Las Vegas' last-second score downs Soul
April 17, 2005 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Philadelphia Soul News Release
PHILADELPHIA â Las Vegas Gladiators quarterback Clint Dolezel found wide receiver/linebacker Joe Douglass for a 27-yard touchdown strike with just one second remaining to defeat the Philadelphia Soul, 56-49 on Sunday afternoon at the Wachovia Center.
Two ex-members of the Soul (5-7) played a huge role for Las Vegas (7-5), as wide receiver/linebacker Ricky Ross and fullback/linebacker Marlion Jackson combined for four touchdowns. Chris "Soul Train" Ryan rushed for three scores and added a two-point conversion.
Philadelphia quarterback Tony Graziani threw three touchdowns, finishing 17-for-31 for 214 yards. Dolezel connected on 28 of his 43 attempts for 341 yards and eight touchdowns. Wide receiver/defensive back Chris Brown led the Soul with four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. Ross paced the Gladiators with eight receptions for 92 yards and three scores.
Graziani pointed to mental mistakes and missed opportunities as the keys to Philadelphia's defeat.
"[Las Vegas] has big-time players and they make big-time plays," he said. "But that's not why we lost the game. We made mistakes."
With six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia took over trailing 42-34. Graziani wasted no time, however, finding wide receiver/linebacker Tyronne Jones for a 24-yard touchdown. The Gladiators used up several minutes of the clock and then answered when Dolezel found Ross for a 21-yard touchdown to put Las Vegas up 49-41.
With under a minute remaining the Soul took possession at their own 1-yard line. Graziani hit wide receiver/linebacker Marcus Knight on two straight throws to get the ball inside the Las Vegas two-yard line. He then hit Knight for the score with 13 seconds remaining in the game. Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game, Ryan scored from two yards out to tie the tilt at 49 before Las Vegas' game winning drive.
A first quarter fumble by Las Vegas enabled Philadelphia to take an early 14-7 lead. Soul offensive/defensive lineman Dwayne Missouri forced a Dolezel fumble on the Gladiators' first possession and wide receiver/linebacker Sean Scott picked up the loose ball. Ryan plunged in from two yards out to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead.
Dolezel found T.J. Hill on a 25-yard scoring strike to even the score before Graziani tossed his first touchdown pass to Chris Brown to regain a 14-7 lead. Ryan found the end zone for the second time midway through the second quarter on a two-yard run to put the Soul up 21-7. Dolezel sandwiched two touchdown strikes around a couple of Tim Seder field goal for the Soul and Philadelphia took a 27-21 lead into halftime.
Dolezel hit Ross and Jackson for touchdowns in the third quarter and Ryan picked up his third rushing score of the day for the Soul as they held a 35-34 advantage going into the fourth quarter.
"We had the game under control, but we didn't take it and drive," Philadelphia Interim Head Coach James Fuller said. "And to win, you have to finish [the game]."
The Soul will take to the road next weekend against the division rival New York Dragons on Sunday, April 24th at 1 p.m. The game will be televised live on NBC Sports (WCAU-10 Philadelphia) and can be heard on Philadelphia's NewsTalk 990 AM and at www.philadelphiasoul.com.
Notes: Today's attendance was 16,514... Today's game marks the first contest this season that the Soul led at halftime but failed to hold on for the win. Sean Scott left the game late in the second quarter and did not return after suffering a rib cage sprain...Fullback/linebacker Wes Ours experienced back spasms early in the first quarter and did not return...Gladiators offensive specialist Marcus Nash pulled his hamstring in the first quarter and saw limited action the remainder of the game.
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