Chicago Rolls in Denver, 66-57
June 18, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release
Denver - The Chicago Rush moved one step closer to its third Central Division title with a 66-57 win over the Colorado Crush at Pepsi Center Monday night.
Rush quarterback Matt D'Orazio completed 23 of 32 passes for 232 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for another 32 yards and a TD in leading his team to its 11th victory of the season.
The win keeps the Rush (11-4) in sole possession of first place in the Central Division and sets up a showdown with second place Kansas City (10-5) Saturday night in Chicago.
If the Rush wins against Kansas City it will win the division and receive a first-round bye in the playoffs. Chicago would then host a second round game at Allstate Arena on Monday, July 9.
However, since the Rush lost to Kansas City in the season opener, the Brigade holds the tiebreaker over Chicago. That means if the Rush loses Saturday it will fall to the conference's third seed and host a first round game on Monday, July 2.
"Kansas City is playing really well right now, which should make next week's game a great one for the fans," said Rush head coach Mike Hohensee. "But we showed tonight that we have some dangerous weapons and we will be up for the challenge."
Trailing 24-21 with four minutes remaining in the first half, the Rush went on a 21-0 run to take control of the game.
The run began when kick returner Jonathan Ordway - back in the lineup for the first time in a month after suffering a partially torn bicep May 14 in Dallas - returned a kickoff 48-yards to the Colorado 10-yard line. It was Ordway's second big kick return of the game, as he returned Colorado's first kickoff of the night 58 yards for a first quarter touchdown.
Two plays later, receiver Bobby Sippio caught a 10-yard touchdown pass after it bounced off the boards in the end zone. The score gave Chicago a 28-24 lead with 2:01 remaining in the half.
The Rush defense, which had been close to forcing a turnover all half, finally got one when DB Jeremy Unertl intercepted a John Dutton pass in the end zone and returned it to the Chicago 14-yard line with one minute to play.
The Rush moved the ball to the Colorado 20-yard line before D'Orazio was able to scamper the rest of the way on a quarterback draw to give the Rush a 35-24 lead at the half.
The Rush extended its lead just three plays into the third quarter. On third and one from its own 12-yard line, DeJuan Alfonzo took a handoff from D'Orazio and tried to find room to the left for a first down. When there was no hole to be found, Alfonzo reversed back right, broke a tackle and rumbled 38-yards for a touchdown and a 42-24 Rush lead.
The team's traded scores the rest of the way, with Colorado cutting the Rush lead to seven points at 52-45 early in the fourth.
But the Rush would not break, scoring on a 45-yard touchdown pass to Rob Mager and a 12-yard TD to Etu Molden for the final margin.
NOTES: The Rush defense forced two more turnovers, giving the team 40 for the season ...Sippio caught 10 passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 50 TDs for the year. Sippio becomes only the fourth player in AFL history with 50 or more TDs in a season ...DB Dennison Robinson recorded 3.5 tackles giving him 99 for the season - breaking Cedric Walker's team record of 98 set in 2002.
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