Freedom too much for Rough Riders in second half
May 23, 2005 - United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Peoria Rough Riders News Release
An errant kick gave the Rough Riders life at the start of the 3rd quarter as they battled the undefeated Freedom and closed the gap to 17 â 13; but the Freedom defense took over and the Riders lost 41 to 13.
Freedom kicker Josh Telenko kicked a ground level screamer that caromed off the foot of Rider DB Milt Bowen on the opening kickoff of the second half giving the Riders the ball at the Freedom 6. Two plays later QB Walt Church hit WR Jon Schoonover for a four yard TD and drew the Freedom closer to the Riders 17-13.
Up to that point it had been an relatively evenly played game. The Rider defense was providing some stiff resistance. The Freedom were up; but, the margin was only ten points at 17 â 7. There were however, signs of trouble. The Freedom defense had been pressuring Rider Quarterback Walt Church all night. The Riders finished the first half with 9 net passing yards. Rider running Back Thunder Collins had 30 yards in the first half but Freedom Running Back Rocky Harvey had 58 yards rushing and his longest rush was 30 yards.
When the mis-hit second half kickoff bounced off Milt Bowen the Riders appeared to have the break they needed to even the score. But the Freedom rattled off five straight scores that ate up the rest of the third quarter and put the game away. The Freedom sandwiched two sacks for safety's in between; two Bryan White TD's, a 32 yard toss to WR Luther Stroder and 18 yard pass to Rocky Harvey and a 1 yard Harvey TD run. At 11:55 of the third quarter Lewis Carter sacked Walt Church in the Rider endzone and then Rachman Crable sacked Church again for the Freedom's second safety of the night. The third quarter spurt put the score at 41-13 which is where it stayed until the horn sounded to end the game.
Thunder Collins ended the night with 32 net yards on 13 carries for a 2.5 yards per carry average. Both Rider QB:s Walter Church and Kevin Jones were harassed all night by the Freedom defense and both ended the night with a net ten yards passing between them. Jones did provide a spark scrambling twice for 28 yards in the game. Church was sacked 4 times in the game.
The Freedom's Rocky Harvey had a 103 yard rushing night with 2 TD's rushing and an additional TD via a pass reception. The Freedom's Quarterback Bryan White threw for 3 TD's and 110 yards.
The Riders defense did sack White twice on the night. Jason VanLoo, a linebacker who played the night at defensive end recorded one sack and Noah Washington, an offensive lineman filling in on the defensive line joined Linebacker Justen Rivers to record another sack. Defensive Milt Bowen back after a separated shoulder, turned in a sparkling pass deflection to avert a Freedom touchdown .
The Rough Riders at 2 and 6 travel to Evansville for an away game May 28th. They stay on the road for the final away game of the season against Ohio Valley June 4th and then begin a five game home stand covering the last seven weeks of the season.
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United Indoor Football Association Stories from May 23, 2005
- Thunder Collins goes NFL - Peoria Rough Riders
- Freedom too much for Rough Riders in second half - Peoria Rough Riders
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