Week four af2 game recaps

Published on April 21, 2008 under arenafootball2 (af2) News Release

FRIDAY, APRIL 18

Lexington Horsemen 41, MAHONING VALLEY THUNDER 35 (Attendance: 3,408)

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - For the second time in three weeks, the Mahoning Valley Thunder suffered a setback in the closing moments of the game. Eddie Eviston's 32-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Chad Spencer as time expired gave the visiting Lexington Horsemen a 41-35 victory Friday night. After scoring 28 points in the first half, the Thunder offense stalled in the second half, only scoring on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Josh Swogger to Clenton Rafe, which gave Mahoning Valley a 35-34 lead. That score would hold up until the final play. Mahoning Valley has lost three straight games after winning its season opener, while Lexington won its second straight contest. Thunder quarterback Mike Schneider started his first game of the season and rang up 176 yards through the air on 18-of-36 attempts with three touchdowns. Schneider was also intercepted twice. He was injured in the fourth quarter and did not return, forcing Josh Swogger to finish out the game. Swogger performed well, completing 4-of-7 passes for 27 yards and a touchdown. Henry Tolbert had seven catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns for the Thunder, while Clenton Rafe scored twice in his Mahoning Valley debut. For Lexington, Eviston completed 15-of-28 passes for 188 yards and four touchdowns. Spencer led all receivers with 88 receiving yards and three touchdowns on six receptions. Horsemen DB William Mulder was named ADT Defensive Player of the Game with 3.5 tackles, two fumble recoveries (one recovery TD), one interception and three pass breakups. The Horsemen are now 3-1 on the season while the Thunder slipped to 1-3.

Albany Conquest 64, MANCHESTER WOLVES 54 (Attendance: 6,536)

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Albany QB Dan Cole passed for 256 yards and five touchdowns as the Conquest beat the Manchester Wolves, 64-54, and spoiled the season home opener for the Wolves at Brady Sullivan Field at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Wolves QB Brian Jones completed 24-of-34 passes for 394 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions in his debut as Manchester's starter. Jones also had one rushing touchdown. Three different Wolves receivers had over 100 yards receiving. Bradly Chavez and Emery Sammons each had three TD receptions. The Wolves, however, lost their home opener for the fourth time in the team's five seasons in Manchester. Penalties and turnovers were the Wolves undoing as they were flagged 16 times for a loss of 105 yards and lost two fumbles that set up two second half Albany touchdowns. Manchester trailed by only one touchdown at halftime (27-33) but then the Conquest tacked on three unanswered touchdowns with help from two Wolves fumbles for a 54-27 advantage with just over three minutes left in the third quarter. Manchester (1-2) was able to put 20 points on the board with three unanswered touchdowns of its own late in the fourth quarter but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback. The Conquest improved to 2-1 and broke a six-game losing streak on Manchester's home field. Albany WR Antwun Williams had a game-high 156 yards receiving on 10 catches with two scores. Clarence Curry (6.5 tackles, 1 FR) and Brandon Taylor (2.5 tackles, 35-yard fumble recovery TD) stood out defensively for the Conquest. Wolves' rookie LB Dwan Wilson had 4.0 tackles and a game-high 2.0 sacks.

SATURDAY, APRIL 19

SOUTH GEORGIA WILDCATS 55, Green Bay Blizzard 48 (Attendance: 5,000)

ALBANY, Ga. - After new starting QB Andrico Hines hit WR Antwone Savage for a 27-yard touchdown pass with 42 seconds left to play in the game to give the South Georgia Wildcats a 55-48 lead, DL Joe Woolridge sacked Green Bay QB Shane Adler for the third time of the night as the clock wound down to zero to give the Wildcats their third win of the year. South Georgia's win was even more impressive considering the way the game started. The Blizzard scored the game's first 17 points on a 33-yard field goal by Bob Forstrom, a 50-yard missed goal for a touchdown by Nate Green and a fumble recovery in the end zone by Anthony Crissinger-Hill. Green Bay would go on to take a 31-13 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 33-yard TD reception and a 6-yard TD run both by WR Steve Gonzalez. Following the first quarter, it would be all South Georgia as they outscored Green Bay 34-7 from the start of the second quarter until the 7:39 mark of the fourth. Hines who was seeing his first action with the Wildcats this season finished the night 21-of-33 for 220 yards, five TDs and one INT but was sacked five times by Green Bay defenders. Hines found Savage for seven receptions, 75 yards, and three TDs. QB Shane Adler struggled in the final three quarters against a tough Wildcats defense to finish the night 12-of-28 passing for 229 yards, three TDs and two INTs. Woolridge was Adler's main nemesis with three sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and 5.5 tackles. Scott Burnoski led all Blizzard receivers five catches for 94 yards and one touchdown. P.J. Berry continued his impressive play for South Georgia with 198 all-purpose yards, one receiving TD and a 56-yard kickoff return TD.

