Buffalo Breaks Records, Fall In Season Finale
May 18, 2003 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Buffalo Destroyers News Release
(LAS VEGAS, NV)-Buffalo Destroyers OS Jarrail Jackson had a career high 365 all-purpose yards including a Destroyers single game record with 216 kick return yards but Buffalo fell to the Las Vegas Gladiators 55-38 Sunday afternoon at the Thomas and Mack Center.
DS Dwaine Carpenter set the Destroyers single season tackles record on the games first play as he tallied his 82nd tackle of the season. He passed Antoine Worthman who had 81 in 1999. Carpenter would be passed later in the game by teammate DS JoJo Polk for the single season tackle record, which now stands at 86.5. After Las Vegas scored the first 10 points of the game, Buffalo scored the next 12 on a pair of QB Bob Bees touchdown passes. Jackson reeled in a 40 yard score and WR/LB Sir Mawn Wilson grabbed a nine yard touchdown. Wilson's touchdown was set up on his interception of Gladiators QB Jay McDonagh. Buffalo led 12-10 after the first quarter.
Buffalo extended the lead to 18-10 on Jackson's second touchdown reception, this one from three yards out. Las Vegas shot back with a WR/LB Coco Blalock 55 yard kickoff return for touchdown to close the gap to 18-17. Jackson returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the six yard line as K Gary Kral converted a 20 yard field goal. With that return, Jackson became the second player in Destroyers history to have over 2,000 yard all-purpose yards in a season (Lamont Cooper had 2,746 in 2002). Buffalo led 21-20 at halftime.
Kral opened the second half with a 29 yard field goal. DS Dwaine Carpenter intercepted McDonagh on the next possession, his eighth of the season and another Destroyers single season record (Corey Johnson had 7 interceptions in 2002). Bees and Jackson hooked up for a third time, this on for 14 yards to give Buffalo a 31-20 advantage. Vegas backup QB Todd Hammel hit WR/DB Sean Riley in the endzone for a 27 yard touchdown to close the gap to 31-27.
Jackson grabbed his fourth touchdown of the game on the last play of the third as Buffalo led 38-27.
Vegas scored four unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Buffalo finishes the season at 5-11.
Bees finished 20 of 37 for 232 yards five touchdowns and two interceptions. Jackson led all receivers with career highs of nine receptions, 146 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson's 216 kick return yards topped Lamont Cooper's 202 yard performance against Detroit May 4, 2002. His nine returns also breaks Cooper's record of eight from that same Detroit game. Jackson finished the season with 2,249 all-purpose yards.
Polk finished with eight tackles and one pass breakup to finish the season with the Destroyers single season record of 86.5 tackles. Carpenter finished with three tackles and an interception completing the season with 84 tackles.
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