Bironas wins it!

Published on March 13, 2005 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons News Release


Rob Bironas' 35-yard field goal with 13 seconds remaining gave the New York Dragons a 53-51 victory over the Georgia Force tonight in a battle royale between division leaders in the National Conference.

"It feels real good, especially after the guys kind of bailed me out last week," said Bironas, who missed a key extra point in the Dragons' eventual win in Philadelphia last Sunday. "As a kicker, you want the game to rest on your foot."

The Dragons improved to 5-1, 4-0 at home, before a crowd of 11,451 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. When his team ran out the clock after an interception by Dragons DS Billy Parker, Coach Weylan Harding jumped into the arms of underrated lineman Stacey Evans.

"Just a good old fashioned, hard-nosed battle between two top teams that wanted it real bad," said Dragons WR/DB Corey Johnson. "Like it usually goes in this great league, it came down to which team executed in the big sports. Our guys keep finding ways to win games."

The game featured a duel between old teammates behind the snap. Dragons QB Aaron Garcia was 24-for-32 for 275 yards and 5 touchdowns. Georgia QB Matt Nagy, Garcia's backup during the 2002 and 2003 seasons on Long Island, has emerged as a starter. He was 23-for-37 for 328 yards with 7 touchdowns for the Force.

The Dragons were led on offense by OS Mike Horacek's 8 receptions, 3 for touchdowns. Georgia was led by OS Derek Lee's 11 catches, 6 for TDs.

The Dragons (5-1) visit Austin next Saturday, while Georgia (5-2) hosts Orlando on Saturday.

FOURTH QUARTER TURNING POINTS:

With the Dragons leading 50-44 early in the fourth, LB Sir Mawn Wilson deflected a Nagy pass and it fell into the arms of New York DS Chris Angel, who returned the interception to the Georgia 8-yard line. However, the Dragons failed to put the game away when Garcia's red zone pass was intercepted by Georgia DS Kevin Gaines and the force took a 51-50 lead on a TD strike from Nagy to Lee with four minutes left in the game. The Dragons managed to hold on to the ball almost the rest of the way until Bironas' field goal.

THIRD QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS:

Tied at 37-37 after the Force forced at Dragons safety with five minutes left in the third quarter, there was a thrilling turn of events – as only the AFL can provide. The Dragons stopped Georgia on three downs, and when the Force's long field goal attempt when wide left, Corey Johnson split the coverage and sailed to a touchdown, his second as a returner for the game. Derrick Lee grabbed a short pass and sprinted in for his fourth TD, deadlocking the game at 44-44 at the end of the third quarter.

Leading 31-28 at the half, the Dragons defense stopped Georgia on three downs followed by a missed field goal by K Nelson Garner, then extended their lead to 37-28 on a touchdown from Garcia to Horacek.

FIRST HALF RECAP:

The first half was a traditional seesaw AFL affair, with incredible catches and big hits sprinkled throughout. Both teams scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game, the only setback a missed extra point on Georgia's second touchdown.

With 12:46 left in the second quarter and the Dragons leading 21-20, Georgia stopped the Dragons on a 4th-and-10 on the Force 11-yard line. But Mr. On-The-Spot, Corey Johnson, intercepted a Matt Nagy pass in the endzone and the Dragons held the lead. Chris Anthony caught a 4-yard pass from Garcia to give the Dragons a 28-20 lead.

The Force tied the game at 28-28 after a TD on their next drive, followed by a two-point conversion run by OS Troy Bergeron. A 24-yard field goal by Rob Bironas at the buzzer gave the Dragons a 31-28 lead at the half.

GAME BALLS:

Dragons WR/DB Corey Johnson – another kickoff return for a TD, a returned field goal attempt for a TD, a receiving TD, another interception. The man has a nose for the ball...and the endzone.

Dragons DS Chris Angel – A team-high 8 unassisted tackles and an interception. Fellow DS Billy Parker has understandably been garnering a lot of praise this season, but tonight was Angel's turn in the spotlight.

Georgia WR/LB Derek Lee -- Demonstrating blazing speed, he had 6 receiving TDs, most on long runs after short passes. Lee was a teammate of FSN color commentator Jonathan Vilma's in camp last year with the Jets. "He definitely didn't make it for a lack of talent," said Vilma. "That guy can play. He just came up against a numbers game with us having so many good receivers."

NOTES:

Georgia OS Derek Lee was the Offensive Player of the Game, Dragons WR/DB Corey Johnson the U.S. Army Ironman of the Game and Dragons DS Chris Angel the ADT Defensive Player of the Game WR/LB Sir Mawn Wilson made his Dragons debut. The former Syracuse Orangeman looked solid on both sides of the ball with a key pass deflection and 5 receptions for 55 yards...

Georgia OS Troy Bergeron, one of the AFL's newest stars, did not disappoint in Uniondale tonight. He's an exceptional athlete, a dazzling playmaker worth the price of admission. Kudos to Dragons defensive specialists Chris Angel and Billy Parker for keeping Bergeron – 4 receptions, just one TD – in check.

New York Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the 2004 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, handled the color commentary work for Fox Sports Net, alongside ace play-by-play man Bob Wischusen. Vilma did an excellent job, not bad for a 24-year old rookie broadcaster. Commenting on the AFL policy of allowing coaches on the field, the Jets' young star said, "Speaking as a player, I wouldn't like that in the NFL!"

Deb Kaufman, known at the Coliseum for her fantastic work on Islanders broadcasts on FSN, was the sideline reporter for tonight's broadcast. With the AFL's always-accessible players, Kaufman pounced on some choice interviews, getting players such as Mike Horacek moments after scoring touchdowns.

Vilma's Jets teammate, lineman Josh Evans, was one of the 11,451 in attendance at the Coliseum tonight. From start to finish, tonight's crowd was also one of the loudest we've seen at a Dragons game in their five-year history.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 13, 2005


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