Lions Drop Season Opener to Harrisburg
Published on March 30, 2014 under Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Columbus Lions News Release
HERSHEY, Pa. - The Columbus Lions dropped their 2014 season opener on Sunday afternoon, falling 71-54 to Harrisburg in a game that saw Stampede quarterback E.J. Nemeth break a PIFL record with a whopping eight touchdowns in the contest. Lions quarterback Antwon Young had a stellar game in his own right and contributed eight touchdowns himself, throwing for seven and running for one to close out the first half despite the loss.
The Lions opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game as Kendrick Perry scored on a 32-yard pass play from quarterback Antwon Young. Columbus took a 6-0 lead as Craig Camay's point after attempt was not converted. After a Cap Poklemba field goal to cut the Stampede deficit in half, Young found Dion Small for a six-yard TD pass play to give the Lions a double-digit lead at 13-3.
It was at the end of the first quarter when Nemeth went to work, scoring on a one-yard QB keeper to bring Harrisburg within three at 13-10 to close the opening period. Young connected with Earl Alexander for a 37-yard touchdown pass in the first 2:18 of the second quarter to re-establish the Lions' ten point lead at 20-10, which would be the largest lead of the game for Columbus.
Nemeth scored the next two touchdowns of the contest with runs of nine yards and one yard sandwiched around a Poklemba uno. The 14 unanswered points gave the Stampede a 24-20 lead. The Lions reclaimed the lead as Kendrick Perry, known more around the PIFL for his running prowess the past two seasons with the Louisiana Swashbucklers, scampered 36 yards on a TD reception to put the Lions back up by three at 27-24. A Nemeth passing TD to Collins Martin and an Antwon Young four-yard scoring run capped the first half scoring at 34-31 Columbus.
Nemeth saved his best performance for the second half, scoring five consecutive touchdowns for the Stampede on keepers of 7, 1, 1, 7, and 1 yard. The Lions scored twice during that stretch on quick touchdown strikes from Young to Jarmon Fortson for 30 yards and Earl Alexander for 40 yards. A Scorpio Brown receiving touchdown from Nemeth capped the scoring and gave Harrisburg the 71-54 victory. On the night, Young was the offensive leader for the Lions, going 16 of 31 in the passing game for 313 yards and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for 22 yards and a touchdown. Head coach Jason Gibson couldn't have been more pleased with Young's play as he only committed one turnover off a fumble in the game.
"Antwon played awesome," said Gibson. "We came in with a goal to cut down turnovers from the past two seasons and we did that, due in no small part to his play. We only turned the ball over once on a fumble, and I was very pleased with that."
The Lions' home schedule opens on Saturday, April 5 at 7 PM in the Columbus Civic Center as the Lions will play their 100th franchise game against the Richmond Raiders. The team will host Fan Fest on Thursday, April 3 at 6 PM, where fans can meet Lions players, coaches, and the Lady Lions dance team. Vendor spots for Fan Fest are still available for just $40 and are a great means of exposure for your local business. For more information on Fan Fest or other sponsorship and ticket opportunities for the 2014 season, contact the Lions at 706.322.3336.
Offensive Player of the Game: QB Antwon Young - 16/31 passing, 313 yds, 7 TD
Defensive Player of the Game: Marvin Ross - 4 tkl, 1 INT
Special Teams Player of the Game: Roshawn Marshall - 1 kickoff return, 27 yds
Professional Indoor Football League Stories from March 30, 2014
- Stampede Win Opener in Record Breaking Fashion - Harrisburg Stampede
- Lions Drop Season Opener to Harrisburg - Columbus Lions
- Raiders Fall to Trenton in Season Opener - Richmond Raiders
- Venom Strike Early and Often, Win Over PIFL Champ - Nashville Venom
- Stampede to Celebrate Youth & Sports in Home Opener - Harrisburg Stampede
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