Arkansas Twisters 39, CORPUS CHRISTI SHARKS 27 (Attendance: 4,139)

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - For the second consecutive week the Corpus Christi Sharks were held scoreless in the third quarter of play as the visiting Arkansas Twisters (1-2) came back from a 20-point halftime deficit to defeat the Sharks 39-27 in front of 4,139 fans at Radiology Associates field inside the American Bank Center Saturday night. Corpus Christi (2-2) took a 20-0 lead into the halftime break but allowed Kyle Rowley to throw three of his four touchdown passes in a 26-point third quarter for the Twisters. Rowley finished the game 22-of-34 passing for 252 yards and one interception and connected with Jon Schoonover 11 times for 122 yards and three scores, including the go-ahead touchdown with 1:22 left to play. The Sharks defense played a nearly flawless game, coming up with five stops and holding the Twisters to 39 points, 12 below their season average. Three second-half turnovers by the Sharks offense, however, and some untimely penalties were too much for the Sharks to overcome. WR Jonathan Graham led the Sharks with eight receptions for 69 yards as Corpus Christi totaled just 191 yards of total offense, 64 fewer than their season average. WR/DB Ivory McCann led the team with two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving). Tracy Belton led Arkansas' defensive effort with 5.0 tackles, one interception and one pass breakup while Tito Hannah was also a playmaker with a 36-yard interception return touchdown.

LUBBOCK RENEGADES 48, Texas Copperheads 46 (Attendance: 3,160)

LUBBOCK, Texas - After Lubbock QB Robert Kent rushed in a last minute score to tie the score at 46-46, he then connected with OL Moqut Ruffins for a two-point conversion to beat the Texas Copperheads, 48-46, Saturday night at City Bank Coliseum. For the third straight week, the Renegades started off down 14 points before coming alive with a 40-yard pass from Kent to WR Alvance Robinson which would spark a 27-0 run by the Renegade offense. The Copperheads defense held the Renegades to a season low of 46 points. That did not slow down the Kent/Robinson connection, as the duo hooked up for three touchdowns and 100 yards, including a 45-yard bomb in the second quarter. Texas regained the lead with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter. The two-point conversion by Ruffins and the Renegades' clutch defense closed the door on the Copperheads. DB Virgil Gray picked off Texas QB Rudy Carlton's "Hail Mary" heave with 1:07 left to play to seal the victory. The Renegades (3-0) were able to run out the clock to achieve their third-straight win. Texas, which slipped to 0-4, was led by Armar Watson, who amassed 201 all-purpose yards (3 rush, 75 receiving, 101 kick returns, 22 missed field goal returns) and two touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 receiving). Keith Holden led the Copperheads with 5.0 tackles, including two for loss.

Iowa Barnstormers 53, QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS 38 (Attendance: 5,238)

MOLINE, Ill. - The Iowa Barnstormers took the Pilot Wheel & Prop trophy for the first time with a 53-38 victory over the Quad City Steamwheelers Saturday night at the i wireless Center. A pair of former 'Wheelers helped key Iowa to its first victory. A 55-yard kickoff return by former Tim Dodge to put the Barnstormers up 37-31 with just under four minutes remaining in the third quarter, followed by a Jack Walker Jr. interception to set up a 29-yard field goal with five seconds remaining in the quarter sealed Quad City's fate. Joe Brannen, the newly named starting quarterback for the Barnstormers, finished the game with four touchdowns and 190 yards on 15 completions. His favorite target was Dodge, the Schutt Offensive Player of the Game, and Robert Kilow. Dodge finished with a touchdown and 65 yards on five catches, while Kilow tallied 75 yards and a touchdown on four catches. Defensively, Walker (U.S. Army Ironman of the Game) and Tanner Varner had two picks each. Daniel McLemore had a game-high 6.5 tackles and one interception. Raterink threw for 267 yards and four touchdowns and five interceptions on 17 completions. Jesse Schmidt caught three of the touchdowns and had 156 yards on eight catches. Defensively, Tyus Jackson tallied four tackles for a loss and three sacks. Quad City slipped to 2-1 overall.

