CIFL Week in Review
Published on March 27, 2007 under Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) News Release
Muskegon 42, Summit County 21
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio-In a battle of two expansion clubs, Muskegon laid claim to the organization's first ever victory over Summit County. The Thunder pulled away in the second half to win 42-21.
The game remained close throughout the first half, but Muskegon's defense proved to be too much for the Rumble in the second half. After Summit County made it a 17-13 game, the Thunder outscored Summit County 25-8.
Thunder quarterback Steve Wasil threw four touchdowns in the game, including two each to Richard Gills and Derek Hawthorne.
Port Huron 54, Miami Valley 7
PORT HURON, Mich.-Port Huron's winning ways continued Saturday night as they defeated Miami Valley 54-7 at McMorran Place. Port Huron also celebrated the raising of the championship banner on the night and extended its winning streak to 14.
Port Huron made a defensive statement early in the game. On the Silverbacks' first possession, Corey Gonzalez picked off a Miami Valley pass and raced 44 yards for the game's first score.
That was the first of two Miami Valley passes returned for scores, seeing Jason Coley race an interception back 27 yards later in the game.
After the Gonzalez score, quarterback Shane Franzer capped a Port Huron drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Franzer finished the game 10-of-15 for 127 yards and three touchdowns.
One of those touchdowns was a 20-yard strike to Robert Height to cap the scoring in the first half. Height would finish with 47 yards and score on five carries and 61 yards and a score on six catches.
Miami Valley's only score of the game came in the fourth quarter when Mark Bly hooked up with Charles Byrd for a six-yard score.
Port Huron's defense accounted for three scores on the night, including the two aforementioned interception returns. The third came when Eddie Bynes scooped up a Silverback fumble and rumbled 16 yards for a score.
In all, Port Huron allowed Miami Valley just 114 yards of total offense and recorded five sacks.
Kalamazoo 37, Marion 35
MARION, Ohio-Kalamazoo's dominating offensive performance in the first half was almost for not, but the Xplosion did just enough to hang on in the second half. After taking a 30-7 lead through the first half, the Xplosion hung on for a 37-35 victory over Marion in the season opener for both teams.
Behind a strong ground attack led by Little John Flowers, Kalamazoo marched down the field in the game's first possession for a score. Xplosion quarterback Bill Skelton connected with Keith Recker, who was recently named the head coach at nearby Marion Catholic High School in Marion, for a 12-yard score and a 7-0 lead.
Two plays after a Mayhem defensive stop on the two-yard line, Stanley Jackson, playing in his first game in over two years, couldn't handle a bad shotgun snap. The ball went careening out of the back of the endzone for a safety.
Early in the second quarter, Kalamazoo added another score for a 16-0 lead. Marion answered with a Thomas McKenzie one-yard dive to make it 16-7.
The Xplosion followed that with a Brian Dolph 11-yard touchdown reception and a 19-yard scoring scamper by Flowers.
In the second half, Jackson came alive for the Mayhem. The former Ohio State quarterback, who was celebrating his 32nd birthday on the day of the game, hooked up with Ian Schmidt for three scores to draw the Mayhem within two at 37-35.
After another stop by the Marion defense, Jackson drove the Mayhem from their own seven-yard line to the Kalamazoo six. Marion burnt its last timeout with 14 seconds left.
On the ensuing play after the timeout, Jackson tried to scramble through the Kalamazoo defense but was pulled down at the one-yard line. Marion tried to rush to the line, but just as they prepared to snap the ball, the clock expired.
Steubenville 70, New York/New Jersey 3
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio-Steubenville ended its 2006 season with back-to-back victories. Now, they have a three-game win streak and their first ever victory in the CIFL as they dominated the Revolution 70-3.
Tailback DeShawn Pearson got Steubenville on the board to start as he capped the game's first drive with an eight-yard scoring run. After the Revs went three-and-out, Lakeland College product Ryan Maiuri hooked up with T.R. Dues for an aerial strike and a 16-0 Stampede lead.
New York/New Jersey got its first, and only, score of the game on the ensuing possession by way of a field goal.
Dues had his own answer on the kickoff. He scampered his way through the Revs defense and scored yet another touchdown.
In the second quarter, the Stampede came up with a goal-line defensive stand and took over deep in their own territory. Maiuri proceeded to march Steubenville down the field and capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run.
Another aerial strike by Maiuri followed as he hooked up with Kellan Bush. After the Revs failed to run the clock out in the half, Maiuri hooked up with Dues for another score as time expired.
The gap continued to grow in the second half. New York/New Jersey's first defensive stop came late in the fourth quarter. But, on the ensuing possession, Steubenville's Marlin Thrower recovered a fumble in the endzone for the game's final score.
Rochester 77, New England 40
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-The Raiders bounced back from an opening week loss by grinding out a victory over the expansion Surge 77-40. The win evened Rochester's record at 1-1 with another meeting with Port Huron awaiting this Friday.
Running back Jamil Porter, who was signed after Reggie Cox's injury in week one, led a potent ground attack for the Raiders. He finished the game with 137 yards and three scores on 16 carries.
He ran the ball five times for 23 yards in the game's opening drive, capping the drive with a score for a 7-0 Rochester lead.
Rochester would take a 21-13 lead when Mike Mikolaichik hooked up with Noah Fehrenbach for a 23-yard touchdown. Mikolaichik was making his first start for the Raiders, replacing 2006 league MVP Matt Cottengim.
Rochester added two more scores before the half, earning a 35-19 advantage at the break.
New England got to as close as 42-32 in the second half, but was stymied by the Raider defense the rest of the way.
Rochester would outscore the Surge 42-21 in the second half. The 77 points was the second-most in Rochester history, behind only the 90 scored against Lehigh Valley last year.
Fehrenbach finished the game with two receiving scores and Maurice Jackson added another. Jason Coley had three sacks for the Raider defense and Gerald Dias returned a Surge interception for a score.
Continental Indoor Football League Stories from March 27, 2007
- Surge Wide Receiver Tyler Grogan Makes First Game MVP - New England Surge
- Week One and Two Players of the Week announced - CIFL
- CIFL Week in Review - CIFL
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