Kalamazoo Beats Rock River, Will Host CIFL Championship Game
by Randy Snow
June 22, 2008 - Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
Kalamazoo Xplosion
Even though the Kalamazoo Xplosion had won 14 consecutive home games at Wings Stadium, things appeared to be going against the team Saturday night (June 21) when they hosted the Rock River Raptors in the Great Lakes Conference Championship Game.
Xplosion head coach Mike Sparks' mother, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer, passed away earlier in the day. He was not there when the game began. Neither were defensive back David Gater or linebacker T.J. Tyus. Xplosion wide receiver/running back Kelly Baraka was also not in uniform due to an injury. But in the end, Kalamazoo managed to come out on top 56-42 and will host the Continental Indoor Football League Championship Game next week.
Kalamazoo led 13-7 at the end of the first quarter, but trailed Rock River for most of the first half. Coach Sparks arrived with about 12 minutes to go in the second period. With 7:47 left in the quarter, Gater ran onto the field from the locker room and not long after that, Tyus entered the stadium. Each late arrival received a huge ovation from the home fans.
With under a minute to play in the first half, Kalamazoo trailed 28-16 after Raptors quarterback Steven LaFalce ran the ball for in a touchdown from three yards out with 40.8 seconds left on the clock. Kalamazoo answered with a one-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Randy Hutchison to wide receiver Eric Gardner with 14.6 seconds left in the half. A two-point conversion attempt was no good so Kalamazoo trailed 28-22 at that point.
Rock River got the ball back and instead of running out the clock and going into halftime with a six-point lead, the Raptors went for a trick play. LaFalce threw a lateral to wide receiver Brandon Wogomon, who is also the team's backup quarterback. Wogomon threw a long pass downfield, but David Gater stepped in front of the intended receiver at the 16-yard line, intercepted the pass and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown as time expired. The extra point was good and made the score 29-28 in favor of Kalamazoo at halftime.
"We saw (Wogomon) practicing that pass while warming up before the game. We were just waiting for them to pull it out. They just had bad timing on when they ran it," said Gater.
In the third quarter, Rock River regained the lead 35-29 when Wogomon connected with wide receiver Luke McArdle for a seven-yard touchdown pass. From that point on, however, it was all Kalamazoo. The Xplosion scored 27 unanswered points and intercepted the Raptors three times, two by Gater and one by defensive back Richard Newsome. Kalamazoo wide receiver Dan Musielewicz caught two touchdown passes of 12 and 14 yards respectively. Running back Little John Flowers had a 17-yard touchdown run and wide receiver Eric Gardner caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. On the touchdown, Gardner had his helmet ripped off while being tackled in the end zone, but somehow he managed to hang on to the ball.
Immediately after the game, CIFL co-owner Jeff Spitaleri presented the Great Lakes Conference trophy to Coach Sparks and the entire Xplosion team in a brief ceremony at mid-field. Kalamazoo has now tied the League record with 15 consecutive home wins.
Coach Sparks spoke after the game about the interception just before halftime by David Gater. "It was clearly the shot in the arm that we needed," Sparks said. "Early on, I think there was a little bit of self-doubt (on the part of the Xplosion players). I love these guys. They were feeling for me. They knew what was going on and they rallied. We got to where we wanted to be, but that's not the goal. The goal is to win (a championship). We'll work (this week) to prepare for whoever comes out of the Atlantic Conference and we'll be ready to go this Sunday."
For Rock River, quarterback Steven LaFalce completed 16 of 27 passes for 175 yards, three touchdowns and was intercepted three times. He also ran six times for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receivers Luke McArdle caught seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns while Brandon Tobias caught six passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns.
For Kalamazoo, quarterback Randy Hutchison completed 18 of 27 passes for 182 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. Wide receivers Dan Musielewicz had seven receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns, Brian Dolph had six receptions for 71 yards and one touchdown and Eric Gardner had three receptions for 25 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Little John Flowers ran the ball nine times for 79 yards and one touchdown. Kicker Brad Selent also added a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter.
On defense, Kalamazoo defensive back David Gater had three interceptions and a touchdown after arriving midway through the second quarter. "I told (coach Sparks) I'm only playing three quarters next week," joked Gater after the game. Defensive back Richard Newsome also recorded an interception for Kalamazoo in the fourth quarter.
NEXT GAME
The Kalamazoo Xplosion (13-1) will host the CIFL Championship Game on Sunday, June 29 at Wings Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 PM. They will take on the winner of the Atlantic Conference Championship Game between the Saginaw Sting and the Lehigh Valley Outlawz, which will be played on Monday Night (June 23).
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Randy Snow is a freelance football writer from Kalamazoo, Michigan and is the organizer of Operation Gridiron Airlift, which is collecting footballs that will be sent to our troops serving overseas. Since 2003, he has covered the Arena Football League, arenafootball2, United Indoor Football, the Continental Indoor Football League, the All American Football League and the Canadian Football League. Randy has been a member of the Arena Football League Writer's Association since 2005 and can be reached at randysnow22@yahoo.com.
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Continental Indoor Football League Stories from June 22, 2008
- Kalamazoo Beats Rock River, Will Host CIFL Championship Game - OSC Original by Randy Snow
- Xplosion Advances to CIFL Championship Game - Kalamazoo Xplosion
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