Spokane beats Amarillo Dusters
April 22, 2006 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Spokane Shock News Release
Spokane turned two Amarillo Dusters turnovers into 14 points and it proved to be the difference as the expansion Shock grabbed a 66-62 win Saturday before 2,208 at Cal Farley Coliseum.
The Dusters enjoyed an early 14-0 lead and took a 35-33 advantage into the halftime break.
The turning point of the game likely happened with just over six minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Dusters' quarterback Steve Panella was hit while attempting to pass at his 15-yard line and fumbled.
Spokane defensive lineman Jerome Stevens scooped up the ball and ran 7 yards for a touchdown that brought the Shock within 21-20.
Then on the kickoff to begin the third quarter Dusters' returner Donta Bright fumbled at his 18. Four plays later Spokane quarterback Alex Neist tossed a 11-yard TD pass to Antwone Savage to put the Shock on top 40-35.
Spokane's defense stopped the Dusters on the ensuing possession and Neist again hit Savage for a 17-yard TD that made it 47-35.
After that the team traded touchdowns the rest of the way.
ââOur fumbles caused a huge change of momentum,'' said Panella. ââWe had momentum early in the game because our defense stopped them on their first two possessions.
ââBut they got it back thanks to our turnovers. We played with them for the most part. We were able to match them touchdown-for-touchdown most of the game.''
Panella completed 16-of-27 passes for 194 yards and five TDs, with no interceptions. Again he was under constant pressure and was sacked four times.
ââI think we have proved to ourselves that we can put points on the scoreboard,'' Panella said. ââWe have lacked consistency on offense. Our defense played well for the most part. We had three stops and it still wasn't enough to get a win.
ââWe have to get more consistent on offense and keep from hurting ourselves with turnovers.''
Spokane, which won its fourth consecutive game by less than a touchdown, was led offensively by Neist and receivers Antwone Savage and Chris Stallworth.
Neist completed 24-of-42 passes for 304 yards and eight TDs, and like Panella did not throw an interception. Stallworth caught 10 passes for 134 yards and a pair of TDs while Savage had nine receptions for 98 yards and five TDs.
ââIt's become a learning curve for us,'' said Dusters coach Steve Perdue. ââWe have so many new players. We showed improvement in a lot of areas in this game, compared to our first two.
ââSpokane is a solid team, but they are also a team with more veteran players than us. They made more plays than we did, and they especially took advantage of our turnovers.
ââThey had no turnovers and we had two. And our two proved to be the difference on the scoreboard.
We just have to continue to improve and see what happens. We have played three highly-ranked teams in the league and I know we can play with them. It's a matter of execution.''
The Dusters will try to avoid an 0-4 start when they visit Oklahoma City on Saturday. They will return home to face Arkansas on May 6.
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