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Lightning can't catch Fever

May 25, 2008 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Stockton Lightning News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Tri-Cities Fever scored 24 points in the second quarter and led in a wire-to-wire fashion, sending the Stockton Lightning (2-7) to a 44-21 loss in Week 9 of arenafootball2 play before a crowd of 3,937 at Stockton Arena on Saturday.

The Lightning, who missed quarterback Chad Elliott (injured), were led offensively by receiver Etu Molden's 73 receiving yards. Molden, who was making his Lightning debut after spending the previous four seasons in the Arena Football League, hauled in a showstopping 37-yard grab in the first quarter before missing most of the final three stanzas due to injury.

After a scoreless first quarter, Tri-Cities' Emery Beckles ran back a 45-yard interception the entire distance and put the Fever ahead 7-0 with 6:12 left in the first half. Backup QB Tali Ena followed with a one-yard keeper with 3:26 left in the second quarter and ex-Lightning receiver Phil Goodman caught his first of two touchdown receptions, a 24-yard dash with 22 seconds left, to put the Lightning in a 21-0 hole.

Lightning backup QB Jonathan Grant, entering the game in place of starter Kenton Evans, connected with WR Justin Taplin for an 11-yard strike at the end zone's right corner with 10 seconds remaining, helping cut the Lightning deficit to 21-7.

Tri-Cities built on a 24-7 halftime lead by scoring on the first play from scrimmage to start the third quarter, when Ena hooked up with WR Lamonte Jones on a 45-yard bomb to stretch the Fever lead to 31-7.

Following Jones' second touchdown grab of the game in the third quarter, Jason Hunt ran in his first rushing touchdown of the season to help the Lightning break their scoreless drought with 8:40 left in the game and cut the Tri-Cities lead to 38-13.

Goodman's four-yard TD reception for Tri-Cities was answered by the Lightning, who scored the final touchdown of the game on Ruschard Dodd-Masters' 42-yard catch and sprint up midfield with 30 seconds left in the game.

In his third pro game, Grant completed 13 of 21 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Evans, who was picked off four times in the game, went 7-of-24 for 93 yards. Ena's most frequent target was Jones, who registered Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors with a game-high 10 catches and 138 receiving yards while posting two touchdown catches.



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