Raptors fall to Ohio Valley
June 12, 2005 - United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Tennessee Valley Raptors News Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Tennessee Valley Raptors came up on the short end of a defensive battle Saturday night against the Ohio Valley Greyhounds.
Raptors kicker Steven Lee's 45-yard field goal missed in the final seconds of the United Indoor Football contest and the Greyhounds escaped with a 22-20 victory before an announced crowd of 3,278 fans at the Von Braun Center. The ending spoiled a special night for Tennessee Valley, which retired former offensive/defensive lineman Andy Fuller's No. 82 in a halftime ceremony.
The Raptors fell to 3-7 on the year, while Ohio Valley improved to 6-5.
"We got the kind of defensive effort we needed, but the offense just wasn't there,'' said Raptors coach Dick Adams, whose team hosts the Sioux Falls Storm at 7:30 next Saturday night at the VBC. "We were in position to win the game many times and it shouldn't have come down to a last-second field goal."
Offensive highlights were few in the contest that saw Ohio Valley post 153 yards of total offense compared to 148 for the Raptors, who trailed 6-0 after the first quarter following Antoine Taylor's 3-yard run at 4:58 of the opener.
The Greyhounds would lead it 9-0 after John Werhle's 31-yard field goal four minutes into the second quarter, but Tennessee Valley answered on Chris Gunn's 10-yard pass to Luke McArdle and Lee's extra point made it a 9-7 game with 6:04 left before the half. Gunn would convert a 2-yard run and Lee added the kick for a 14-9 Raptors lead with 1:23 left in the second.
Ohio Valley, however, recovered a failed onside kick and drove 17-yards for a go-ahead score when Maurice Little hauled in a 17-yard pass from Taylor on third down. Werhle's kick gave the visitors a 16-14 lead at the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, the Raptors reclaimed the lead on Gunn's 11-yard pass to Nicholas Wells and the score stood at 20-16 after the two-point conversion pass was intercepted. The Raptors held on down the stretch until Troy Albea's 2-yard run capped a nine-play, 46-yard drive for Ohio Valley with just less than a minute to play.
McArdle returned the ensuing kickoff 16 yards to the Tennessee Valley 19, but a pair of incomplete passes from Gunn and a 1-yard run from the Raptors quarterback set up Lee's late attempt at the game-winner.
Gunn completed 14 of 26 passes for 93 yards, two touchdowns and was intercepted twice. Wells caught nine of those passes for 48 yards and a touchdown, while Kevin Galbreath rushed nine times for 54 yards. Taylor completed 8 of 20 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown and was intercepted twice.
Former Alabama A&M standout Fernandez Shaw led the Raptors strong defensive effort with seven tackles, a sack and an interception, while David Knott added 4.5 tackles and a pick and newcomer Eiland Means posted 3.5 tackles, a pass breakup and four quarterback hurries.
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United Indoor Football Association Stories from June 12, 2005
- Raptors fall to Ohio Valley - Tennessee Valley Raptors
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