Swamp Foxes Blast Past Nighthawks, 68-44

June 7, 2003 - arenafootball2 (af2)
Charleston Swamp Foxes News Release


NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Behind career nights for quarterback Johnny Turman and receiver Joe Judge, the Charleston Swamp Foxes snapped their two-game losing skid with a 68-44 win over the Norfolk Nighthawks.

With the win, the Swamp Foxes improve to 4-5 on the season, while Norfolk falls to 5-4. The game also results in a season split between the two teams, with the Foxes earning the tiebreaker in head-to-head points.

One week after setting his career high for passing yards in a game, quarterback Johnny Turman raised the bar one more notch. The rookie signal caller completed 18-of-27 passes for 283 yards and a team-record tying eight touchdowns. Turman tied former Foxes QB Ray Isaac, Jr. who set the mark back in the 2001 season.

At halftime, Turman was a stellar 8-for-11 with five of the eight completions going for touchdowns.

Turman's favorite target on the night was receiver/defensive back Joe Judge. Back playing two-way after serving as the offensive specialist last week, Judge caught eight passes for a career-high 131 yards and three scores. He was also credited with four and a half tackles on the night en route to earning the game's Ironman Award.

Leroy McFadden moved to within two points of 100 for the season with his six catch, three-touchdown performance. He added a thunderous two-point conversion rush to lead all scorers on the night with 20 points, 18 of which came in the second stanza.

Defensively, Hosea Laney tied Judge with four and a half tackles and secured the game's only interception, picking off an Aaron Sparrow pass early in the fourth quarter. He also caught a pair of passes for 33 yards and his first career receiving score. Lineman Ufuoma Pela tallied two solo stops on the night, including a pair of sacks and three quarterback hurries.

Charleston jumped out to a 13-7 lead after the first quarter marking only the second time all season long the Foxes have led after one.

The second quarter proved to be a decisive one for the Swamp Foxes as they erupted for 24 points – three touchdowns and a safety – as they outscored the ‘Hawks 24-16 to take a 37-23 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, Norfolk pulled to within 10 points once late in the fourth quarter, 47-37. The Foxes answered, however, with a seven-play, 44-yard drive that culminated with a 14-yard TD strike Turman to McFadden.

The two would connect again with one minute remaining in regulation to seal the deal giving Charleston its second win over Norfolk in the seven-game series.

The Swamp Foxes hit the road next week as they travel north to face another divisional foe, the Richmond Speed. Game time is 7:00 pm and it can be heard locally on ESPN Radio, 1340 AM.

Charleston returns home on Saturday, June 21 to host the Macon Knights at the North Charleston Coliseum.



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