Lone Stars topple Odessa, will play for first IFL title
August 29, 2004 - Intense Football League (Intense)
Lubbock GunSlingers News Release
Coach Buck said earlier this week that playing on the road this late in the season cannot and should not make a difference. Well, he was right, and the players finally got the message. In what proved to be a battle to the end, the Lone Stars did not let their 2-5-road record affect their overall plan for a chance at the President's Cup.
Odessa didn't waste anytime putting points on the board. 1:10 in to the game, Odessa's Roger Linn connected with Wayne Thomas for a 25-yard touchdown.
Coach Buck didn't want to place Carlo Heard on the practice squad for this week because he knew just how important he is to the team's offense, but after being unable to practice this week due to illness Coach had no choice. Lucky for Coach Buck, a team is able to pull a player from the practice squad to the actual roster during the game.
After getting sacked in his first down, Coach Buck substituted Heard for T.J. Glover. The substitution paid-off and quarterback Aso Pogi connected with Heard for a 29-yard touchdown pass.
On the other side of the ball the Lone Star defense did not seem to be in the game. They spent the entire game playing in spurts.
Unlike the first meeting between the two teams, when the Lone Stars collected 15 penalties for 152 yards, the first half ended with Lubbock having only one penalty for 3 yards.
The Lone Stars put the ball on the ground 6 times in the 1st half. Tone Dancy, Anton Paige, Laurence Nolan, and Pogi collected 13 rushing yards.
The Roughnecks took out the league's leading receiver late in the first quarter. On a reception from Pogi, Paige was forced straight over the wall, in to the stands, where he received a 4-inch gash on his arm, exposing his triceps. Paige left the game and underwent surgery.
Pogi came right back and jumped his way in to the end zone on a 3-yard run.
The Roughneck defense proved to be just as hot as their first quarter offense, immediately stopping Lubbock in its first three downs. However, Pogi moved the ball up the field slowly but surely, connecting with Heard on a 10-yard pass.
The Lone Star defense experienced another spurt when Anthony Dalton broke up a 30-yard pass from Roger Linn to Wayne Thomas, but Linn caught the Lone Star defense off balance and immediately found Clint McNutt in the end zone, tying the game at 28 a piece with 8:57 left to play in the second quarter.
With Paige out of the game, Pogi used his fullbacks to collect yards in the air, connecting with Dancy 3 times for a gain of 13-yards.
After picking up a safety with 2:22 remaining in the first half, and putting the Lone Stars on top 30-28, Chris Reed left the game with an ankle injury. He did return late in the 3rd.
Odessa created momentum going in to the half with a Larry Thompson interception at the Lone Stars 1-yard line, then Linn found Heyward Skipper in the end zone on a 41-yard pass putting the Roughnecks on top 34-30.
Robert Treece came in for the Lone Stars hitting a 32-yard field goal, cutting the Roughneck lead down to one at the half.
The Lone Stars continued to come from behind after the half, when Heard received a 5-yard pass for a touchdown.
After a quarterback sack by Gathan McGinnis the Lone Stars' defense seemed to be on again, late in the 3rd quarter. Terrance Colquitt blocked a 42-yard field goal attempt by Odessa, giving the team momentum in to the 4th quarter.
Wayne Thomas intercepted Pogi in the Lone Star end zone and brought the ball to the Odessa 21- early in the 4th.
Linn connected with Skipper on a 5-yard pass. The Lone Star penalties escalated in the 2nd half, allowing Odessa to capitalize on Lubbock's mistakes. On a missed field goal attempt by Whitney Hillin the score was tied at 47 with 7:44 remaining.
With less then a minute left in the game Odessa continued the game with a lead. Pogi rushed for 5-yards with 50 seconds remaining. A couple of incompleted passes looked like the Lone Stars were surrendering. But a passing interference call on the Roughnecks gave the Lone Stars the extra chance they needed.
Pogi found Heard on a 9-yard play and tied the score at 54 with 33 seconds left in the game.
One the last play in regulation, Anthony Dalton batted down Linn's pass to McNutt, sending the first IFL playoff game in to the league's first overtime game of the season.
Pogi went incomplete on his first 3 downs. On 4th down Pogi found Raymond Hardy for a 25-yard touchdown. Robert Treece's field goal put Lubbock ahead 61-54.
The Lone Star defense stepped up in overtime, causing two imcompletions by Linn. ON Odessa's last down Demarius Jackson intercepted Linn's pass to Skipper.
The final Lubbock 61 Odessa 54. The Lone Stars will travel to Amarillo for another I-27 shootout, when the number one Dusters take on the number two Lone Stars for the President's Cup.
Intense Football League Stories from August 29, 2004
- Lone Stars topple Odessa, will play for first IFL title - Lubbock GunSlingers
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