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Command Falls as Dalls Makes Heroic Comeback in Second Half

May 2, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Kansas City Command News Release


The Kansas City Command fell to the Dallas Vigilantes for the second time this season, losing again by a single-digit margin 72-63. The loss dropped Kansas City to a 2-5 record as the Command failed to turn a halftime lead into a victory for the first time this season. Kansas City led at the break 37-28 but Dallas scored a touchdown on all six of their offensive possessions in the second half.

"We can't come out here and expect our offense to score 70 points to win the game," Command coach Danton Barto said after the game. "If you score 63 points you're supposed to win Arena Football League games."

The Command raced to a big lead early in the game and looked to be on their way to avenging a season-opening 53-46 loss to the Vigilantes. Kansas City took the ball first and needed just three plays to score as quarterback JJ Raterink hit receiver Aaron Hosack for a six-yard touchdown.

Dallas tied the game in one offensive snap when quarterback Dan Raudabaugh found DeAndrew Rubin running free for a 45-yard touchdown. Rubin would finish with 146 receiving yards on seven catches.

Then Kansas City scored 22 straight points. Brett Smith caught an 18-yard touchdown to cap a 2-play drive, the first of three TD receptions for him on the night. A missed extra point gave the Command a 13-7 lead. The ensuing kickoff bounced hard off the iron and Dallas returner Jerrian James could not corral it. Erick Harris, in his first game back after a stint on injured reserve, recovered the football for a 20-7 lead.

The Command then got another break when Raudabaugh fumbled trying to throw out of his own end zone. It was recovered by Dallas but in the end zone for a safety. KC then needed just five plays to go 45 yards, capped by a Steven Savoy 5-yard touchdown reception.

With 5:26 remaining in the first quarter the Command led 29-7 but Dallas would answer with 21 straight points of their own. Rubin caught his second touchdown pass to make it 29-14 and then the Dallas defense came up with a stop. The Command failed to get a first down on a 4th and 1 play when fullback Victor Mann was stopped for no gain at KC's own 14.

Dallas needed just two plays to cover the 14 yards after taking over on downs as Matt Fields hauled in his first touchdown of the day from 11 yards out. Fields would finish with a monster night, 14 receptions for 149 yards and three touchdowns. Kansas City then went three and out, settling for a 63-yard field goal that was returned to the Dallas 14. The Vigilantes took eight plays to cover 36 yards and fullback Derrick Ross ran it in from six yards for his 14th rushing touchdown of the year to cut the Kansas City lead to 29-28.

The Command would get the offensive problems corrected going into halftime. After two straight fruitless drives, KC embarked on a methodical eight-play drive that ate over five minutes off the clock, capped by Bret Smith's touchdown catch from two yards out.

Dallas trailed 35-28 when they took over with :42 seconds remaining in the half with a chance to tie the game, but linebacker Tyus Jackson sacked Raudabaugh for his second safety of the game. After the teams traded missed field goals in the waning moments of the half, KC hit the locker room with a 37-28 lead.

Dallas got the ball to start the second half and marched 37 yards in six plays with Ross punching in his second touchdown from the one and the Vigilantes were within two points. But Kansas City responded as Raterink hit Hosack for a 35-yard touchdown on the first play of the ensuing drive.

However, Dallas would score the next 14 points to take their first lead of the game. Raudabaugh touchdowns of 38 yards to Rubin and 35 yards to Tiger Jones were sandwiched around the only Kansas City turnover of the night, a Raterink interception by Chris Brown at the Dallas 2-yard-line.

Christian Wise gave the lead back to KC with a nifty 37-yard catch and run for a score. The pass was caught just short of midfield but Wise made the first defender miss and outran the rest of the Dallas defense to the end zone. The Command went for two with a fake PAT that failed so Kansas City's lead was just one, 50-49, at the end of the third quarter.

The teams traded touchdowns to start the fourth but Kansas City kicker Brian Umstead missed his third extra point of the night so the score was tied at 56. A Derrick Ross 14-yard touchdown run for Dallas put the Vigilantes back in front 63-56 with 3:29 to play.

The Command took over deep in their own territory but marched 42 yards in three plays, capped by Hosack's third touchdown reception of the night from 31 yards out. KC had the game tied for the third time at 63 with just :42 seconds remaining.

The Command elected not to try the onside kick and Dallas went 45 yards in five plays, using just :28 seconds to score. Tiger Jones gave the Vigilantes a 70-63 with :14 to play when he pulled in his second touchdown reception of the night.

After the kickoff, KC took over at their own 10-yard-line with just :12 seconds left needing a touchdown. But the Command were sacked, flagged for intentional grounding, and then fumbled a lateral that was intended to be the first half of a double pass but was recovered for a safety on the last play of the game to set the final 72-63 margin.

Dallas improved to 5-2, completing a regular-season sweep of Kansas City and grabbing a half-game lead in the National Conference Central Division over Chicago with the Rush scheduled to host New Orleans Saturday night.

"It's embarrassing to give up a 22-point lead," Barto said. "I told our players we've got to get better on the defensive side of the ball.

"There were some positives tonight. We had several guys step up and make plays, but we had too many guys not making plays we need them to make."

Aaron Hosack was one of the positives as he caught eight passes for a season-high 167 yards and three touchdowns.

"Aaron played a good game. He looked like a young kid out there," Barto said of his veteran receiver.

"I thought the receivers played well and JJ (Raterink) played well," Hosack said after the game. "We just couldn't put it together in all phases."

Raterink put up solid numbers, finishing 20-32 for 343 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.

Christian Wise played receiver much of the second half and had five catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. He stepped in to replace Steven Savoy who suffered an injury in the first half.

"Savoy did something to his knee, I'm not exactly sure what," Barto said. "He tried to come out in the second half but just couldn't run."

The Command now have a full week to prepare for their next game, a 7pm kickoff back inside Sprint Center on Saturday, May 7 against the New Orleans VooDoo.

"This one's going to hurt for a little while, but we have to regroup and get ready for next week," Barto said. "When something like this happens, you've got to focus on the little things."

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