TULSA TALONS 70, Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz 34 (Attendance: 6,495)

TULSA, Okla. - The Tulsa Talons scored early and often to take out their in-state rivals from Oklahoma City with ease, 70-34, Saturday night at the Tulsa Convention Center. The Talons broke a team record for consecutive wins over two seasons. It was their 12th straight, counting eight in a row from last season. Tulsa scored on seven straight possessions in the first half to build a 49-13 halftime advantage. WR Jeff Hughley caught three touchdowns in the opening half while Jamar Ransom scored twice (one TD run, interception return TD on a pass he batted to himself). The two teams played even in the second half with three scores apiece. For the third straight home game, Tulsa never trailed and won by a margin of 36 or more. The Talons have won sixth straight head-to-head meetings with the Yard Dawgz and lead the Turnpike Series 8-4. Ransom had an impressive all-around effort with two interceptions, one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery and 4.5 tackles to earn the U.S. Army Ironman of the Game Award. DB Oliver Fletcher stepped in for an injured Jon Holland and made the most of his first action of the season, logging five pass breakups and four tackles. He was part of an effort that held Yard Dawgz six-year veteran receiver Al Hunt to three catches for 24 yards and one touchdown. QB Justin Allgood threw for 193 yards and six TDs for the Talons to earn Schutt Offensive Player of the Game honors. Oklahoma City starting QB Evan Gray struggled against the Tulsa defense, completing just 14-of-36 passes for 148 yards and four touchdowns and one interception. Chris Archie led the Yard Dawgz receiving corps with nine catches for 97 yards and one score. The Talons improved to 4-0 on the season while Oklahoma City slipped to 1-2.

Amarillo Dusters 53, BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT BATTLEWINGS 45 (Attendance: 4,467)

bossier city, La. - The Amarillo Dusters defeated Bossier-Shreveport, 53-45, Saturday night in front of 4,467 fans at the CenturyTel Center. The usually defensive oriented BattleWings could only muster one defensive stop in the game against the Julian Reese-led Dusters offense. While the Amarillo QB didn't post gaudy numbers, he was the model of efficiency completing 22-of-33 passes, including two touchdown passes, while controlling the pace of the game by controlling the clock. The Dusters offense held onto the football for 39:19 compared to the BattleWings 20:41. Bossier-Shreveport QB Gary Cooper and company kept the game close as they kept fighting back to stay within seven points of the Dusters. On the evening, Cooper was 17-of-28 passing with an interception and seven TD tosses. WR Chavis McCollister caught seven passes for 110 yards and four TDs and WR Manwell Talbert added another six receptions for 68 yards and three TDs. Defensively, Bossier-Shreveport was led by DB Kenneth Williams who accounted for 14 total tackles. Amarillo's top offensive player of the evening was FB/LB Donte Newsome, who tied an af2 single-game record with five rushing touchdowns. DB Terick Thomas was a standout on defense with 2.5 tackles, one interception and one pass breakup. The Dusters victory was their third in a row after beginning the season with a loss at Tulsa. The BattleWings dropped to 2-2 in defeat.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 74, PEORIA PIRATES 26 (Attendance: 3,964)

PEORIA, Ill. - The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers pounded the Peoria Pirates 74-26 at Peoria's Carver Arena. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton took advantage of a flood of Peoria turnovers to spoil the Pirates home opener in front of 3,964 fans. The Pioneers defense forced six fumbles and two interceptions, including an interception on the Pirates opening drive. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton QB Ryan Vena promptly put the ball up and into the hands of WR Rich Musinski for a 41-yard score. The Pioneers never trailed after that. Vena would put the ball in the air 27 more times throughout the night, going 19-for-28 for 209 yards with five touchdowns before giving way to backup Matt Schabert late in the game. Vena did get picked off twice, but the Pioneers offensive line did not allow a single sack. Vena's main targets were Musinski and WR J.J. Outlaw. Outlaw had eight catches for 91 yards and two TDs. Musinski caught seven passes for 82 yards, including the aforementioned 41-yard catch - the longest score of the night. Another major contributor on offense for the Pioneers was FB Jason Acquye, who had 10 rushes for 19 yards and a pair of scores. Peoria QB Justin Rascati was able to tally 197 yards under pressure (3 sacks), going 16-for-30 with one interception on the opening drive and two touchdowns. Donald Carrie replaced Rascati in the fourth quarter, throwing for 75 yards and a score as well. Rascati favored WR Phillip Brock, going to him 14 times for 158 yards. Brock, WR Brian Jackson, and WR Davin Dennis all caught touchdowns for the Pirates. Dennis also ran back a kickoff return 54 yards for a touchdown. The Pioneers defense was swarming. WR/LB Larry Kendrick returned three fumbles for scores for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and caught a touchdown pass. Tutu Ferguson and Justin Parrish each had four tackles and Parrish and Troy Blackwell each had a sack. For the Pirates, James Thornton had 8.0 tackles and an interception as well.

