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Vigilantes Edge Soul, 58-41

July 2, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Dallas Vigilantes News Release


DALLAS, TX- Earning their fourth straight win in decisive fashion, the Dallas Vigilantes (10-5) defeated the Philadelphia Soul (5-11), 58-41, putting Dallas one step closer to clinching a National Conference playoff birth. Vigilante quarterback Dan Raudabaugh had a solid outing, going 20 of 29 for 253 yards and three touchdowns.

The win gives the Vigilantes their second four-game winning streak of the season and keeps them, for the moment anyway, at least two games ahead of the Spokane Shock (7-7) for the Conference's third playoff seed.

Dallas started the game with excellent field position, recovering a surprise onside kick in the opening kickoff. From there, Raudabaugh led the Vigilante offense on a four-play, 16-yard drive that was capped off by a Derrick Ross two-yard sweep to pay dirt.

But the Vigilante defense would also make sure it was heard early. Defensive end Justin Warren forced Soul receiver Keith Stokes to cough up the football, recovering the fumble in the end zone for a Vigilante touchback.

Acknowledging the defensive effort, Raudabaugh and the offense made Philadelphia pay, as the signal-caller through a 31-yard strike to receiver DeAndrew Rubin for six points. The score would put Dallas ahead, 14-0 with 10:02 left in the first quarter.

At 5:37, Philadelphia would finally get on the board, as quarterback Ryan Vena found Syvelle Newton on a 12-yard fade in the corner of the end zone.

Dallas answered in a hurry, though. Returning a 55-yard kick off for a touchdown last week against Tulsa, Vigilante defensive back Chris LeFlore did it again, this time taking 54 yards to the house. A missed Vigilante PAT would slate the score at 20-7, with 4:30 to go in the first quarter.

The Soul dipped into its bag of tricks before the quarter's end. To close out the first, Newton would throw a halfback pass to former Dallas Vigilante offensive lineman Ty Nsekhe, cutting Dallas' lead to 20-14.

Dallas ran into more bad luck to begin the second quarter, as defensive back Mike Brown picked off Raudabaugh in the end zone for a Philadelphia touchback. But the Soul's good fortune did not last long. Minutes after, Vena would be intercepted by Vigilante defensive back Jason Harmon, who returned the pick for a 25-yard touchdown.

"I just read what I saw," Harmon said. "I just decided to take a gamble and cheat off of my man a little bit and it paid off. We were relentless tonight. That was the key for our defense." In the ensuing Soul possession, another former Vigilante would help Philadelphia get back on the board. With 4:09 left to go in the first half, Vena found former Dallas receiver Larry Brackins for a six-yard touchdown reception. A missed PAT by kicker Jon Striefsky cut the Vigilante lead to 27-20.

But Dallas answered with a vengeance. Set up by a 43-yard reception by receiver Tiger Jones, Ross barreled through to the end zone for a two-yard run and his second touchdown of the night.

Vigilante Head Coach Clint Dolezel was not finished pouring it on the Soul. In the ensuing kickoff, Vigilante receiver John Ferguson recovered a Remy Hamilton onside kick, allowing Dallas to set up shop on its 17-yard line with under a minute left to go. A sack on Raudabaugh forced the Vigilantes to attempt a 30-yard field goal with seconds to go. The kick would miss just wide, slating the halftime score, 34-20, in the Vigilantes' favor.

The momentum kept rolling for Dallas to begin the second half. Making his second big play of the night, Warren intercepted Vena on the Philadelphia 16-yard line. The turnover would set up Ross' third rushing touchdown of night, increasing Dallas' lead to 41-20.

After a Soul touchdown, Dallas drove all the way to the Philadelphia four-yard line. The Soul defense held its ground, but Vigilante Hamilton still found a way to squeeze three points out it, nailing a 19-yard field goal through the uprights.

As a result of a 10-yard Jones touchdown reception to end the third quarter, Dallas began the fourth enjoying a 51-34 advantage. To add insult to injury, Raudabaugh and the Vigilante offense struck again in their first possession of the quarter. At 9:44, Raudabaugh found receiver Matt Fields on a 28-yard strike, Fields' first touchdown of the night.

"Our offense played well tonight, but our defense carried us," Jones said. "We had a great team effort tonight, and when you can have an effort like that in all three phases of the game, you will usually come out on top."

With under four minutes to go, Philadelphia drove to the Vigilante 25-yard line. But this was where the Vigilante defense put its foot down. Tallying Dallas' third interception of the game, Vigilante defensive back Keon Perry picked off Vena for his first interception of the game, returning the ball to the Dallas 11-yard line. From there, the Vigilantes controlled the clock and preserved the victory, defeating the Soul, 58-41.

Next up for Dallas is a tough road battle with the League-leading Jacksonville Sharks (13-2) on Saturday, July 9. The Sharks are 12-0 in the American Conference and will look to avenge their Saturday night loss to the San Jose Sabercats. Dallas has not defeated a team with a win percentage of .500 or more so far this season.

"We control our destiny from here," Warren said. "We just have to take things one game at a time and make sure we keep Spokane and Utah in the rearview mirror. If we can win out, we know we will be in the playoffs without a doubt. And once you're in the tournament, it's anyone's game. We just have to work hard and get ready for Jacksonville. One game at a time."

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