Brigade Puts up Fight Early but Falls to Wranglers in Austin

Published on March 18, 2006 under Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade News Release


AUSTIN-Arena Football games are frantic, never more so at the end of a half. The Kansas City Brigade found out just what that means to momentum in a 64-37 defeat at the hands of the Austin Wranglers in the Frank Erwin Center on Saturday.

The Wranglers had taken a 24-14 lead with three minutes left in the first half and decided to put the pressure on their defense by attempting an onside kick, but Calvin Spears recovered it at the Austin 10 yard line. Quarterback Chris Sanders, in his first start of the season and who also scored on a brilliant five-yard keeper for the team's first score, could not get the offense in the end zone this time, but new kicker MacKenzie Hoambrecker put it through the uprights to keep Kansas City within a score.

The Brigade then tried to catch Austin off-guard with an onside kick of its own, but the Wranglers recovered it. Austin quarterback John Fitzgerald worked quickly as the clock ticked under one minute. After two short running plays he connected with OS Derrick Lewis from four yards to give the Wranglers a 31-17 lead.

Kansas City was not done, though. Steve Smith took the return to only the five yard line, but Sanders had no trouble finding the end zone. On the first play from scrimmage he pump faked to free up James Jordan down the middle of the field and it was an easy 45-yard touchdown with 26 seconds left. Hoambrecker hit the extra point to cut Austin's lead to 31-24.

The momentum of the game changed again on the ensuing kickoff. Hoambrecker put it over the wall and out of play but Nate Black was hit from by Lewis and taken off the field on a stretcher. Jerel Myers retaliated on the next play and earned a personal foul penalty, but the Wranglers had the final say as Lewis broke a tackle on a comeback route and dove into the end zone for a 36-yard touchdown and a 38-24 lead. Hoambrecker's 45-yard field goal as time expired hit the upright.

Kansas City put up two more scores in the second half but could not make up the deficit. Sanders led a drive from the Brigade three yard line that resulted in a Dawan Moss one-yard touchdown run just before the third quarter ended. Midway through the final quarter Sanders led the offense downfield again, hitting Spears for a two-yard touchdown.

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from March 18, 2006


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