Fire Unravel, Lose In Blowout To Venom
June 7, 2014 - Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Georgia Fire News Release
ROME, GA (June 7, 2014) - Fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Georgia Fire (3-6) of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) lost in blowout fashion 73-39 to the Nashville Venom (7-2) dropping their fourth straight putting them on the brink of playoff extinction. Hoping to rekindle the spark they created by previously beating the Nashville twice earlier this season, the Fire appeared to be ready to go blow for blow with the first-place Venom keeping them within reach of seven for much of the opening quarter.
Nashville scored nine consecutive touchdowns and the blowout would commence early in the 2nd when the Venom rolled out fifteen unanswered points doubling up Georgia 30-15 in the quarter. Hot off his Week 11 Offensive Player of the Week nod, Venom QB Charles McCullum completed 19 of 30 passes for 261 yards and seven total touchdowns. Since becoming the starter a month ago, McCullum has accounted for at least five touchdowns in all four of his starts.
With QB Cecil Lester out due to injury, Chris Mitchell picked up his second consecutive start and the offense once again did not appear to click on all cylinders especially in the 2nd half where the Fire failed to score any points on their final five drives of the game. In all, Mitchell completed 18 of 34 passes for 237 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions.
Both WR Johnny Lester and John Harris tallied multi-touchdown performances while on the opposite side WR Phillip Barnett added three more touchdowns stretching his league leading total to 21 and has now caught multiple touchdowns in 7 of his 9 contests this season. For the fourth time this season Fire defense allows 70 plus points as the defense didn't come with their first stop of the game until 14:43 mark of the 4th quarter.
Nashville's victory clinches one of the two available PIFL American Conference playoff berths and next week they will have chance to clinch the division crown in their game next week against Columbus.
Georgia will be hoping for a Columbus loss while hoping to salvage their current three-game home stand next with a win when they face the equally struggling Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (4- 5), losers of five straight.
Kickoff from The Rome Forum Civic Center will be at 7:30 PM EST and to find available ticket options contact the box office at 706-291-5281.
Professional Indoor Football League Stories from June 7, 2014
- Fire Unravel, Lose In Blowout To Venom - Georgia Fire
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