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Talons Blow out Bossier City

July 26, 2003 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Tulsa Talons News Release


Quarterback Craig Strickland threw for 226 yards and six touchdowns as the Tulsa Talons finished the regular season in dominating fashion with a 66-36 route over the Bossier City Battle Wings on Friday night at CenturyTel Center.

The Talons (13-3) defeated the Battle Wings (3-13) for the fourth time in five meetings and kept their hopes alive for home-field advantage throughout the National Conference portion of the af2 playoffs.

Strickland, the Talons' career-passing leader, was named Most Valuable Player of the Game for the eighth time this season.

Following a Battle Wings touchdown on their first possession, Strickland wasted no time in finding Mitch Allner for a 24-yard touchdown pass to even the score, 7-7. Allner caught another touchdown pass on the following possession to give the Talons a 14-7 lead, which they never relinquished.

The Tulsa defense bent but never broke in the first half while allowing the offense to build a lead. Allner made a key defensive stop in the first quarter intercepting a Payton Perrett pass at the Tulsa five-yard-line. Allner, the 2002 af2 Offensive Player of the Year, earned his sixth Ironman of the Game award of the season and now leads the Talons with four interceptions on the season.

Talons kicker Tony Dotson booted a 53-yard field goal to put the Talons up 17-7 going into halftime. It was Dotson's fifth time this season to kick a field goal of 50 or more yards. In the second half, Strickland hooked up with Al Hunt and Shon King on touchdown passes of five and 25 yards, respectively, to increase the lead to 31-7. Following a Battle Wings touchdown, Strickland again found Hunt for a second time at the start of the fourth quarter to make the score 37-14.

Both teams combined for 57 points in the final period of play as Bossier City attempted a late rally. Bossier City wide receiver Val Morris finished with four touchdown receptions on the game and Perrett finished with 292 yards passing and five touchdowns with one interception. But the Talons quick-strike offense was too much for the Battle Wings.

Strickland found Tacoma Fontaine for a 12-yard touchdown and added another himself as he scored on a one-yard sneak with time winding down in the fourth quarter. Another big defensive play for Tulsa came when defensive lineman Billy Clapper tackled Perrett in the Battle Wings' end zone for his first sack and safety as a Talon.

Tulsa quarterback Michael Wall also scored his first points as a Talon accounting for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Wall connected with Fontaine on one score and also scored on a three-yard run to close out the scoring.



Arena Football League Stories from July 26, 2003


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