Wichita Knocks off Omaha to Host Salina in the Final
June 15, 2013 - Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL)
Wichita Wild News Release
WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita Wild (11-2) knocked off the second seeded Omaha Beef (10-3) Saturday night in Ralston Arena during the first round of the CPIFL playoffs with a final score, 31-25. Despite a slow start for both the Wild and the Beef in the first half, the game quickly grew in anticipation and excitement with four lead changes and neither team trailing by more than a touchdown for the majority of the game. Chris Hemphill and Joe Kassanavoid were the game changers, helping rally Wichita past Omaha on both sides of the ball. Hemphill ignited the Wild defense, tallying three critical interceptions and recovering the onside kick to end the game while Kassanavoid stabilized a volatile Wild offense with six catches totaling 75 yards and cashing in on two touchdowns for a Wild victory.
The Wild and Beef's first possessions each came up empty resulting in missed field goal attempts. On the Wild's second drive, they picked up a pair of first downs putting them in scoring position and finally cashed in on an eight yard touchdown pass from Hinds to Kassanavoid with an extra point good for a 7-0 Wild lead over the Beef. On Omaha's next possession, they quickly put together a drive to put themselves in Wild territory, but would not be able to convert before the first quarter came to a close.
The second quarter began with an optimistic second and goal for the Beef but the Wild foiled their plans with two consecutive stops, leaving Omaha settling for a field goal to make the score 7-3. On the first play of the Wild's next series, Hinds' pass was intercepted and cashed in for a touchdown on the Beef's first possession by James Stephens. A missed extra point would leave the Wild trailing for the first time in the game, 9-7. Although the Wild offense suffered another botched set of downs as a result of penalties, their defense stayed strong. With two consecutive stops by the Wild secondary, they were able to prevent the Beef from cashing in on their offensive struggle and giving the Wild offense another chance. Two huge catches from Kassanavoid and a carry from Hubbard put the Wild in good position to score, but with no avail as Fambrough missed a 37 yard field goal attempt leaving Wichita still trailing 9-7 and the Beef a chance to extend their lead just before the end of the half. Omaha, led by McNear, were able to put themselves as close as first and goal but a fumble all the way back to the 20 yard line would force them to attempt a field goal from 30 yards out. The kick missed left, but the Beef were able to maintain a slim 9-7 lead at the half.
With the third quarter underway and Omaha receiving, the Beef returned Fambrough's kick-off for 17 yards, giving them fair field position at their own 20 yard line. However, a roughing the passer penalty on Matt Moss would push Omaha into Wild territory with a first down. Just as it was looking like the Beef would extend their lead over the Wild, Chris Hemphill intercepted a critical pass off McNear, setting Travis Ribbing up for the opportunity to break a tackle on the next play that allowed him 29 yard run for a touchdown, allowing the Wild a 14-9 lead early in the quarter. Omaha continued to struggle to build a drive, as the Wild defense maintained its intensity which ultimately held the Beef to a missed field goal from 37 yards out. Although they came up empty, the Beef's luck would change on the Wild's next possession as Marquez Walton captured Hinds for a loss, which set up for a Beef drive that ended in a touchdown to claim an 18-14 lead. The Wild hit back on the next possession with 30 yard field goal by Fambrough that cut the Beef lead to one point. On Omaha's next possession, Hemphill snagged his second interception of the night, setting Rocky Hinds up to connect with Jarrel Kelly for a touchdown to reclaim a 24-18 lead at the end of an eventful third quarter.
Omaha assembled a decent drive but ended a half yard short on fourth down, letting the Wild take over on their own 16 yard line. Brian Murph caught a seven yard pass for a large gain followed by a catch by Simmons for a first down on the Omaha 21. Kassanavoid kept the drive alive with two consecutive catches but a fumble by Hinds on the goal line left Beef with a long field and a chance to capture the lead. Stephens was near scoring but fumbled just before he entered the end zone. The ball was recovered by Wichita but they were unable to convert, leaving the score 24-18. With pressure from the Beef defense, Hinds was nearly sacked, but he was able to escape and find Kassanavoid for a clutch 19 yard pass resulting in a touchdown to allow the Wild a 31-18 advantage with 1:30 left in regulation. With 20 seconds left, the Beef quickly cashed in on a drive for a touchdown and extra point to bring the score 31-25. Hemphill recovered the Beef's onside kick to end the game with a Wild 31-25 victory.
The CPIFL Championship, Champions Bowl 1, will be hosted in Hartman Arena next Saturday, June 22, with Wichita taking on the Salina Bombers; kickoff scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (CST). Tickets can be purchased beginning Monday via the Hartman Arena Box Office at 316.927.3999 or stage1tickets.com. The game can also be heard on 1410 AM KGSO in the Wichita area or streamed live on kgso.com. To follow the Wild's road to the CPIFL Champions Bowl visit www.wichitawildfootball.com and follow the team on Facebook and Twitter (@wichita_wild).
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Champions Professional Indoor Football League Stories from June 15, 2013
- Wichita Knocks off Omaha to Host Salina in the Final - Wichita Wild
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