Jacksonville: Terry Lewis (40)
Alabama: Clifton Brown (90) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Texans come up
short, 17-16 |
|
|
|
|
|
| George
Breazeale - Austin American-Statesman |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Austin's third bid to come from behind was inches off the
mark and Houston edged the Texans, 17-16, in the teams' American
Football Association Southwest Division opener at Nelson Field
Saturday night.
Quarterback Mike Washington, who stayed fresh on the sideline
until late in the third quarter, guided a 68-yard Austin scoring
march to put the Texans ahead, 16-14, early in the final period
- but his fourth-down pass down the middle to receiver Kim Watts
was inches out of reach with two minutes left and the Armadillos
ran out the clock to preserve the victory.
Superb defense by such Texans as Elvis Shaw, Rodney Greene, L.C.
Cole, Dave Hansen, Tommy Cox, John Hopson and 170-pound
linebacker Arthur Attwood kept the losers in contention all the
way - but two critical third-down plays in the second half swung
the verdict to Houston.
Houston's 235-pound quarterback, James Montgomery, hit wide
receiver Anthony Brigham on a four-yard cut-in touchdown pass on
third down to produce a 14-8 Armadillo
lead late in the third quarter. |
|
Washington, the Texans' offensive backfield coach, then
came in to replace starter Wade Kirk and guided Austin 68 yards
in nine plays, with running back Ricky Caldwell breaking the
final 23 yards off tackle for the touchdown.
After the conversion snap was fumbled, kicker Ward Bailey
picked up the ball and threw to Greene for two points and a
16-14 lead with 13:05 left in the game.
Houston then moved from its own 34 after the kickoff.
Montgomery, wilting under a third-down pass rush by Attwood,
dumped a flat pass to running back Paul Hood, who darted 32
yards down the sidelines to the Austin 14. On fourth and four
from the Texan 8, Jerry Maltz sent through a 25-yard field goal
for the winning margin with 7:24 left in the game.
Washington twice picked up critical yardage on scrambles
after Austin took the kickoff at its 33, his last 11-yard run
netting a first down at the 'Dillo 31. But Caldwell lost one,
two passes went incomplete and Watts couldn't reach the fourth
down effort which would have carried inside the Houston 20.
Austin lodged the game's first offensive |
|
threat, riding the runs of Caldwell and Leonard Brantley and
Kirk's passes to receiver Wayland Gay, to a first down at the
'Dillo 10. A potential scoring pass to Watts was broken up by
Houston's James Bailey and Bryan Bailey was wide left on a
27-yard field goal try.
A short Austin punt set up Houston at the Texan 35 early in
the second quarter and Hood, Billy Cook and Wayne White rammed
the distance in five plays, with White going the final 11 yards
up the middle and Maltz converting for a 7-0 lead.
Attwood brought the Texans to life by blocking a Houston
punt at the 'Dillo 8, and after Brantley picked up four,
Caldwell cut off left tackle for four and the score. He
duplicated the run for the two-point conversion and an 8-7 lead.
Caldwell, a 200-pound Southwest Texas State product, led
all rushers with 87 yards on 14 carries and Brantley had 54 on
17. Hood led Houston with 68 on 16 and Washington collected 36
on only four trips. Brigham led the receivers with nine catches
for 74 yards. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Houston |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Austin |
|
0 |
|
8 |
|
0 |
|
8 |
|
- |
|
16 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
HO |
|
AU |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ?
- ? |
|
? - ?
- ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| HO |
|
White 11 run (Maltz kick) |
| AU |
|
Caldwell 4 run (Caldwell kick) |
| HO |
|
Brigham 4 pass from Montgomery
(Maltz kick) |
| AU |
|
Caldwell 23 run (Greene pass
from Bailey) |
| HO |
|
Maltz 25 field goal |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Houston: Mark Glover (??)
Austin: Ricky Caldwell (44) |
| |
 |
| Austin: Ward Kirk (12) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Geminis open
season with a 34-13 defeat |
|
|
|
|
|
| Vic Carucci -
Buffalo News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Gene Zinni coached part of this game from the press box. He
swore it was because it gave him a better view of the action,
but the feeling among some people in War Memorial Stadium
Saturday night was he wanted to put as much distance as possible
between himself and the Buffalo Geminis.
To his credit, Zinni was standing on the sideline for the second
half of the Geminis' pathetic 34-13 American Football
Association season-opening loss to the Racine (Wis.) Gladiators.
In the stands, 1,326 people were listening to their voices
bounce off about 39,000 empty seats.
"We had never seen this team before, so I was sort of
scouting them from upstairs," Zinni said. "At halftime (with the
Geminis trailing 14- |
|
0), the players asked for me to be on the sideline to give them
more direction. I'll stay on the sideline from now on. I've got
to be there to make adjustments."
The Gladiators' first two touchdowns came on passes of
three and 25 yards from quarterback Joe Grenfenhauer to tight
end Dan Brunner and running back Greg Johnson.
The Geminis cut the margin to 14-6 in the third quarter on
a two-yard touchdown run by fullback Eric Gadley, who finished
the game with nine carries for 79 yards.
Buffalo had an excellent opportunity to pull within a point
shortly thereafter when Racine punter Chris Schnell got a bad
snap and had to run the ball, giving the Geminis possession at
the Gladiators' 38. |
|
But on first down, a George Pachucy pass skidded off the
finger tips of Domenick Lettieri and into the hands of Racine's
Daryle Herrick.
The Gladiators, with the help of a pass interference call
and a roughing penalty on Buffalo's Riley Washington, then drove
to the Geminis' one, from where Joe Rodriquez scored to make it
20-6.
A 31-yard touchdown run by Johnson and John Branch's
20-yard scoring run after recovering a botched lateral by
Pachucy gave Racine a 34-6 advantage.
With less than two minutes left in the game, Buffalo
defensive lineman Lynn Rusch intercepted a pass at the two and
took it in for a touchdown. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Racine |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
13 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
34 |
| Buffalo |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
13 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
RA |
|
BU |
| First downs |
|
16 |
|
8 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
28 - 121 |
|
28 - 150 |
| Passing yards |
|
223 |
|
69 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
15 -
32 - 1 |
|
9 -
23 - 2 |
| Punts - avg |
|
3 - 40 |
|
7 - 25 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
0 - 0 |
|
1 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
10 - 60 |
|
4 - 56 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| RA |
|
Brunner 3 pass from Grafenauer
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Thompson 15 pass from
Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick) |
| BU |
|
Gadley 2 run (pass failed) |
| RA |
|
Rodriguez 1 run (kick blocked) |
| RA |
|
Johnson 31 run (Lindskoog
kick) |
| RA |
|
Branch 26 fumble recovery
return (Lindskoog kick) |
| BU |
|
Rush 2 interception return
(Perry kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Buffalo: George Pachucy (19)
Racine: Rich Lafford (69) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Canton Bulldogs
beaten by Roanoke in opening game |
|
|
|
|
|
| Milan Zban -
Akron Beacon Journal |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
"We won the statistical war, but lost the battle," said
Canton Bulldogs' coach Bob Commings.
"All I'm interested in is the final score," said Commings'
counterpart Gary Falon of the Roanoke (Va.) Valley Express after
they downed the Bulldogs 13-6 in the season's opener for both
American Football Association teams at the Rubber Bowl Saturday
night.
A crowd of 4,100 didn't see much offense by either team. The
defense put all the points on the board.
The Express got both its scores via interceptions and both came
within the final 3:41 of the first half.
The Bulldogs finally got on the board after the Express stopped
them four times on their 1-yard line when defensive tackle Harry |
|
Forepaugh recovered an Express fumble in the end zone.
Linebacker Brent Modic stripped the ball loose from Express
quarterback Rick Hackenberg and Forepaugh was there to fall on
the ball for the six points.
The Bulldogs' score came with the Express already up by 13
points by virture of the scoring splurge just before the half.
Canton's only TD came with 13:05 remaining in the fourth period.
Express defensive back Terry Palmer, who was called for a
personal foul which put the ball on the Bulldogs' 17, made up
for his error on the very next play when he came up with an
interception and returned it 38 yards to the Canton 39.
A play later Hackenberg floated a pass over |
|
the middle to Marvin Seals who caught it and raced to the Canton
5-yard line where he was hauled down from behind.
Hackenberg rolled out to his right on the next play and
found Seals open in the end zone for the game's first score.
Chip Lundy's extra point kick was good.
With 2:11 left in the half, defensive back Walt Bellamy
intercepted a Bob Commings' pass intended for Lindsay Latson on
the sidelines near the Bulldog bench and ran down the sideline
61 yards for another touchdown.
Modic tackled extra point holder Vance Price who tried to
run with the ball after a high snap from center, but the Express
still carried a 13-0 lead into the locker room. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Roanoke |
|
0 |
|
13 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
13 |
| Canton |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
RO |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
7 |
|
17 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 46 |
|
? - 122 |
| Passing yards |
|
83 |
|
98 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
10 -
22 - 3 |
|
12 -
39 - 3 |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
13 - 135 |
|
4 - 40 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| RO |
|
Seals 5 pass from Hackenberg
(Lundy kick) |
| RO |
|
Bellamy 61 interception return
(run failed) |
| CA |
|
Forepaugh recovered fumble in
end zone (kick failed) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
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| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
West Florida Sun
at
Carolina Storm
May 29, 1982
- Memorial Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Smith, Turner pace
Storm to 62-7 victory |
|
|
|
|
|
| David Scott -
Charlotte Observer |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Florida Sun took the hint. After the first play from
scrimmage in the Sun's American Football Association game
Saturday against the Carolina Storm in Memorial Stadium, it was
down a touchdown.
Knowing it was outclassed, the Sun folded right up for Carolina,
and the Storm cruised to a 62-7 victory in its season opener,
before 3,414 fans.
The Storm got on the board quickly. With less than 30 seconds
elapsed. Carolina quarterback Ellsworth Turner lofted a 59-yard
touchdown pass to Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith.
Then it got on with the crushing.
Turner's strike to Smith was was the first of seven touchdown
passes he threw, breaking an AFA single-game record. Turner, who
completed 18 of 25 passes for 260 yards, held the old record of
six.
Three of the touchdowns went to Smith, who caught four passes
for 89 yards. Smith, who played with the AFA's Carolina Chargers
in 1979, then went to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons for two seasons,
wants to play in the Canadian Football League this year. He will
play with the Storm until something comes up in Canada. |
|
"It was great throwing to Reggie again," said Turner, whose
six touchdown passes gave the Storm a 42-0 lead at halftime.
Things went easily for Turner, Smith and the Storm. In
fact, the toughest part of the game might have been figuring out
who was playing for whom.
Both teams had to wear white jerseys, because the Storm's
green jerseys haven't arrived yet and the Sun didn't bring its
red shirts. The teams' helmets and pants were different colors -
Carolina had yellow helmets and pants, Florida wore all white -
and that, it seemed, was enough to tell the difference.
The ease with which the game was won was a surprise. The
Storm's talent was evident beforehand because most of the
players had been with the Chargers when they were league
runners-up in 1979 and 1980. But the team had been practicing
together for only two weeks.
"We might have played better than I thought we would," said
Storm coach Eddie Joyce. "I really felt we weren't going to be
this sharp. It's probably the best we've looked."
Said Smith: "This team evidently enjoys playing on
Saturday. We really came together." |
|
The game's first play set the tone. After that, it was just
a matter of how large the spread would be. Ray Ellis, for one,
wanted it bigger.
Ellis, an offensive lineman, played last season for Johnson
C. Smith, which lost one game 82-0 to S.C. State.
"I wanted 82 tonight," said Ellis.
The Storm probably could have gotten it. It led 21-0 at the
end of the first quarter, on additional scoring passes to Jeff
Thompson and Smith. Turner hit Lonnie Harris, Thompson and Smith
in the second quarter.
Florida got its only touchdown in the third quarter, when
Rupert Bennett caught a 68-yard scoring pass from Eddie
Williams.
Then Turner got his seventh, and record-breaking, scoring
pass, finding Thompson from 8 yards.
After that, ex-Appalachian State quarterback Steve Brown
took over and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to James Crowder.
Carolina finished its scoring on a 16-yard run by Thompson, who
played college football at Minnesota and finished the game with
four touchdowns. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| West Florida |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Carolina |
|
21 |
|
21 |
|
13 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
62 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
WF |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
6 |
|
20 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 30 |
|
? - 299 |
| Passing yards |
|
144 |
|
265 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
14 -
30 - 5 |
|
20 -
29 - 0 |
| Punts - avg |
|
2 - 38 |
|
9 - 33 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
0 - 0 |
|
0 - 0 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
9 - 120 |
|
5 - 65 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Smith 59 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Thompson10 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 15 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Harris 35 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Thompson 10 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 5 pass from Turner (Blum
kick) |
| WF |
|
Bennett 68 pass from Williams
(Sullivan kick) |
| CA |
|
Thompson 8 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Crowder 12 pass from Brown
(kick failed) |
| CA |
|
Thompson 16 run (Blum kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Carolina: Emmett Hamilton (45) |
| |
 |
|
Carolina: Ellsworth Turner (15) |
| |
 |
|
Carolina: Reggie Smith (??) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Pride opens with
40-9 victory |
|
|
|
|
|
| Earnest Reese -
Atlanta Constitution |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
After struggling with their opponent for the entire first
quarter of their American Football Association regular-season
opener at DeKalb Memorial Stadium Saturday night, quarterback
Anthony Flanagan and his Georgia Pride teammates hit the airways
for four second-period touchdowns and coasted to a 40-9 victory
over the Tallahassee Statesmen.
A crowd estimated at 3,000 saw the 6-3, 210-pound Flanagan throw
for four touchdowns within a span of seven minutes and 40
seconds to rally the Pride from a 3-0 deficit to a 28-3 halftime
lead.
Flanagan, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 190 yards in the
first half, threw seven yards to tight end Larry Powers for the
Pride's first touchdown. |
|
After a five-yard penalty assessed against the Statesmen on
the ensuing kickoff, the Pride successfully executed an on-side
kick. Two plays and 40 seconds later, Flanagan went up top to
wide receiver Mike Frazier for a 33-yard touchdown.
With the Pride's defense bottling up the opposition's every
offensive avenue, Flanagan found former Georgia receiver Gene
Washington slanting across the middle for a 25-yard touchdown,
followed less than three minutes later by a 13-yard scoring pass
to Mike Dowdell.
Flanagan ran only one time, for a two-yard touchdown in the
third period, and sat out most of the fourth period after having
completed 16 of 30 passes for 234 yards and |
|
those four touchdowns.
Statesman interim coach Steve Hardin, who Thursday night
coached his Lincoln High football team in a spring jamboree game
back in Tallahassee, sent out a seemingly inspired team against
the Pride. The Statesmen were the hardest-hitting team on the
field in the first period, when they took a 3-0 lead on
placekicker Mike Cox's 34-yard field goal with 8:34 left in the
opening quarter.
In the second period, however, the Statesmen, who ended up
with minus one yard total offense in the first half, found
themselves short of enthusiasm and long on inability to contend
with Flanagan's passing. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Florida |
|
3 |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
9 |
| Georgia |
|
0 |
|
28 |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
40 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
FL |
|
GA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ?
- ? |
|
? - ?
- ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| FL |
|
Cox 32 field goal |
| GA |
|
Powers 7pass from Flanagan
(??? kick) |
| GA |
|
Frazier 33 pass from Flanagan
(??? kick) |
| GA |
|
Washington 25 pass from
Flanagan (??? kick) |
| GA |
|
Dowdell 13 pass from Flanagan
(??? kick) |
| FL |
|
Wilson 51 pass from Wooden
(kick failed) |
| GA |
|
Flanagan 2 run (???) |
| GA |
|
??? (???) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Wranglers bomb San
Antonio, 31-7 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Luke Johnson -
Mesquite Daily News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Though they had to wake from some first a half offensive
doldrums, the Texas Wranglers got untracked in time Saturday
night to take a 31-7 victory over the perennially tough San
Antonio Bulls and start off the American Football Association
season with a 1-0 record.
While the offense was experiencing problems, it was the
Wranglers' defense that was equal to the task, swiping seven
interceptions off the arms of Bulls passers Pete Przyborowski
and Richard Avery. The former gave up five interceptions, while
the latter suffered two. The big man in the secondary was Rod
Gerald, who swiped three Bulls' aerials, but recording the
biggest play of the evening was Chris Middleton.
With the Wranglers trailing 7-3 late in the first half,
Middleton stepped in front of wide receiver Thomas Whittier and
sped 80 yards with an interception to set up a go-ahead
touchdown, giving the Wranglers a lead they would never
relinquish.
"The defense showed a lot of poise hanging in there the way they
did in the first half to keep us in the game," said head coach
Rusty Talbot.
The defense had to overcome some early adversity to
accomplish the task, after a blocked Wranglers punt gave the
visiting team a 7-0 first quarter advantage. Gayle Grant, back
to punt deep in his own end of the field, was |
|
put under heavy pressure and had his kick blocked by 260-pound
Ken Mills. Paul Peveglio got the handle on the bouncing ball on
the Texas 16 and went in untouched to open the scoring.
Texas struggled through most of the first half, finding it
hard to obtain rushing momentum. A running attack which a week
earlier had been able to grind out huge chunks of yardage
managed a meager 12 yards on the ground in the first two
periods. Fortunately, the Wranglers defense held San Antonio to
even less, giving up only nine yards.
In the second quarter the Wranglers finally got on the
scoreboard after seeing a drive die deep in San Antonio
territory. When the offense found it could move the ball no
further than the Bulls' seven, Grant came in to nail a perfect
24-yard field goal to cut the margin to 7-3.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Middleton's
heroics set up the go-ahead touchdown. Przyborowski and
Whittier, who had teamed up for five first half passing
connections, tried one time too often. Whittier ran an "out"
pattern, which Middleton diagnosed perfectly, stepping in front
of the receiver to pick off the pass at the Wranglers' 17 and
lugging it all the way to the San Antonio three, stopped as much
by the exhausting heat as by the closing Bulls tacklers. |
|
The Wranglers made short work of it from there, as running
back Henry Bush banged across from the three for the score.
Grant added the PAT to make it 10-7.
A leaping third quarter reception by the Wranglers' Mark
Owen set up the next Texas score. Joel Briscoe, seeing his first
season action in the game, carried in from the 13-yard line and
Grant again converted for a 17-7 advantage.
The passing game got into the act for the next Wrangler
touchdown. Quarterback Welby Ina, using a host of receivers,
moved the ball crisply downfield to the Bulls' two-yard stripe.
Bootlegging to his left, Ina drew defensive pressure and lobbed
a perfect two-yard strike to Leonard Medlock in the end zone,
pushing the Wranglers in front 24-7.
On the final scoring drive by the Wranglers, Ina mixed up
the offensive calls, balancing the passing attack and running
game to move into scoring position. Medlock, who would finish
the night with 35 yards on the ground, got the biggest chunk of
it in the drive.
The Wranglers' offense carried the drive to the Bulls' 23,
and with the defense anticipating a pass, Medlock took a
handoff, swung to his right and turned on the speed for a
23-yard TD. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| San Antonio |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Texas |
|
0 |
|
10 |
|
7 |
|
14 |
|
- |
|
31 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
SA |
|
TX |
| First downs |
|
17 |
|
19 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
32 - 49 |
|
43 - 144 |
| Passing yards |
|
121 |
|
134 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
13 -
32 - 7 |
|
12 -
28 - 0 |
| Punts - avg |
|
4 - 36.3 |
|
7 - 37.1 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - 0 |
|
? - 3 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SA |
|
Paveglio 8 blocked punt return
(Vega kick) |
| TX |
|
Grant 24 field goal |
| TX |
|
Bush 3 run (Grant kick) |
| TX |
|
Briscoe 12 run (Grant kick) |
| TX |
|
Medlock 2 pass from Ina (Grant
kick) |
| TX |
|
Medlock 24 run (Grant kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Texas: Leonard Medlock (??),
Joel Briscoe (??), RobertNealy (73), Randolph Morton (74) |
| |
 |
Texas: Leonard Medlock (46),
Tony Brown (47)
San Antonio: Ken Mills (??) |
| |
 |
Texas: Henry Bush (33)
San Antonio: Ken Mills (??) |
| |
 |
| Texas: Leonard Medlock (??),
Welby Ina (??) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Virginia Chargers
at
Charleston Rockets
May 29, 1982
- Laidley Field - |
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
|
| |
| Chargers routed
71-7 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Richmond
Times-Dispatch |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Mike Tyson and Mike Bailey scored three touchdowns each as
the Charleston Rockets routed the Virginia Chargers 71-7 in
their American Football Association regular season opener last
night. |
|
Tyson got two of his touchdowns in the first quarter, on a
64-yard punt return and a 99-yard kickoff return, and one on an
80-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
Bailey also scored two of his touchdowns in |
|
the first quarter, on 4-yard and 6-yard runs. His third
touchdown came in the second quarter on a a 3-yard run. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Virginia |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Charleston |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
71 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
VA |
|
CH |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ?
- ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Alabama Magic
at
West
Florida Sun
June 5, 1982
- UNKNOWN - |
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
|
| |
| Magic thumps
Florida |
|
|
|
|
|
| Birmingham News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Alabama Magic ran its American Football Association
record to 2-0 Saturday night with a 33-0 win over Florida before
an estimated crowd of 500 persons.
Two former Auburn stars, quarterback Charlie Trotman and
end Mark Robbins |
|
accounted for two of the Magic's touchdowns. Trotman scored on a
1-yard run, and Robbins caught a 36-yard pass from Mark Cahill.
Other Magic points came on a 2-yard run by Carl Stephens, a
13-yard run by Roy Jones and a 5-yard run by Patrick Carrington.
Ed |
|
Strickland converted three PATs and had two blocked.
The Magic plays again at 7:30 Saturday night in Anniston
against the Tallahassee Statesman. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Alabama |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
33 |
| West Florida |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AL |
|
WF |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ?
- ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
West Florida: Woodie Smith (12) |
| |
 |
|
West Florida: Eddie Williams (10) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Austin Texans
at
Shreveport Americans
June 5, 1982
- Independence Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Americans roll
past Texans |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ron Higgins -
Shreveport Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Austin Texans head coach Ben Dial pointed at the line on
the final statistical sheet following the Shreveport Americans'
rousing 52-13 American Football Association win Saturday night
at Independence Stadium.
"That," said Dial fingering the line which showed Shreveport's
passing yardage at 368, "was the difference."
The Americans turned a 21-13 game early in the third quarter
into an absolute rout and the basic reason was the play of
quarterback James Mosley.
Mosley came off the bench in the second quarter and finished the
night completing 13 of 18 passes for 212 yards and two
touchdowns.
His second scoring pass, covering six yards to tight end Gregg
Lazzaro with 2:24 left in the third quarter, got the Americans
back on track again after quarterback Mike Washington personally
led a Texans comeback.
Washington guided his team 75 yards in 15 plays following the
second half kickoff and scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak
to pull his team within 21-13.
But Mosley came back with his scoring pass to Lazzaro, added a
one-yard touchdown run himself and turned the controls over to
another reserve, Ken Smith.
Smith helped the Americans get in position for a 49-yard Jerry
Pope field goal, a one-yard scoring run by Smith himself and a
two-yard TD run by Ron Jones to close out a 24-point fourth |
|
quarter.
"Our offense just got untracked the second half," said
Shreveport head coach Tom Rushing, winning his first game as the
Americans boss. "Mosley had some great play selection and
followed it up by playing super."
The win evened Shreveport's record at 1-1 on the year and
the Americans host Houston next Saturday night at 8 in
Independence Stadium. The Texans dropped to 0-2.
Shreveport's offense sputtered for the most part during the
first quarter with Robin Wasson handling the quarterback
controls. But the Americans finally got things together on their
third possession, going 63 yards in eight plays for the game's
opening score.
Two key plays along the way were a Wasson to Reggie Brock
14-yard pass which put the Americans in Austin territory at the
Texans 40 and a defensive holding penalty on Austin on a play in
which Wasson had a pass intercepted.
Helped by that good fortune, Wasson four plays later lofted
a 32-yard scoring pass to Edwin Scott. Scott had beaten two
Austin defenders to the left corner of the end zone and caught
the ball through a maze of hands. Jerry Pope kicked the extra
point for a 7-0 Shreveport lead with 2:09 left in the quarter.
Austin never threatened in the opening quarter for two
reasons. One was a stout Americans defense and the other was the
Texans tried to rely on a running attack which |
|
only netted 32 yards in eight attempts.
The Americans got an offensive lift on their first
possession of the second quarter when Mosley, who suffered
through a terrible performance as the starting quarterback in
the season-opening 20-18 loss last week in Tulsa, started
hitting receivers all over the place.
Mosley, completing four of five passes for 79 yards of an
85-yard, eight-play scoring drive, took the Americans into the
end zone with 10:10 left before the half. The score came on a
19-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Wells. Pope's kick made it
14-0, Shreveport.
The Americans added another touchdown five plays into
Austin's ensuing drive when strong safety Keith Alexander cut in
front of a pass from Austin's Bryan Bailey and returned it 43
yards behind a wall of blockers for six more points. Pope added
the extra point for a 21-0 Shreveport margin with 7:16 left
before halftime.
At this point, Austin figured it had to do something
offensively and went with the veteran Washington, who had been
on the coaching line.
With Washington completing two passes in as many attempts
for 53 yards and Shreveport contributing a pass interference
penalty (against American defensive back Mike Back) in the end
zone on Texans receiver Waylon Gay, Austin got on the
scoreboard. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Austin |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
13 |
| Shreveport |
|
7 |
|
14 |
|
7 |
|
24 |
|
- |
|
52 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AU |
|
SH |
| First downs |
|
17 |
|
21 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
41 - 118 |
|
20 - 83 |
| Passing yards |
|
174 |
|
368 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
10 -
23 - 3 |
|
21 -
37 - 1 |
| Punts - avg |
|
5 - 38 |
|
1 - 43 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 0 |
|
2 - 0 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
12 - 85 |
|
7 - 72 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SH |
|
Scott 32 pass from Wasson
(Pope kick) |
| SH |
|
Wells 19 pass from Mosley
(Pope kick) |
| SH |
|
Alexander 43 interception
return (Pope kick) |
| AU |
|
Washington 1 run (Bailey kick) |
| AU |
|
Washington 1 run (kick failed) |
| SH |
|
Lazarro 6 pass from Mosley
(Pope kick) |
| SH |
|
Mosley 1 run (Pope kick) |
| SH |
|
Pope 49 field goal |
| SH |
|
Smith 1 run (Pope kick) |
| SH |
|
Jones 2 run (Pope kick) |
|
|
 |
| Shreveport: Robin Wasson (12) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Buffalo Geminis
at
Virginia Chargers
June 5, 1982
- Manassas Park High School - |
 |
|
| |
| Less than 200 see
Chargers lose home opener at MP |
|
|
|
|
|
| Bob Groves -
Woodbridge Potomac News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The American Football Association's (AFA) Virginia Chargers
kicked off their homestanding 1982 football sea- son bowing to
the Buffalo Geminis 17-6 Saturday at Manassas Park High.
Playing on a rain soaked field with dense fog rolling in, the
Chargers provided the small, but enthusiastic crowd of less than
200 the opportunity to watch professional football.
Charger owner-coach Bob Shaws' squad bounced back from a 71-7
thumping a week ago against West Virginia and came out in the
second half to get back into the ball game, after falling behind
10-0 in the first half.
The Geminis scored first on a field goal from Joe Perri from 25
yards out, followed by a long drive that resulted in a 2-yard
touchdown by fullback Eric Gadley over right tackle. Gadley, a
6-foot, 210-pounder, ran at will against the Chargers defense
throughout the evening.
The Geminis scored its touchdown after an interception by Frank
Grzechowiak on an Eddie Cox pass that was intended for Larry
Gholson.
Shaw was naturally disappointed that his team wasn't able to hit
the big play when it had to, but felt his team had made a lot of
progress after last week's debacle.
"We felt that after we made some adjustments at halftime we
could make the big play to put us back in the game," Shaw said.
"Instead we had to settle for the two field goals |
|
which only put us down by four points.
"But then we had them backed up (third and twenty-three),
they hit the big play."
The big play Shaw referred to was a touchdown pass by
George Pachuchy, a product from the University of Delaware, to
Dominic Lettieri.
The Chargers bright spot on offense was the kicking by
George Claffey who connected on two field goals from 21 and 15
yards. Cox was one for 24 with four interceptions, but many
passes were on the money. With the field so slippery, the
receivers really didn't have a fair chance to grab and hold onto
the ball before being hit.
Furthermore, Shaw was disappointed by the small turnout,
but he feels with the team having another week to advertise
itself that better fan support will be coming. It wasn't until
Thursday that the Chargers had a home field set after efforts to
play at other sites were unsuccessful.
This is also the first season of play in the AFA for
Buffalo, played in the Mid-Atlantic Football League finishing in
third place with a record of 5-5.
Each team in the league plays a ten-game schedule followed
by playoffs for the league championship. Eighteen teams are
split into three separate divisions with six teams in each. The
two point conversion is also in effect which |
|
can make many games interesting.
Many NFL and CFL teams have players trying out and signing
from the AFA. The Carolina franchise has four players trying out
with the Washington Redskins. They are Willie Holly from Eastern
Carolina and John Stoutamire from Livingstone College. Both are
defensive backs. Frank Carr of North Carolina A&T and Tony Suber
of Gardner Webb College, a 6-4, 285-pound defensive tackle, are
trying out with the Redskins.
Former New York Giants quarterback Jerry Golsteyn played
last season with the AFA's Orlando franchise, but this season he
will be returning to the NFL to play for the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers.
Playing under better conditions, the Chargers (0-2) may get
added support from the area. The AFA has brought attention to
the NFL and CFL, and a good case in point was the Shreveport
Steamer attracting 100,- 000 fans during all home games,
including 20,000 in their season finale in its first year in the
league.
The Chargers will entertain Wisconsin this Saturday at
Manassas Park in its quest to win their first AFA regular season
game.
Tickets for all games will be $5 for adults, and $4 for
children. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Buffalo |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Virginia |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
BU |
|
VA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
V |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Virgina: Eddie Cox (16) |
| |
 |
| Virginia: Harvey Banks (3) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Bulldogs lose 12-6
to Racine |
|
|
|
|
|
| Akron Beacon
Journal |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
The offense failed to produce a touchdown for the second
week in a row as the Canton Bulldogs dropped a 12-6 decision to
the Racine Gladiators here Saturday night. |
|
Canton managed only two fourth-quarter field goals by Les
Petroff as it fell to 0-2 in the American Football Association.
A week ago, the Bulldogs dropped their opener to Roanoke, 13- |
|
6, scoring only on a fumble recovery in the end zone.
Canton's next game is Saturday against the West Virginia
Rockets in Charleston. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Canton |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
6 |
| Racine |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
12 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CA |
|
RA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Storm stomps
Statesmen |
|
|
|
|
|
| Gerald Ensley -
Tallahassee Democrat |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Proving for the second week in a row that good football
teams are not born overnight, the Florida Statesmen went down to
the Carolina Storm 30-0 Saturday night at Capital Stadium.
