Firebirds Can't Match Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Offense
April 25, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release
ALBANY, NY - Pioneers quarterback Ryan Vena connected on eight touchdowns to lead Wilkes-Barre/Scranton over the Albany Firebirds 70-26 Saturday night at the Times Union Center.
Albany's offense fell inches short of scoring on the opening drive of the game as kicker Brian Umstead's 50-yard field goal attempt caromed off of the cross-bar for a turnover. Two quick penalties on the Firebirds defense helped the Pioneers draw first blood with a twelve-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Vena to receiver JJ Outlaw. Next an Albany fumble gave Vena the ball just three yards outside of the endzone and the veteran signal caller doubled his team's lead with another strike to Outlaw. The Firebirds hit the board before the end of the first quarter with an Adam Bednarik QB-keeper to make it 14-7.
The Pioneers offense put up 21 straight points to open the second quarter with receiving touchdowns from Outlaw and Rich Musinski, and a rushing tally from fullback Kirby Griffin. Albany responded in the final minute of the half when Bednarik connected on a 45-yard touchdown bomb to Christian Wise that made it 35-14, but Vena answered with a 32-yard completion to Irving Campbell in the final thirteen seconds of action. Despite the deficit the Firebirds would not give-in before halftime as Bednarik made it 42-20 with a touchdown pass to Alvin Ray Jackson in the final two seconds of play.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton took a 49-20 lead to start the third quarter on another touchdown pass to Campbell. On the next drive Bednarik threw his first interception of the night to set-up Vena's seventh touchdown, his third to Campbell, for the 56-20 advantage.
The Pioneers scoring carried into the fourth quarter when Vena found Griffin all alone for his second touchdown of the night. The Firebirds finally put together a strong drive on their next possession and found themselves deep in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton territory, but Bednarik tossed his second interception of the contest to put an end to the threat. Backup quarterback Joe Deluise took over for the visitors on the next drive and threw a 41-yard endzone-to-endzone completion to Outlaw that made it 70-20. Wide receiver Anthony Rodriguez scored the Firebirds first touchdown of the second half with 4:40 to play in the fourth quarter, but the visitors ran-off the final minutes of the game to secure the 70-26 victory.
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