to a 3-yard touchdown run by Adell Givens, and Moss' 8-yard touchdown run answered an 18-yard touchdown pass from Ben Mauk to Robert Redd, keeping the Silverbacks ahead, 20-7.
A one-handed catch by Dominick Goodman in the back of the end zone cut the lead to 20-14, but the Silverbacks scored again when Daniel Stover hauled in a tipped fourth-down pass in the end zone after a failed on-side kick attempt to make it 26-14.
Stover finished with four catches for 52 yards, all in the first half. Antonio Davis was 9-for-17 with 96 yards in the first half, finishing the game by completing 11-of-27 passes for 130 yards with three second-half interceptions. Derrick Moss ran for 21 yards and two scores for Miami Valley.
Ray Jackson's 1-yard touchdown pulled the Commandos back to within 26-21 by halftime, and, without an injured Derrick Shepard on the Silverbacks defensive line in the second half, Cincinnati pulled away.
Ben Mauk connected with Robert Redd to give Cincinnati its first lead of the game, 27-26, with 11:16 remaining in the third quarter.
Miami Valley used a 31-yard catch-and-run by Kyenes Mincy to get to the Cincinnati 6-yard line on its next drive, but Robbie Wilson ended the threat with an interception in the end zone, setting up Greg Moore's 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.
On the next play from scrimmage, Jeff Franklin brought back an interception 12 yards for a touchdown, extending the Cincinnati lead to 40-26 to start the fourth quarter.
Chris Respress's interception at midfield ended Miami Valley's next possession, leading to Ray Jackson's 20-yard touchdown run.
Cincinnati capped the scoring with a 45-yard strike from Mauk to Goodman on a halfback pass out of the wildcat formation.
Mauk was 11-of-16 passes for 111 yards and four touchdowns. Goodman led the Commandos with four catches for 50 yards, and both he and Robert Redd hauled in a pair of touchdown passes. Ray Jackson added 52 rushing yards on seven carries and two touchdowns on the ground.
In spite of the final margin of victory, the Silverbacks showed they expect to be better than the average travel team.
"If we played the second half like we played the first half, we can play with anybody," Wells said.
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