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Kansas City Brigade falls short in 58-42 loss at Tampa Bay

April 29, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Kansas City Brigade News Release


TAMPA BAY (April 29, 2006) - A new confidence followed the Kansas City Brigade into Tampa Saturday night, but that was not enough to earn the team its second straight road win. The Storm opened a 17-point first half lead that Kansas City could not overcome in an eventual 58-42 loss. The Brigade, now 3-11 in its inaugural season, returns to Kansas City next for the home finale against the Orlando Predators on Saturday, May 6 at 7 p.m.

Down 14-0, Kansas City had to fight to keep its first scoring drive alive as Chris Sanders converted a fourth-and-one with a sneak at midfield. A few plays later he swung the ball out to Jerel Myers, who bolted the final 10 yards and dove into the end zone. MacKenzie Hoambrecker hit the extra point to shorten the lead to one score as the opening quarter neared conclusion.

Tampa Bay pushed the lead back to two-scores on its next possession and the Brigade had to start deep in its own end after the ensuing kickoff. It took a fourth-and-goal to get into the end zone as Sanders hit Rob Johnson on a quick slant from the six yard line to bring Kansas City back to within 21-14 midway through the second quarter.

Kansas City had to open the second half strong and Aaron Boone provided an initial spark. He handled a tricky kickoff in the end zone and returned it to the 20 yard line. A screen pass to B.J. Cohen covered 11 yards to get the Brigade into the red zone. Sanders then ran a naked bootleg to perfection, waltzing in untouched from eight yards out to get the team back within 10 at 31-21.

The Brigade highlight of the night came on a drive in third quarter. Sanders completed all five pass attempts to take the offense to the Tampa Bay three yard line. A running play was in order and Byron Douzart got the call. He swept around the right end and from the line of scrimmage put his 6-2, 250 lbs. frame in the air for a true three-yard touchdown dive.

The Brigade once again showed determination until the very end, and scored the last two touchdowns of the game in the final 4:38. Boone caught a 4-yard pass and Myers hauled in a 14-yarder to cap the scoring.

Notables

- In one of the many milestones of an exceptional rookie campaign, Jerel Myers set a single-game franchise record with 14 receptions and surpassed 100 receptions (103) and 1,000 yards (1,023) on the season

- Chris Sanders rushed for a touchdown for the seventh consecutive game, giving him a league-high 12 on the season

- Aaron Boone did not make his first catch until 6:23 was left third quarter, but he caught a touchdown pass for the fifth straight game, all with the Brigade

- The Brigade doubled up the Storm in the final quarter and has not been outscored in the fourth quarter in the last six games

- James Jordan left the game in the first quarter with a sprained ankle

Quotes

Head Coach Kevin Porter

"We didn't play well on special teams or in the secondary. We are a young team and we will keep learning. My job is to get the team ready to play and we have two games left to do that."

QB Chris Sanders

"We can't get behind versus a team with that much history and knowledge of the game because if you do they will smother you. Playing from behind you need to get some breaks and you have to score every time. In all you can't put yourself into a hole on the road versus a good team. Now we have our last home game to get a win for the great crowd at Kemper and show the fans of Kansas City how bright the future is."

FB/LB Jeremy Beutler

"Up front we were pretty solid but it seemed like the onside kick (recovered by the Storm) took the wind out of our sails. We're a first-year team but I've seen a game where a team was down 35 points and won, and we have to have that mentality. We will be fired up to play next week versus a great team-Orlando. We will a strong week of preparation but if you can't get hyped up to play one of the best teams in your division then you shouldn't be playing."

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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 29, 2006


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