In what might, most of the night, have passed for a gang fight,
the Statesmen crossed midfield only once, fumbled twice and were
assessed 67 1/2 yards in penalties. In a tribute to the
difficulties of assembling an offense in less than a month, the
Statesmen's longest time of possession was 3:40. The closest
they came to a score was a missed 43-yard field goal by Mike
Cox.
The loss gave the Statesmen an 0-2 record in their inaugural
season in the American Football Association. Team officials were
unable to offer a crowd-count, but an optimistic guess would put
the number of spectators at 2,000. The Storm improved its record
to 2-0. "Same story as last week," said Statesmen head coach
Steve Hardin. "The defense was great; I don't think we've been
outhit in two games.
"But we've got to get some offense. Nine points in two games.
We've just got to score more."
While Hardin praised his defense, particularly defensive back
Robert Linton, nose guard Harrell Oliver and linebacker Larry
McPherson, the Storm had little nice to say about the
Statesmen's defense.
Much of the Storm's criticism stemmed from a play late in
the second quarter. With his |
|
team leading 10-0, Storm receiver Reggie Smith was racing down
the sidelines in pursuit of a pass from quarterback Ellsworth
Turner. Just before the ball reached Smith, Statesmen defensive
back Dwayne Johnson clotheslined Smith. Johnson, who appeared to
make no attempt to intercept the ball, defend- ed his tackle,
which sent Smith off the field for several minutes.
"It was a fair shot, a clean hit," said Johnson. "He was
going for the ball. I couldn't get to the ball, so I went
through him."
Smith, who spent two years with the Atlanta Falcons of the
NFL, did not agree.
"It was a cheap shot. He wasn't going for the ball, he was
bearing in on the ballplayer," said Smith. "I hate to talk bad
about them - we have to play them again - but this was the most
physical game we've played. I haven't seen another team in this
league play that way. If this is the type of ball they are going
to play in this league, I don't know about the credibility of
the league. Football doesn't need this."
What the Statesmen don't need is to face another team the
caliber of Carolina until they can assemble an offense - and
tighten up their defense. Owning the ball for almost three
quarters of the game, the Storm scored touchdowns on marches of
43, 79, 30 and 53 yards and added a 23-yard field goal by John
Blum after a 47-yard march. The Storm's offense was a good blend
of passing and |
|
running. Turner completed 19 of 41 passes for 228 yards and two
touchdowns. Storm runners Emmett Hamilton and Art Henderson each
ran for a touchdown. Hamilton, the league's leading rusher after
two games, carried the ball 25 times for 104 yards, giving him
244 yards rushing in two games.
Reggie Perkins led the Statesmen in rushing with a gritty
55 yards on 15 carries. The Statesmen managed only 122 yards of
total offense, to the Storm's 377. Statesmen quarterback Clyde
Walker, who completed 13 of 20 passes for 49 yards, most of them
on desperation dumps to Perkins, was sacked four times.
"I made a couple of mental mistakes, put the ball up for
grabs when I shouldn't have," said Walker, who was intercepted
three times. "Like last week, I don't think the score reflected
our play. We've had improvement."
Walker had a pair of good receivers in Joe Thomas, who
caught three passes for 30 yards, and Greg Shumann, who caught
two passes before leaving the field with a slight concussion
after the second reception.
The Storm's Hamilton agreed that the Statesmen played
"pretty well overall. But they were a little dirty. They took us
out of our game plan because of that, and that's why we were
only up 10-0 at half.
"But we regrouped."
That's what the Statesmen must do now. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Storm |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
30 |
| Florida |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CA |
|
FL |
| First downs |
|
22 |
|
14 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 149 |
|
? - 73 |
| Passing yards |
|
228 |
|
49 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - 32.0 |
|
? - 37.5 |
| Return yards |
|
51 |
|
137 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 1 |
|
2 - 2 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - 50 |
|
? - 67 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Carolina: Emmett Hamilton (45) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Georgia Pride
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds
June 5, 1982
- Gator Bowl - |
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| Chester can't
rally Sunbirds past Pride |
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| Phil Rogers -
Florida Times-Union |
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Albert Chester ran a marathon last night. Unfortunately for
the Jacksonville Sunbirds, their second-year quarterback did the
vast majority of his legwork behind the line of scrimmage.
While his offensive line was acting like moving pockets of
cellophane, Chester spent the long evening trying to avoid
marauding defenders. Ten times he was unsuccessful, being
sacked. Still, he somehow managed to complete 21 passes for 278
yards and two touchdowns.
But when he was through, after Charlie Dorsey had taken his last
pass 45 yards before being stopped 20 yards away from the goal
line on the game's last play, Chester had only played a role in
the second consecutive Sunbirds' loss.
Taking advantage of two second half breakdowns, the Georgia
Pride spoiled the Sunbirds' home opener with a 33-27 victory in
an American Football Association game before an estimated 3,016
at the Gator Bowl. The Sunbirds fell to 0-2 while Southeastern
Division rival Georgia raised its record to 2-0.
"They dogged us, blitzed us and caught us off guard," a
weary Chester said afterward. "There was not much I could do but
try to survive. |
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"It was unreal. I can't even think right now."
"Their defensive line whipped us pretty good in the second
half," said Sunbirds' coach Jerry Disch.
And the first half wasn't pretty either, coach. Chester was
sacked six times in that 30-minute segment.
"Chester is a super quarterback and field leader, and he's
a gutty son-of-a-buck," said Disch. "A lot of quarterbacks would
have done their best to get out of the game the way he was
getting stuck."
Because Chester was working his magical survival act and
Charlie Brown was in the process of catching 12 passes for 129
yards, Jacksonville claimed a 17-14 halftime lead on Allen
Leavitt's 54-yard field with 4:38 remaining in the second
quarter.
That lead vanished when punter Steve Amos was unable to
pick up a too-high center snap and Georgia's Al Archie recovered
in the end zone for a Pride touchdown with 8:34 left in the
third quarter. The Atlanta team built its lead to 27-17 on a
6-yard pass from University of Georgia ex Tony Flanagan to
Melvin Jenkins.
Leavitt, another Georgia graduate, booted Jacksonville
within 27-20 on a 50-yard field go |
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with 9:36 remaining in the final quarter. Leavitt then lined the
kickoff into up man Clifford McCray and the ball bounced to the
Sunbirds' Herman Young to give Jacksonville the ball on its own
44.
"I thought the momentum was going our way... but it got
away from us," said Disch.
Chester's first-down pass went through Dorsey's hands and
was picked off by Georgia's Bubba Brown, who carried it to the
Sunbirds' one. Zollie Harris carried for a touchdown on the next
play.
Flanagan, who played for Hawaii in the Continental
Basketball Association last year, passed for three Georgia
touchdowns.
Before the game, Sunbirds' general manager Tom Johnston
said he planned to review the feasibility of summer football if
the crowd fell far under his goal of 6,000. Afterward, while
talking about the AFA's recently signed cable television
package, he admitted he wasn't pleased with the turnout.
According to the city's count, 2,775 tickets were sold on a
night when they went two-for-one. "With crowds like this,"
Johnston said, "I don't know that there will be games to
televise." |
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| Score by Quarters |
| Georgia |
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14 |
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0 |
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7 |
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12 |
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- |
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33 |
| Jacksonville |
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7 |
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10 |
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0 |
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10 |
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- |
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27 |
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| Statistics |
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GA |
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JA |
| First downs |
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15 |
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15 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
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39 - 70 |
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27 - 36 |
| Passing yards |
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144 |
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278 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
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13 -
26 - 0 |
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21 -
40 - 3 |
| Punts - avg |
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5 - 36.6 |
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5 - 34.8 |
| Return yards |
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211 |
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149 |
| Fumbles - lost |
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3 - 2 |
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2 - 2 |
| Penalties - yards |
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9 - 96 |
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10 - 90 |
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| Scoring Summary |
| GA |
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Washington 28 pass from
Flanagan (Brien kick) |
| JA |
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Brown 18 pass from Chester
(Leavitt kick) |
| GA |
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Powers 31 pass from Flanagan
(Brien kick) |
| JA |
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McLarty recovered fumble in
end zone (Leavitt kick) |
| JA |
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Leavitt 54 field goal |
| GA |
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Archie recovered rumble in end
zone (Brien kick) |
| GA |
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Jenkins 5 pass from Flanagan
(kick failed) |
| JA |
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Leavitt 50 field goal |
| GA |
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Harris 2 run (pass failed) |
| JA |
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Dorsey 20 pass from Chester
(Leavitt kick) |
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| Jacksonville: Charles Owens
(41), Authur Mallory (3) |
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| Wranglers ride
herd on Armadillos 40-3 |
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| Houston
Chronicle |
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Unfortunately for the Houston Armadillos, Welby Ina decided
not to try his luck with the Canadian Football League this
season.
Instead, Ina returned to the American Football Association and
directed the Texas Wranglers to a 40-3 thrashing of the
Armadillos Saturday night in Rice Stadium.
Two years out of Bishop College in Dallas, Ina, who played high
school football at Port Arthur Lincoln, threw for four
touchdowns and set up another while completing 15 of 23 passes
for 225 yards. The Mesquite, Texas-based Wranglers now have not
permitted an opposing offense to score a touchdown in their last
three games while outscoring the opposition 120-10.
Ina, a sales representative for a Dallas trucking firm, picked
apart the Armadillo secondary while connecting on 10 of 14
first-half attempts including a three touchdown barrage in the
second quarter.
The 5-foot-10, 182-pounder waited until last week to turn
down a tryout with the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who wanted him
as a wide receiver. "I signed with Winnipeg in February as a
free agent," Ina said, "but I |
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wasn't sure if I was going or not. My plane was due to leave at
8:45 Wednesday morning, and when I woke up that morning, I knew
I preferred staying where I am.
"I figure I have a great job where I am, the people I work
for let me off in time for practice, and I also think I have a
good chance to hear from the new league (United States Football
League)."
Ina, 25, began with a 23-yard scoring pass in the first
quarter to wide receiver Steve Sullivan, an Austin College ex,
following Steve Beck's 23-yard punt return. After a 23-yard
field goal by Jerry Maltz, Houston's only scoring play, Ina
connected on a 25-yarder to Ethan Ogletree, finishing off a
60-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter.
Just three minutes, 16 seconds later, the Wranglers scored
again following a 43-yard punt return by Gary Warren, Ina's
25-yard peg to tight end Martin Patterson, and Joel Briscoe's
1-yard touchdown plunge.
After Ina's 65-yard touchdown pass to Sullivan was
nullified by a penalty, the Wranglers moved 76 yards, Ina
throwing the final 11 to halfback Tony Brown seven seconds |
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before the half.
Ina retired shortly after his 34-yard scoring shot to
running back Henry Bush with 1:45 left in the third quarter.
Bush accounted for the Wranglers' final touchdown with a
14-yard, fourth-quarter dash.
With his team now 2-0 in the AFA regular season, Wrangler
coach Rusty Talbot said, "We wanted to throw deep on them
because they were covering man for man, and they were blitzing a
lot of the time. It took us some time in the first quarter to
figure them out. I thought our secondary did an excellent job."
Talbot and his assistants will coach West Mesquite High School
in its first season in Class 4A next fall.
James Montgomery, Houston's starting quarterback, managed
to complete just 10 of 33 passes for 72 yards. Notable in the
Wrangler secondary were Cris Middleton (Texas-Arlington), Mark
Thorson, who spent parts of two seasons with Green Bay of the
National Football League, and former Ohio State
quarterback-receiver Rod Gerald.
Now 1-1 in regular season, the Armadillos play at
Shreveport Saturday night. |
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| Score by Quarters |
| Texas |
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7 |
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13 |
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13 |
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7 |
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40 |
| Houston |
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3 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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- |
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3 |
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| Statistics |
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TX |
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HO |
| First downs |
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19 |
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12 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
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43 - 113 |
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27 - 85 |
| Passing yards |
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228 |
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99 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
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15 -
23 - 0 |
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13 -
45 - 2 |
| Punts - yards |
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4 - 106 |
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5 - 129 |
| Return yards |
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54 |
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230 |
| Fumbles - lost |
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2 - 2 |
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0 - 0 |
| Penalties - yards |
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? - ? |
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? - ? |
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| Scoring Summary |
| TX |
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Sullivan 23 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| HO |
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Maltz 23 field goal |
| TX |
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Ogletree 25 pass from Ina
(kick failed) |
| TX |
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Briscoe 2 run (Stringer kick) |
| TX |
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Brown 11 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| TX |
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Bush 33 pass from Ina (kick
failed) |
| TX |
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Bush 14 run (Stringer kick) |
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| Thunder drops
Bulls, 14-0 |
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| Gary Gossett -
San Antonio Light |
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The Oklahoma Thunder, according to one of its coaches, was
tired and sluggish after an all-night bus ride from Tulsa to get
to San Antonio for last night's American Football Association
home opener at Northside Stadium.
The Bulls had no such excuse, and more's the pity. San Antonio
showed practically no offense in dropping its second straight
game before 2,200 fans, this one by a 14-0 tally, and only a
fine performance by the Bull defense kept the game from being a
complete rout. They didn't allow the Thunder a touchdown, and
that could be the only highlight of the game for the locals.
Oklahoma got its points on four field goals by Alan
Woodward, and a safety. Woodward, |
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somewhat of a sports hero in Tulsa, connected on boots of 32,
34, 50 and 38 yards, and missed on attempts of 44 and 50 yards.
The safety came in the second quarter when Bull quarterback Pete
Przyborowski was tackled in his end zone while trying to pass.
The closest San Antonio came to putting points on the board
was in the third period when Joe Vega's field goal try from the
28 was wide to the left.
Credit must go to the Bulls' defense, though, especially
Keith Nelms and Jay Lewis. Lewis dropped Thunder quarterback
Dave Rader for a nine-yard loss on a third-and-goal play from
the Bull 5 in the first period, forcing the visitors |
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to try a field goal - which was good - and Nelms made two
outstanding defensive plays, one of them a five-yard loss for
Thunder running back Vincent Orange on a fourth-and-goal
situation from the San Antonio 2.
On the ground, James Roberts led the Bulls with 24 yards in
10 carries.
Rader, reportedly a last-day cut by the New York Giants
last year, hit 14 of 28 passes for 158 yards, but was unable to
get the ball into the end zone. Ted Alexander led the Oklahoma
rushers with 35 yards on 14 tries and Dwaine Ball had 29 on 10
carries. |
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| Score by Quarters |
| Oklahoma |
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3 |
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2 |
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3 |
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6 |
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14 |
| San Antonio |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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- |
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0 |
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| Statistics |
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OK |
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SA |
| First downs |
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12 |
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8 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
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49 - 68 |
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23 - (-9) |
| Passing yards |
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158 |
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93 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
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14 -
28- 1 |
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10 -
29 - 3 |
| Punts - yards |
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5 - 35.2 |
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5 - 34.6 |
| Fumbles - lost |
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0 - 0 |
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3 - 3 |
| Penalties - yards |
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6 - 57 |
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4 - 27 |
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| Scoring Summary |
| OK |
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Woodward 32 field goal |
| OK |
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Safety Przyborowski tackled in
end zone |
| OK |
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Woodward 34 field goal |
| OK |
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Woodward 50 field goal |
| OK |
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Woodward 38 field goal |
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| San Antonio: Pete Przborowski
((??) |
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NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
Charleston Rockets
at
Roanoke Valley Express
June 5, 1982
- William Byrd High School - |
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51-7
Rockets try, but can't hold down
score on Express;
Some fans walk out on home opener for Roanokers |
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| Randy King -
Roanoke Times |
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Around 1,000 fans settled into William Byrd High Field in
Vinton Saturday night to check out Roanoke's latest venture into
summer professional football. Unfortunately, they didn't get to
see a football game. They saw a comedy of errors.