TENNESSEE VALLEY VIPERS 41, Louisville Fire 30 (Attendance: 3,386)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Tennessee Valley Vipers came in to Saturday night's game with the Louisville Fire looking for their first win of the season after starting 0-3 for the first time in team history. Thanks to the efforts of receiver Maurice Brown, Tennessee Valley got the job done, winning 41-30 over the Fire. The Vipers struck first with a Brent Dearmon 22-yard touchdown pass to Gary Elliott and the Vipers never looked back. Louisville battled back throughout the first half and tied the game with 7:55 remaining in the second quarter. Tennessee Valley drove down and had a chance to go ahead at the half, but a Nick Hayes 23-yard field goal attempt was wide right and the game remained tied 20-20 at the half. Louisville got the ball to begin the second half but their drive stalled inside Vipers territory and the Vipers took over and went on a six-play drive and took over the lead 27-20 with a Travis Blanchard 2-yard touchdown run. The Vipers again held the Fire out of the end zone on their next drive and found the end zone once again when Dearmon found Alonzo Nix to give the Vipers a commanding 34-20 lead. The Fire would get within one score when Aaron Marshall found Lonnell Dewalt for a 13-yard touchdown pass and Louisville climbed to within seven, 34-27. Fire K Danny Kight knocked home a 24-yard field goal with 4:52 remaining in the game, but Dearmon again found Brown in the end zone with a 4-yard touchdown pass for the Vipers with five minutes remaining in the game, and that was enough for Tennessee Valley to secure the victory. Brown finished with a game-high 11 catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Leading the charge defensively for the Vipers was DB Demetrius Derico with 8.0 tackles and two pass breakups. Desmond Foster also impressed with 1.0 tackle, one interception (40-yard return) and one pass breakup. Louisville veteran DB Matt Forbes added to his af2 all-time leading interception total with No. 36 against Tennessee Valley in addition to his five tackles. The Vipers improved to 1-3 on the season while the Fire fell to 2-2.

BOISE BURN 74, Tri-Cities Fever 28 (Attendance: 5,140)

BOISE, Idaho - Boise recovered the opening kickoff for a touchdown setting the tone in a game that was dominated by the home team from start to finish as the Burn starved the Tri-Cities Fever, 74-28. Terrance Sanders became a fan favorite in the first 5:45 of the first quarter after scoring a TD on special teams and returning a Jason Campbell interception 50 yards for a TD, giving Boise the early 14-0 lead. Following a Larue Burley 6-yard TD reception for Tri-Cities, the Burn score 26 unanswered points. Casey Allen scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 17-yard strike from rookie QB Royal Gill. Gill followed that up with a 1-yard TD run. George Williams (Schutt Offensive Player of the Game) scored the first of his three TDs with 4:58 left in the second quarter. LB Levi Madarieta (U.S. Army Ironman of the Game) made it 40-6 after picking off Campbell at the 1-yard line and lunging into the end zone for a TD. Madarieta also finished the game 6-of-11 on PATs on special teams and 3.0 tackles on defense. The Burn would outscore the Fever 26-14 in the final 30 minutes the game. Williams moved to within 40 points of tying Magic Benton for the af2's all-time scoring lead (980 points) with his 3rd TD run of the year and another TD reception that put the game away in the fourth quarter. Williams also moved to within eight receiving touchdowns of tying Benton's all-time mark of 167. Boise improved to 2-1 while the Fever slipped to 0-3.

