Phantoms put out Firebirds

by Campbell Blake
May 9, 2002 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)

Coming off last weekend's loss to Arizona, the Toronto Phantoms were looking for a win. Despite their injury- depleted lineup, that is exactly what they go with their 45-36 victory over the visiting Indiana Firebirds in Arena Football League action Thursday night.

John Summerday, Steve Konopka and Ty Law were all out of the lineup, but the Phantoms got out of the gate early with a 14-0 lead in front 7,912 hometown fans. Toronto traded the lead a few times with Indiana during the rest of the game before securing the victory with Jermaine Younger leading the way with his two touchdown runs.

"It was a huge win for us. They are one of the premier teams in the league and we knew we were going to have to play a tough football game," said Phantoms head coach Mark Stoute.

With Chad Salisbury at the helm, the Phantoms showed off their ability to put points on the boards once again, this time against one of the best teams in the AFL. On the evening, Salisbury completed 22 of his 31 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns, while his counterpart for the Firebirds, Raymond Philyaw, passed for 215 yards and four touchdowns. Philyaw also took one in on his own for a three-yard score.

The Firebird defense took away the deep ball that had been friendly to Toronto over the last couple weeks, so the Phantoms had to rely on the possession game to get the ball in the end zone.

"That is a great defense out there. We put up a good bit of points today and our defense did a great job against their offense, and the fullbacks had a great game," said Salisbury. "I think that was the kind of game I was expecting, a low scoring, hard nosed game."

On the receiving end Damion Harrell led all Phantom receivers with 10 catches for 121 yards and one touchdown. Kerry Brown also left his mark on the scoreboard by scoring a touchdown on a 6-yard pass from Salisbury to open up the scoring just five minutes into the game. Brown finished the evening with six catches for 38 yards and his score.

The Phantoms took an unusual route to victory, one not often seen in the AFL, by relying on their running game. Toronto did exactly that with some longer than normal runs, including a 15-yard dash by Phil Glover. They also scored three times on the ground including two by game MVP Jermaine Younger.

"One of the things I planned this year was spending more time running the football," said Stoute. "We revamped our whole running game, and now we are in the top five in the league and now are guys are really buying into it and getting it down."

On the Indiana side of the ball, Eddie Brown was his usual self with another outstanding game. He hauled in nine catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Gary Compton and Van Johnson rounded out the Indiana scoring by appearing on the receiving end of a touchdown apiece.

Indiana rookie kicker Andy Payne, making his AFL debut in place of the injured Nelson Garner, and Matt George for the Phantoms each kicked a field goal on the evening. While George was successful on all five of his extra point attempts and his lone field goal kick, Payne, on the other hand, struggled at times in his debut performance, missing two of his five extra point attempts while going one for two on field goals. Veteran kicker Garner was placed on the injured list prior to game by the Firebirds with a groin injury.

With the victory over Indiana, the Phantoms got a much-needed win heading into an important part of their schedule, as their next three games are all against divisional opponents. After a disheartening loss in Arizona last week, the Phantoms wanted to show why they should be considered one of the premier teams in the AFL. Their win over the Firebirds is a big step in the right direction, and now they have to sustain the momentum. That may be no easy task, but one Mark Stoute and his gang are ready to tackle.

Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from May 9, 2002

• Phantoms put out Firebirds - OSC Original by Campbell Blake
• Phantoms Run Over Indiana - Toronto Phantoms
• Taylor, Diaz Join Rush - Chicago Rush
• Arena Football League Transactions - AFL I

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer(s), and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.