Lions And Panthers Meet In Rubber Match
Published on June 7, 2012 under Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Columbus Lions News Release
COLUMBUS, GA (June 7, 2012) - The Peach State's lone in-state rivalry will resume this Saturday when the Columbus Lions (5-5) of the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) play host to the first-place Albany Panthers (9-1) at 7:30 PM in a game with heavy implications in regards to playoff seeding.
Saturday marks the third and final regular season meeting between the two in-state rivals, the first since that infamous May 5th showdown in which the Lions handed Albany their loss of the season thanks to a game-ending 54-yard field goal by Trey Crum. Back on April 21st the Panthers defended their home-turf easily disposing Columbus 57-40.
Since May 5th, the clubs have gone in different directions with the Panthers maintaining their top spot in the PIFL winning three in a row including last weekend's 74-64 come from behind victory over the Nighthawks. Meanwhile, Columbus embarked on a three-game road trip going 1-2 dropping the finale 61-57 last Saturday to Louisiana in large part to three offensive turnovers returned for TD's.
With playoff spots clinched, the Panthers and Lions have a lot riding on their final two games. Knowing they have a first round home playoff game, the Panthers are looking at possibly hosting the inaugural PIFL Championship game but lurking ahead will be a showdown with the second place Richmond Raiders on the season's final week.
In the meantime, the Lions can finish now higher than the 3rd seed and will have a first round meeting in either Albany on Saturday June 23rd or in Richmond on Monday June 25th. Entering into Saturday, they are in a third-place tie with the Swashbucklers who close out the regular season with home-and-home meetings against the Alabama Hammers.
Offensively, QB Cecil Lester is hot off a nine-touchdown performance in the Panthers 74-64 in last Saturday's victory over Knoxville. Lester tossed eight TD's and completed 24 of 31 passes for 311 yards earning him the PIFL Week 11 Offensive Player of the Week. Due to an injury sustained the week prior, Lester was forced to sit out the May 5th game versus Columbus.
With an average margin of victory of 7.7 combined in their first ten games, lowest in the PIFL, Columbus has had a chance to come away with victories in all their games. But they have shown the mark of a young team in which they have been unable to play a game in which all three facets of the game fully come together.
For much of the season, the Lions defense has been the Achilles heel but lately it's been the offense coughing up the ball having committed ten turnovers in their last three outings. Hoping to ail some protection issues on the offensive front, the Lions added OL Isaac Williams (6'1 310, Alcorn St.) and making his fourth go-round with the club will be OL Arthur Smith (6'7 380, Grambling St.).
Having already re-added LB Justen Rivers to help inspire some leadership on defense, this week the Lions added another familiar face in DL Franklin Lloyd (6'0 302, Troy). With 19.5 sacks in the past three seasons, Lloyd will try and rejuvenate a Columbus defense that has just 11 team sacks ranking them second to last.
The first 1,000 fans in attendance to Saturday's game will receive a rally towel courtesy of Sprague's Supply, a local NAPA auto parts supplier. For information about group tickets contact the Lions front office at 706-322-3336 and for score updates from Saturday's game log on to Lions Facebook page.
Professional Indoor Football League Stories from June 7, 2012
- Lions And Panthers Meet In Rubber Match - Columbus Lions
- Swashbucklers Season Finale Extravaganza on June 16th - Louisiana Swashbucklers
- Final Nighthawks Home Game Saturday, June 9th - Knoxville NightHawks
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