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Brigade salutes troops, secures edge in playoff picture with 62-56 win

May 26, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade News Release


KANSAS CITY - New to the playoff hunt, the Brigade entered its game against the Los Angeles Avengers owning a tie-breaker over its opponent in the American Conference, yet Kansas City still needed a victory to make the playoff picture clearer.

The Brigade had a serious case of déjà vu from the inaugural Los Angeles game - one of the team's three 2006 wins - which ended 62-48. This time Kansas City put up 35 points in the first half en route to 62-56 win. Up next for the Brigade is its only two-game road trip of the season when it travels to Grand Rapids for a key division game June 2 at 6 p.m.

The Brigade wasted little time kicking off Military Appreciation Day when the game's first play - a Raymond Philyaw pass to Charles Frederick - put the team on the Los Angeles 12-yard line. Several plays later, Philyaw found Boo Williams in the end zone to make it 7-0 minutes into the contest.

Frederick continued to prove his value as one of the game's most versatile players when he ran back a kickoff past midfield and followed it up with a key reception to set up first-and-goal. Much like the first possession, Williams sealed the deal with his second touchdown grab to take a 14-7 advantage.

It was only fitting after one quarter of play that both 6-5 teams fighting for the playoffs would be knotted up at 14-14.

The Avengers drive to open the second quarter would be the game's first that didn't feature a score. The Brigade defense sent a message, sending an Avenger receiver literally crashing over the wall onto the Brigade bench. On the same drive, Jerry Turner sacked Los Angeles quarterback Sonny Cumbie. Kansas City got the ball back with a shot to go ahead.

Apparently the Kansas City offense didn't want to be on the field much as it once again took little time getting down to business. Philyaw orchestrated a three-play scoring drive that culminated in a six-yard touchdown bullet to Frederick to put the Brigade up 21-14.

Defensively, the Brigade made a point to get after Cumbie and the Avengers, forcing a fumble that unfortunately Los Angeles recovered. On third down, Cumbie fired a long pass that surely would have been a touchdown if not for Deveron Harper smashing the receiver into the end zone wall and jarring the ball loose. When the Avengers missed a field goal attempt on fourth-and-16, the Brigade defense had its second straight stop.

Two straight Los Angeles penalties put the Brigade in striking distance early in its ensuing drive. Once again Philyaw and Frederick proved to be automatic, as the playmakers hooked up for Frederick's second score of the day to extend Kansas City's lead to 28-14. His catch set the single-season receiving touchdown record for the Brigade.

Few Arena Football games are out of hand by halftime, but the Brigade did all it could to make it so. After several attempts to reach pay dirt, Dawan Moss finally barreled into the end zone to extend Kansas City's lead to 34-14. The Brigade scored on all five first-half possessions and the defense shutout Los Angeles in the second quarter.

The Avengers came out of the gates in the second half and gained some momentum on when they scored first and blocked a Gary Krall field goal attempt that was nearly returned for a touchdown. The kick was the Brigade's first field goal attempt since May 5 at Philadelphia.

Soon after, the Avengers closed the gap even more and made it a one possession game with the Brigade leading 34-28. Frederick, however, extended the lead as well as his place in the Brigade record book by reeling in a pass to make it 41-28 late in the third quarter.

Following a Los Angeles touchdown, Frederick looked like the go-to guy, trying to reach the end zone both through the air and on the ground in the Brigade's opening fourth quarter possession. But moments later Philyaw kept the ball himself and powered into the end zone for a 48-35 Kansas City lead.

Travis Coleman ignited the Kemper Arena crowd of 13,212 when he intercepted a ball that popped out of the hands of an Avenger receiver and ran it back for a score. Krall's extra point - he would go 8-for-9 - put the Brigade ahead by three scores yet again, 55-35.

Coleman continued to torment the Avengers on their next drive when he tipped away a pass to the end zone on fourth-and-goal to regain possession for the Brigade. Los Angeles would make it interesting however, with a fumble recovery and a quick touchdown pass to narrow Kansas City's lead to 55-42 with little more than two minutes remaining.

Within the one-minute warning, the Brigade and Avengers traded blows but Los Angeles' offense would be too little, too late to mount a comeback. Kansas City now owns the head-to-head advantage and has an upper hand in the quest to host its first home playoff game.



Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 26, 2007


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