Gunslingers Continue Streak with Win against Fayetteville Mustangs
May 9, 2023 - National Arena League (NAL)
San Antonio Gunslingers News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, NC - The San Antonio Gunslingers defeated the Fayetteville Mustangs in Fayetteville this Sunday 40-27 to remain undefeated in the 2023 National Arena League season.
San Antonio and Fayetteville traded touchdowns on their first possessions before Rakeem Cato of Fayetteville was intercepted by Kyle Chandler. This was the first of five turnovers committed by the Mustangs. Four plays later, San Antonio's Arvell Nelson carried the ball into the end zone to give the Gunslingers their first lead of the game. The Mustangs never regained that lead despite tying the game up twice, with their last tie coming at the end of the third quarter on a touchdown reception by Shavarez Smith to make the score 27-27. San Antonio broke away at the start of the fourth quarter when Nelson threw his fourth and final passing touchdown of the game to Kali Rashaad. Fayetteville turned the ball over on their next two possessions and allowed the Gunslingers to score two more touchdowns before the end of the game.
Fayetteville was held to their lowest scoring output of the season, below the 50 points scored in their win over West Texas in the previous week. Cato had twenty completions on twenty-seven passes with two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a fumble. Daniel Bender and Shavarez Smith each collected a touchdown pass. The Mustang's other two scores came on a rushing touchdown by Tre'vanta Long in the first quarter and kickoff return by Kendrick Ings in the second quarter. Kicker Erik Amaya finished one for three on extra point conversions but made a deuce in the third quarter. The sole two point conversion attempt by Fayetteville featured two fumbles and a desperate pass to the end zone that was caught for an apparent conversion which was overturned after an official's review.
For San Antonio, Nelson completed fifteen of twenty-five passes for four touchdowns and rushed for two touchdowns. Four different Gunslingers pulled in a touchdown in four different quarters. Phillip Barnett caught his in the first quarter, Kadir Chisolm in the second, Brian Robinson in the third, and Kali Rashaad in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Chisolm also made the second Gunslinger interception of the afternoon and Calvin Fance recorded his first sack in a San Antonio uniform.
San Antonio has their second bye week before facing the 1-3 West Texas Warbirds Saturday May 20th in Odessa. The Fayetteville Mustangs also have a bye next week before hosting the Carolina Cobras.
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