Warbirds wings wobble; Tri-Cities wins, 64-42
Published on May 28, 2005 under National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Dayton Bulldogs News Release
KENNEWICK, Wash. Short-handed, but not down trodden, the Dayton Warbirds stuck to their game plan early, held serve through three quarters then saw a flameout in the final 15 minutes as the Tri-Cities Fever pulled away to defeat the winged visitors, 64-42, Friday night in a National Indoor Football League game.
It wasn't the long trek (2,916 miles) from Dayton, Ohio, to Kennewick, but it could have contributed to this gallant group of warriors' demise, despite rookie quarterback Kerrick Cooper's inspiring game.
Cooper, answered the bell when starter Steve Bellisari had a personal commitment and was not able to make this wondrous road trip that has the Birds playing the only back-to-back games in the NIFL this season.
As soon as the shower heads drip dry, the Dayton (6-4) took the 12 hour bus ride to Billings, Montana, for a game Saturday night against the Mavericks (3-5). Pizza boxes and soda's in hand.
Early Dayton Leads Evaporate
After holding leads of 7-6, 14-13, 21-13 and 21-19 in the first quarter, Dayton seemed all but comfortable without either Bellisari or running back Pepe Pearson, who was named this week as the head coach for the Daytona Beach Hawgs.
Head coach Matt King was allowed to carry a 25-man roster, then not dress three players for each of the two games. This was to give him some spare parts for the Columbia River fly-in.
As it turned out, Cooper, running back Keith Brooks and receiver Maurice Lee carried the offensive load.
Trailing 47-35 at halftime, after an exciting first half in which the Warbirds trailed on two occasions by five points, the third quarter netted almost the same result. The Fever led, 47-35, at the end of the 3rd quarter and only Lee's thrilling 46-yard kickoff return had Dayton with five points at the 12:24 mark.
Only a pass on fourth down with 8:24 left by the Fever's Ron Childs stopped the Birds long enough to give the Tri-Cities (6-4) bunch another score that pushed the lead to 57-35 with 6:52 left.
Lee, Brooks Carry Load
Taking his first regular-season snaps, Cooper was 9 of 18 for 64 yards passing with one interception and one touchdown. The 6-foot, 190-pound signal caller from West Virginia State University also ran 18 times for 49 net yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Brooks carried the ball 14 times for 78 yards and one touchdown, that was a 3-yard burst at 14:42 of the first quarter and gave Dayton a 14-13 lead.
Lee had 154 all-purpose yards including a touchdown by way of the run, pass and kickoff return. He had six catches for 50 yards, five kickoff returns for 100 yards and two rushes for four yards.
Defensively, lineman Brandon Tisdale blocked two extra point kicks and he and linebacker Joe Cooper had the veteran Fever quarterback Doug Coleman on the run for the first 45 minutes of the game. Cooper sustained a bruised calf muscle and sat out most of the second half.
Veteran Coleman Passing Holds Up
Coleman ended with 18 of 31 for 240 yards and seven touchdowns in front of a Fever friendly crowd of 3,200 at the Three Rivers Coliseum. Receivers Josh Jelmberg, Mike Rigell and Thomas Ford each had two TD catches.
Dayton led for all but the last 23 seconds of the first half. Brooks 3-yard run and a McClain kick gave the Warbirds their second lead of the game, 14-13 just inside 14 minutes of the 2nd quarter.
The Warbirds' special teams stepped up again and held the Fever at its own 1 yard line. Dunning was forced to attempt a 58-yard field goal, but 6-foot-3 defensive back Sam Crenshaw got in and the ball hit off his shoulder pad and the ball bounced into the stands.
That gave Dayton the ball on the 1-yard line at the 10:52 mark. Cooper kept the ball for the final yard on the second play from scrimmage and the McC McClain kick gave the ¬ËBirds a 21-13 margin at 10:14 of the second.
A Dunn 1-yard run with 7:53 left closed the Dayton gap to 21-19. The Warbirds then drove to the Tri-Cities 14 where they turned the ball over on downs. That drive consumed 6:14.
It took Coleman just two plays as he hooked up with Mike Regell for 16 yards and the score. That gave Tri-Cities a lead they never relinquished, 26-21 with 23 seconds left in the first half.
National Indoor Football League Stories from May 28, 2005
- Renegades win big - Rome Renegades
- Renegades win big over Morays - Miami Morays
- Warbirds wings wobble; Tri-Cities wins, 64-42 - Dayton Bulldogs
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