Albany Downs Thunder 62-28
June 13, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release
ALBANY, NY - Alvin Ray Jackson swiped an af2 single-game high five interceptions and Albany's defense accounted for an af2 single-game total of eleven picks as they dismantled the Mahoning Valley Thunder 62-28 Saturday night at the Times Union Center.
Thunder starting quarterback Brad Roach's af2 debut was cut short when his opening two drives ended in Firebirds interceptions; the first from Kenneth Williams and the second from Alvin Ray Jackson. By the time backup Davon Vinson took over under center, Albany was leading 21-0 on a couple of touchdown passes to Jackson and one to Christian Wise. Vinson made it 21-7 with a strike to Jermaine Moye, but Wasil responded as the first quarter ended with a strike to Jared Jones to make it 28-7, setting an Albany franchise high for first quarter points.
The Firebirds defense started the second quarter with their third stop of the game when Jackson intercepted a ball off of the endzone netting and ran it the length of the field for a 34-7 lead. Jackson came up with his franchise record-breaking third interception of the night on the next drive, this time coming up two-yards short of a pick-six, but Albany couldn't add to their lead as the Thunder tabbed their first defensive stop of the game with a goal-line stand.
Jackson stole his fourth pick of the game on Mahoning Valey's opening drive of the second half to register Albany's team-record breaking fifth interception of the night. Next Firebirds quarterback Stephen Wasil threw his first of two picks on the night, but defensive back EJ Whitley handed the ball right back to his offense by grabbing Albany's sixth interception. This time Wasil took advantage by giving Jackson his third receiving touchdown of the game for a 41-14 lead. Before the third quarter ended Whitley grabbed the Firebirds seventh interception, his second of the night.
The pick-fest continued into the fourth quarter with Jackson's af2 all-time record fifth of the night for Albany's af2 record-breaking eighth of the contest. Later Whitley stole his third of the game and Jamel Ramsay took his first of the night to the house for a 55-14 Firebirds lead. Albany's Adam Bednarik and Mahoning Valley's CJ Brewer tacked-on touchdowns to make it 55-21, before Ramsay picked his second and the teams 11th and final ball of the night in the final minute of play. Bednarik added his second receiving touchdown with 24.3 seconds remaining and the Thunder added a final score with 5.2 to play for a 62-28 final.
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