Harris Final Minute Touchdown Lifts Lions Over Raiders
March 29, 2015 - Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Columbus Lions News Release
Columbus Lions vs. Richmond Raiders
(Columbus Lions)
COLUMBUS, GA (March 29, 2015) - Propelled by John Harris' last minute touchdown grab, the Columbus Lions (1-0) of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) completed a 13-point fourth quarter comeback to defeat the Richmond Raiders (0-2) 52-50.
Being the first game, the Lions offense experienced some early game woes and miscues managing to score just 23 points in addition surrendering a safety to the Raiders late in the second quarter. Damian "The Nighthawk" Daniels kept the score within reach extending his career interception total to 105 when he picked off Richmond QB Jonathan Bane late in the first half.
Behind three Bane TD passes, the Raiders headed into the break with a 29-23 lead and immediately stretched their lead to thirteen after WR Gerron Bryant hauled in his second TD pass of the night this one from nine- yards out. In his first indoor start, Bane finished Sunday's contest completing 25 of 41 passes for 309 yards and 7 TD's.
The 3rd quarter witnessed the teams trade blows with the Lions still scratching and clawing at a 13-point deficit. Overcoming the early first half offensive woes, QB Antwon Young kept the Lions offense within striking distance not turning the ball over once. He ended the game against his former team completing 50% of his passes for 305 yards connecting on six touchdowns.
Richmond immediately answered back when WR Ronald Davis scored on a 14-yard catch and run once again putting them up 13. With 10:41 remaining and up 50-37, the Raiders needed of one stop to perhaps put the nail on the coffin. Except on the ensuing drive Young, backed by a couple of Richmond penalties including a key 4th down pass interference on DB Tyrell Austin, ignited the home crowd when he scrambled for an eight- yard TD run dropping the score back down to six.
Kicker Lindsey Wolfe, also making his Lions debut, made up for an early extra point miscue when he nailed the first of two Uno's helping drop the Columbus deficit to just five. With the offense on the field for the first time in over eight minutes, Richmond struggled to extend their lead going four and out with the drive ending on a T.C. Stevens missed field.
Subsequently, needing only one play John Harris capitalized when he eluded a Raider defender en route to the end-zone for the game-winning 40-yard TD pass and the 52-50 Lions victory. With :15 remaining, Richmond offered one last chance at the win but failed to delivery when Stevens missed his second straight field goal this time from 45-yards out.
For the Raiders, Sunday's loss continues their road woes in Columbus extending their winless streak to four. It also marks the second consecutive season they will start out the year 0-2. Next week they return home to host the Alabama Hammers (1-0) who defeated the Venom in their season-opener on Friday.
With their sixth straight home-opener win, Columbus will look to carry the momentum of Sunday's win into Trenton where they will face off against the Freedom (1-0) who sat idle this week after also beating the Raiders back in Week 1.
Columbus will return home on Saturday April 18th when they host the defending PIFL champion Nashville Venom (0-1) for "Lupus Awareness Night." For ticket information, contact the Lions front office at 706-322- 3336 and be sure to follow the club on both Facebook and Twitter.
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Professional Indoor Football League Stories from March 29, 2015
- Raiders Drop Close One to Lions - Richmond Raiders
- Harris Final Minute Touchdown Lifts Lions Over Raiders - Columbus Lions
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