Cobras Turn Out Soul On Game's Final Play, 63-59
April 17, 2004 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Carolina Cobras News Release
CHARLOTTE â The Carolina Cobras' defense stymied the Philadelphia Soul on a rushing attempt on the final play of the game to preserve a 63-59 victory Saturday night at the Charlotte Coliseum. Soul WR/LB Ricky Ross was stopped just short of the endzone with no time remaining as the Cobras snapped a three-game losing streak in a thrilling Eastern Division battle. Veteran quarterback Rickey Foggie and offensive specialist Damien Groce helped interim head coach Ron Selesky earn a victory in his first game at the helm for Carolina.
Carolina (4-7) surrendered 12 consecutive points late in the final quarter as the Soul took a 59-56 lead on Derin Graham's two-yard scoring run with two minutes remaining in the contest. Philadelphia (4-6) then attempted an on-sides kick attempt, which the Cobras recovered on the Soul's four-yard line. A defensive pass interference penalty on fourth down set the stage for a two-yard touchdown run by Travis Reece, his third of the game, which gave the home team a 63-59 advantage with 30 seconds on the clock. The Soul responded by driving the length of the field, before Carolina's line stuffed Ross at the one yard line.
In his first start behind center this season, Foggie sparked the Cobras offense to its highest scoring output since the season opener, completing 22-of-31 passes for 338 yards and five touchdowns. Carolina scored on each of their first eight possessions of the game as the club benefited from a number of changes on offense and defense.
Groce paced Carolina's revived offensive attack, pulling in eight receptions for a career-high 173 yards and three touchdowns, while first-year wide receiver/linebacker D.J. Humphries caught eight passes for 90 yards and a score. Reece added three rushing touchdowns on the night. Foggie and Groce shared Baby Ruth Real Deal Offensive Player of the Game honors, while defensive specialist Daryon Brutley was named ADT Defensive Player of the Game after recording a team-high five tackles.
Philadelphia offensive specialist Tyronne Jones posted four touchdowns in a strong all-around effort, including a 55-yard kickoff return for touchdown. Jones also added scoring receptions of 40 and 5 yards and a 4-yard touchdown run. Ross earned U.S. Army Ironman of the Game recognition after catching five passes for a team-high 83 yards and two touchdowns and adding two tackles on defense.
It was a three-man show in the first half for Carolina as Foggie, Humphries and Groce led the Cobras to a 36-34 advantage after two quarters. Foggie completed 14-of-16 passes for 189 yards in the half, with Humphries reeling in eight of those passes for 90 yards and Groce accounting for the other six receptions for 99 yards.
After forcing the Soul into an errant 57-yard field goal attempt four plays into the contest, the Cobras got on the board first with a one-yard scoring run from Reece. The lead was short lived as Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 55 yards for a score, marking the third consecutive game that the Cobras have surrendered a kickoff for a touchdown. Reece found the endzone for the second time on Carolina's next drive, again from one yard out, to give the home team a brief 13-7 lead. Philadelphia's Todd Hammel made history just three plays later, completing his 400th career touchdown pass, a 40-yard strike to Jones. The completion also pushed Hammel beyond the 25, 000 career passing yard mark. Carolina regained a 20-14 lead on the final play of the first quarter, as lineman Bryan Ray scooped up a fumble by Lenzie Jackson and returned it two yards for his first career touchdown.
The two teams continued to trade scores at a frantic rate early in the second quarter, with Philadelphia posting the first score of the frame on a 35-yard reception by Ross to knot the score at 20-20. Carolina countered with a long 36-yard scoring completion to Groce, before Jones scampered in from four yards out to tie the game once again at 27-27 five minutes into the quarter. The scoring pace slowed in the heart of the second quarter before Humphries posted an eight-yard touchdown catch, the first of his career, to give Carolina a brief 33-27 lead. The Soul regained the lead in an interesting way on its next drive as Ross recovered his own fumble in the end zone to give the visitors a 34-33 advantage . Carolina's Daryon Brutley stripped the ball after Ross had pulled in a 22-yard reception, but was able to snatch up the fumble for his second touchdown of the game. Rob Bironas connected on a 33-yard field goal on the final play of the half to give the Cobras a 36-34 advantage heading into the lockerroom.
Foggie expanded his repertoire in the third quarter as he completed passes to Jarrick Hillery, Sir Mawn Wilson and Lenzie Jackson en route to extending the home team's lead to 50-41 heading into the final frame. Less than five minutes into the final quarter, Foggie found Hillery for his third TD reception of the season to take a 43-34 lead. The Soul responded with a long scoring drive of its own, capped off with a five-yard scoring run from Jones, his fourth touchdown of the game. Foggie continued to exploit openings in the Soul defense, however, completing a 26-yard strike to Groce resulting in Carolina's nine-point lead.
Carolina will be idle in week 12 of the 2004 campaign and will take the field once again on Saturday, May 1 as they team hosts the Columbus Destroyers in another Eastern Division battle. Kickoff for the contest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Charlotte Coliseum.
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