Riders Win Game â Miss Playoffs
July 24, 2005 - United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Peoria Rough Riders News Release
The Peoria Rough Riders scored 18 points in the fourth quarter of an urgently played seesaw battle to win their game Saturday night but fell eight points short of the winning margin they needed to make the UIF playoffs for the inaugural 2005 season. The night also saw the team and fans say goodbye to their old Head Coach Bruce Cowdrey and hello to their new Head Coach for 2006 Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach Chuck Goodwin.
Speedy sure handed Wide Receiver Jonathan Schoonover snared 9 Walt Church passes for 95 yards and four touchdowns. Church on the night threw for 5 TD's and 165 yards. Jason VanLoo again led a punishing defense with 14 tackles, 4 of them solo combined with an 11 tackle night from Larry Thompson, 2 solo and 9 assisted. The Defense had two interceptions, one each for Defensive Backs Marcus James and Martell Foster.
The Rough Riders and Greyhounds traded scores for the first three quarters Saturday Night. The Riders task was formidable; win by 26 to make the playoffs based on a UIF tiebreaker system. Three time UIF Special Teams Player of the Week Matt Russell opened up the scoring with a 20 yard field goal and then Church hit the shifty Schoonover from 18 yards out to make the score after 1 quarter Riders 10 and Greyhounds 7.
After that the Riders flirted with a ten-point margin and the Greyhounds kept reeling them back in. Church Hit Schoonover for 15. The Riders were up 17 - 7; but, the Greyhounds scored again and the margin fell back to 3. Church to Robinson from 19 out to put the Riders up again 24 to 14. Robinson would rush for 33 yards on the night and haul in passes for 38 yards scoring twice, once each by the pass and run. And, despite the Greyhounds showing him tremendous respect by kicking the ball out of bounds instead of giving him a return possibility, the shifty Saluki made a key missed field goal return in the second half that was key to the Riders 18 point spurt. But in the second quarter, a 19 yard Zac Bruney touchdown toss eighteen seconds after the Robinson score brought the margin back to three, Riders 24 and Greyhounds 21.
The Riders widened the gap a bit in the third quarter. Their swarming defense held the Greyhounds to a 43 yard John Wehrle field goal. J.R Taylor meanwhile powered around end from the 6 to put the Riders up by a touchdown 31 - 24 in the 3rd.
The Riders opened the fourth quarter with a 22 yard strike from Church to a wide open Jon Schoonover. The 14 point margin was cut in half with a 30 yard bomb from Bruney to Greyhound Wide Receiver Willie Austin.
Playing with playoff intensity Running Back Brandon Robinson refused to be denied the Endzone plowing 10 yards through would be Greyhound tackler's outstretched arms and bruising shoulders. Riders up 43 - 31, up 12 points after Russell's kick missed the mark.
The Greyhounds handed the Riders another opportunity with time winding down as Bruney tossed a pass towards the Endzone instead of eating up more clock and Marcus James rocketed to the ball snatching it in flight before it reached the Greyhounds receiver just inside the Riders goal line.
Another defensive stand and the Riders began another big drive throwing over the middle to J.R Taylor whose tough running after the catch got the team a key first down. QB Walt Church, who went 20 for 39 for 165 yards delivering excellence on a night that demanded it, hit a streaking Jon Schoonover moments later for the score. Schoonover crashed into the padded corner of the Endzone at full speed to haul in the TD. The two point conversion attempt failed and the Riders had their 18 point margin of victory falling just 8 points shy of the 26 they needed to make the playoffs as the eighth seed. The Rough Riders finished the game winning 49 - 31 and finished the season with a record of 6 wins and 9 losses tied with Tennessee Valley and Ohio Valley.
United Indoor Football Association Stories from July 24, 2005
- Raptors headed to Fort Wayne for UIF playoffs - Tennessee Valley Raptors
- Riders Win but fall short of Playoffs - Peoria Rough Riders
- Riders Win Game â Miss Playoffs - Peoria Rough Riders
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