Rush Rallies For Seventh Straight Win
April 30, 2007 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Chicago Rush News Release
Football box scores credit those who score or throw touchdown passes. Maybe they should also credit players who keep their head in the game.
In the game of football played across the pond, heading the ball to a teammate to set up the winning goal is a regular occurrence. In American football - the kind played inside or outside - it's a once-every-20-years experience.
The Chicago Rush (7-1) used such a play late in the fourth quarter to take a late lead over the visiting Philadelphia Soul (4-4) and propel the team to a 54-43 victory at the Allstate Arena Monday night.
All with head coach Mike Hohensee coaching from a skybox atop Allstate Arena after being hit by a car while walking through a grocery store parking lot last Friday afternoon.
Trailing 43-41 with 3:17 to play, linebacker John Moyer came hard on the pass rush and got his hands up and tipped a pass thrown by Philadelphia quarterback Juston Wood. The deflected pass bounced toward Curtis Eason and hit the unsuspecting nose tackle's helmet. Moyer alertly followed the ball and grabbed the deflection. He raced toward the boards and turned it upfield for a 39-yard interception return for a score.
The play sent the crowd of 14,529 into a screaming frenzy as they smelled the team's seventh straight win. On the ensuing Philadelphia possession, the Rush defense, which had been pushed around by the Soul offense in the first half, stood tall and refused to give up a late first down. That defensive stand gave the Rush the ball back with 44 seconds to go.
"We have a veteran team that believes we will find a way to win," said Moyer. "I think we missed Coach Hohensee on the bench tonight and it took us a while to find our rhythm, but once we did we showed the type of team we can be."
Since Philadelphia had three timeouts remaining, head coach Mike Hohensee knew the Rush could not just sit on the ball with its running game. Instead he chose to attack and quarterback Matt D'Orazio hit the explosive Bobby Sippio a 33-yard scoring pass to clinch the win. It was Sippio's third TD reception of the game and his 35th scoring catch this season.
"I got a totally different perspective tonight," said a tired Hohensee after the game. "I was out of the coaching box and way up in the stands. I found myself reacting more like a fan, and I realized that I would pay money to see my team play."
After playing the role of generous hosts in the first half, the Rush tightened up their defense and became much more aggressive after the break. Wood no longer found open receivers streaking through the secondary. Every man was covered tightly as defensive coordinator Walt Housman was not about to let the visitors have their way during the final 30 minutes.
Philadelphia had lost three straight games coming into the game and head coach Bret Munsey had his team fired up to end its losing streak. They played a sensational first half against the defending Arena Football League champions.
The Rush was playing its first home game in more than four weeks. After scoring an early touchdown thanks to a Moyer fumble recovery and a D'Orazio short TD run, the Rush lost much of its edge.
Philadelphia sensed the opportunity and responded immediately after D'Orazio's score. Wood shook off the early turnover and found his rhythm, throwing five first-half TD passes and confidently moving the ball on each possession. Two of his touchdown passes went to former Rush receiver C.J. Johnson, and both throws were right on the money.
Philadelphia, which had won four in a row to start the season, took a two-touchdown lead in the final minute of the second quarter when Wood threw a 17-yard TD pass to a diving James Jerrian and followed that with a 12-yarder to J.J. McKelvey.
While the Rush trailed 34-20 at the half, they were clearly still in the game. D'Orazio had thrown a 24-yard scoring pass to Sippio and DeJuan Alfonzo scored on a two-yard run in the first half, but the offense was just a bit out of sync.
The Rush looked much sharper on their initial possession of the second half. D'Orazio led the Rush downfield with relative ease and he culminated the drive with an 18-yard TD pass to Sippio.
They were able sustain their improved effort throughout the second half. The hard-work paid off in a big way when Moyer kept his eye on the bouncing ball and made a play for the ages.
RUSH NOTES - After dropping the season opener in Kansas City, the Rush has reeled off seven-consecutive wins. Chicago has also won seven straight home games, dating back to the 2006 season. ... D'Orazio continued his sharp play, completing 30-of-41 passes for 336 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. ... Sippio dropped two passes in the first half but made up for those miscues by catching a team record 15 passes for 178 yards. ... Alfonzo had a brilliant game with two rushing touchdowns, 9.5 tackles and two forced fumbles. ... In addition to his game-winning interception return for a score, Moyer also recovered a fumble.
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Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 30, 2007
- Soul Come Up Short In The Windy City, 54-43 - Philadelphia Soul
- Rush Rallies For Seventh Straight Win - Chicago Rush
- Destroyers look to bounce back against Eastern Division rival Dragons - Columbus Destroyers
- Austin Makes Personnel Moves, Addresses Injuries, Prepares for Tampa Bay - Austin Wranglers
- AFL declares May as AFL Youth Football Month - AFL I
- Rush Head Coach Mike Hohensee To Coach Tonight Vs. Philadelphia - Chicago Rush
- Destroyers Fall To Storm, Lose 34-32 - Columbus Destroyers
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