Rough Riders Fight to the End in Final Road Game
Published on June 5, 2005 under United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Peoria Rough Riders News Release
The Rough Riders lost a close hard fought ball game 23-22 in Wheeling West Virginia Saturday Night . Controversial calls and a fight at the end of the first half marred the hard fought ball game. Two apparent Rough Rider touchdowns, by Dodie Wilson and Tony Pryor, were disallowed by penalties. That fight saw two Rough Rider players and head Coach Bruce Cowdrey ejected after a Greyhound defensive player Eddie Bynes punched Riders Quarterback Walt Church. The game saw an electrifying four tackle breaking 49-yard return of a missed field goal by Riders Running Back Brandon Robinson which gave the Riders a 19 -13 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Riders got off to an early lead when Kicker Matt Russell hit a 46-yard field goal at 12:26 of the first quarter. Ohio Valley missed a field goal attempt from 47 yards out. Then the Riders struck pay dirt again when Rider Quarterback Walt Church threw a 29 yard bomb to the nifty speedster wide Receiver Jon Schoonover. The extra point failed and the Riders were up 9 â 0. That missed point would loom large at the end of the evening; however, the Riders were not without opportunities to erase the impact of the miss.
Ohio Valley struck back at the end of the first quarter. With: 58 left in first quarter the Greyhounds big fullback Glover scored on a 4 yard run to tighten the score to 9-7 in favor of the Riders. The Greyhounds came right back and hit a 25-yard field goal after an interception of a Walt Church pass. Riders Kicker Matt Russell missed 49-yard field goal try. But, Ohio Valley's kickers foot was true on his attempt and the 48-yarder from Kicker John Worley gave the Greyhounds a 13-9 lead.
The Rough Riders defense had a big defensive stop to end the first half when they held the Greyhounds on 4th and goal from the Riders 1 with 13 seconds left in the second quarter. The stop came after an apparent Rider interception that officials awarded to the Greyhounds. The momentum gained by the stop was quickly trumped when a out of control hockey match broke out at the football game.
At the end of the first half Ohio Valley Greyhounds Defensive Star Eddie Bynes threw a punch at Peoria Quarterback Walt Church. Church had been pinned on the Rider end zone boards after a first half ending pass play. This was the second time this year that Ohio Valley has been involved in a fight marred game. The officials awarded Ohio Valley a huge advantage from the fight. Rough Riders versatile Defensive/Offensive Lineman Noah Washington and mild mannered Offensive Lineman Kevin Burton were ejected as was the volatile Bynes. The Ohio Valley officiating crew also ejected Head Coach Bruce Cowdrey in the discussion following the fight. By the evening's end the Ohio Valley officials flagged the Riders 7 times for 53 yards while penalizing the Ohio Valley team 3 times for 15 yards.
The loss of those linemen meant that backup Center Brad Durham had to play both center and fill in on defense. Offensive Tackle Mike Johnson spelled Durham on the Defensive Line to help fill the gap. The Rider defense held at the beginning of the second half by putting pressure on the Greyhounds QB and smothering the Greyhound pass receivers. The Greyhounds were forced to try a 42-yarder that sailed wide right to start the half.
The Riders patchwork offensive line held together as the Riders drove downfield on their opening drive of the first half. Church hit Schoonover over the middle to put the ball on the Greyhounds 16 yard line. An incompletion and a stuffed run made it 3rd and 13. Church scrambled for 6 to make it fourth and 7 and give Matt Russell a shot at a 28-yard field goal. Russell kicked it home to make the score 13-12 and cut the Greyhounds lead to one early in the third quarter.
The Riders Defense continued to shut down the Greyhounds Offense. After an exchange on downs Ohio Valley had the ball 4th and 8 on their 7. Ohio Valley's Field Goal attempt fell short and Brandon Robinson electrified the Rider faithful by taking the missed field goal attempt from the Rider one-yard line and returning it 49 yards for a touchdown breaking four tackles along the way. Russell's extra point gave the Riders their 19 â 13 lead.
The Greyhounds returned the ensuing kick-off to the Riders 16 yard line giving the Hounds great field position. Defensive Tackle Mike O'Brien stopped the first play of the drive, a run by Glover for a gain of just 2. A facemask call by the Ohio Valley officials moved the ball to the Peoria 7. Tony Pryor dropped the Greyhounds on their next play for a loss of three. An incompletion put the Greyhounds at third and goal from the Riders 10. A quarterback scramble moved the ball to the Riders 5. The Rider defense forced Ohio Valley to settle for a Field Goal from 19 to cut the lead to three, 19-16 Riders.
The Greyhounds next kickoff sailed out of the endzone giving the ball to the Riders on their 20. The Riders showed they have dual burners in their backfield. Running Back Dodie Wilson took the handoff from Walt Church on a draw play from the shotgun to start their next possession. The speedster appeared to have burned his way to the Greyhounds endzone for the go-ahead score but, officials ruled he was out of bounds before crossing he goal line. The 23-yard sprint put the Riders on the 8 where they stalled for two plays. A handoff to J.R Taylor pushed the ball to the Greyhounds 3 yard line. On 4th and goal from the 3 Church threw incomplete for Shonn Bell and the Riders turned the ball over on downs.
Ohio Valley rode the big back of Fullback Terrance Glover droving 45 yards in three plays to take advantage of their defensive stand and answer with a score. 40 yards of that drive came on two successive runs by Glover of 18 and 22 yards. It gave the Greyhounds a 23 - 19 lead with 6:40 to go in the fourth quarter and proved to be the winning score.
The Riders got the ball back on their own 20 to start the ensuing drive. Church danced out of the swarming Ohio Valley Pass Rush and hit J.R. Taylor at the Ohio Valley 15 and Taylor drove forward to put the ball at the Greyhound 7. Taylor took the next handoff and punched the ball to the Ohio Valley 2. After the loss of yard the Riders had a 3rd and 3; Church pitched the ball to Robinson who darted to the one. Then the Riders Quarterback Walt Church handed the ball to the Riders heart and soul Tony Pryor who appeared to have scored. But, the officials called an illegal procedure penalty on the play negating the score; the second time Saturday evening that a Riders touchdown was disallowed. The Riders were forced to kick a 21-yard field goal that drew the Riders to within one point 23-22 with 2:58 left in the game.
The Riders stopped the Greyhounds on their 19-yard line on the following kickoff. Linebacker Tony Pryor nailed the Greyhounds Quarterback for a loss after a fake to the fullback Glover. The Greyhounds next play also faked the ball to Glover and the ensuing pass was incomplete. On the next play the Ohio Valley Greyhounds converted their 3rd and 10 pass for a first down on yet another disputed call and the Greyhounds ran the clock out from there.
The Riders are home for the rest of the regular season starting Friday Night at 7 June 10 against Sioux City. All 2005 graduates can get a upper bowl ticket for just $ 5.
United Indoor Football Association Stories from June 5, 2005
- Raptors take down Evansville - Tennessee Valley Raptors
- Rough Riders Fight to the End in Final Road Game - Peoria Rough Riders
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