Haymakers Start Season With Road Victory Over Outlaws
March 18, 2013 - Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL)
Lincoln Haymakers News Release
Lincoln, NE - The Lincoln Haymakers kicked off their inaugural season tonight on the road against the Mid-Missouri Outlaws in a game filled with all the drama you'd expect on opening night. After trailing early, the Haymakers scored the first touchdown in franchise history with a 23 yard pass from QB A.J. Toscano to WR Nick Rhodes to tie the game at 7 all with 6:48 left in the first quarter. The Haymakers would give up another touchdown to finish the first quarter down by 7.
A slow start to the 2nd quarter was filled with turnovers and missed opportunities as the Haymakers fell to 20-7 before Toscano rallied the troops and hit WR Marques Parker for a 12 yard score and then Kaylon Price powered his way into the end zone with a 4 yard run. Kicker Mike Ziola put the final touches on the drive to give Lincoln the lead 21-20 at the half. In the third quarter each team exchanged field goals with the real excitement starting up in the fourth. With just 2 minutes off the clock Toscano found Rhodes again in the end zone to take a 31-23 over the Outlaws. Cortney Grixby finished off the night with 2 interceptions to keep the Outlaws in check majority of the night.
The final drive of the game the Outlaws took the ball down to the Haymakers 4 where the Defense tightened up and nearly closed the game out before giving up a short TD with just 14 seconds left on the game clock. That score would tie the game at 31 all. Grixby received the ensuing kickoff taking the ball all the way to the Outlaws 10 yard line as time expired.
Overtime started with the Haymakers on the offensive attack and ended with Toscano finding Marlon Lucky in the back of the end zone laying out for the final score. Lucky was shaken up after the play hitting the wall completely extended but still managing to pull in the grab for what would be the winning score. The Haymakers Defense held strong with DL Ryan Hoden batting down the 4th down attempt giving the Haymakers their first ever win in franchise history 38-31.
The Haymakers go into the bye week preparing for the home opener on Friday March 29th against the Sioux City Bandits. The organization is looking forward to bringing the hard hitting excitement to downtown Lincoln in two weeks.
Champions Professional Indoor Football League Stories from March 18, 2013
- Haymakers Start Season With Road Victory Over Outlaws - Lincoln Haymakers
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