Lions Walk The Plank In Loss To Bucs
April 28, 2013 - Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Columbus Lions News Release
COLUMBUS, GA (April 27, 2013) - From the opening coin toss to the final blow of the whistle, on Saturday the Columbus Lions (3-3) of the Professional Indoor Football League got man-handled in a 77-65 thrashing at the hands of the Louisiana Swashbucklers (2-3).
Going into the game it is one thing to know who the best player on the opposing team is, but a total separate idea on how to stop that player. Thus was the case for the Columbus Lions on Saturday as coming into their contest against the Swashbucklers they knew their main threat was that of WR Jordan Rideaux.
Rideaux was a one-man wrecking crew hauling in nine passes for 117 yards and five touchdowns accounting of 1/3 of the Swashbucklers total offense. QB Chris Mitchell arguable had his strongest passing performance of the season completing 20 of 30 passes for 266 yards and six touchdowns while FB Kendrick Perry scored his first multi-touchdown in 2013 finding the end-zone on three rushing scores. The three headed rushing attack of Mitchell, Perry, and WR Sammy Knight pitched in with a season-high 98 yards keeping the Columbus defense on their heels for much of the night.
Offensively, the Lions were unable to solve the mystery that was the Swashbucklers secondary as new starting QB Brian Harris completed just 18 of 32 passes in addition to throwing three interceptions and fumbling the ball twice. WR Jarmon Fortson was the main receiving target on the night nabbing seven receptions for 84 yards while finding the end-zone once.
Early in the 1st quarter, DB LeRoy Vann picked up his second special teams touchdown of the season scoring on a 56-yard kick-off return. Taking into account his Week 1 special teams touchdowns, to date Vann is the only player in the PIFL to have scored a touchdown on special teams as well as being the only player in PIFL history to have scored a touchdown in four different facets in one season.
For Louisiana, their win over Columbus gives them their second straight overall while breaking a four-game losing streak on the road. Next week they continue on their three-game road swing when they face-off against the Knoxville Nighthawks (2-5) who pulled off a 53-51 up-set the first-place Alabama Hammers (5-2) Saturday night.
Columbus drops back to .500 and next Sunday will make their first ever trip to Bethlehem, PA taking on the reeling Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (2-4) losers of three straight.
Kickoff is at 4:00 PM ET and to catch all the action log on to www.columbuslions.net and click on the Listen Live icon.
Professional Indoor Football League Stories from April 28, 2013
- Hammers Stumble at Home - Alabama Hammers
- Lions Walk The Plank In Loss To Bucs - Columbus Lions
- Raiders Defeat SteelHawks, 66-64 - Richmond Raiders
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