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Early scores doom Lightning

April 20, 2008 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Stockton Lightning News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Lightning (1-3) surrendered 28 consecutive points in the first and second quarter, falling to the Central Valley Coyotes in a 62-27 defeat before a crowd of 3,802 at Stockton Arena on Saturday in week 4 of arenafootball2 play.

Central Valley quarterback and former California Golden Bear Joe Ayoob led the offense with seven touchdown passes, parlayed with 192 passing yards and a 14-for-18 passing rate. Lightning backup QB Joe Micco, replacing Chad Elliott due to illness (flu), managed four touchdown passes along with 231 passing yards in his first professional start.

Central Vallley quarterback Joe Ayoob and receiver Jomo Wilson connected for a 25-yard touchdown reception and Damian Walker followed with a two-yard dash to give the Coyotes a 14-0 lead out of the gate with 8:51 left in the first quarter.

The Lightning fell into a 28-0 hole before finally getting on the scoreboard into the middle of the second quarter, when backup quarterback Joe Micco unleashed 44-yard bomb to Thyron Lewis on a slant pattern, and the Lightning cut the deficit to 28-7 with 8:06 left.

Micco connected on a 42-yard bomb to Nichiren Flowers with 5:37 left in the second quarter to expand Central Valley's lead to 35-7 and Flowers followed with a one-yard sprint to complete a 28-point second quarter, as the Coyotes took a 42-7 lead into halftime.

The Lightning threatened early in the third quarter but a Wes Borba interception at the right sidewall was returned 37 yards to hike the Central Valley lead to 49-7 with 11:30 left in the third quarter. Following an 11-yard touchdown reception by Flowers, the sixth touchdown toss by Ayoob, the Lightning came back with a three-yard lob over the middle from Micco to WR Donva Louder, cutting Central Valley's edge to 55-14.

After Flowers' fourth touchdown reception in the game with 8:48 left in the contest, the Lightning outscored Central Valley 14-7 in the fourth quarter with a 34-yard bomb by Micco to WR Thyron Lewis with 7:41 remaining, and followed with the game's final score when Micco found WR Hannibal Thomas with a five-yard lob to cut the Coyotes advantage to 62-27 with 4:21 remaining.

The Lightning, who fell for the sixth time in seven lifetime meetings against Central Valley, managed 183 return yards in the contest and were led by Raymond Little's 104 yards on five returns.



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