Rage rolls over Bandits 68-38
May 2, 2009 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
RiverCity Rage News Release
ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI: From the first play of the game, a 30-yard touchdown pass from Maurice Avery to Hurtis Chinn, to the final buzzer, the RiverCity Rage dominated action in moving to 6-1 on the season with a 68-38 victory over the Sioux City Bandits Saturday at the Family Arena.
The Rage trailed for a little over two minutes for the game, and that was one-point deficit courtesy a missed extra point after the game's first score. After bowling ball built running back Randy Bell rumbled down the field, breaking multiple tackles en route to the 34-yard touchdown - RiverCity reclaimed the advantage. They never trailed from that point on.
Quarterback Dixie Wooten spread the ball evenly on his seven touchdown strikes. The seven touchdowns was a season-high for Wooten, and it's one off the 2009 IFL single-game record of eight touchdown passes in a game. Wooten finished 22-for-34 with 282 yards to go with his seven touchdowns.
Bell hauled in a personal game-high of three touchdown passes and added a 48-yard kickoff return for another touchdown. Chinn and Luke McArdle each added two touchdown receptions, while Avery got into the scoring act as well with a six-yard reception.
Sioux City did an ample job of maintaining close contact, trailing by just three points with 6:41 left in the second quarter. However, the Bandits found pay dirt only two more times the rest of the game.
The defensive front rotation of Xzavie Jackson, Terrell Washington, Robert Franklin and Sunungura Rusununguko applied constant pressure throughout the second half. Washington finished with a season-high 10 tackles, including four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Safety Byron Jones chipped in with 7.5 tackles. The best defensive play of the game came as Paul Simpson recorded his first interception on a leaping play into the front row of the Family Arena.
While the 30-point victory was nice, head coach Rik Richards realizes that his team will have to play better to improve to 7-1 on the season as the Rage cap a four-game home stand when they host the Bloomington Extreme 7:30 p.m. May 9. The Extreme took three-of-four from RiverCity a season ago, including a 33-7 win in the playoffs.
"A win is a win," said Richards. "We did some good things out there. However, if we want to be a championship football team, there are some small things we need to correct. If you don't demand greatness and perfection, you won't be a good football team."
The RiverCity Rage is a member of the Indoor Football League. All Rage home games are played at The Family Arena in St. Charles, MO. For information contact the Rage at (636) 946-RAGE or log on to www.ragefootball.com.
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