Gunslingers Fall Short to Cobras in Season Finale
July 27, 2023 - National Arena League (NAL) News Release
SAN ANTONIO, TX - The Carolina Cobras scored their second straight win over the San Antonio Gunslingers 63-45 and improved to a record of nine wins and four losses. The win moves the Cobras into second place in the 2023 National Arena League (NAL) Championship Playoffs on August 5th and drops San Antonio to third place with three straight losses. The Gunslingers end their regular season with a record of eight wins and four losses, reversing their 2022 record of four wins and eight losses.
The Cobras scored on eight of their ten possessions, including their final possession where they ran out the clock to end the game. Carolina's quarterback Malik Henry completed 17 of his 27 passes for a solid 71% completion rate and finished with four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Henry threw three touchdowns to Lance Evans and a shovel pass to Zach Brown for the fourth touchdown. Brown led all rushers with five carries for 30 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Henry and Adam Smith both scored a rushing touchdown. Kicker TC Stevens equaled a league record by kicking four deuces in a game as well as converting seven of eight extra points.
San Antonio was flawless in the first half, scoring on all five of their possessions. But for the second week in a row, the Gunslingers failed to score on their opening possession in the second half and went on to score only one touchdown in four second half possessions. In his first start of the year Robert Kent was hot in the first half, completing twelve of fourteen passes. But he completed only six of eighteen passes in the second half to finish with eighteen completions on 32 attempts, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Kali Rashaad led all receivers with eleven receptions and a touchdown, and Pierre Turner caught a pass while running backwards for the second passing touchdown. Turner also scored two of San Antonio's four rushing touchdowns, joined by Calvin Fance and Brian Robinson with one touchdown apiece. Kicker Drew Pearson kicked two deuces and successfully kicked five out of six conversions.
San Antonio enters their final bye week and awaits the outcome of the Jacksonville Sharks Carolina Cobras game in Greensboro on July 29th. A win by Jacksonville would restore San Antonio to second place over Carolina and give the Gunslingers the honor of hosting the playoff game in the Freeman Coliseum on August 5th.nalarenaleague.
National Arena League Stories from July 27, 2023
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