Aaron Sparrow Sets Stealth Record
Published on April 25, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Wichita Stealth News Release
Wichita, Kan. - Stealth quarterback Aaron Sparrow sets new franchise record in passing yards in the Stealth 68-53 victory over the Green Bay Blizzard (1-2) in front of 3,532 fans at the Kansas Coliseum. Newly assigned Stealth offensive specialist Damon Thompson caught 12 passes for 161 yards and five touchdowns to garner Baby Ruth Real Deal Player of the Game honors. Randall Lane and Robert Garth who caught a combined five touchdowns led the Blizzard.
Sparrow would end the night 29-of-44 for 382 yards and eight touchdowns on the night. Defensively, Ty Ardoin led the Stealth. Ardoin had seven total tackles on the night (six unassisted and two assisted) along with two interceptions and two pass defenses.
The game would start off for the Stealth the exact same way it did last week in Peoria, a 45-yard touchdown reception. This week it was Sparrow to wide receiver/defensive back Anthony Griffin. Griffin took the pass and scampered his way up the sideline past the Green Bay defense putting the Stealth up 7-0. The Blizzard would counter with their own touchdown reception. Blizzard quarterback Chris Greisen would find Blizzard offensive specialist Randall Lance for an 18-yard touchdown reception, evening the score at 7-7. On the next drive, the duo of Sparrow and Thompson would connect three times with the last putting the Stealth in the endzone. Thompson would score his first of five touchdowns on a nine-yard reception putting the Stealth back in the lead 14-7. It would only take the Blizzard two plays to get back at the Stealth. Greisen would find Nate Lehman for a 29-yard touchdown, but they would miss the extra point leaving the Stealth on top 14-13. The Stealth would widen that lead at the end of the first quarter on a second Sparrow to Thompson touchdown, this time from 18-yards out, the Stealth would miss the extra point leaving the first quarter score at 20-13.
The Stealth would attempt an on-side kick at the end of the first quarter, but touched it a little too soon giving the Blizzard great field position at the seven-yard line. It would take three plays for the Blizzard to score, but Greisen would find Robert Garth for a seven-yard score tying the game at 20-20 to start the second quarter. On the next possession for both teams, the defensive units finally stepped up and stopped the respective offense. Wichita would complete two passes in the series, before being stopped on a fourth and one run at the Green Bay 16-yard line. The Blizzard would take over and could do no better as they only could muster six yards on the drive with five of those coming on a Stealth offsides penalty. The Stealth would take over at the Green Bay 22-yard line with 4:59 left in the second. The Stealth would keep this drive suspenseful as well as the last one. They got to a fourth and one at the Green Bay 13-yard line, when Sparrow found offensive/defensive lineman Cliff Holloman open on the right side for a 12-yard reception bringing the Stealth to the one-yard line before punching it in on a one-yard Anthony Griffin touchdown run, making the score 27-20. The Blizzard would counter with a touchdown, but missed the extra point leaving the stealth up one point at 27-26. The Stealth would score one more touchdown on a 20-yard reception by Marc Bacote giving the Stealth a 34-26 halftime lead.
The Blizzard would begin the third quarter with a 40-yard scoring drive, capped off by a six-yard touchdown reception by Robert Garth. The stealth would counter with another Sparrow to Thompson touchdown, putting the Stealth up 41-34 at the end of the third quarter.
They would continue that drive in the fourth and end it the same way it did five times on the night, Sparrow to Thompson. This time from 11-yards out giving the Stealth a 48-34 lead. The two teams would again go back and forth in the fourth quarter, but the Blizzard could just not catch up with the Stealth on this night. The Stealth would add scores by Michael Dritlein, Thompson, and Griffin to leave the Stealth flying high on their way to the 68-53 victory.
Blizzard quarterback Chris Greisen would end the night 23-of-39 for 295 yards and seven touchdowns, but had three interceptions to go along with those passing stats. Their leading receiver on the night was offensive specialist Randall Lane, who would end the night with seven catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns.
The Stealth would once again sweep the game awards on the night. As mentioned earlier Damon Thompson earned Baby Ruth Real Deal Player of the Game honors for the Stealth. Stealth wide receiver/defensive back Brian Livingston would earn the U.S. Army Ironman of the Game award for the second consecutive week, and Stealth defensive specialist Ty Ardoin would grab the ADT Defensive Player of the Game award.
STEALTH NOTES: Next week, the Stealth will enjoy their first bye week of the 2004 season before hitting the road for three weeks when they travel to face the Rio Grande Valley Dorados on May 8th, the Quad City Steamwheelers on May 15th, and the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz on May 22nd.The next Stealth home game is set for May 29th versus the Laredo Law. The Stealth defeated the Law on April 10th 44-22 in Wichita.Tickets are available for all remaining Stealth home games by calling 316.755.3307 or Select-A-Seat at 316.755.SEAT (7328).
arenafootball2 Stories from April 25, 2004
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- Aaron Sparrow Sets Stealth Record - Wichita Stealth
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