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Lightning suffer 58-46 loss to Burn

July 15, 2007 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Stockton Lightning News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Lightning trailed in a wire-to-wire fashion as Boise Burn receiver Ahmed Harris tallied a season-high 12 catches, 199 receiving yards and five touchdown catches for Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors, sending the Lightning to a 58-46 loss to the Burn before a crowd of 5,288 at Stockton Arena on Saturday night in week 16 of arenafootball2 play.

Combined with wins from the Manchester Wolves, Green Bay Blizzard and Louisville Fire, the Lightning are now two games behind a spot for the final American Conference wild card berth with two games remaining in the regular season.

Boise would strike early in the first quarter as QB B.J. Rhode hit Ahmad Harris over the middle with a 41-yard strike on the second play of the contest to give the Burn a 7-0 lead just 63 seconds into the first quarter.

The Lightning responded on the ensuing drive as FB Peter Tuialuuluu found the end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run to make the score 7-6. A misplaced snap would foil the point-after attempt by K Alex Walls, who was forced to retrieve the loose ball deep in Lightning territory and kick it back towards the Burn end of the field. Burn DB Sullivan Beard would recover the ball at his own 4-yard yard line and go the length of the field on the return to put Boise ahead 9-6.

Harris' second touchdown reception of the opening quarter, a seven-yarder, would bring the score to 16-6 in favor of the Burn. Lightning QB Evan Gray would bring Stockton right back on its next possession, as Gray found WR Clarence Cunningham in the end zone with a 22-yard pass to bring Stockton to within three points at 16-13. A Burn fourth down gamble would prove successful on Boise's next drive as Rhode connected with WR Casey Allen from 22 yards out for a 22-13 Burn advantage with less than 2 minutes remaining in the quarter.

The Burn capitalized on a late first quarter Lightning turnover to increase their lead to 28-13 just 43 seconds into the second period as Rhode hit Harris from 26 yards out for his third touchdown reception on the night. Rhode would find Harris again with a screen pass over the middle at the 8:35 mark of the quarter for a 22-yard score.

Harris' fourth touchdown reception of the game put the Burn up 35-13. Stockton responded with Gray's 6-yard touchdown strike to WR Sale' Key with 3:09 remaining in the half to bring the score to 35-20. Burn kicker Dan Beardall capped the first-half scoring with a 23-yard field goal with no time remaining to give Boise a 38-20 lead at the break.

The Lightning completed a successful opening drive to start the second half as Gray hit TE Anthony Bolden with a 6-yard touchdown pass at the 3:28 mark of the third quarter. Bolden scampered into the end zone to make the score 38-27.

The back-and-forth scoring trend continued as Boise would respond on their next drive with Rhode finding WR Casey Allen in the end zone for a 12 yard touchdown score and a 44-27 Burn lead. The Lightning answered back moments later as Gray connected with WR B'Jay Jones up the right side with a 25-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 44-33, good enough for Cutters Catch of the Game honors.

After Key recovered an onside-kick attempt on the ensuing kick-off for the Lightning, the Burn forced and recovered a fumble off a Gray throwing attempt, gaining possession at the Stockton 11-yard line. Stockton got the ball right back as LB Carl Walker got his hands on a loose ball and restored the Lightning drive. Gray proceeded to hit Jones again with a 38-yard touchdown strike up the left side to bring Stockton to within five points at 44-39.

Boise upped their lead to 51-39 just three seconds into the fourth quarter with Harris' fifth touchdown reception of the game, as Rhode hit him in the corner of the end zone with a 7-yard pass.

After Lightning OL Stephen Bell recovered a loose ball in the Burn end zone off a Stockton fumble to make the score 51-46, the Lightning defense would stymie multiple Boise scoring attempts to increase their lead, only to turn the ball over on downs with 2:30 remaining in regulation time. Burn backup QB Bart Hendricks proceeded to put Boise up 58-46 with a 1-yard touchdown keeper.

Gray tallied his fifth consecutive game of 250 passing yards or more, completing 25-of-42 passes for 325 yards and five touchdown receptions. Jones bested his season-high mark by one yard, leading the Lightning with 135 receiving yards and two touchdown snares.

The Lightning and Boise split the season series at a 1-1 clip.



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