Firebirds Cap-Off Comeback With a Safety
May 16, 2009 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release
ALBANY, NY - The Firebirds battled back from a 38-14 halftime deficit to stun the Manchester Wolves 53-51 Saturday afternoon at the Times Union Center.
Albany's defense gave their team its first lead of the game on a safety with 4:02 to play and Manchester missed a last-second 37-yard field goal attempt too seal the two-point victory for the Firebirds.
After a sloppy first half that set Albany back four possessions, the Firebirds came out of the locker room with new life in the third quarter and out-scored the visitors 21-7. Down by one-possession for the first time since the opening minutes of play, Albany went for an onsides-kick, but failed to recover the ball; with the Wolves on the doorstep, the Firebirds defense kept the team in it with a huge fumble recovery from linebacker Alvin Ray Jackson. Three plays later Albany quarterback Stephen Wasil launched a 43-yard touchdown to Jackson to knot the game at 44. Manchester re-claimed the lead on Steve Savoy's fifth touchdown reception of the night, but Jackson quickly answered with his team-high third grab in the endzone.
In the first half a pair of red-zone second-quarter turnovers proved costly for Albany, who trailed the Wolves 38-14 after thirty minutes. Manchester scored on two of their first three offensive plays with passing strikes to Jason Messing and Steven Savoy. af2 Iron Man of the week Christian Wise put Albany on the board with his first receiving touchdown of the game, but Savoy's second touchdown made it 19-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The Firebirds were on the doorstep early in the second quarter, but quarterback Stephen Wasil tossed just his second interception of the year to put an end to the threat. Manchester's Paul Jefferson added a ground-score on the ensuing drive, but Wise caught his second of the game to cut Albany's deficit to 26-14. Later in the quarter fullback Derek Adams Jr. fumbled the ball just outside of the endzone to set up Savoy's third touchdown of the night; Manchester added a field goal and a safety before the first half ended.
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