The Roanoke Valley Express, a club that has been thrown together
in a matter of weeks, made its home debut Saturday night against
the powerful Charleston (W. Va.) Rockets. To put it mildly, the
Express was a complete bust.
"I think we ought to get our money back," complained one
disgruntled fan who left at halftime after shelling out $5 to
see one of the biggest massacres since Pearl Harbor. "I've never
seen anything like it."
Neither had Express coach Gary Fallon or the rest of the
Express. Making almost every mistake in the book, the Express
fell behind 44-0 in the opening 25 minutes before settling for
the short end of a 51-7 score.
And it could have been worse. The Rockets, two-time defending
American Football Association champions, pulled most of their
starters late in the first half. Charleston coach Lonnie
Warwick, in an obvious effort to call off the dogs, went with
mostly reserves in the second half as most of the crowd filed
for the exits.
"He (Warwick) probably could have run it up some more," said the
amazingly composed Fallon. "I appreciate what he did."
When asked about the fans leaving at halftime, Fallon cracked,
"I'd probably been with them, but I've got a job to do. Those |
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people pay their money so they can leave when they want to. I
just hope they know we're a much better football than we
showed."
The beleaguered Express players agreed. They were in a
state of shock when they went into the dressing room at
halftime.
"It was total embarrassment, just the worst," said Express
quarterback Brian Plunkett, who just joined the club this week.
"It all seemed hard to believe. You go into the locker room and
try and get up. But, jeez, it's just terrible."
Express defensive back Ernest Madison added, "I've never
been in a situation like that in my entire life."
After holding Charleston on its first possession, it was an
omen of things to come when Rockets defensive back Mike Ogden
blew in untouched from the left side and blocked a Willie Adams'
punt only six minutes into the game. After Ogden pounced on the
ball at the Express' 1-yard line, Mike Bailey scored on a short
dive and the rout was on.
Four minutes later, Rockets quarterback Steve Turk hit wide
receiver Keith Oliveira on a crossing pattern over the middle
for 28 yards to make it 14-0. Given an eternity to pick out his
receivers, Turk made it 21-0 two minutes later with a 47-yard
strike to running back Mike Bailey.
"No preparation, that was the biggest problem," said
Express cornerback Kenny Still about Turk's ability to riddle
the Roanoke Valley secondary, supposedly the strongest part of
the team. "We didn't have any idea what they'd be doing. We
didn't go over any of their patterns." |
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The Express, which used both Plunkett and Emory & Henry
graduate Larry Roberts at quarterback, was stuck in reverse on
offense. With the depleted Roanoke Valley offensive line
(starters Jeff Ballard and Ed Davenport didn't play) rarely
throwing a block, the Rockets teed off on Plunkett and Roberts,
sacking the duo 10 times for minus-73 yards. For the game, the
Express finished with minus-11 yards total offense.
Charleston speedster Mike Tyson tacked on a 39-yard punt
return, an 11-yard run and a 59-yard return of an Express free
kick after Plunkett was sacked for a safety to supply the 44-0
halftime numbers.
The Express went to the locker room, only to find the door
locked. What do you say to your club down 44-0 at half?
"I told them we got a good a --- kicking the first half,
and if you want to throw in the towel you can," Fallon said. "I
wanted to have a pizza and a meal in there."
Charleston ran the count to 51-0 on reserve quarterback
Steve Smith's 26-yard scoring pass to Mike Cusumano early in the
final quarter. The Express avoided the shutout when Devon Hunter
picked up a punt and wriggled his way 70 yards for a score with
9:04 left.
About the only good thing the Express players could think
of after the game was their first paycheck, which should arrive
sometime this week. "I just hope we get enough to buy a pizza
and a beer," Express running back Alan Houston said. |
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| Score by Quarters |
| Charleston |
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14 |
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30 |
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0 |
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7 |
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51 |
| Roanoke Valley |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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7 |
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- |
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7 |
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| Statistics |
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CH |
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RO |
| First downs |
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16 |
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5 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
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? - 58 |
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? - (-24) |
| Passing yards |
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190 |
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13 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
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11 -
18 - 0 |
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3 -
13 - 2 |
| Punts - yards |
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6 - 31.0 |
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7 - 23.4 |
| Return yards |
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193 |
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179 |
| Fumbles - lost |
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1 - 0 |
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3 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
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8 - 65 |
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5 - 35 |
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| Scoring Summary |
| CH |
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Bailey 1 run (Starnes kick) |
| CH |
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Oliveira 28 pass from Turk
(Starnes kick) |
| CH |
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Bailey 47 pass from Turk
(Starnes kick) |
| CH |
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Tyson 39 punt return (Starnes
kick) |
| CH |
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Tyson 11 run (Starnes kick) |
| CH |
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Safety plunkett tackled in end
zone |
| CH |
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Tyson 59 kickoff return (Starnes kick) |
| CH |
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Cusumano 26 pass from Smith
(Starnes kick) |
| RO |
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Hunter 70 punt return
(Shartrell kick) |
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| Crowd misses a
Magic win |
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| Charles
Goldberg - Anniston Star |
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With 1:58 left in the first half there were four people
seated in the stands.
With 1:49 left there were three. Then there were two. Then one.
To put it mildly, professional football's debut in Anniston was
not an overwhelming success Saturday night.
The Alabama Magic left its home in Birmingham for a home game in
Anniston Memorial Stadium. It got its win on the field - a 28-0
triumph over the Florida Statesmen of Tallahassee - but was a
loser in the stands.
The fans, perhaps numbering 700 early in the first quarter, were
all but washed out of the park when a severe thunderstorm hit
just minutes before the first half was over.
The second half was witnessed by a couple of dozen fans in the
stands and perhaps several dozen more milling around the track
lining the field.
While the American Football Association game had to be deemed an
attendance bust, the brand of football was something better.
Alabama was strong, showing why it now has a 3-0 record. Florida
was no match in falling to 0-3.
Alabama dominated both offensively and defensively and even got
a chance to showcase area star Charles Wood at linebacker. Wood,
of Heflin and later of Auburn, was one of the standouts in the
game.
The players, whose paycheck is based on a percentage of the gate
after a certain attendance figure is reached, may well have
gotten nothing out of the game but a win. Alabama general
manager James Patton admitted as much. But he nevertheless
steadfastly stood by his team, saying it may well be the best
professional team in the state's history.
That can be argued, as well as the fact that Birmingham's entry
in the new United States Football League next year is already
hurting the Magic in the eyes of the public.
"The players have been winning - and they were expecting more
money - but we still have |
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60 players," said Patton. "Their paycheck, if anything, has been
very, very small. But they just love to play football."
A visit to the sidelines revealed a certain love for the
game. The players showed genuine enthusiasm through the dirt and
sweat.
But whether that important asset stays with them through
many more payless Saturday nights remains to be seen.
But there's always the dream - that chance an NFL team may
see something in that running back or wide receiver and give him
a chance at the big league.
Magic wide receiver Alex Prince of Jackson State may be
such a player. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder pulled down a several
passes in NFL style. But the whole idea of judging the players
was a tenuous proposition at best because of the inexact talent
gage that had to be employed.
The Magic did look good at times, but just how good was
Florida?
Perhaps the game films will answer that. But one will have
to look quickly - the Magic quit filming during the third
quarter when it was evident they would win.
The rain, lightning and thunder threatened to be the
biggest factors in the game. It sent most fans home at the half,
and caused halftime to run an hour.
The rain finally quit, but the players - to their credit -
didn't. But few people saw that or anything else about the game.
Who did what? Magic quarterback Mark Cahill of Nevada-Las
Vegas had a good game. He threw two touchdown passes and set up
another score with another a completed toss. He hit 12 of 20
passes for 263 yards.
Former Auburn quarterback Charlie Trotman caught one of
those touchdown passes from his spot at wide receiver, then
found time to play a little quarterback of his own.
Even Louis Green, a hulking 6-3, 265 offensive lineman from
Alabama, got to run the ball on an end-around late in the fourth |
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quarter.
He lost six yards, but nobody seemed to care. By then, the
Magic were having a good time on the field.
The defense had its biggest moment at the end. Florida took
the ball at the Magic 1-yard line with 57 seconds left and
appeared set to ruin the shutout. But the Magic defenders kept
Florida down when they denied the Statesmen the goal line on
five attempts.
The Magic looked as if it was going to turn its offense
loose early, as it had done in 37-32 and 33-0 wins. But its
first long drive ended in an interception and its second ended
in a fumble.
Florida wasn't so fortunate the next series. Cahill hits
passes of 10 and 24 yards to set up a 20-yard touchdown strike
to former Auburn wide receiver Mark Robbins. Ron Slovensky hit
the kick conversion to make it 7-0 with 12:35 left in the
second.
The Magic scored on its next possession, again riding the
arm of Cahill. He hit passes of 29, 34 and 18 yards to set up a
final 18-yard touchdown pass to Trotman. Slovensky's kick put
the Magic up 14-0 with 5:16 left in the first half.
The Magic made it three straight scores when it took its
first possession of the second half in for a touchdown. Lawrence
Joseph, a fleet 5-7, 170 back from Miles, took the scoring
honors from four yards out. Slovensky's kick at 10:51 made it
21-0.
The defense scored the final touchdown when James Drake,
another player from Miles, intercepted a Clyde Walker pass and
returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. Slovensky again kicked it
through, and the Magic had its final 28-0 margin with 14:10
remaining in the game.
The Magic substituted freely from there, experimenting with
old players in new positions. But even that didn't help Florida.
It seems the Statesmen were losers all the way around. |
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| Score by Quarters |
| Florida |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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- |
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0 |
| Alabama |
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0 |
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14 |
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7 |
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7 |
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- |
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28 |
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| Statistics |
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FL |
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AL |
| First downs |
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? |
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? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
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? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| AL |
|
Robbins 20 pass from Cahill
(Slovensky kick) |
| AL |
|
Trotman 18 pass from Cahill
(Slovensky kick) |
| AL |
|
Joseph 4 run (Slovensky kick) |
| AL |
|
Drake 18 interception return
(Slovensky kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Alabama: Alex Prince (??) |
| |
 |
|
Alabama: Roy Jones (??) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Bulls take first
victory |
|
|
|
|
|
| San Antonio
Light |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The San Antonio Bulls picked up their first win of the
American Football Association season last night with a 20-12
conquest of the Austin Texans.
Most of the Bull offense came through the air with San Antonio
quarterback Steve Przyborowski completing 12 of 28 passes for
198 yards and two touchdowns. Tom Whittier, the league's all
time leading receiver, pulled in the first of the scoring
aerials, going 16 yards |
|
for the tally with 6:37 left in the first half.
That opportunity was set up when Willie Hall intercepted an
Austin pass five plays earlier and returned it to the Texan 28.
It was the first score the Bulls' offense managed this season
after San Antonio lost its first two games.
Austin opened the scoring in the first period on a 20-yard
touchdown pass from Mike Washington, a former San Antonio
Charro, to Kim Watts. Washington accounted for the other |
|
Austin points, running the ball in from seven yards out with 11
seconds left in the first half. The conversion failed following
both Texan touchdowns leaving Austin with a 12-7 lead at
intermission.
Przyborowski took to the air early in the second half
hitting Tony Armstrong on a 49-yard scoring strike. Joe Vega
booted his second conversion to give the Bulls a 14-12 edge. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| San Antonio |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
20 |
| Austin |
|
6 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
12 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
SA |
|
AU |
| First downs |
|
10 |
|
15 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
27 - 59 |
|
46 - 207 |
| Passing yards |
|
198 |
|
122 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
12 - 28 - 3 |
|
7 - 32 - 2 |
| Punts - yards |
|
7 - 36.9 |
|
6 - 32.7 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 1 |
|
4 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
9 - 90 |
|
7 - 60 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| AU |
|
Watts 20 pass from Washington
(kick failed) |
| SA |
|
Whittier 16 passfrom
Przyborowski (Vega kick) |
| AU |
|
Washington 7 run (run failed) |
| SA |
|
Armstrong 49 pass from
Przyborowski (Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Comer 1 run (kick failed) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Erratic Geminis
lose, 13-7 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jim Kelley -
Buffalo News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
It would be difficult not to knock the Buffalo Geminis
after Saturday evening's 13-7 American Football Association loss
to Roanoke in War Memorial Stadium.
But there really is no need. The team knocked itself, right out
of the ball game.
Except for Mark Arcure's 95-yard touchdown return of an
intercepted pitchout, Buffalo's performance was certainly less
than crisp as it squandered away all of it its best scoring
opportunities.
Twice Buffalo tailbacks fumbled inside the Roanoke 5-yard line.
The punt return team mishandled what should have been an
agonizingly simple fair catch and about the only pass the
receiving corps caught was supposed to have been dropped.
"I'm not going to say they (Roanoke) were a better team than us
tonight," as exasperated Gemini coach Gene Zinni said afterward.
"It was obvious what happened to us out there." |
|
What happened to the Geminis shouldn't happen to a
poisonous snake, but despite the miscues, the team did just
enough to stay in the ball game almost to the end.
Roanoke was protecting a 13-7 advantage through much of the
second half and appeared to have the game safely in hand when
Buffalo's Domenick Lettieri dropped a Roanoke punt on his own
24-yard line with 4 minutes, 52 seconds left in the fourth
quarter.
Roanoke's David Martin recovered and the Express seemed
content to let its steady running game wear down the game's
final minutes until quarterback Vance Prince got other ideas.
Prince, who nearly erased a solid 9 for 16 performance (97)
yards), retreated nearly 20 yards in a scrambling effort to get
off a pass before Buffalo's David Burke stripped him of the ball
and recovered on the Roanoke 43.
Quarterback Jim Hoysick, who earlier had |
|
replaced starter George Pachucy, immediately threw incomplete,
then scrambled for a minus two yards before finding Chris Ellis
with a 14-yard strike that put Buffalo on the Roanoke 36 with 31
seconds left.
After two more plays went nowhere, and with no timeouts
remaining, Hoysick hit Ellis again just two yards off the line
of scrimmage.
"He wasn't supposed to catch it," Zinni said. "We were
looking for an incompletion just to stop the clock."
That clinched it for the Express which gleefully watched
the final seconds tick off as Buffalo desperately tried to set
up a final play.
Roanoke put the game away with two sustained scoring
drives, the first, 67 yards, was capped off by Simon Finch's
11-yard run with 1:10 left in the first half. The second came
when the Express took the opening kickoff and drove 72 yards
before Price scored on a one-yard plunge. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Roanoke Valley |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
13 |
| Buffalo |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
RO |
|
BU |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| BU |
|
Arcure 95 interception return
(Perri kick) |
| RO |
|
Hunter 11 run (kick failed) |
| RO |
|
Price 1 run (Freeland kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Roanoke: Devon Hunter (25),
Alan Houston (40)
Buffalo: Mark Arcure (??) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Canton Bulldogs
at
Charleston Rockets
June 12, 1982
- Laidley Field - |
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
|
| |
| Bulldogs lose to
Charleston |
|
|
|
|
|
| Akron Beacon
Journal |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Turk passed for 256 yards - including an 85-yard
touchdown pass to wide receiver Bart Batten - to lead the
Charleston Rockets to a 24-17 victory over the Canton Bulldogs
in an American Football Association game here Saturday night. |
|
Turk completed 13 of 26 passes as Charleston jumped to a
24-0 lead. Canton scored all its points in the final quarter on
touchdown runs of 12 and 4 yards by Lou King and a 47-yard field
goal by Les Petroff.
