Vena Leads Conquest Past Wolves, 54-51
Published on July 26, 2003 under arenafootball2 (af2)
Albany Firebirds News Release
Albany QB Ryan Vena scored from 2-yards out with no time on the clock, minutes after he set the af2 single season record for passing yards, to lift the Conquest to a 54-51 victory over the Mohegan Wolves, in front of 6,385 fans at the Pepsi Arena Saturday night.
Vena, the Game's MVP, completed 21-of-35 pass attempts for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Vena finished the 2003 season with 4,452 passing yards, eclipsing the old mark of 4,417 set by Jon Nielson (Arkansas) in 2000.
Offensive Specialist Corey Hill caught a game-high 11 passes for 139 yards and a season-high three touchdowns. Hill finished the season with 159 receptions, two short of his pro football record for receptions in a single season, but enough to lead the entire af2 for the second straight season.
Albany jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter on a Rich Ehmke field goal and led 10-7 at the end of the first quarter when Vena ran in his first of three rushing touchdowns on the night, this one from 3-yards out.
The Wolves would counter in the second with a Mel Long touchdown reception and an Akeiff Staples 1-yard run. Albany answered in the same period with Hill's 12-yard touchdown catch, a Schree Lewis 5-yard run and another Ehmke field goal, to enter the locker romms at halftime with a 27-20 lead.
The Conquest would be outscored 19-7 in the third period. Long hauled in his second of three scoring receptions, while LaJohn Jones and Anthony Comer each added touchdowns of their own, getting the Wolves ahead 39-34 with fifteen minutes to play.
Vena began the final period with a 1-yard plunge getting Albany back on top 41-39. Long caught a 22-yard Greg Smith pass with 12:06 to paly in the game and Mohegan led 45-41. Hill's 6-yard scoring reception gave the Conquest a 48-45 lead, but Comer caught his second touchdown of the night, giving Mohegan a 51-48 lead with 2:23 left, settin the stage for a final effort by the Conquest offense.
Vena found Hill three times on the final drive and got the ball to the Mohegan eight yard line with 3.9 seconds left in the game. An incomplete pass was washed away by a Wolves defensive pass interference call, giving Vena one more shot at the win. Vena dropped back with no time on the clock, but when the Mohegan linebacker followed Hill into the endzone it opened up a lane for the quarterback to carry the ball two yards for the game-winning touchdown.
It was the fourth time Vena has led a fourth quarter comeback this season and the tenth time he has been named the Game MVP.
With the loss, Mohegan failed to clinch a first-round playoff game and will unofficially travel to either Cape Fear or Florida based on tonight's af2 action.
The Conquest have a first round playoff BYE and will host a second round playoff game on Sugust 9th at the Pepsi Arena. The opponent will be decided during next week's first round.
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