Raptors continue to struggle on road
May 16, 2005 - United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Tennessee Valley Raptors News Release
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - The road continues to be unkind to the Tennessee Valley Raptors.
The Raptors lost their fifth consecutive road game Saturday night as they fell 48-24 to the Evansville Bluecats before 2,785 fans at Roberts Stadium.
Tennessee Valley dropped to 2-5 on the United Indoor Football season and lost for the second time at Evansville, which improved to 5-2 and continues to lead the South Division. Quarterback Ramon Robinson threw three touchdown passes in the win that backed up the Bluecats' season-opening 53-51 victory over the Raptors.
"It was just a totally disappointing effort,'' said Tennessee Valley coach Dick Adams, whose team will host the Lexington Horsemen at 7:30 next Saturday night at the Von Braun Center.
"We were short some players on the defensive side, but that's no excuse. Our offense didn't get the job done. Nothing went right for us."
The Raptors only had 34 and 28-yard field goals from former Jacksonville State kicker Steven Lee to show in trailing 19-6 at the half, but Robinson's 29-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Clark with 10:48 left in the third padded the Bluecats' advantage.
Sean Bennett's 3-yard run made it a 33-6 game late in the third quarter before former UNA quarterback Chris Gunn scored from 1-yard out for Tennessee Valley's first touchdown at 8:44 of the final quarter. Gunn would finish with three rushing touchdowns in relief of Raptors starting quarterback Mike Scipione, who completed 9-of-16 passes for 40 yards with one interception.
The Bluecats led it 3-0 after an early field goal and went ahead 9-0 on Robinson's 30-yard touchdown pass to Byron Curtis at the 7:27 mark. Lee's 34-yard field goal finally got the Raptors on the board early in the second quarter, but Evansville answered with another field goal and a 23-yard scoring pass from Robinson to Bennett for a 19-3 advantage with 4:32 left before intermission.
A late defensive stand by Tennessee Valley prevented any further damage in the first half and the Raptors mustered a last-second 28-yard field goal from Lee to trail by nine points at halftime.
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United Indoor Football Association Stories from May 16, 2005
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- âCats Cause Carnage In Victory Over Cretaceous Period Creatures - Evansville BlueCats
- Raptors continue to struggle on road - Tennessee Valley Raptors
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