Canton had the ball on the Rockets' 7-yard |
|
line with 16 seconds left. However, an incomplete pass on fourth
down ended the Bulldogs' attempt to tie the score.
Charleston, the defending AFA champions, raised its record
to 3-0. Canton fell to 0-3. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Canton |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
17 |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Charleston |
|
0 |
|
10 |
|
14 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
24 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CA |
|
CH |
| First downs |
|
11 |
|
9 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 125 |
|
? - 66 |
| Passing yards |
|
117 |
|
251 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CH |
|
Bailey 3 run (Starnes kick) |
| CH |
|
Starnes 42 field goal |
| CH |
|
Batten 85 pass from Turk
(Starnes kick) |
| CH |
|
Bailey 1 run (Starnes kick) |
| CA |
|
King 12 run (Petroff kick) |
| CA |
|
Petroff 47 field goal |
| CA |
|
King 4 run (Petroff kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Americans show no
mercy in 59-0 win over Houston |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ron Higgins -
Shreveport Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Time just wasn't on the Houston Armadillos side Saturday
night.
Because the more there was of it, the more the Shreveport
Americans scored in rolling to a laughable 59-0 American
Football Association win over the Armadillos, a team left in the
shell of its former self.
Other than the fact Houston turned the ball over on seven
fumbles, four interceptions and one blocked punt with Shreveport
capitalizing on seven of those mistakes, the Armadillos played a
perfect game.
In improving their season record to 2-1, the Americans coasted
to a 25-0 halftime lead behind starting quarterback James
Mosley, who completed 11 of 24 passes for 163 yards and three
touchdowns.
Midway through the third quarter, Mosley gave way to reserve Ken
Smith who came on to complete eight of 11 passes for 110 yards
and four touchdown passes, covering 19 yards to Vernon Wells, 25
yards to Donnie Sutton, seven yards to Reggie Brock and 12 yards
to Sammy Willis.
The Americans final score of the night came on a 22-yard fumble
recovery run by James Williams, who caught the ball in midair
from Houston's Herbert Robinson after Robinson was flattened
while returning a kickoff.
"We just attacked their weak spots defensively," said Americans
head coach Tom Rushing, whose team had 378 yards total offense
(300 passing) while limiting Houston to
172 yards. "Those spots were their defensive |
|
backs and their passing attack. It was weak and we knew if we
put that on them we'd get some turnovers out of it."
"In the second quarter, we turned the ball over to them too
many times inside our 40," said Houston head coach Mike Dukes,
who watched his team perform dismally in dropping to 1-2 on the
year. "You can't play with your back to your goal all the time.
Once a team gets on a roll like Shreveport did, it's hard to
stop them. Interceptions. Fumbles on kickoffs. It's a
nightmare."
It took a while for the nightmare to steamroll.
The Americans took a quick 3-0 lead with 10:06 left in the
first quarter when placekicker Jerry Pope made good on a 26-yard
field goal after Shreveport came up empty on an incomplete
Mosley to Edwin Scott pass on a third and goal from the Houston
3.
The Armadillos had their chance to tie the game when
Shreveport's Ron Jones fumbled the ball at the Americans 28 with
Houston's James Bailey recovering.
But Houston picked up only one yard in three plays and
placekicker Jerry Maltz's 45-yard field goal attempt was way
short and to the right.
It was towards the end of the opening period when the
Shreveport defense began setting up its offense for scoring
opportunities.
First, Americans linebacker Reggie Small knocked loose the
ball from Houston's Ronnie Jones with Shreveport's Curley White
recovering at midfield. |
|
That set up a five-play touchdown drive capped by Mosley's
10-yard scoring pass to Scott. On the extra point attempt,
holder Coco Tolliver could not get a juggled snap down on the
tee, but rolled left and threw a two-point conversion pass
juggled and caught by tight end Reggie Brock. It gave the
Americans an 11-0 lead with 12:57 remaining in the second
quarter.
On the first Houston offensive play following a 10-yard
kickoff return the Armadillos were stripped off the ball again,
this time by Shreveport's Ardis McCann. This time, John Kelly
recovered for Shreveport at the Houston 35.
The Americans wasted no time in scoring, using a 30-yard
Mosley to Wells pass to move to the Houston 5. That led to a
two-yard Mosley-to-Brock scoring pass three plays later and
Pope's extra point kick extended the Shreveport margin to 18-0
with 11:02 left before halftime.
The Americans wasted another scoring chance after Kelly
intercepted a pass by Houston quarterback Jim Montgomery and
returned it 24 yards to the Armadillo 34. But Mosley had a pass
of his own intercepted by Gerald Washington at the Houston 2.
Mosley made up for that, though, with his third touchdown
pass of the opening half, this one a 15-yard strike between two
Armadillo defenders to Wells. Pope's kick made it 25-0,
Shreveport, with 2:26 left in the second quarter. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Houston |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Shreveport |
|
3 |
|
22 |
|
7 |
|
27 |
|
- |
|
59 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
HO |
|
SH |
| First downs |
|
8 |
|
20 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 61 |
|
? - 113 |
| Passing yards |
|
165 |
|
300 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
12 - 28 - 4 |
|
21 - 42 - 3 |
| Punts - yards |
|
6 - 31.6 |
|
4 - 45.5 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
8 - 7 |
|
2 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
8 - 85 |
|
16 - 150 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SH |
|
Pope 26 field goal |
| SH |
|
Scott 10 pass from Mosley
(Brock pass from Tolliver) |
| SH |
|
Brock 2 pass from Mosley (Pope
kick) |
| SH |
|
Wells 15 pass from Mosley
(Pope kick) |
| SH |
|
Wells 19 pass from Smith (Pope
kick) |
| SH |
|
Sutton 25 pass from Smith
(kick failed) |
| SH |
|
Brock 7 pass from Smith (Pope kick) |
| SH |
|
Willis 12 pass from Smith
(Pope kick) |
| SH |
|
Williams 22 fumble return
(Pope kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Shreveport: B. J. Harbor (50, Ron Johnson (56) |
|
|
 |
|
Shreveport: Derrick Battle (48) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Thunder pins
Texans, 26-6, with defense |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jeff Necessary
- Tulsa World |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Oklahoma Thunder offense could manage only five first
downs and 108 total yards in offense, but the defense took the
ball away six times and blocked two punts as the Thunder won its
third straight American Football Association game, 26-6, from
the Texas Wranglers at Skelly Stadium Saturday night before
5,200 fans.
The Thunder put the game away with an 11-point second quarter
despite not earning a single first down in the period. Tied 6-6
after one quarter, the Thunder used a blocked punt and one of
five Wrangler fumbles to score 11 points in a 56-second span
late in the half.
Lonnie Davis fumbled a Gayle Grant punt, and Mike Fields
recovered for Oklahoma at the Wrangler one. Fullback Ted
Alexander punched over two plays later for what proved to be the
winning score, and the Dave Rader-to-Joey Smith tandem - the
same pair which clicked for the Thunder's first score - combined
for a two-point pass to establish a 14-6 margin.
Texas' Gary Warren fumbled the ensuing kickoff away at the
Wrangler 32, and placekicker Alan Woodward hit his seventh field
goal of the young AFA season three plays later |
|
to give Oklahoma a 17-6 halftime lead.
That margin was in jeopardy for most of the third period,
as Oklahoma ran only nine plays and Texas threatened the Thunder
end zone for most of the period. One threat died when former
Oklahoma Sooner Jimbo Elrod managed to simultaneously block and
intercept a Welby Ina pass on a second-and-goal play, and the
other threat passed when Grant missed on a 27-yard field goal
attempt that was wide to the right.
Early in the final period, after the Thunder's initial
first down since the first quarter, punter Rick Engles, former
Tulsa University kicker, dropped a punt deep in Texas territory,
which Ethan Ogletree returned to the 15. Ina rolled out on first
down and was sacked by Rayfield Williams for a safety. Oklahoma
led, 19-6.
The final Thunder score came after Demitrius Thompson,
named the defensive standout for the Thunder for his work in the
secondary. filtered through the Texas line to block another
Grant punt. He recovered the loose ball at the Texas eight, and,
after a Wrangler penalty, TU product Quinn Jones rammed over
from the four. Woodward closed the scoring with the |
|
point after.
Texas outgained the Thunder, 226-108, and registered 18
first downs to Oklahoma's five, but six turnovers and the
blocked kicks doomed the Wranglers to their first loss after two
AFA victories this season.
Rader hit only five of 14 passes for 30 yards. He credited
the Texas defense with some unexpected wrinkles, but gave the
highest praise to the Thunder defense.
"My hat's off to the defense," Rader said. "They got the
turnovers and we turned them into points. They played real well.
The one thing we (offense) did right was put points on the board
when we got chances."
Thompson was instrumental in holding Ina down to 138 air
yards, batting several Texas passes to the Skelly Stadium turf.
"I was getting a good jump on the ball tonight," he said. "I was
really putting out for this game because we knew we were going
for number one in the league."
The Thunder puts its 3-0 record on the line next Saturday
when the Austin Texans visit Skelly for Oklahoma's third home
game in four outings. Game time is 7:30 p.m. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Texas |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
6 |
| Oklahoma |
|
6 |
|
11 |
|
0 |
|
9 |
|
- |
|
26 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
TX |
|
OK |
| First downs |
|
18 |
|
5 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 88 |
|
? - 78 |
| Passing yards |
|
138 |
|
30 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
15 - 32 - 1 |
|
5 - 14 - 0 |
| Punts - yards |
|
5 - 33 |
|
12 - 41 |
| Return yards |
|
66 |
|
24 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - 5 |
|
? - 0 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - 87 |
|
? - 55 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| OK |
|
Smith 4 pass from Rader (kick
failed) |
| TX |
|
Medlock 2 run (run failed) |
| OK |
|
Alexander 1 run (Smith pass
from Rader) |
| OK |
|
Woodward 46 field goal |
| OK |
|
Safety Ina tackled in end zone |
| OK |
|
Jones 4 run (Woodward kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Players unknown |
| |
 |
|
Oklahoma: Jim Ed Thompson (??), Dwayne Ball (20) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Chargers fall to
0-3 before small crowd |
|
|
|
|
|
| Rudy Woltner -
Potomac News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Virginia Chargers posted their third loss of the
American Football Association season, going down in a soaking
wet defeat to the Racine Wisconsin Gladiators Saturday night at
Manassas Park High.
Suffering a 28-0 decision, the Chargers mounted a valiant
attempt as they carried the ball inside the Gladiator's 20-yard
line eight times during the game played in a persistent rain.
"We just couldn't score. Because of interceptions or fumbles, we
were unable to get the ball across the goal line," said
owner-coach Shaw of the Chargers' third loss, giving them a 0-3
record.
Only 68 adults and 11 children bought tickets to see the game,
as the Chargers have drawn less than 300 in their two home
games. However, the weather has not cooperative for the
Chargers, as both game have been played in poor conditions.
Each time the Chargers got within sniffing |
|
distance of the goal line, they turned over the ball. Fumbling
six fumbles during the evening, the Chargers lost five of them.
The visiting Gladiators fumbled twice and lost one.
Charger quarterback Eddie Cox put the ball in the air 11
times, but was unable to complete one pass. The Gladiators
picked off two of his passes, however, and countered with
quarterback Joe Grafenauer completing 14 out of 21 passes while
losing the ball three times on interceptions.
"We need improvement in quarterbacking," Shaw said. "If we
can get the passing game going, we can get in there with the
best of them and be a winning team."
Shaw said he is not denying Cox's abilities, but he is
looking at a couple of new quarterbacks, one of them being
Frankie Walker, a recent graduate of James Madison.
"We have a one-two running punch with Harvey Banks and D.
J. Jones," Shaw said. "We also have good receivers and the
offensive line |
|
is coming along real well. We do need some improvement in
offensive leadership, and that's at the quarterback position."
Jones ran up 104 yards rushing Saturday night and Banks
earned his second 100-yard game rushing for an even 100. The
leading rusher for Wisconsin was "Grape Juice" Johnson with 72
yards for the evening.
"We kept coming back the whole time," Shaw said. "It was
just the fumbles that hurt."
The loss was the Chargers' first shutout as they have
scored only 13 points and one touchdown in their initial season
in the American Football Association, a minor league
organization.
Shaw is looking forward to the rest of the season's games
and hopes that the Virginia supporters will come out and cheer
on the Chargers in their remaining seven games, three of which
are at home. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Racine |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
28 |
| Virginia |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
RA |
|
VA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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 |
Georgia Pride
at
Carolina Storm
June 13, 1982
- Memorial Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Carolina unleashes
37-7 storm |
|
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|
|
| David Scott -
Charolotte Observer |
|
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| |
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|
|
Before the Carolina Storm's 37-7 American Football
Association victory Sunday over the Georgia Pride in Memorial
Stadium, the Storm had been wondering just how good it was.
Or, rather, was it really as strong a team as it seemed?
Carolina (3-0) was, say, a little skeptical of how to treat its
first two games, easy victories over soft competition. It needed
an acid test.
Against the Pride - said to be one of the league's top teams -
the Storm got that test in front of an announced crowd of 3,297.
And Carolina, scoring all its points in the second half, passed.
"I'm really surprised it's been this easy for us," said Storm
tight end Jeff Thompson, who caught a touchdown pass. "It's
tough to see why these teams aren't playing us tighter. We've
found out we're just too dominating for them."
The Pride (2-1) certainly gave it a shot. If one half counts as
a shot.
Georgia led early 7-0, thanks to a first quarter 1-yard plunge
by quarterback Anthony Flanagan. The Pride, with Flanagan at the
controls, constantly had the Storm defense on the ropes in the
first half. Carolina's pass rush, with Flanagan putting the ball
up 19 times in the first half, seemed to be a step away on every
play. |
|
In the meantime, the Storm offense was listless, missing
wide receiver Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith, who sat out the game
with a knee injury.
Then, trailing 7-0 at halftime, the Storm took a rest in
the locker room. It sized things up. It figured things out.
"We hadn't seen them on film at all," said Carolina coach
Eddie Joyce. "I think, with that being the case, our offense is
going to take about a half to get adjusted."
On Georgia's first third-quarter series, Carolina sacked
Flanagan twice. Then, the Storm's Lonnie Harris returned a punt
57 yards to the Pride 1. A play later, quarterback Ellsworth
Turner scored, and John Blum's extra point made it 7-7.
The Storm was in control. Later in the quarter, defensive
lineman Richard Tate, substituting for an injured Ed Thomas,
intercepted a Flanagan pass and returned it 8 yards for a
touchdown. Now it was 14-7 and, even with only a touchdown lead,
the Storm was thinking about a rout.
Carolina got it in the third quarter. Turner, who completed
13 of 21 passes for 169 yards, hit Darrel Jones from 43 yards
for the Storm's third touchdown. Then Art Henderson scored from
1 yard, making it 27-7.
Things were going badly for the Pride. So |
|
badly that when a snap for a Blum field goal was mishandled by
holder Steve Brown, he got up and threw a touchdown pass to
Thompson.
Later in the fourth quarter, Blum ended the scoring with a
40-yarder.
"This tells me that, even if we make mistakes and don't
have any continuity, like we did in the first half, we're a
pretty good team," said Joyce. "We got it going in the third
quarter and it got infectious. And, while you don't have to
worry about motivation in this league, it's all up to the
players to get themselves going. They did tonight."
