IFL Green Bay Blizzard

Blizzard Ride Ground Game to Top Steelhawks

Published on June 2, 2012 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release


The Green Bay Blizzard (9-3) accomplished their goal of clinching a playoff berth during last weekend's bye week due to the results of other league games. On Saturday night in Pennsylvania the Blizzard took care of the first step toward clinching their next goal, gaining home field advantage for the first round, on their own. In an often times sloppy and penalty-plagued (19 combined penalties) game, the Blizzard emerged with a 41-33 victory over the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (5-8).

La'Ron Council continued his season for the ages by carrying an IFL season-high 26 times for a new Blizzard team record 119 yards and three touchdowns. Council also caught three passes, which represented half of the receptions on the evening. He was the only Blizzard player to have multiple receptions. B.J. Hill led the swarming Blizzard defense with six tackles.

The Blizzard had possession of the ball for a majority of the opening quarter, but four penalties and a pair of big plays by the Steelhawks resulted in the score being tied 14-14 at the conclusion. Lehigh Valley began with the ball and quickly scored first on a 21-yard pass from quarterback Aubrey Norris to Isaac West less than two minutes after kickoff. After a Donovan Porterie pass was intercepted on their first play from scrimmage, the Blizzard offense had the ball returned to them via a missed field goal attempt by Lehigh Valley kicker Paul Stoltz. Green Bay capitalized when Bryan Pray sprinted past the Steelhawks secondary and caught an accurate pass from Porterie in the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown. Lehigh Valley didn't take long to counter, as explosive return man Jesse Cooper took the ensuing kickoff back 52 yards to grab a 14-7 advantage. Blizzard running back La'Ron Council then was a workhorse as he accounted for all of a four play 22-yard scoring drive capped by his own eight-yard burst across the goal line to even the score.

The second quarter was one that Porterie and the Blizzard would like to soon forget. Both teams' offenses were plagued by more penalties, missed opportunities, and a combined four turnovers which led to the first 14-plus minutes of the quarter being scoreless. The quarter began with a Porterie pass being intercepted by Steelhawks defensive back Marvin Johnson. Aaron Moore soon returned the favor stepping in front of a Norris pass for his sixth interception of the season. The Blizzard failed to score however, when the snap on a short field goal attempt was fumbled. Lehigh Valley then also missed a field goal of their own. On the next play Cooper picked off a Porterie heave intended for Pray in the end zone for his second interception of the night. Finally, points were put on the board when Chris Malleo, who entered the game under center late in the quarter, completed a 35-yard swing pass to running back Ryan Leafey with 37 seconds remaining in the half. Cooper struck for a third interception when he came down with a tipped pass from Porterie and returned it deep into Blizzard territory. Malleo then found his favorite target Irani DeAraujo in the end zone from 10-yards away to grab a 26-14 halftime lead.

At the break head coach and playcaller Robert Fuller took note of the fact that the passing game was stuck in neutral and decided to pound the ball on the ground with the tandem of Council and Andrew Verboncouer. In fact, the Blizzard attempted just one pass in the third quarter, as 14 of their 15 plays were rushes. The Green Bay offense picked up chunks of yardage both on the rushes and a slew of encroachment penalties on Steelhawk defensive linemen caused by Porterie's effective hard count. The Blizzard defense also picked up their play after the half, as they held Lehigh Valley scoreless until the end of the 4th quarter. Council rushed for a score from one yard out to cut the Lehigh Valley lead in half on the first series. After a strip and fumble recovery by Blizzard defensive back Kenneth Viser, on a play that almost resulted in a Steelhawks score, the Blizzard went back to the ground and received a 4-yard touchdown carry from Verboncouer to take their first lead at 27-26 with 10:22 remaining in the third. The only other scoring opportunity in the quarter came when Stoltz missed a field goal from 35-yards out.

Now protecting a lead, the Blizzard were content to continue operating mainly through the run game in order to keep the clock running. On the first play of the 4th quarter Porterie snuck across the goal line to extend the lead to 34-26. The Blizzard defense then stood firm for another stop to return the ball to the reliable hands of Council. Council did most of the work on a 7 play, 45 yard drive that he topped off with a 13 yard trip through the heart of Lehigh Valley's defense for his third touchdown of the night. Neither team added points until Leafey scored from inside the Blizzard one-yard line with just over a minute left to give the Steelhawks one last glimmer of hope. That hope was ended when John Halman, a former Lehigh Valley player, recovered Stoltz's onside kick. Porterie knelt down three times and the Blizzard escaped with a 41-33 victory.

By winning one of their remaining two games, both at the Resch Center, the Blizzard would guarantee themselves at least one home playoff game. The first of those games will take place Friday night, June 8th at 7:30 p.m. against the visiting Reading Express.

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Indoor Football League Stories from June 2, 2012


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