Fever rallies past Bemidji, 51-50
Published on May 11, 2014 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Tri-Cities Fever News Release
BEMIDJI, Minn - The Tri-Cities Fever used a series of big plays in the fourth quarter to escape with a 51-50 win over the Bemidji Axemen on Saturday night.
With the win, the Fever improves to 4-6 on the season and has won three of its past four games.
The Fever rallied from a 43-30 deficit late in the third quarter, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Brandon Wilson with 55 seconds left in the game. The Fever elected to go for the win, and converted on a 2-point play on a rush by Steven Whitehead to take a 51-50 lead. It was the Fever's first lead since 10-7 in the first quarter.
Harold Love preserved the win on the final defensive stand, blocking a 27-yard field goal attempt by Josiah Powell with 16 seconds remaining in the game. The Fever then ran the clock out.
Quarterback Houston Lillard had another solid game, completing 19 of 38 passes for 226 yards and five touchdowns, including two in the fourth quarter.
Jackie Chambers led all Fever receivers with nine catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Whitehead added five catches for 69 yards and two scores. Harry Peoples finished with four catches for 43 yards and a score.
Donyae Coleman led all Fever defenders with 10 tackles. Boris Lee, who has missed the past few games because of a knee injury, had seven tackles.
Brandon Rankin came up big for the Fever with three sacks and three tackles-for-loss.
The game went back-and-forth for most of the first half as the Fever got to within 27-24 right before halftime on a Whitehead touchdown catch. Bemidji (5-5) extended the lead with the opening drive of the third quarter to 34-24 and led by as many as 13 points late in the third.
However, the Fever's rally started on the first play of the fourth quarter on a 14-yard touchdown catch by Harry Peoples.
Wilson blocked a field goal on the Axemen's ensuring possession, setting up a 10-yard touchdown catch by Chambers to tie the game at 43 with 11:52 left in the game.
After Bemidji scored with 10:06 left in the game to take a seven-point lead, the game stayed that way until the final minute when the Fever scored the game-winning touchdown.
The Fever plays at Texas (2-7) next Saturday night. Kickoff is 5:05 p.m.
Indoor Football League Stories from May 11, 2014
- Fever rallies past Bemidji, 51-50 - Tri-Cities Fever
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