Richmond to take on Alabama in rematch Saturday in Huntsville
May 30, 2012 - Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Richmond Raiders News Release
The Richmond Raiders travel to Huntsville Saturday to play the Alabama Hammers on their home turf, the third meeting of the two clubs this season. Although their record (2-7) may not indicate it, the Hammers are capable of winning against significant competition. They topped Columbus, the number three team in the League, 63 to 60 on the Lions home turf, and gave a respectable showing against number-two Richmond in Huntsville on May 11. Richmond (7-2) outscored the Hammers by just six points in that game.
Richmond scored on its first possession in Huntsville that evening, then fell behind before retaking the lead 30-24 right before halftime. The Raiders stayed out in front from then on, at one point surging ahead by 20. Late in the fourth quarter, however, the Hammers came alive, scoring two touchdowns to pull within six. Raiders QB, Antwon Young, who had already thrown for 268 yards and six touchdowns, tossed another 21-yard touchdown pass on the next Richmond possession. That made the score 65-52 with only 1:26 left on the clock.
But the excitement wasn't over. A pass from Alabama quarterback Arvell Nelson to wide receiver Mico McSwain pushed Alabama to within six once again with only 30 seconds remaining. An alert Richmond front recovered the ensuing on-side kick, however, and the Raiders finished the night with the score 65 to 59.
The Raiders won 62 to 44 when the teams played in Richmond on April 14, although some might argue the game was closer than the final score seems to show. Alabama ran 42 plays for a total of 235 yards and Richmond ran 42 for 292. As the final score indicates, Richmond's defense deserves a pat on the back for coming through on a number of crucial plays, forcing turnovers in the form of a fumble and a pass interception, and stopping drives short on enough occasions to create an 18 point spread.
No doubt the Alabama will be gunning for Richmond on Saturday, which should make this an exciting game. The kickoff is at 7 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Fans can hear the play-by-play by going to http://www.fun927.com and clicking on "Listen Live."
Professional Indoor Football League Stories from May 30, 2012
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- Richmond to take on Alabama in rematch Saturday in Huntsville - Richmond Raiders
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