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Bandits Blast Ghostriders, 82-32; Remain in First Place

June 12, 2005 - American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
Richmond Bandits News Release


RICHMOND - Wide receiver Marcel Willis scored his first of four touchdowns a minute and a half into the game as the Richmond Bandits defeated the Ghostriders 82-32 Saturday night at the Richmond Coliseum. The Bandits, who remained in a first-place tie with the Erie Freeze both with 7-1 overall records, scored on every possession and also tallied a pair of defensive scores.

"Overall, its good to get the win, especially at home," said Bandits head coach Rik Richards, who secured his 20th victory overall as a head coach in indoor football. "We played some different guys in different places. Offensively, I was again pleased with the effort of our receivers and quarterbacks. But it all started up front with good protection. Defensively, we played well enough to win. We had several stops and the three interceptions really helped us shut (the Ghostriders) down in the second half."

Willis finished with a game-high 119 yards on nine catches with four scoring tallies. Former Virginia Tech standout, receiver Bryan Still hauled in five passes for 70 yards with three touchdowns, with DeAndre Green and Marcus Richardson combining for three TDs in six total catches.

"Marcel (Willis) played a good game. He has the ability to catch pretty much anything you throw his way," said Richards.

Quarterback Robbie Jenkins, making his second-consecutive start, tossed eight of the Bandits' 10 offensive touchdowns on 16-of-26 passing for 227 yards. Will Burch saw action in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-5 for 72 yards with a pair of scoring strikes.

Richmond took the early advantage with the Jenkins-to-Willis connection at the 13:34 mark of the first quarter. But the Ghostriders, who fell 66-13 in the season opener in Richmond, answered with a score of their own. Starting QB Jeron Cain found arena football journeyman Demeco Archangel for a 14-yard score to pull within one, 7-6, after the failed conversion attempt.

The Bandits responded with a 10-play, 45-yard drive which spanned nearly six and a half minutes, culminating with Willis' second score, a 6-yard route for points. After connecting on his second PAT of the game, kicker Chris Segaar, who also plays in the defensive secondary and as a wide receiver, delivered a near perfect on-side kick which Richmond recovered at the 12-yard line. The early trick provided another scoring opportunity as Jenkins found Bryan Still from 8-yards out for the tally, and a 21-6 lead.

Two Ghostriders' second-quarter scores pulled the visitors to within 35-18, with DeAndre Green's 7-yard touchdown reception providing the halftime score, 42-24.

After the break, Richmond would stretch its lead to 30 with back-to-back scores -- a 24-yard score by Bryan Still and a 37-yard strike to Marcus Richardson. On the ensuing kickoff after the latter of the two touchdowns, Segaar struck again, this time nailing a one-point rouge to give the Bandits a 55-24 lead.

Richards' defense was the story of the second half. The Bandits first held the Ghostriders scoreless in the third quarter. Then, a pair of fourth quarter interceptions helped seal the deal. Linebacker Mike Davis picked off a Cain slant route and scored from 15 yards out to push the game to 62-24. Another Davis, defnsive back Shannon Davis, took an interception back 41 yards on the next possession for a 68-24 lead.

Mike Davis led the team with five and a half tackles, including three solo stops and half a sack. Linemen Julian Graham and Cedric Phillips each had two sacks as the Bandits hauled down the Ghostriders QB's six times in the game. Richmond also tallied three total interceptions in the winning effort.

Richmond (7-1) will travel to Canton, Ohio to face the Legends (3-5) next Saturday, June 18. Canton has been an extremely tough opponent for the Bandits as both games have come down to the last play to decide the victory. In Week 4, a Redd Thompson touchdown with 11-seconds showing on the game clock helped Richmond to a 74-69 win at home. Two weeks ago (5/28), Jenkins connected with Willis from 12 yards as time expired for the 63-58 come-from-behind win. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 pm and can be heard live on www.RadioRichmond.com.

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