Carolina Rhinos Set Team Mark, Hand Coach Miller First Win 82-60 Over Greensboro
May 4, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Carolina Rhinos News Release
GREENVILLE, SC – The arenafootball2’s Carolina Rhinos set the all-time franchise record for points in a game en route to handing head coach Rod Miller his first win behind the team bench in an 82-60 home victory over the Greensboro Prowlers Saturday. The 82 points surpassed the previous team record of 71 points which was set in a 71-23 home win over the Charleston Swamp Foxes last June 16th.
Nick Johnson and Mal Lawyer led the way on offense with 179 and 155 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns apiece while rookie quarterback Caleb Slover threw for 155 yards and six touchdowns. Slover also rushed for two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. Rod Thompson and Surhaver Fair set the winning tone on defense with six and a half and four and a half sacks. Thompson also forced a fumble while Fair returned an interception 23 yards.
The Rhinos led for most of the game trailing 14-13 for only 1:52 mid way through the first quarter. Lawyer notched two of his three touchdowns in the first frame opening the scoring on a 12-yard pass from Slover 1:01 into the contest then returning a kickoff 54 yards for another strike 4:20 later. He also caught a four-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.
Johnson caught scoring passes of 19 yards late in the first quarter and five yards late in the second quarter then put the Rhinos ahead to stay with an 11-yard reception early in the fourth quarter giving the home team a 63-46 lead.
Slover rushed for a one-yard score in the second quarter and a three-yard touchdown in the fourth while Robert Garth closed out the scoring with a 15-yard reception with 1:25 to play and a fumble recovery in the Greensboro endzone in the gameÂ’s final minute.
Lawyer was named most valuable player of the game and was the RhinosÂ’ nomination for the Built Ford Tough Player of the Game shaking off a crunching hit by GreensboroÂ’s Rafik Thorossian. Fair was named the ADT Defensive Player of the Game while the RhinosÂ’ Jermaine Dericott was named Iron Man. Antoine Calloway was the ProwlersÂ’ nod for the Built Ford Tough award.
The win upped the Rhinos record to 1-3 while the Prowlers dropped to 2-3 on the season. The two teams will meet again next Sunday May 12th in Greensboro at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on 1070 “The Sportszone” WCSZ-AM and at rhinosfootball.com beginning at 3:45 p.m. The Rhinos will play their next home game Saturday May 18th when they host the Augusta Stallions at 7:30 p.m.
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