The Storm's second-half domination was so complete that it
allowed the Pride, based in Atlanta, only 12 total yards after
halftime. Carolina ended with 292 total yards.
That, really, came as a surprise to the Storm. And Carolina
has no thoughts of taking its next two games lightly, no matter
how easy things went against Georgia. The Storm is host to
another unbeaten team, the Alabama Magic, next Sunday. It then
plays at Jacksonville in two weeks.
"I think we'll really know after next week," said Thompson.
"No, it's going to be after the Jacksonville game. If we can get
by them, I think we can beat the hell out of everybody, then get
ready for the playoffs. But I don't want to think that far in
advance." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Georgia |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Carolina |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
14 |
|
23 |
|
- |
|
37 |
| |
|
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|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
GA |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
14 |
|
16 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 48 |
|
? - 124 |
| Passing yards |
|
145 |
|
168 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
20 - 36 - 3 |
|
14 - 23 - 1 |
| Punts - yards |
|
3 - 35 |
|
5 - 31 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
3 - 5 |
|
0 - 0 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
10 - 80 |
|
12 - 91 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| GA |
|
Flanagan 1 run (Brien kick) |
| CA |
|
Turner 1 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Tate 8 interception return
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Jones 43 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Henderson 1 run (kick failed) |
| CA |
|
Thompson 7 pass from Brown
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Blum 40 field goal |
| |
|
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| |
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| |
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| |
|
|
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|
 |
Georgia: Geno Washington (??)
Carolina: Tim King (??) |
| |
 |
|
Carolina: Darrel Jones (83) |
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NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
West Florida Sun
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds
June 13, 1982
- Memorial Stadium - |
 |
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| |
| Sunbirds top West
Florida |
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|
|
| Pat Dooley -
Florida Times-Union |
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| |
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|
|
In a league where enthusiasm is about the only thing most
teams have too much of, the Jacksonville Sunbirds put rah-rah
aside last night and disposed of the West Florida Sun 32-0 in
business-like fashion in the Gator Bowl.
The Sunbirds plodded along to their first victory in three games
as a crowd estimated at less than 400 watched in the rain. The
pass-happy 'Birds went to the ground to grind out the easy
victory, running the ball 43 times for 200 yards compared to 23
pass attempts.
"The players knew what they had to do and they just went out and
did it," said Sunbird coach Jerry Disch. "They weren't too
emotional."
The Sunbirds had easily disposed of the Sun in two
exhibition games, and if that wasn't |
|
enough to dampen their enthusiasm, their first sights of the
locker room were.
"The rain didn't help and the lack of support didn't help,"
said quarterback Albert Chester. "The big talk in the locker
room was to try not to relax against them."
The Sun brought only 30 players, some of them disguised as
empty uniforms, and a new coach in former assistant general
manager Stoney Glover. They also brought some turmoil. At one
point in the second half, one of the players and an assistant
coach began scuffling on the sidelines.
"That's one problem we have on this team - intra-squad
turmoil," said Glover. "But the problem we had was we had too
many 170-pound guys going up against 230-pound guys." |
|
The game had been originally scheduled as a West Florida
home game, but was moved to the Gator Bowl when the Sun couldn't
come up with a home field. The Sun came to Jacksonville, but the
sun stayed home and the game-long drizzle produced sloppy
football.
Still, the Sunbirds were the clearly dominant team. Chester
shined early, then watched as Alvin Small took over for most of
the second half. Each quarterback threw a touchdown pass and the
only other Sunbird touchdown came on Herman Young's 28-yard run.
The other points came courtesy of Alan Leavitt's right
foot. The former University of Georgia kicker booted four field
goals, including a 52-yarder in the second half. |
|
|
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|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| West Florida |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Jacksonville |
|
10 |
|
3 |
|
13 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
27 |
| |
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|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
WF |
|
JA |
| First downs |
|
12 |
|
19 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
34 - 34 |
|
43 - 200 |
| Passing yards |
|
94 |
|
169 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
8 - 18 - 1 |
|
12 - 23 - 0 |
| Punts - yards |
|
6 - 33.6 |
|
1 - 9.0 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 1 |
|
3 - 2 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
10 - 75 |
|
8 - 63 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| JA |
|
Leavitt 36 field goal |
| JA |
|
Johnson 28 pass from Chester
(Leavitt kick) |
| JA |
|
Leavitt 40 field goal |
| JA |
|
Young 24 run (kick blocked) |
| JA |
|
Bogins 8 pass from Chester
(Leavitt kick) |
| JA |
|
Leavitt 45 field goal |
| JA |
|
Leavitt 52 field goal |
| |
|
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
 |
Jacksonville: David Johnson
(24)
West Florida: Eddie Williams (??) |
| |
 |
West Florida: Eddie Williams (??)
Jacksonville: Jerry Young (30) |
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| Bulldogs destroy
hapless Virginia |
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|
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| Dick Shippy -
Akron Beacon Journal |
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| |
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|
The Canton Bulldogs buried the Virginia Chargers in their
own mistakes, scoring two or more touchdowns in every quarter
Saturday night in a 72-0 pasting of the visitors at Rubber Bowl.
There were less than 500 in the stands witnessing the runaway.
It was the first American Football Association victory of the
season for Canton after three losses. The outmanned and helpless
Chargers had a succession of fumbles, blocked punts and
interceptions converted into seven Canton scores as Virginia
dropped its fourth straight AFA game. And given the performance
of the Chargers Saturday - 43 yards total offense to go with all
those mistakes - they appear a good bet to experience nothing
but embarrassment the balance of the season.
In the process of cashing those gift opportunities, the
Bulldogs piled up 428 yards rushing, led by Paul Winters' 84,
and added 47 |
|
by passing.
Bulldogs coach Bob Commings conceded his team got off as
easy as possible and raised the thought that such a ridiculous
game proved very little about Canton's status as one of the
AFA's stronger clubs. They might find out more next week when
they travel to Buffalo.
Canton pretty much wrapped up the game in the first 10
minutes of play, going 29 yards in six plays for a score after a
Virginia fumble, repeating the process over 44 yards and seven
plays, then cashing a blocked punt six plays and 18 yards later
for a 20-0 edge.
The Bulldogs' Alan Webster ran 52 yards with a punt to set
up a Les Petroff field goal, still in the first quarter, and
Webster then dashed 84 yards with 3:44 remaining in the second
period to make it 30-0. It was 37-0 at the intermission after
Lou King scored the second of his two touchdowns on a 19-yard |
|
bolt up the middle.
Exactly why Virginia chose to return from the locker room
for the second half is not clear. Their miseries could only
snowball further - and they did. There was no letup by Canton,
not even with a minute to play and the Chargers down by 65. At
that point, Canton took over at the Virginia 38 following a poor
punt and in half a minute had the final TD, third-string
quarterback Rich Brindisi getting it on a 2-yard sneak. Inhuman
is what it was.
Other Canton scores were registered by Gary Wroblewski,
Dave Bouldin, Dion Jenkins, linebacker Ted Ginn (on a 29-yard
interception return), Dennis Brumfield and Tony Iliano.
The Bulldogs don't play at home again until July 10 when
they face league-leading Charleston at the Rubber Bowl. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Virginia |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Canton |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
72 |
| |
|
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|
|
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|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
VA |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ?
- ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
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| |
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| |
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|
| |
|
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| Statesmen soar -
but fall to Sunbirds 17-14 |
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| Gerald Ensley -
Tallahassee Democrat |
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| |
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It was their finest hour. But somebody always has to lose.
Playing what was unquestionably the best game of their four-game
career in the American Football Association, the Florida
Statesmen were defeated 17-14 by the Jacksonville Sunbirds
Saturday night at Capital Stadium.
After leading 14-0 at halftime, the Statesmen fell victim to a
dogged Jacksonville offense that scored all its points in the
second half. Still, the Statesmen's first victory was nearly
within their grasp in the game's final minute.
With 1:05 showing on the clock, Statesman Valasco Smith fielded
Steve Amos' booming punt at the Statesmen's 23-yard line.
Cutting to the right sidelines, Smith received a crushing block
from teammate Joshua Stephens, sailed up the sidelines, cut to
the middle and went into the end zone.
But a questionable clipping call nullified the score, and the
Statesmen's record went to 0-4 in their inaugural season in the
AFA. The Sunbirds are 2-2. A crowd of 1,000 attended.
"I personally didn't see the clip," said Detroit Reynolds, who
became the Statesmen head coach last week. "But the ref told me
it happened after the play. If that's true, then the penalty
should have been assessed on the
kickoff. |
|
"I thought we showed tonight that we've come a long way.
But we still need to learn how to win."
What Saturday's game mainly showed was the value of three
players who joined the team last week. Running back Bill Fenn, a
bullish 215-pounder, ran 22 times for 71 yards and a touchdown,
teaming up with Reggie Perkins for 91 total yards on the ground.
It was the Statesmen's best rushing output of the season.
More exciting was wide receiver Greg Jackson, who
acrobatically hauled down eight passes for 128 yards, including
a 28-yard touchdown.
More workmanlike, but just as valuable, was former Florida
State receiver Mike Barnes, who caught six passes for 72 yards.
"I can do better," said Jackson, a former Arizona receiver.
"I usually hit the end zone more. I thought me and Billy picked
the team up some, but the guys showed enthusiasm and heart."
"I felt we could pull it off," said Fenn. "But it didn't
work out that way."
The play of the newcomers failed, however, to obscure the
fine play of quarterback Clyde Walker. In his best game as a
Statesman, the former FSU quarterback completed 21 of 32 passes,
with one interception, for 267 yards. |
|
His lone fault was to throw his two worst passes at the worst
time.
With four minutes left to play in the game, Walker
overthrew a wide-open Joe Thomas at about the 5-yard line. On
the very next play, Walker again threw to Thomas, but underthrew
him, with the Sunbirds' Jeff Dixon intercepting.
"Clyde played an excellent game," said Reynolds. "I thought
Fenn was excellent and added some punch to our offense, and
Jackson's a great athlete. But Clyde played a great game."
Walker's counterpart, Sunbird quarterback Albert Chester, a
former Florida A&M star, completed 15 of 32 passes for 193
yards. Most of them went to former Florida receiver Charlie
Brown, the league's leading receiver, who caught seven passes
for 100 yards.
"My motto is 'Never say die,'" said Chester. "We played a
sorry first half, which I'll take the blame for. I didn't play
good, but we won."
The Statesmen's next game is Saturday against the Florida
Sun, a team having ownership problems. The game, which is
supposed to be played in Panama City or Lake City, may be played
in Capital Stadium pending a decision this week by the league. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Jacksonville |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
10 |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Florida |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
14 |
| |
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
JA |
|
FL |
| First downs |
|
14 |
|
17 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
21 - 28 |
|
37 - 52 |
| Passing yards |
|
193 |
|
277 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
15 -
32 - 0 |
|
21 - 32 - 1 |
| Punts - avg |
|
8 - 46.8 |
|
5 - 31.4 |
| Return yards |
|
44 |
|
64 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 2 |
|
2 - 2 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
12 - 72 |
|
12 - 75 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| FL |
|
Fenn 1 run (Cox kick) |
| FL |
|
Jackson 29 pass from Walker
(Cox kick) |
| JA |
|
Foster 32 pass from Chester
(Leavitt kick) |
| JA |
|
Leavitt 46 field goal |
| JA |
|
Young 2 run (Leavitt kick) |
| |
|
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| |
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|
| |
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| |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Florida: Greg Jackson (86) |
|
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|
|
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
West Florida Sun
at
Georgia Pride
June 19, 1982
- Tara Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| The Georgia Pride
has their Knight in the sun 69-0 |
|
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|
|
| Earnest Reese -
Atlanta Journal |
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| |
|
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|
|
If the Georgia Pride had unmasked their opponents and asked
for IDs at Tara Stadium Saturday night, they would have
discovered a bunch of impersonators instead of the Florida Suns.
It seems the Suns, an American Football Association team based
in Panama City, were a loosely organized group that may have
shone for the last time last week, when they lost their second
game in as many tries.
What a crowd of less than 500 saw Saturday night was the Pride
humiliating, 69-0, a team called the Clayton Knights - an entry
in the Georgia Football League, not the AFA.
"We are the Florida Suns," Knights general manager Tom Durden
said, before admitting otherwise after some prodding.
"To tell the truth, we are the Clayton Knights, but we do have
some players from the Florida Suns," Durden said.
Durden said that AFA commissioner Roger Gill reached him by
telephone about midweek and asked if his team would fill in
Saturday night and possibly play the rest of the Suns' schedule.
"We've only been practicing a week or so, because our season
(Georgia Football League) doesn't start until four or five weeks
from |
|
now," Durden said.
When asked how many members of the Florida Suns were in
uniform Saturday night, Durden said, "Let's just say a handful."
"We received a call late last (Friday) night from
Commissioner Gill informing us of the fact that the Suns'
franchise has been revoked," Pride owner and coach Paul Zarynoff
said. "The way I understand it, this team is the nucleus for a
new Florida Suns franchise, and this is an AFA game."
If that is the case, the Pride will carry a 3-1 record into
next Saturday night's game against the Alabama Magic in
Birmingham.
That "handful of Suns" and its supporting case were
absolutely no match for the Pride, which held a 42-0 lead after
the game was 23 minutes old and led 56-0 at halftime.
Led by quarterback Anthony Flanagan, running back Gerald
Canion and tight end Larry Powers, the Pride scored touchdowns
with ease on all eight of their first-half possessions. The most
exhausted man on the field at that juncture well may have been
Pride placekicker Bob O'Brien, who seemingly was on the field,
either kicking off or kicking extra points, every other minute.
Flanagan, who went to the bench before he |
|
could break a sweat early in the second period, completed six of
nine passes for 157 yards and three first-half touchdowns.
Powers, the Pride's leading receiver, had two of those
receptions for scores of 17 and 38 yards, while Canion had
touchdown runs of two and three yards.
By halftime, the only thing the "handful of Suns" and their
cohorts had done to break their dismal performance was clear the
way for halfback Lolan Shanks to run 27 yards - by far their
best offensive effort of the first half. After that, however,
they turned the ball over. Again.
The "handful of Suns" and their cohorts did get a chance to
do some glad hand-slapping before the game mercifully ended.
They did it when they stopped the Pride from scoring for the
first time for the night at the beginning of the second half.
However, their only attempt at preventing a shutout ended
abruptly when Pride linebacker Mark Brown blocked a 34-yard
field-goal attempt late in the third period.
For some reason or another, Flanagan returned to the game
in the second half and threw another touchdown pass to Powers,
their third scoring hook-up of the night. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| West Florida |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Georgia |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
69 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
WF |
|
GA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ?
- ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Austin Texans
at
Oklahoma Thunder
June 19, 1982
- Skelly Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Thunder thumps
Austin, 52-7 |
|
|
|
|
|
| John Klein -
Tulsa World |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Oklahoma Thunder scored the first five times it had the
ball and coasted to a 52-7 rout of hapless Austin in an American
Football Association game Saturday night before less than 3,000
fans at Skelly Stadium.
The Thunder led, 38-7, at halftime behind an almost flawless
performance by former Tulsa University quarterback Dave Rader.
Rader hit 15 of 19 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns.
Meanwhile, defensive star Jimbo Elrod intercepted two passes,
one for a touchdown and the other that set up a TD.
It pushed the Thunder's Southwest Division-leading record to 4-0
while the Texans dropped to 0-4.
The obviously outmanned Texans suffered five interceptions and
lost two fumbles. Austin's regular starting quarterback Kirk
Ward was left home because of an injury. His replacement, Bryan
Bailey, not only was the victim of the five interceptions but he
also had a punt blocked.
