Horsemen stumble against Believers, take on BlueCats with playoffs in sight
June 16, 2004 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Kentucky Horsemen News Release
The Lexington Horsemen (7-4) lost to the Show Me Believers (8-4) on Saturday 69-66 in a high-scoring contest that was hotly contested well into the fourth quarter. In a game that saw seven second-half lead changes, the Believers managed to stop the Horsemen offense with 8:02 remaining and score on their ensuing possession, giving them a nine-point lead with 3:22 to go that the Horsemen could not erase.
The Horsemen offense continues to put up impressive numbers, and was led by QB Dusty Bonner, who completed 24 of 33 passes for 233 yards and five touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions on the day. WR Chad Spencer again found the end zone multiple times for Lexington, catching three touchdown passes among his five catches for 43 yards. WR Harry Lewis led the Horsemen with 6 catches for 82 yards, including a spectacular 42-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, and WR Dougie Allen added six catches for 40 yards, and a 50-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. RB Martez Johnson had another solid game, carrying nine times for 42 yards, including a 17-yard scamper for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Defensively, the Horsemen were led by DBs William Mulder and Mark Walker. Mulder contributed 9.5 tackles on the night, leading all players, while Walker had 6.0 tackles and four passes defended. LB Shan Housekeeper added 7.0 tackles for Lexington and DL Jermaine Bradfield had an interception.
K Justin Hutton continued to rack up points, hitting on all nine of his PATs during the game, and nailing a 28-yard field goal at the end of the first half.
HORSEMEN PLAYOFF PICTURE
With three games remaining on the schedule, the Horsemen are currently in a group of three teams in the Atlantic Conference with four losses on the year. The conference is led by the Houma Bayou Bucks, who are 9-2 on the season, and are trailed by defending champion Ohio Valley at 9-3. Lexington is in the next group with Show Me and Tupelo, and Beaumont follows with a 7-5 record. Current playoff standings:
Houma 9-2
Ohio Valley 9-3
Show Me 8-4
Tupelo 7-4
Lexington 7-4
Beaumont 7-5
The top six teams in the conference will get in the playoffs, which means that if Lexington wins its final three games, they are assured of a playoff spot. Seeding for teams with identical records will be determined by a tie-breaker. 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 is tied for the NIFL lead in passing touchdowns, with 53, and is currently second in the league in pass rating with a 107.7 figure. He is also third in total offense (2,051 yards) and fifth in passing yards per game (181.0). WR Dougie Allen continues to pile up the all-purpose yards, and is currently third in the NIFL with 1,693 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 also seventh in kick return average, at 22.1 per return. WR Chad Spencer is currently tenth in the NIFL in receptions, with 57, and his 20 TD catches is tied for second in the league.
K Justin Hutton is currently eighth in scoring among kickers with 82 points on the season, and is third overall in PAT kicking, having made 64 of 71 attempts for an 90.1 percentage on the season.
Defensively, DB Nate Green is currently eighth in the NIFL in interceptions, having returned six picks for 55 yards and a touchdown. DL Sylvester Peoples is tied for ninth in sacks, with 6.0 for the year.
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT: EVANSVILLE BLUECATS
The Horsemen travel to Evansville, IN to face the Evansville BlueCats (4-7), who will be looking to avenge a 69-28 loss to the Horsemen on May 29. Evansville is currently sixth in the league in total offense, with 249.0 yards per game (Lexington is seventh, with 242.4). The BlueCats offense is led by RB Michael Cosey, who is fourth in the league in rushing yardage, with 599 yards on the season, and seventh in touchdowns (with 23). Evansville WR John Gordon is ninth in the NIFL in receiving yards, with 634 on the year.
Defensively, the BlueCats are led by Jeremy Lawrence and Isaiah Greer, who lead the team with 66.0 and 65.0 tackles on the season. Up front, Evansville is paced by DL Ron Cook, who is 8th in the league in sacks, with 6.5.
OTHER NEWS AND NOTES
July 2 Red White & Blue Bowl to be played in Rupp
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 Evansville will be broadcast live at 8:05 PM EST on WLAP 630-AM. Ryan Lemond and Jeff Gilstrap will have the call.
National Indoor Football League Stories from June 16, 2004
- Bluecats sign Evansville native Sean Bennett - Evansville BlueCats
- Hall Ties FireAnts All-Time Wins Record - Tupelo FireAnts
- 'Sharks Lacey Named Player of the Week - Atlantic City CardSharks
- Horsemen stumble against Believers, take on BlueCats with playoffs in sight - Kentucky Horsemen
- NIFL Announces Players of the Week - NIFL
- Diesel Take on Capitols in Regular Season Finale - Tri-City Diesel
- Beguin: staying close to his roots - Omaha Beef
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
