Firecats Outscratch Prowlers, 68-55

June 21, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Greensboro Prowlers News Release


GREENSBORO—The Greensboro Prowlers came into the night with an opportunity to move into second place in the American Atlantic Division, however the Florida Firecats had other ideas. In the end, the Firecats prevailed with a 68-55 victory over Greensboro, and leave the Prowlers (4-7) in fourth place with only divisional opponents left in the season.

A sluggish first quarter by both teams gave Florida an early 13-6 lead off touchdown grabs from 7-yard out by Magic Benton, combining with a 15-yard reception from Cainon Lamb to marking the Firecats offensive production. Greensboro, at the 8:02 mark of the first, capped a four-play drive with a 13-yard strike from Caleb Slover to Corey Sullivan.

In the second, Greensboro tied game was tied for the last time, when Tanaka Scott stormed into the end zone at 14:07 to make the score 13-13. Florida's Ken Mastrole then struck gold with a 19-yard pass to Magic Benton, followed by a 23-yard interception by Brent Burnside, and by the 10:31 mark the Firecats led 27-13. The Prowlers then answered with a Bobby Graham touchdown catch from eight yards out, and made the score 27-20. Florida would score the final two touchdowns of the quarter on a 23-yard pass from Mastrole to Anthony Dixon, and the final touchdown of the half by Mastrole on a 1-yard scamper into the endzone.

A quiet third quarter for the Firecats, moved Greensboro within two touchdowns of tying the game. In the third, Appalachian State alumni Andrew Layton made a 4-yard run into the endzone, in his first appearance in Greensboro, to cut the deficit to 48-27. Following a Cainon Lamb touchdown reception, the Prowlers Bobby Sippio made moves of his own with a 34-yard touchdown reception to make the score 48-34 at the end of three quarters.

A back-and-forth game in the final frame with Florida scoring on a 5-yard run by Schad Freeman to open the quarter kept the Prowlers caged. Greensboro's Bobby Graham made an 8-yard reception for a touchdown to make the score 54-41 at the 10:53 mark. Bobby Sippio would add a late touchdown run, and combined with an Andrew Layton 11-yard catch with 32 seconds remaining Greensboro would pull no closer than 13 points of the Firecats in the fourth.

Sippio and Graham became the second teammates in franchise history to have 100-yard receiving games in the same contest. Sippio completed the night with 9 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown receving, while Graham amassed 11 catches for 134 yards and 2 TDs. They join Jason Gibson and Antoine Calloway, who achieved the mark on June 1st of 2002 against the Norfolk Nighthawks.

Greensboro will face the Norfolk Nighthawks on Saturday, June 28th, with a 7:30 start timeat the Greensboro Coliseum.



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