Tough Game for Beef in Playoff Quarter Finals
July 23, 2004 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Omaha Beef News Release
The Omaha Beef ended their 2004 season this past Saturday in Billings Montana after a tough loss to the Outlaws.
The game started out with a quick nine-yard touchdown pass from Danny Ragsdale to Jason Quinn to give Billings the 6-0 lead with just 4:20 on the game clock. But Omaha proved they were there to play. A 17-yard return by Lovell, followed by a 17-yard Burk pass to Lovell left Omaha with a first down on the Billings 15. Another Burk pass complete to A.J. Street put Omaha in the lead.
Street's touchdown was answered with three Ragsdale passes for a total of 32 yards. Quentin Cradle brought the ball into the end zone with a one-yard rush, followed by a failed Ragsdale point-after attempt. Omaha failed to gain a first down in their next possession and Chace Long attempted a 48-yard kick, which finished wide. The end of the first quarter left both teams stalled, with Billings ahead 12-6.
The second quarter started out much like the first. Danny Ragsdale threw his way into another touchdown, this time complete to Bryan Meier, to give the Outlaws an 18-9 edge. Omaha's next possession got them nowhere. Damon Benning returned the kickoff for two yards and former UNO quarterback Josh Luedtke came in as quarterback, completing a pass to Benning for two yards. Omaha failed to make their first down, which left Chace Long in another tough position. His 55-yard kick attempt was wide, and Ragsdale took over for the Outlaws. A 14-yard pass to Jason Quinn, followed by two more complete passes for 16 yards brought the Outlaws to the Omaha eight-yard line. But two incomplete passes and a sack by Dwayne Harris and Richard Johnson left them scoreless.
The Beef capitalized on Billings' missed opportunity. Burk completed a 42-yard pass to standout wide receiver A.J. Street for a touchdown, bringing Omaha within 2 points.
Billings answered back with an exciting play of their own. Jerry Jones returned Long's kickoff 24 yards, followed by a 26-yard Ragsdale pass to Jason Quinn for a touchdown.
The remainder of the second half was an all-out brawl. Omaha started out slow, with two incomplete Luedtke passes and a couple of minor rushes by James Johnson. Omaha got a break when Dusty Burk finished an eight-yard pass to Damon Benning for the first down. Billings attempted to stall, calling two timeouts, but a pass complete to Steve Lovell brought the Beef within two yards. Damon Benning ran the ball in for the touchdown, tying the score 24-24.
Omaha caught a break when Jerry Jones fumbled his kick return, which was recovered by Omaha's Charles Verdone. A 10-yard Luedtke pass to A.J. Street put Omaha in the end zone, 30-24.
Billings passed their way to the two-yard line with just 29 seconds remaining in the second quarter, but a time-out called by Omaha failed to distract the Outlaws. Ragsdale sent the ball to Cory Grow in the end zone to end the half, 32-30 Billings.
The Beef came out to a slow start in the third quarter, but a 27-yard pass to Lovell jumpstarted Omaha's offense. Dusty Burk rushed for 23-yards, followed by a nine-yard pass to Damon Benning, and Omaha was left in scoring position. A 36-yard pass complete to Street left Benning to finish what he had started. Benning rushed two yards for the touchdown, giving Omaha the lead once more.
Despite Omaha's excellent defensive effort, Danny Ragsdale proved too much to handle for the remainder of the third quarter. He completed five passes for 44 yards and two touchdowns. Omaha managed one more touchdown before the end of the third when Dusty Burk connected with Jonnie Ostermeyer for a three-yard touchdown. The end of the third quarter left the Outlaws with the lead, 46-43.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Chace Long attempted his third kick of the night, missing the 36-yard field goal and leaving Billings in possession. A 35-yard Ragsdale pass to Bryan Meier, followed by a 10-yard pass to Cory Grow cushioned Billings' lead, 52-43.
Chace Long finally got it right in the fourth quarter when failed attempts by Josh Luedtke left him within kicking range. Long nailed the 23-yard field goal with 7:44 left in the game. But Omaha couldn't manage to stop Danny Ragsdale. After an out-of-bounds kick by Long left Billings at the 25-yard line, Ragsdale hammered a 25-yard pass to Cory Grow for a touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion pass to Jason Quinn.
