Vegas Doesn't Pay Off for Avengers
by Tim Peterson
April 2, 2006 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
Los Angeles Avengers
(Las Vegas) - In a city where people come hoping to find a quick fix, the Los Angeles Avengers found only heartache in a 63-49 loss to the Las Vegas Gladiators Sunday at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Jason Fife was the slot machine that paid off for the Gladiators, throwing five touchdown passes and running for two more. Fife finished the day 21 of 36 for 261 yards and five scores. He also was intercepted twice but he wasn't hurt by the turnovers.
Former Avenger Joe Douglass was on the receiving end of two Fife scoring strikes and Aleric Clark also caught two touchdown passes. Clark returned the opening kick off 57 yards for a touchdown to get the Gladiators started.
Fife tossed three touchdown passes in the second quarter including a 29 yarder to Clark and a 33 yard toss to Coco Blalock. Douglass caught a short two yard touchdown pass early in the quarter and Las Vegas took a 34-23 lead into halftime.
Avenger quarterback Sonny Cumbie threw touchdown passes of nine yards to Kevin Ingram and 29 yards to Tony Locke to keep LA in the game.
In the third quarter the Gladiators turned up the pressure. After Cumbie found Greg Hopkins open down field for a 45 yard score to cut the lead to 34-29, Las Vegas cashed in the next two touchdowns. First Fife hooked up with Clark on a 39 yard bomb for six and then he did some damage with his legs.
The Gladiators defense stopped LA and Fife took advantage by ending a drive with a four yard TD run. The rushing touchdown put Vegas ahead by 19 and at this point an Avenger victory looked like a Mirage.
The Avengers made one last push. Ingram stepped in front of a Fife pass and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown with 4:20 left in the third quarter to slice the Las Vegas advantage to 48-42. But LA ran out of chips and that was as close as the Avengers got.
Fife hit the jackpot in the fourth period. He rushed for a three yard score and then he found Treasure Island again when he connected with Douglass on a 25 yard winner.
For the Avengers Cumbie finished 18 of 37 for 261 yards and six touchdowns. Ingram and Locke each had two TD receptions but it wasn't enough.
The Avengers, who have been a little down on their luck all season, fell to 3-7 with the loss while Las Vegas has broken even improving their mark to 5-5.
LA 10 13 19 7 49
LV 13 21 14 15 63
Passing: LA - Cumbie 18-37-261-6-0, LV - Fife 21-36-261-5-2.
Total Yards: LA- 254, LV- 326.
Arena Football League (1987-2008) Stories from April 2, 2006
- Vegas Doesn't Pay Off for Avengers - OSC Original by Tim Peterson
- Gladiators sack Los Angeles 63-49 - Las Vegas Gladiators
- SaberCats topple Rattlers, 61-49 - San Jose SaberCats
- Preds drop Chicago, 55-27 - Orlando Predators
- Orlando defense shuts down Rush, 55-27 - Chicago Rush
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