The Oklahoma defense, led by Elrod, limited Austin to a mere 15
yards rushing and only four first downs.
Oklahoma never had to punt while running up 26 first downs and
480 yards in offense.
The game was virtually over at halftime but Rader did remain in
the game long enough in the second half to make it 45-7.
However, that did not happen until there was only 15 seconds
left in the third quarter.
Following an Austin punt, Rader found Joey Smith for a 61-yard
TD pass. Smith split the Texans' safeties and sprinted to the
end zone.
The Thunder upped that lead to 52-7 midway through the fourth
quarter. Demetrious Thompson's interception return to the Austin
three-yard line was followed by reserve quarterback Mike Powers'
sneak for |
|
the touchdown and the 52-7 lead.
The Thunder's domination during the first half was just as
bad as the 38-7 score indicated.
Oklahoma's defense, spearheaded by Elrod's two
interceptions, limited the Texans to two first downs by
halftime. In fact, Austin had a minus three yards rushing by
intermission. Bailey hit only two of 11 passes but one of those
was a 75-yarder for a touchdown to Wayland Gay.
Besides Oklahoma's defensive brilliance, the Thunder ran
and passed at will against the outmanned Texans. Rader hit eight
of 10 passes in the first half for 135 yards and three
touchdowns. The Thunder also gained 136 yards on the ground.
The Thunder did not score its first touchdown until the
7:01 mark of the first quarter but during the next 17 minutes
added four more TDs and a 29-yard field goal by former Tulsa
Roughneck Alan Woodward.
Oklahoma scored on its first possession going 80 yards in
seven plays following an Austin punt. Thunder running back
Dwaine Ball went the final two yards off left tackle and
Woodward added the point after.
Elrod, the former All-America defensive end at Oklahoma
University, made it 14-0 just moments later. He intercepted a
Bailey pass in the left flat and ran 30 yards untouched for the
touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 6:08 still left in the first
quarter.
Elrod added a second interception just three plays to set
up yet another Thunder TD. It was his third interception in two
games.
The Thunder went the 30 yards in only five plays with Rader
finding Jim Ed Thompson from nine yards out for the TD.
Woodward's kick made it 21-0 still 2:41 from the end of the |
|
first quarter and the rout was on.
The Thunder kept rolling. Following a Texan punt, Oklahoma
got a 29-yard field goal from Woodward. The big play in the
drive was a 48-yard pass from Rader to Bobby Smith, the former
Northeastern State star.
The Texans, who had three turnovers in the first half, then
lost their only fumble of the half on the second play following
the field goal. Dave Smith bobbled a handoff and and Lonnie
Davis recovered for Oklahoma.
From that point, Rader directed a mere 26-yard field goal
that took nearly five minutes off the clock to conclude.
Included in that drive was an interception by Eric Howard that
was fumbled back to the Thunder's Smith. Plus, a touchdown pass
from Rader to Vincent Orange was wiped out by a penalty.
Yet, Oklahoma finally got the TD on a Rader to Smith
11-yard pass and a 31-0 lead still 9:36 from the end of the
first half.
But it didn't take long for the Texans to get on the board
with their only offensive excitement of the first half. On the
first play following Rader's TD pass to Smith, Texan quarterback
Bailey found Gay alone behind the Oklahoma secondary for a
75-yard touchdown pass. That cut the lead to 31-7 but only
momentarily.
The Thunder responded by going 66 yards on nine plays
capped by another Rader to Smith TD pass of 15 yards. Rader also
had a 23 yarder to Randy Butler during the drive. That upped the
lead to 38-7 with 4:55 left before intermission.
The Thunder then got conservative, trying to hold the score
down, and ran out the final 4:35 of the clock after forcing an
Austin punt. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Austin |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Oklahoma |
|
21 |
|
17 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
52 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AU |
|
OK |
| First downs |
|
4 |
|
26 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 15 |
|
? - 200 |
| Passing yards |
|
135 |
|
280 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
6 -
22 - 5 |
|
15 - 19 - 1 |
| Punts - avg |
|
7 - 37 |
|
0 - 0 |
| Return yards |
|
132 |
|
160 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - 2 |
|
? - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - 108 |
|
? - 78 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| OK |
|
Ball 2 run (Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Elrod 30 interception return
(Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Thompson 9 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Woodward 29 field goal |
| OK |
|
Smith 11 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| AU |
|
Gay 75 pass from Bailey
(Houston kick) |
| OK |
|
Smith 15 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Smith 61 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Powers 2 run (Woodward kick) |
|
|
 |
Oklahoma: Ted Alexander (22)
Austin: Rick Goree (24) |
|
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|
|
 |
Buffalo Geminis
at
Charleston Rockets
June 19, 1982
- Laidley Field - |
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
|
| |
| Rockets blast
Geminis, 35-6 |
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| Buffalo News |
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| |
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|
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On the positive side for the Buffalo Geminis, they did hold
the Charleston Rockets to a 14-0 halftime lead, the best any
team has done against them all season long.
But the defending American Football Association champions roared
to a 35-6 triumph over Buffalo Saturday behind a solid defense
and timely ground attack. The Rockets, |
|
4-0, lead the Northeastern Division with a 4-0 record, while
Buffalo fell to 1-3.
The Geminis' only points came with nine minutes to play, as
Carl Guidotti recoverd a fumble at Charleston's 33-yard line and
the Geminis drove it in on quarterback Tim Hoysick's one-yard
plunge.
Charleston held the AFA's No. 2 rusher, |
|
Buffalo's Eric Gadley, to only 50 yards and held the Geminis to
152 total yards, compared to the Rockets' 448-yard attack. The
Rocket defense made up for its offense's miscues, as Buffalo got
four fumbles in Rocket territory but couldn't score. |
|
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|
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| Score by Quarters |
| Buffalo |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
6 |
| Charleston |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
35 |
| |
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|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
BU |
|
CH |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ?
- ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
|
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| Bulls earn 20-12
win |
|
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|
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| Galen Wellnicki
- San Antonio Light |
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| |
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|
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Running back James Tibbs rushed for 103 of his game-high
118 yards in the second half, breathing a hint of life into an
inert San Antonio attack, and helped the Bulls escape Memorial
Stadium with a 20-12 over the Houston Armadillos last night in
American Football Association action.
Tibbs, a 175-pounder from Bishop College, had individual carries
of 32 and 45 yards as the San Antonians, now 2-2 in league play,
rolled up 187 of their 280 total yards on the ground.
New Bulls' owners Clinton Manges and Pat Maloney and their
party, which included Democratic state attorney general
candidate Jim Mattox, rewarded Tibbs for his efforts with a $200
bonus as the game's "outstanding player."
The inability of either Keith Shelley, a former Frostburg State
standout, or Pete Przyborowski, a New Mexico Highlands' product,
to construct a consistent aerial attack forced veteran head
coach George Pasterchick to go to a ball-control game in the
second half and left general manager Roger Gill scratching his
head.
Shelley, who started, and Przyborowski, who played the final
three periods, combined for just five completions in 23 attempts
and two interceptions. They fumbled a total of four center snaps
and Przyborowski was sacked three times for losses totaling 31
yards.
While the San Antonio offense was stumbling its way to 20
points, the Bulls'
defense was doing a good job of keeping the |
|
Houston attack out of the end zone.
With strong-armed Jim Montgomery, a 6-4, 235-pounder from
Arkansas A&M, providing most of the yardage, the Armadillos
jumped to a 12-0 lead with 14:54 remaining in the first half.
Montgomery, who completed 11 of 32 passes for 161 yards,
used the bomb in the first period to move his team into range
for successful field goal attempts of 30 and 32 yards by Jerry
Maltz. Montgomery completed a 56-yard strike to pint-sized Randy
Claiburne on the first drive and hit former Texas A&I standout
Clem Franks with a 42-yarder on the second push.
The Armadillos' only touchdown came on the heels of a
45-yard pass interception return by James Bailey, who picked off
Shelley's toss at his own 45 and returned it 46 yards to the
Bulls' 9. Two plays later Montgomery lobbed an eight-yarder to
former Houston Oiler and Pittsburgh Steeler John Dirden.
A defensive play pulled the Bulls back into the game.
Noseman David McLeod batted a passing attempt by Montgomery into
the arms of linebacker Tally Neal, who returned the pass five
yards to the 10. Houston was penalized five more yards for a
personal foul, setting the stage for the first of two touchdowns
by Przyborowski.
Przyborowski, a 200-pounder, crashed over from the 1 on
third down and Joe Vega added the extra point with 13:14 to go
in the first half. |
|
San Antonio took the lead for good with 4:48 remaining in
the second quarter on a six-yard run by Tibbs, who squeezed
inside the corner marker of the end zone before being slammed to
the turf. The play climaxed an eight-play drive that featured a
55-yard pass from Przyborowski to Thomas Whittier and a
four-yard pass interference penalty that gave San Antonio a
first on the 1. A five-yard penalty on the next snap, however,
pushed the ball back to the 6, setting up Tibbs' run.
The Bulls provided the second half's only score with 14:06
remaining in the game as Przyborowski went over on a three-yard
keeper. The 48-yard, six-play drive featured Tibb's 32-yard
sprint.
Houston, now 1-3, made a serious run at the Bulls early in
the third period, but a drive deep into San Antonio territory
stalled on the 12 for lack of downs.
The Armadillos' final four possessions of the second half
ended at midfield, the Houston 16, the San Antonio 41 and the
Houston 10.
Bulls officials estimated the crowd at 6,800, but some
veteran Memorial Stadium observers felt the crowd was closer to
4,000.
In a move following the game, former Texas A&I head coach
and athletic director Gil Steinke, who attended the contest, was
named the franchise's director of player personnel.
The Bulls will visit powerful Shreveport in their next
outing Saturday. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Houston |
|
6 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
12 |
| San Antonio |
|
0 |
|
13 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
20 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
HO |
|
SA |
| First downs |
|
8 |
|
18 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
3 - 37 |
|
53 - 187 |
| Passing yards |
|
163 |
|
93 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
12 -
33 - 2 |
|
5 - 23 - 2 |
| Punts - avg |
|
7 - 35.1 |
|
6 - 36.5 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 0 |
|
6 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
9 - 100 |
|
6 - 50 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| HO |
|
Maltz 30 field goal |
| HO |
|
Maltz 32 field goal |
| HO |
|
Dirden 8 pass from Montgomery
(kick failed) |
| SA |
|
Przyborowski 1 run (Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Tibbs 6 run (kick failed) |
| SA |
|
Przyborowski 3 run (Vega kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
San Antonio: Willie Hall (33),
James Valdez (25)
Houston: Russell Raska (87) |
|
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|
 |
Racine Gladiators
at
Roanoke Valley Express
June 19, 1982
- William Byrd High School - |
 |
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| |
| 'Senior citizens'
lead Wisconsin past Express |
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|
|
| Doug Doughty -
Roanoke Times |
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| |
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From the way Joe Grafenauer and Jeff White worked together
Saturday night, you would swear they've been playing together
for years.
They have.
"We've been playing together since 1977; one year, we even
played in a touch football league," said White, 29, who caught
four passes for 132 yards as Wisconsin beat the Roanoke Valley
Express 31-2 at William Byrd field.
Grafenauer, also 29, passed for more than 200 yards, including a
30-yarder to White that gave the unbeaten Gladiators a 17-0
halftime lead in the American Football Association contest.
When the teams returned from the dressing room at intermission,
Roanoke Valley coach Gary Fallon thanked the crowd of 682 (252
paid) and said he hoped things would be different in the second
half.
The Express finally scored with 6:05 left when John Joyce
tackled Wisconsin's Michael Larry for a safety, but that just
made it 24-2. Roanoke Valley (2-2) has been outscored 82-9 in
its two home games.
To make matters worse, the Express lost three players to knee
injuries: defensive tackle Bruce Palmer, offensive tackle Tony
Payne and linebacker David Martin.
Starting offensive guard Joe Freeland played both ways in the
second half.
Compared to the Express, the Gladiators (4-0) looked like an NFL
team. The Wisconsin roster includes seven players who weigh 250
pounds or more, and 17 who are over 230.
A first-year AFA franchise, Wisconsin is located in Racine and
gained many of its players from the city's team in the Northern
States League. The Gladiators also picked up 11 |
|
players from the Delavan (Wis.) team, which, unlike Racine,
remains in the Northern States League.
"There was some unhappiness, of course," said Gladiators
coach Harry Gilbert. "There was a lot of discussion in the
newspapers, and also a threat of legal action."
Grafenauer and White were two of the former Delavan players
who joined the Gladiators.
"They were going to sue us," said White, "but how can they
possibly think we're doing this for the money?"
White drives a truck for a living, and did not play
football the last two years. He joined the Gladiators in hopes
of gaining one last shot at the NFL.
"I've tried out with the Packers and Redskins and they
always tell me the same thing: I don't have any experience,"
said White, who did not play high school or college ball.
Even as he approaches 30, White runs the 40-yard dash in
4.5 seconds and was more than the Express secondary could
handle.
After Wisconsin had taken a 3-0 lead on a 27-yard field
goal by Nils Linskoog, White set up the Gladiators' first
touchdown on a 57-yarder from Grafenauer. On the next play, Greg
"Grape Juice" Johnson scored the first of his two touchdowns on
a 3-yard run.
Johnson, 30, played for the University of Wisconsin in the
early '70s, and had several NFL tryouts.
Grafenauer, who threw for 176 yards in the first half,
played three quarters and then gave way to Larry Metallic.
Grafenauer had pin-point accuracy on his short passes, but
simply let White run under the longer tosses. |
|
"When those balls came down, they had frost on them,"
Fallon cracked. "They were the kind we should have intercepted."
The Express had 91 yards in total offense and managed one
legitimate scoring threat. With Wisconsin leading 10-0, Roanoke
Valley's Joe Coletrain recovered a fumble at the Gladiators'
19-yard line. But the Express had a field goal blocked after
driving to the 3.
Quarterback Vance Price had his problems, but received
little protection (he was sacked five times for 59 yards in
losses). Fallon said starting guard Eddie Davenport failed to
show up for the game, which necessitated the shift of John Canty
from defense.
There was some bickering on the Roanoke Valley sideline,
but Fallon said he was generally pleased with team morale. There
was an occasional rude remark from the stands, and one heckler
provoked a response from the Ex- press bench.
"I am highly disappointed," the fan yelled with about a
minute left.
"Well, take your a-- home," said one of the Roanoke Valley
assistant coaches.
Earlier, a fan suggested, "Hey, turn off the lights so we
can score."
Fallon said he is continuing to seek help at quarterback.
As recently as Saturday morning, he tried to contact former
James Madison QB John Bowers, an assistant last year under
Fallon at Washington and Lee.
"If Vance Price were an established quarterback, maybe you
could jump on him," Fallon said, "but I don't think you'll find
anybody on our team pointing a finger at him." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Racine |
|
10 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
31 |
| Roanoke Valley |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
2 |
|
- |
|
2 |
| |
|
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|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
RA |
|
RO |
| First downs |
|
20 |
|
9 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 147 |
|
? - 27 |
| Passing yards |
|
257 |
|
64 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
19 -
33 - 1 |
|
5 - 15 - 0 |
| Punts - avg |
|
2 - 32.5 |
|
7 - 42.0 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 1 |
|
7 - 3 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
10 - 110 |
|
6 - 35 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| RA |
|
Linskoog 27 field goal |
| RA |
|
Johnson 3 run (Linskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Johnson 33 run (Linskook kick) |
| RA |
|
White 30 pass from Grafenauer
(Linskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
McClelland 8 pass from
Metallic (Linskoog kick) |
| RO |
|
Safety Larry tackled in end
zone |
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
| |
| Wranglers take
nail-biter win, 20-17 |
|
|
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|
|
| Keven Newberry
- Mesquite Daily News |
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| |
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|
|
Robert Stringer booted a 30-yard field goal with just eight
seconds left in the game Saturday night to lift the Texas
Wranglers from a 17-17 deadlock with the Shreveport Americans
and to a 20-7 win at Memorial Stadium.
