Force Stuns Liberty at Inaugural Home Opener
March 6, 2016 - Champions Indoor Football (CIF)
Wichita Force News Release
WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita Force (1-0) earned its first victory of the 2016 season with a 66-44 win over the Salina Liberty (0-1) on Saturday at the Bicentennial Center.
The Force showed signs of struggle on the offensive and defensive side of the ball in the first quarter and the Liberty capitalized on the team's lack of rhythm. Liberty WR Jerell Kelley returned the kick for the first touchdown of the game followed by a one-yard run by RB Kelwin Burke Jr. to put the Liberty up 13-0 at the start of the game.
Coming into the second quarter, the Force had a fire under its belt that the Liberty could not extinguish. QB Emmanuel Taylor put the first two touchdowns on the board for the Force with separate keeps, one in each quarter. Newcomer QB Stephen Panasuk made his first appearance in the second quarter and connected with WR Ronald Davis for the pairs first touchdowns with the Force.
The Force's defense caught wind of the offensive fire as DB Chris Hemphill returned his first pick-six for the Force. At the end of the second quarter, DB Elbert Mack picked up the team's second interception of the game with .01 second left in the half. Kicker Connor Frazell finished off the half with a 14-yard field goal to make a 33-22 lead heading into the locker room.
Wichita continued its offensive momentum into the second half. On the first series of the half, Taylor fumbled the snap but managed to regain possession on a bounce to find WR Clarence Anderson deep down field for a touchdown. RB Quentin Benning scored his first touchdown on his former home turf. Panasuk found Davis for a second time to score a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Taylor capped the team's offensive scoring drive with his third rushing touchdown of the game.
On defense, the Force finished with five picks for the night including two resulting in touchdowns from Hemphill and DB Elbert Mack. The team's defense managed to hold the Liberty to 33 unanswered points in the before Liberty QB Joe Kassanavoid was able to hit WR Zach McClain for a touchdown late in the third.
"We got the win," Force head coach Paco Martinez commented. "I love our effort and execution when we are focused but we wasted almost two quarters tonight because we lacked discipline. It's game one so I expected a little of that. To reach our goal this year, we have to play more consistent. We will get better and be ready for our home opener against a tough team."
The Force will face the Duke City Gladiators on Saturday, March 12 at INTRUST Bank Arena for the team's 2016 season home opener sponsored by Bill Mull Allstate Agency and Power 93.5. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 755-SEAT or visiting the Select-A-Seat box office at INTRUST Bank Arena.
Champions Indoor Football Stories from March 6, 2016
- Force Stuns Liberty at Inaugural Home Opener - Wichita Force
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