Steeldogs can't conquer Knights
July 10, 2005 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Alabama Steeldogs News Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Lionel Hayes completed 20 of 26 passes for 291 yards and six touchdowns to lead the Macon Knights to a 68-51 over the Birmingham Steeldogs in front of 6,528 fans at the BJCC Arena.
The Knights improve to 6-7 on the season; still intent on earning a bid in the 2005 af2 postseason. The Steeldogs fall to 1-12.
Birmingham enjoyed a 30-13 lead late in the second quarter, as Herman Bell scored three first half touchdowns to pace the Steeldogs receiving corps. Macon narrowed to advantage to ten points at the one-minute warning as Hayes nailed Chris Johnson from four yards out, making the score 30-20.
With just seconds remaining before halftime, following a missed fourth-down conversion attempt by Birmingham, Macon sneaked into the end-zone once again as Hayes called his own number on a two-yard plunge, pulling the Knights within four points at 30-26.
The Knights held Birmingham scoreless through the third quarter, while pouring on 22 more unanswered points. The Steeldogs roared back in the fourth, paced by two one-yard touchdown runs by Kamau Jackson. But it was simply too little, too late for the Steeldogs, as Macon milked the fourth quarter clock and put the game away.
Milas Randle and Herman Bell each had monster games at the receiver position. Randle pulled down seven passes for 111 yards, while Bell caught six balls for 100 yards. Quarterbacks Roger Linn and Thomas Ricks combined to go 24 of 37 for 277 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
The game's Offensive MVP was Macon's Lionel Hayes, while the ADT Defensive Player of the Game was the Knights' Matt Jackson. Birmingham's Kamau Jackson won the U.S. Army Ironman of the Game award.
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