Omaha scored again after Josh Luedtke connected with Steve Lovell for a 25-yard touchdown. Billings countered with a touchdown of their own when more Ragsdale passes left Verna Owens in position to rush 14 yards for a touchdown.
Omaha would see their last touchdown when Luedtke finished a pass to Street for 21-yards followed by a successful Long kick, leaving Omaha just short of a win, 59-68.
Quarterback Josh Luedtke finished the night with 11 completions on 19 attempts, and 105 yards with three touchdowns. Dusty Burk also faired well, completing nine passes in 13 attempts for 126 yards and three touchdowns. In addition, Burk rushed for 47 yards in three carries.
Damon Benning was the leading running back for the Beef. After only suiting up for three games, Benning managed 11 attempts for six yards and two touchdowns. He also contributed four receptions for 10 yards. A.J. Street finished the game with six receptions for 121 yards and four touchdowns, while Steve Lovell managed 83 yards and one touchdown.
Charles Verdone led the Beef defensively. Verdone finished the night with nine solo tackles and two assists, while managing one tackle for loss and one fumble recovery. Brian Riley followed him, with 7.5 tackles, while Dwayne Harris, Justin Comstock and Donavon Laviness all contributed four tackles each.
For Billings, Danny Ragsdale supplied 25 completed passes of 32 attempts, with eight touchdowns. Jason Quinn led all Outlaw receivers, with seven receptions for 83 yards and three touchdowns. Cory Grow also had an impressive night with seven receptions for 74 yards and four touchdowns, while Verna Owens finished the night with eight rushes for 67 yards and one touchdown.
Andy Petek led the Outlaw defense, with 8.5 tackles and one tackle for loss. Jerry Jones and Anthony Bonner each contributed seven tackles for the win.
The Billings Outlaws will continue in the playoffs to face the number 1 seed, the Sioux Falls Storm in the Pacific Conference championships. For the first time in history, the winner of the Pacific Conference will host the NIFL championship game, set to be held the weekend of August 6, TBA.
NIFL Playoff Update
National Indoor Football League playoff action continues this weekend as the final four teams had into the conference finals. In the Atlantic, the Lexington Horsemen (10-4) travel to take on the Ohio Valley Greyhounds (11-3).
The Horsemen are 2-0 in post-season play after defeating the Atlantic City CardSharks and Houma Bayou Bucks in 2004 playoff action to date. Looking toward this weekend, Lexington has battled the Greyhounds a combined five times in two years, losing every meeting, including a loss inthe 2003 conference semi-finals.
Ohio Valley is 1-0 in post-season play after knocking off the Fort Wayne Freedom at WesBanco Arena on Saturday. The Greyhounds are vying for their third consecutive Atlantic Conference Championship as well as the chance to advance into their third consecutive Indoor Bowl.
The reigning two-time NIFL Champion Ohio Valley Greyhounds will take on the Lexington Horsemen this Saturday at 7:30 PM at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling WV.
In the Pacific Conference, the action is heating up as the Sioux Falls Storm (11-3) host the Billings Outlaws (11-3) at Sioux Falls Arena on Sunday afternoon. Both teams are 1-0 in the 2004 playoffs to date.
Billings advance to the Pacific Conference Finals after defeating Omaha Beef. With the return of quarterback Danny Ragsdale to the lineup, the Outlaws are looking to notch a win over a strong Sioux Falls team. Billings and Sioux Falls have met twice this season, sharing wins.
The Sioux Falls Storm knocked off the Utah Warriors over the weekend. The Storm is the team to beat, ranked as the to team overall in the Pacific and boast the strongest defense in the conference.
Pacific Conference Guaranteed a National Championship Game Host
The winners of the Lexington/Ohio Valley and Billings/Sioux Falls games will advance to Indoor Bowl Four as they play for the Johnson Memorial Trophy, named after former NIFL Operations Director Tina Johnson. The following scenarios will determine the host...
If Ohio Valley and Sioux Falls win... the game will take place in Sioux Falls on Saturday, August 7. This is due to the fourth tiebreaker based on best-combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed. Sioux Falls ranks 3 on offense and 1 on defense for a combined 4. Ohio Valley ranks 6 on offense and 1 on defense for a combined 7.
