Stealth Downed by Battle Wings
June 23, 2002 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Wichita Stealth News Release
Bossier City, LA¾ As the saying goes, "sometimes that's how the ball bounces." For the Stealth the final bounce was wide left on an extra point attempt to tie the game with two minutes remaining. Wichita would run out of time and loose another heartbreaker on the road to the Bossier City Battle Wings 47-46 in front of 4,696 Battle Wing fans.
Things got off to a shaky start for the Stealth who fumbled the opening kickoff and eventually fell behind by 13 before Wichita got things rolling. Ron Lopez had another outstanding night completing 26 of 33 passes for 368 yards and six touchdowns. Lopez orchestrated a final drive that took only five plays before Lopez connected with Xavier Patterson on a screen pass. Patterson scrambled 20 yards for the score and pulled Wichita within one with 2:09 left in the game. Newly acquired kicker Phil Aguilar was unable to convert the extra point attempt and left Wichita trailing by one with 2:00 left. Bossier City would drive all the way down the field and run the clock out for the victory.
Penalties plagued both teams, but turnovers proved to be the difference. Wichita fumbled the ball five times. Bossier City would turn that into 21 points, and gain their seventh win of the season. Wichita lost its eighth game of the year and received even more bad news after finishing the game against Bossier City. The Louisville Fire defeated the Memphis Xplorers 51-50 and gained a full game on the Stealth, who lead the Fire by only one and a half games for the final playoff spot in the Midwest Division.
The Stealth were led by Patterson who caught seven passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Offensive Specialist Corey McCoy caught eight passes for 104 yards and one touchdown. Greg Kyler caught two touchdown passes, and Will Sullivan caught his first touchdown pass of the year.
Going into the contest Wichita new it needed to keep Bossier City quarterback Sherard Poteete in check. Poteete leads the league in rushing and is not shy about tucking away the ball to make a play on his own. Poteete did just that. He ended with 10 rushes for 47 yards and two touchdowns as well as passed for 228 yards and four touchdowns. The Battle Wings were led in receiving by both Larry Nixon with seven receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown, and Dennis Short with six catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns.
The Stealth somewhat hold their own destiny in their hands. Their next opponent is the Louisville Fire, whom the Stealth defeated two weeks ago 62-39 in the Kansas Coliseum. Wichita will travel to Louisville, Kentucky next week for their final divisional game of the season. The Stealth can extend their lead over Louisville as they look to secure the final playoff spot in the division.
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