Central Valley Coyotes 62, STOCKTON LIGHTNING 27 (Attendance: 3,802)

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Lightning (1-3) surrendered 28 consecutive points in the first and second quarter, falling to the Central Valley Coyotes (2-1) in a 62-27 defeat before a crowd of 3,802 at Stockton Arena on Saturday in Week 4 of arenafootball2 play. Central Valley QB Joe Ayoob led the offense with seven touchdown passes, parlayed with 192 passing yards and a 14-for-18 passing rate. Lightning backup QB Joe Micco, replacing Chad Elliott due to illness (flu), managed four touchdown passes along with 231 passing yards in his first professional start. Ayoob and WR Jomo Wilson connected for a 25-yard TD reception and Damian Walker followed with a two-yard dash to give the Coyotes a 14-0 lead out of the gate with 8:51 left in the first quarter. The Lightning fell into a 28-0 hole before finally getting on the scoreboard into the middle of the second quarter, when Micco unleashed 44-yard bomb to Thyron Lewis on a slant pattern, and the Lightning cut the deficit to 28-7 with 8:06 left. Ayoob then connected on a 42-yard bomb to Nichiren Flowers with 5:37 left in the second quarter to expand Central Valley's lead to 35-7 and Flowers followed with a one-yard sprint to complete a 28-point second quarter, as the Coyotes built a 42-7 lead at the half. The second half was more evenly played, but Central Valley's first half explosion was just too much to overcome. The Lightning have dropped 6-of-7 all-time meetings against the Coyotes. Donyell Booker (3.0 sacks) and Wes Borba (2 interceptions - 1 INT return TD, 1 fumble recovery) were menaces on defense for Central Valley.

SUNDAY, APRIL 20

Florida Firecats 55, DAYTONA BEACH THUNDERBIRDS 26 (Attendance: 2,038)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - QB Chris Wallace passed for 191 yards and five touchdowns and the Florida Firecats built an insurmountable first half lead to coast to a 55-26 victory over the Daytona Beach ThunderBirds. Daytona's loss disappointed the crowd that showed up to watch the ThunderBirds second game under new Head Coach Gary Compton. WR Chris McKinney caught nine passes for 64 yards and three touchdowns for the Firecats (3-0), who were held even in the second half by the ThunderBirds. Daytona Beach WR Toris Rutledge caught a game-high 11 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown for the ThunderBirds (0-4). Daytona Beach lost its fourth game in a row. ThunderBirds QB Steven Moffett came in for Scott Jefferies and passed for a season high 111 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort. Florida went into the half with a 35-6 lead. DB Carlos Campbell paced the Firecats on defense with 5.5 tackles, one fumble recovery and two interceptions. Larry Edwards was another standout on the defensive side with 5.0 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one blocked kick. Adrian Wilson contributed two sacks to the Daytona Beach defense. This was the first meeting between the two Florida-based squads.

AUSTIN WRANGLERS 35, Rio Grande Valley Dorados 33 (Attendance: 2,733)

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Wranglers secured their first victory of the 2008 season, beating the Rio Grande Valley Dorados, 35-33, Sunday evening at the Frank Erwin Center. Rio Grande Valley kept the contest close throughout the entire 60 minutes, but was unable to convert a two-point conversion and on-side kick attempt with under one minute remaining in the game. After three quarters the game was deadlocked at 21-21. The two teams began the fourth quarter by trading fumbles in their opposing red zones, but both came up short. Rio Grande Valley scored the first points of the quarter on a 26-yard connection from QB Travis Cole to WR Jermaine Carpenter. Dorados K Dustin Bell, however, was not able to convert the extra point thanks to Austin's Estus Hood, who blocked the kick. Austin was able to answer back, moving the ball the length of the field, with QB Andy Hall finding Mel Long for their third score of the game. International kicker for the Wranglers Keita Iizuka nailed the extra point, giving the Wranglers a 28-27 lead. The Dorados were getting desperate as they were driving down the field, but hometown favorite DL Barrett Dallmeyer recovered a fumble to give the Wranglers the ball back. This led to a quarterback sneak to go ahead in the game, as Hall took the ball one yard for the touchdown. Iizuka made the extra point, scoring the Wranglers final points of the contest. On one final push, Rio Grande Valley's Cole found WR Eddie Jackson for a 23-yard touchdown, but the offense was unable to convert the two-point conversion, ending the Dorados' hopes. Hall finished 29-of-38 passing for Austin with 208 yards and four touchdowns with one interception and one rushing score. Cole completed 19-of-32 passes for Rio Grande Valley and finished with 263 yards, two touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. Hood was a force up front for the Wranglers with two sacks and two blocked kicks. Austin improved to 1-3 on the season while the Dorados dropped to 1-2.

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