Fire wins thriller behind kicker

April 15, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Louisville Fire News Release


Louisville, KY – The Louisville Fire Arena Football team has become used to playing close games in the friendly confines of Freedom Hall. The Fire (2-0) added another last second victory to their home field after Danny Kight kicked a game winning 42-yard field goal to defeat the South Georgia Wildcats (0-2) 48-46 before 7,079 fans.

The started off at a scorching pace with South Georgia's Chris McKinney catching the first touchdown pass of the game to put Wildcats up 7 – 0. The Fire responded with 8:43 left in the first quarter as Matthew Sauk hit James Scott on a 10-yard strike to tie the game. After stopping South Georgia the Fire got the ball back and Matthew Sauk again found James Scott for and 11-yard touchdown pass to put the Fire 13-7.

The second quarter started off with Chris McKinney finding the end zone for the second time to tie the score 13-13. Tony Stallings, US Army Ironman of the Game, then electrified the crowd with a 56-yard kick-off return to put the Fire 20-14. South Georgia would respond with two straight scores, to go ahead 26-20. Demetrius Forney found the end zone from two yards out to put the Fire up 27 – 26. South Georgia's Cockfield would score his second touchdown of the quarter to give South Georgia a 32-27 lead. Danny Kight would give fans a sneak preview of the final play of the game with a 27-yard field goal as time expired to pull the Fire within two, 32 – 30 at half-time.

The second half was a different story as both offenses stalled and the defenses stepped it up. James Scott would score the only points of the quarter on a safety to tie the game 32 – 32. Things would stay tied up until early in the fourth when Tony Stallings again finding pay dirt from 2 yards out to the put the Fire up 39 – 32. After Matthew Sauk hooked up with Dennis Fryzel on a one yard pass 45 – 32.

South Georgia would respond with 4:47 to go as Bobby Pesavento hit LaRico Cole to pull the Wildcats within seven, 45 – 38. After a failed Danny Kight 31-yard field goal with 53 second on the clock South Georgia come back and score an Adrian Cockfield touchdown to put the Wildcats within one. South Georgia successfully completed a two point conversion attempt with seven seconds left to take a 46 – 45 lead. Tony Stallings would then set-up the game winning field goal attempt with a 29-yard kick return to the Fire 24. Kight would come on once again to attempt a the game winning field goal with three seconds left from 42 yards out. Kight's kick found the inside right corner of the uprights to give the Fire a 48 – 45 victory and their second straight 2 – 0 start.



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