Fire Suffers Loss to Peoria

Published on June 19, 2004 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Louisville Fire News Release


It took a little extra time in Freedom Hall in front of 7,407 fans, but the Louisville Fire suffered there second defeat in as many weeks to the Peoria Pirates, 51-50, in overtime.

With 6:15 to go in the first quarter the Peoria Pirates light up the score board with a touchdown and an extra point, but Louisville's Dennis Fryzel was listening and answered the touchdown with one of his own with 1:16 to go allowing the Fire to tie the game with Marc Samuel kick, 7-7.

Going into the tied second quarter, Louisville's Demont Smith would intercept the a Talmedge Hill pass, allowing Louisville's Demetrius Forney score the Fire's first touchdown to add six to the board with 10:06 to go, Samuels kick after the attempt was good, making the Fire lead 14-7. Demont Smith would continue to have good hands breaking up two passes making the Pirates having to attempt a field goal kick. The point after was no good by Henrek Juul-Nielsen, giving the Fire the ball and the chance to score, however the Fire would return the ball to the Pirate's before having the chance to score. Louisville's Andrew Tippins sacked the QB making Peoria

Demont Smith helped block a pass allowing Cesare Manning to intercept the pass by the Pirates QB Talmadge Hill, to start the third quarter. Fire would use the interception as a means to score. Allowing once again Forney to take it to the end zone, giving Samuels the kick making the score 21-10 with 9:13 to go. Peoria's Jerald Burley would answer Forney right back rushing for another a touchdown, kick was good making the score Fire 21 Pirates 17. However the Louisville Fire wasn't backing down. Sauk would find Takuya Furutani for another touchdown; the kick was good increase the Fire's lead 28-17 to close out the third.

Peoria's Casey Urlacher started the fourth quarter with a touchdown but Henrek Juul-Nielsen was unable to make the kick, making the Fire still lead 28-23. Dennis Fryzel would answer back with yet another rushing touchdown, plus Samuels kick would heat the score board up 35-23. Peoria wouldn't stop with 7:33 to go Brandon Campbell would make a touchdown allowing Peoria to go for the conversion that would be no good, making the score Fire 35 Peoria 29. Peoria would score again with 3:42 to go, kick was good, giving them the lead 36-35, but the Fire was still hot. Sauk's passed to Fryzel to keep the scoring alive, 41-36 after the Fire went for the 2 point conversion that was no good. Peoria would answer back with a touch down and conversion the make the score 44-41, but Louisville refused to let the game end on that note. Samuels kicked 39 yards allowing the Fire to tie the game 44-44, causing the Fire to go into overtime for the first time this season.

Peoria would be the first to make a touch down in extra point, plus the extra point to allow them to lead 51-44. Louisville's Forney would answer back with a touchdown, making the score Peoria 51 Fire 50. The Fire would go for the two point conversion for the win, but Matt Sauk's pass attempt to Forney fell incomplete allowing the Pirates to beat the first place team in the division allowing them to go on a two game winning streak causing Louisville to now be tied for the Midwest Division lead with Quad City.



arenafootball2 Stories from June 19, 2004


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