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Mistakes, Miscommunication Drop Maniacs to 0-12

June 6, 2010 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Maryland Maniacs News Release


It was the first drive of the second quarter for the Maryland Maniacs. Down by seven to the Richmond Revolution, quarterback Cameron Dantley fires a pass to receiver Terry Moss, who takes it the rest of the way in for a 35-yard score. Now down by one with just over 12 minutes left in the quarter, the momentum seemed to be going the Maniacs' way thanks to a defense that allowed only seven points in the first 22 minutes of the game

But as kicker Justin Willis was attempting to put the ball through the uprights for the extra point, the kick was blocked and the momentum shifted for the rest of the game.

"Momentum," offensive lineman Andrae Townsel said, "That's a powerful word."

It swings whichever way it [it wants to]. Sometimes you can catch a shot to the body with ‘Mr. Momentum,' you know? ‘Mr. Momentum' will swing that way. He don't have favorites."

Following that missed extra point, the Revolution took their momentum and put up 24 unanswered points into the middle of the third quarter.

The Maniacs' last ray of hope came from an acrobatic catch from wide receiver Terry Moss that propelled him and a Revolution defender over the endzone wall for his second touchdown of the game. Dantley's run for a two-point conversion cut Richmond's lead to 31-14 with 6:31 left in the third quarter.

That was as close as Maryland would get.

Even when things went right for the Maniacs, they ended up turning into positives for the Revolution. Later in the third quarter, defensive end Durrand Roundtree broke through the Richmond offensive line to stymie their extra point attempt.

What happened after that epitomized the Maniacs season in one play.

While Roundtree flew past the play anticipating a kick to be attempted, no Maniacs defender blocked the kick or tackled the holder, allowing Richmond's Aaron Alexander to pick the ball off the ground and run it in for the two-point conversion to push the Revolution lead to 46-14.

Dantley's lone interception of the game led to the Revolution scoring drive that ended with the aforementioned two-point conversion and quarterback Brian Harris, who filled in for Dantley in the final quarter, tossed a pick-six to Richmond in his first drive. Harris also fumbled twice on one play but he did not recover the ball the final time and it was scooped up and returned for a Revolution touchdown for the final score of the game.

Those plays were all a part of Richmond's unprecedented 50 point second half explosion.

Along with momentum not being maintained, chemistry has also been a problem for the Maniacs. Only eleven players that suited up for the Maniacs on Saturday night were with the team for the first game of the 2010 season.

Defensive back Christian Varner says that it is very important for the veteran players to take it upon themselves to create and keep team chemistry despite a lost season and so much roster turnover from week-to-week

"[We] keep having new guys coming in and you gotta keep teaching them the system [and] keep teaching them how we do things [and] how it's professional. You know, a lot of guys have been off the filed for a while so they probably don't remember that so it's just up to us. We've got to be accountable as guys that came back from last year."

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