If Ohio Valley and Billings win... the game will take place in Billings on Saturday, August 7. This is due to the fourth tiebreaker based on best-combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed. Billings ranks 4 on offense and 2 on defense for a combined 6. Ohio Valley ranks 6 on offense and 1 on defense for a combined 7.
If Lexington and Sioux Falls win... the game will take place in Sioux Falls on Saturday, August 7. Sioux Falls has a better overall record than Lexington, with the Storm 11-3 in the regular season and Lexington going 10-4.
If Lexington and Billings win... the game will take place in Billings on Saturday, August 7. Billings has a better overall record than Lexington, with the Outlaws 11-3 in the regular season, and Lexington going 10-4.
What's Coming Up
Prime Dancer Tryouts â Interested in joining the Prime Dancer Team. If you would like to be added to the contact list for tryouts please e-mail Terri Ditzler at tditzler@beeffootball.com. We will be mailing registration forms in September for those on the list. Additional registration forms and information will be included in future Meat Wrappers and posted at www.beefffootball.com. Candidates must be high school graduates prior to the first 2005 regular season home game to be eligible for auditions. Minor participation will require parent/guardian permission.
Rump Roaster Tryouts â Do you have team spirit? Would you like to get the WAVE started at the game? Interested in interacting with the crowd? Do you BELIEVE home field advantage makes a difference? Not afraid to start cheers & chants or even dance once in a while? Do you know all the moves to YMCA? Then you are what we are looking for. If you would like to join the Rump Roaster team and be a driving force behind the noise then let us know. Please e-mail Terri Ditzler at tditzler@beeffootball.com. We will contact you with more information as details are finalized. There will also be additional information in future Meat Wrappers and posted at www.beeffootball.com.
National Anthem Auditions - If you are interested in auditioning to perform the National Anthem for our 2005 season and would like to receive a notice via USPS please send an e-mail requesting to be added to the contact list to tditzler@beeffootball.com. In the e-mail please include your name, mailing address, daytime phone number and e-mail address. If you represent a group please only include contact information for one individual. We are looking for soloists & groups, vocal & instrumental. More information with date & time will be posted as soon as the details are worked out. Look for auditions to take place in January or February of 2005.
Honor Guard Sign-Up - Omaha Beef Football is looking for groups to present our Nation's Flag at all 2005 home games. If you would like your group to be added to the list and considered please contact Terri Ditzler at tditzler@beeffootball.com. Final selections and assignments will be made in January 2005.
Half Time Sign-Up â We're looking for good half-time entertainment! Performers of all kinds should submit a video to for consideration. Please send VHS video to: Omaha Beef Football Administrative Office ATTN: HALF-TIME ENTERTAINMENT 1907 Harney Street Omaha, Nebraska 68102 Video will not be returned. Final selections and game assignments will be made in January 2005.
Player Tryouts - Want to play for the Omaha Beef? If you are interested in participating in the 2005 Omaha Beef Football tryout please contact Sandy Buda, Head Coach. If a prospective Omaha Beef player has college or professional football experience player biographies and/or game film may be sent to: Omaha Beef Football Administrative Office ATTN: Head Coach Sandy Buda 1907 Harney Street Omaha, Nebraska 68102 Biographies may also be e-mailed to Head Coach Sandy Buda at sbuda@beeffootball.com. Look for a registration form soon at www.beeffootball.com. Tryouts will be held before the end of 2004.
2005 Season Tickets â will be on sale soon! Current Season Ticket Holders will have first right of refusal for their seats and then all seats will be released. Deadlines and timelines are being worked on now! Please watch www.beeffootball.com for up-to-date information and an order form.
News & Notes
KNOLLS KICKOFF CLASSIC â Join Steve Lovell, Damien Bauman, Chace Long, Donavon LaViness, Damon Benning, Clinton Childs, Bob Wagner, Tony Veland, Jon Bostick and others from Omaha Beef Football for the Knolls Kickoff Classic on Saturday, July 31st. It's a 4-person scramble with an 8:00 AM Shotgun start. There will be one football player on each team for a 5th member. Package includes Dinner, Flag Prizes and more. For more information please call the Knolls Golf Course at 402-493-1740.
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National Indoor Football League Stories from July 23, 2004
- Tough Game for Beef in Playoff Quarter Finals - Omaha Beef
- Fireworks to conclude Greyhounds game - Ohio Valley Greyhounds
- Between the walls - OSC Original by Josh Stein
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