Horsemen improve playoff standing with 58-32 pounding of Evansville

June 22, 2004 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Kentucky Horsemen News Release


The Lexington Horsemen (8-4) continued their march to the playoffs on Saturday with a 58-32 road victory over the Evansville BlueCats. On an evening that was marred by a pre-game brawl between the two teams, Lexington grabbed control of the game from the opening kickoff. The Horsemen took only 46 seconds to score after the opening kick, on a 6-yard pass from Dusty Bonner to Harry Lewis. From there, Lexington's defense put on an outstanding show, holding the BlueCats to only two first-half field goals as the Horsemen took a commanding 27-6 lead into halftime. Evansville would get no closer than 15 points the rest of the way, as the Horsemen rolled to their eighth win of the season.

The Horsemen offense continues to put up impressive numbers, and was led by QB Dusty Bonner, who completed 13 of 19 passes for 191 yards and six touchdowns. He also threw one interception on the day. WR Chad Spencer again found the end zone multiple times for Lexington, catching two touchdown passes among his three catches for 81 yards. WR Dougie Allen added four catches for 42 yards and a 50-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and WR Harry Lewis caught three passes for 43 yards and two touchdowns. RB Derek Homer led Horsemen rushers with 10 carries for 22 yards and a score.

Defensively, the Horsemen held the BlueCats to 32 points, almost 12 points below their season average. DL Sylvester Peoples had a huge day, with 7.0 total tackles, including 3 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. LB Shan Housekeeper led all players in tackles with 7.5, and DB William Mulder added 7.0 tackles, two interceptions, and 3 passes defended. DBs Tayo Agboke and Nate Green each added an interception as well, and DL Jermaine Bradfield notched a 10-yard sack.

K Justin Hutton continued to rack up points, hitting on seven of his eight PATs during the game, and nailing a 34-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter.

HORSEMEN PLAYOFF PICTURE

The Horsemen's win, coupled with Tupelo's 61-40 loss to Fort Wayne this weekend, puts Lexington in an excellent position to host at least one playoff game in the postseason. The current standings:

Houma 10-2 (clinched playoff berth)
Ohio Valley 10-3 (clinched playoff berth)
Show Me 9-4
Lexington 8-4
Tupelo 7-5
Beaumont 7-6
Fort Wayne 7-6

The top six teams in the conference will get in the playoffs, which means that if Lexington wins its final two games, they will be seeded no worse than third (Lexington would win a tie-breaker with Show Me, by virtue of having a better conference record). For full playoff information, go to http://www.nationalindoorfootballleague.net/playoff_standings.htm.

HORSEMEN STATISTICAL LEADERS

Several Horsemen are among the league's statistical leaders this season. Dusty Bonner leads the NIFL in passing touchdowns, with 59, and is currently second in the league in pass rating with a 107.8 figure. He is also third in total offense (2,244 yards) and fifth in passing yards per game (181.8). WR Dougie Allen continues to pile up the all-purpose yards, and is currently third in the NIFL with 1,865 total all-purpose yards on the year. Allen is also ninth in kick return average at 21.3 yards per return. RB Martez Johnson is currently seventh in the league in rushing yards, with 523 on the year, and is fifth in kick return average, at 22.8 per return. WR Chad Spencer's 22 TD catches is tied for fourth in the league.

K Justin Hutton is currently eighth in scoring among kickers with 92 points on the season, and is second overall in PAT kicking, having made 71 of 79 attempts for an 89.9 percentage on the season.

Defensively, DB Nate Green is currently third in the NIFL in interceptions, having returned seven picks for 69 yards and a touchdown. DL Sylvester Peoples is fourth in sacks, with 9.0 on the season, and is seventh in tackles for loss, with 13.5.

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: WACO MARSHALS

The Waco Marshals replace the disbanded Greenville franchise on the Horsemen schedule this week for Saturday's game in Rupp Arena. The Marshals (2-7) are currently leading the league in total defense, allowing a mere 156.7 yards per game. They are also second in pass defense (106.1 ypg) and fourth in rushing defense (50.6 ypg).

OTHER NEWS AND NOTES Horsemen activate Caudill; Waco game is Fan Appreciation Night; July 2 Red White and Blue Bowl to be played in Rupp

The Horsemen have activated defensive lineman Jeremy Caudill today from their playoff roster. The former standout from the University of Kentucky will be available to play in this Saturday's game against Waco. The Horsemen included Caudill on their 30-man (25 players plus five injured reserve) roster, which was submitted to the NIFL on June 10. Caudill, who played at Kentucky from 2000 to 2003, stands 6'3" and weighs 295 pounds. As a senior in 2003, he was an anchor of UK's defense, leading the team in sacks with 4.5 on the year. Caudill also finished second on the team in tackles for loss (9.5), and seventh in tackles (55). The native of Martin, KY played for Prestonsburg High School, where he was named a Parade Magazine All-American as a senior.

This Saturday's game will be Fan Appreciation Night in Rupp Arena, as the Horsemen honor their fans with lots of giveaways and contests during the game.

The Horsemen's final regular-season game against the Staten Island Xtreme will now be played on July 2 in Rupp Arena. The Horsemen have dubbed the special game the Red White & Blue Bowl, and will hold a press conference on the Horsemen field in Rupp Arena to announce the details of the game. The press conference will be held on Friday, June 18 at 1:30 PM, and will feature Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty and Lexington Fire Chief Robert Hendricks.

The Horsemen game against Waco will be broadcast live at 7:30 PM EST on WLAP 630-AM. Ryan Lemond and Jeff Gilstrap will have the call.



National Indoor Football League Stories from June 22, 2004


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