Unlike the previous week when the Wranglers won almost every
statistical category against the Tulsa Thunder but still lost
the game, this week the Wranglers trailed Shreveport in total
yards, first downs, and time of possession. But they were able
to capitalize on a short punt and three Shreveport miscues to
come out ahead on the scoreboard.
The short punt proved to be the most crucial to the game's
outcome. The scene: The Americans had control of the ball at
their own 29 yard line with two minutes left in the game and the
score still tied at 17-17.
On first and 10, Wrangler linebacker Basil Dabbs dropped
quarterback Ken Smith for a nine-yard loss. Smith followed with
two incomplete passes and Shreveport was forced to turn the ball
over. Jerry Pope's short punt to the American 45 put the ball
back in Texas' possession with just under a minute left to play
in the game.
Texas quarterback Welby Ina, who completed only 11 of 41 passes
on the evening, connected on passes of 10 and five yards to Mark
Owen and Steve Sullivan to move the Wranglers to the Shreveport
30.
On second and five Ina dropped back to pass but saw a gaping
hole up the middle and scooted 10 yards to the American 20 yard
line. Running back Tony Brown pounded down to the 12 yard line
on carries of five and three yards to set up Stringer's 30-yard
field goal.
Texas had to wonder what kind of night it was going to be when
it took the opening kickoff and drove from its own 32 to the
Shreveport 16 yard line and still came up empty-handed. A
33-yard field goal by Stringer was called back because Texas had
12 men on the field and the Wranglers had to settle for Ina's
punt to the American four yard line. |
|
Texas got the ball back a couple of series later by virtue
of a bad snap on an attempted punt by Shreveport from their own
45. Texas took over at the American 33 yard line.
Texas drove to the 10 yard line on five plays but set up
for another field goal attempt when Ina's third and seven pass
attempt to Tony Brown fell incomplete. Stringer kicked a 27-yard
field goal but it was called back for illegal procedure. He
finally got the Wranglers on the board with his third field goal
try of the night this one from 32 yards out, to give them a 3-0
lead.
The Wrangler lead didn't last long however, as Shreveport
came back on their next possession with a long march to the end
zone.
After taking the Texas kick at the 33, starting quarterback
James Mosley got the Americans into Wrangler territory with
passes of 18 and 13 yards. Mosley connected again with Vernon
Wells on a 23-yard pass play to the Texas six yard line. A Texas
roughing the passer penalty moved the ball half the distance to
the goal and the Americans set up shop at the Wrangler three.
Mosley capped the drive which he had already dominated and
took the ball in himself with a one-yard burst up the middle.
Pope's extra point put Shreveport out front 7-3 with just two
minutes gone in the second quarter.
Texas got the second of three big breaks in the game after
its next drive stalled and Shreveport had the ball at its own
18.
On the second play of the Shreveport series, Mosley let go
of an errant pass and Dabbs picked it off at the 20 and romped
all the way in for a Wrangler touchdown. Stringer's extra point
gave them a 10-7 lead with 11:20 left in the first half.
Texas wrapped up its scoring in the waning seconds of the
first half capitalizing on an interception by linebacker Don
Maxwell at the Shreveport 23.
Ina went to the air trying to get the Wranglers into the
end zone before the halftime |
|
gun sounded and connected on two passes to Ethan Ogletree. Ina
hit Ogletree on a 15-yard pass and followed with a 12-yard
touchdown pass. Stringer followed with the extra point to close
out the first half scoring at 17-7.
Shreveport wasted no time in the second half in cutting
away at the Wrangler lead. Using a 32-yard run by Larry Smith
and a 15-yard penalty tacked on to that, the Americans moved
from their own nine yard line to the Wrangler 48.
The Americans drove to the Texas seven in 12 more plays
before their drive stalled but Pope pulled them to within a
touchdown's distance of the Wranglers with a 17-yard field goal
closing the gap to 17-10.
The Texas offense fell asleep at the half and apparently
didn't bother to wake up as it took the field in the second
half. The Wranglers managed only four first downs in the final
half and left the Americans ample time to get more points on the
scoreboard.
Shreveport took advantage of the opportunity and knotted
the score with less than two minutes left in the third quarter.
Starting at midfield, the Americans moved to the Texas 15 behind
three passes from quarterback Ken Smith who started the series
in place of Mosley.
From there, Smith found wide receiver Wells just inside the
right corner post of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Pope's PAT attempt was good and tied the score at 17-17.
The score remained tied throughout the final quarter of
play as Shreveport squandered two scoring opportunities
including missed field goals from 47 and 50 yards out.
Finally with less than two minutes left, Wrangler
linebacker Dabbs capped off a superb night defensively dropping
Smith for a nine-yard loss at the Shreveport 20. Smith fired two
incomplete passes and then Pope's short punt to the American 45
set up Texas' game-winning drive. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Shreveport |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
10 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Texas |
|
3 |
|
14 |
|
0 |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
20 |
| |
|
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|
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|
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|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
SH |
|
TX |
| First downs |
|
17 |
|
12 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 47 |
|
? - 134 |
| Passing yards |
|
275 |
|
117 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
21 -
46 - 3 |
|
10 - 32 - 1 |
| Punts - avg |
|
5 - 37.2 |
|
10 - 37.7 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 1 |
|
1 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
5 - 42 |
|
10 - 103 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| TX |
|
Stringer 32 field goal |
| SH |
|
Mosley 1run (Pope kick) |
| TX |
|
Dabbs 25 interception return
(Stringer kick) |
| TX |
|
Ogletree 25 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| SH |
|
Pope 19 field goal |
| SH |
|
Wells 15 pass from Smith (Pope
kick) |
| TX |
|
Stringer 29 field goal |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Shreveport: Donny Sutton (??)
Texas: Steve Jackson (??) |
| |
 |
Texas: Martin Patterson (86)
Shreveport: Chester Grisom (82) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Alabama Magic
at
Carolina Storm
June 20, 1982
- Memorial Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Storm puts a 29-13
loss in Magic act |
|
|
|
|
|
| David Scott -
Charlotte Observer |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
For most of its American Football Association game Sunday
night, the Carolina Storm stayed one step ahead of the visiting
Alabama Magic.
Ahead of the pack was Carolina wide receiver Darrell Jones, as
the Storm won its fourth straight game 29-13.
Jones, a speedy wide receiver, caught two touchdown passes from
quarterback Ellsworth Turner - one on the Storm's second play
from scrimmage, the other late in the fourth quarter - as
Carolina (4-0) won its second straight game over a previously
unbeaten AFA Southeastern Division opponent.
Last week, Carolina handed the Georgia Pride its first loss
37-7.
Against Alabama (3-1), Jones wasn't the game's top receiver,
catches-wise. He had four, but three others - Reggie Smith,
Lonnie Harris and Jeff Thompson - did, too. Larry Josephson and
Herman Lowery had five each for the Magic.
But Jones did the most with what he had - his catches totaling
120 yards, in addition to the touchdowns. And there was as much
trickery as speed (he runs a 4.3 40-yard dash and a 9.4 100)
involved.
Turner's first scoring pass to Jones, for instance, wasn't a
Storm-Special Bomb. It was a simple out pass, with Turner
throwing the ball to Jones, who simply turned from his spot near
the sidelines to catch it.
"We figured they'd think we'd throw the |
|
bomb at first," said Jones, a Florida alumnus. "And Ellsworth
and I have gotten to the point where we can read each other,
where we can feel what we're going to do. I just caught it,
slipped my man and went."
At that time, there was 12:27 left in the first quarter,
and, after the Storm messed up its point-after attempt, it was
6-0. A similar thing happened a few weeks ago, when the Storm
scored early, then routed the Florida Suns 67-7.
But the Magic turned out to be the Storm's strongest
opposition yet. Alabama didn't roll over and let Carolina have
its way.
In fact, whatever the Storm did offensively in the first
half, Alabama was able to counter with something.
So, instead of letting Carolina jump out to a big lead, the
Magic came back in the first quarter with a 20-yard field goal
by Ron Slovensky.
The Storm got its second touchdown on the first play of the
second quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Emmett Hamilton. That made
it 13-3, but, again, back came Alabama.
This counter came on a 93-yard kickoff return by Josephson,
making it 13-10.
Trying to shake the Magic, the Storm went up 16-10 on a
44-yard field goal by John Blum. But the lead was 16-13 at
halftime on a 29-yarder by Slovensky.
Unlike its victory over Georgia, the Storm had established
some offense in the first half. |
|
But, like the Pride triumph (when Georgia led 7-0 at halftime),
Storm coach Eddie Joyce was worried at half- time.
"I think getting those early points just made us sloppier,"
said Joyce. "And we concentrated less. But we were a little beat
up, and that makes it hard to concentrate."
So the Storm buckled down in the second half, getting more
points on another touchdown run by Hamilton and a second
Turner-to-Jones touchdown pass.
"I think this showed that we can score when we have to,"
said Joyce.
Jones said it another way.
"I think it helped get our momentum going," he said. "And
there's one thing about this club (which has outscored its
opposition 163-27). Once we get started, there's nobody who can
stop us."
With his speed, it sometimes looks as if Jones can score
whenever he wants. He has four touchdown passes this season, and
helps give the Storm an effective passing dimension. Turner has
deep, explosive threats in Smith, Harris and Jones, and a
durable, reliable tight end in Thompson.
Jones left Florida in 1979, after playing for the Gators
four seasons. He played for the AFA's Orlando Americans last
season. Turner, who began the season with the Carolina Chargers,
finished up with the Americans. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Alabama |
|
3 |
|
10 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
13 |
| Carolina |
|
6 |
|
10 |
|
6 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
29 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AL |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
12 |
|
26 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
22 - 58 |
|
35 - 141 |
| Passing yards |
|
170 |
|
240 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
16 - 33 - 4 |
|
18 - 35 - 1 |
| Punts - yards |
|
2 - 42 |
|
3 - 34 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
0 - 0 |
|
2 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
9 - 73 |
|
10 - 69 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Jones 51 pass from Turner
(pass failed) |
| AL |
|
Slovensky 20 field goal |
| CA |
|
Hamilton 1 run (Blum kick) |
| AL |
|
Josephson 93 kickoff return
(Slovensky kick) |
| CA |
|
Blum 44 field goal |
| AL |
|
Slovensky 29 field goal |
| CA |
|
Hamilton 2 run (kick blocked) |
| CA |
|
Jones 25 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Alabama: Herman Lowery (??)
Carolina: Tim King (41) |
| |
 |
|
Carolina: Joe Crosby (52), Dennis Mathews (40) |
|
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|
| |
| Magic wins, thanks
to blocked kick |
|
|
|
|
|
| Don Kausler,
Jr. - Birmingham News |
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| |
|
|
|
|
Charley Wood stands 6-feet-2 and weighs 216 pounds. The
former Auburn University linebacker is not what you would call
little.
But somehow he squeezed through a tight opening to block a field
goal Saturday night, setting up the Alabama Magic's 17-16
victory over the Georgia Pride at Legion Field.
A crowd of some 1,000 turned out for the American Football
Association contest.
"I just found a little gap," explained Wood, who earlier in the
game blocked an extra-point kick by the Pride's Bob Brien.
"I ran hurdles in high school. I just managed to get my front
leg and my shoulder in first. The guy beside me took the block
out on the end. I kind of stumbled on in and dove for it."
He batted away the 44-yard attempt by Brien earlier in the
fourth quarter that prevented the Pride from adding to a 16-14
lead.
The Magic responded with a 55-yard drive to Georgia's 7-yard
line that ended in a game-winning 24-yard field goal by Ron
Slovensky with 7:55 left in the game.
That field goal, Slovensky's fourth in four attempts this
season, helped the Magic improve its record to 4-1. Georgia
dropped to 3-2.
The winning drive was set up when Magic receiver Alex Prince was
unintentionally tripped on a deep pass route, resulting in a
42-yard pass interference penalty. That gave Alabama a first
down at Georgia's 20-yard line.
The Pride helped sustain the Magic's drive with a face-mask
penalty, giving Alabama an automatic first down after
quarterback Mark Cahill was stopped on a five-yard quarterback
draw in a third-and-16 situation from the 26.
Georgia led, 10-7, at halftime, and improved that lead to 16-7
early in the third quarter on a 4-yard touchdown run by Louis
Kelly.
The Magic retaliated with a 22-yard touchdown pass from Cahill
to former Auburn wide receiver Mark Robbins. That pass followed
a 52-yard completion to Prince, and it came with the Pride
blitzing.
"They were hurting us the whole first half and most of the
third quarter, they were stunting so much," Cahill said. "It
took us a |
|
while to get adjusted. I knew if they were blitzing, somebody
should be open.
"Everybody was coming in on that touchdown pass. If I
stepped out of the pocket, I'd have been sacked."
Pressure from Alabama's line played a big role in the game,
too. Brien's blocked field goal was set up by a roughing the
punter call. The Pride drove as far as Alabama's 23-yard line
before quarterback Tony Flanagan was sacked for a 13-yard loss.
Late in the game, with the Pride at the Alabama 28-yard
line and trailing by one, Flanagan again was pressured. He was
called for an intentional grounding penalty that killed
Georgia's comeback bid.
Georgia jumped to a quick 3-0 lead, as it took the opening
kickoff and marched 44 yards before Bob Brien kicked a 43-yard
field goal with 12:00 remaining in the first quarter. The
six-play drive was highlighted by a 35-yard pass from Tony
Flanagan to Geno Washington.
The Magic moved nowhere on its first possession, but the
second time it had the ball, Lawrence Joseph broke loose for a
26-yard gain. The drive reached the Georgia 37-yard line before
the Pride's Clifford McCray intercepted a Mark Cahill pass over
the middle.
The Pride, however, was unable to take advantage of the
turnover. On its next possession, it turned the ball over
itself. Zollie Harris fumbled a handoff and Alabama's Billy Lee
pounced on the loose ball at the Georgia 25-yard line.
Three plays later, the Magic took the lead on a 7-yard
touchdown run by Joseph. That sweep around left end was set up
one play earlier, when Cahill eluded a quick, heavy rush on a
second-and-8 play and completed a 16-yard pass to former Auburn
wide receiver Mark Robbins.
The touchdown, Joseph's fifth of the season, came with only
13 seconds left in the first quarter. The conversion kick by Ron
Slovensky gave Alabama a 7-3 lead.
But that lead didn't last long. Flanagan, a former
third-string quarterback at the |
|
University of Georgia behind Ray Goff and Matt Robinson, tossed
a 13-yard touchdown pass to Mike Frazier with 8:16 left in the
second quarter, culminating a 12-play, 68-yard drive. The kick
by Brien put the Pride ahead, 10-7.
The drive featured nine running plays - including five
straight by Melvin Jenkins for 22 yards. Flanagan's touchdown
pass, his 11th of the season, was followed by a cloudburst.
Moments later, Cahill threw his second interception, as
Georgia's Ben Scott stepped in front of a pass intended for Alex
Prince. Scott's return, plus a 15-yard personal foul by Alabama,
gave the Pride a first down at the Magic 23-yard line.
James Drake, a defensive back from Miles College, kept the
Magic from falling further. On a third-and-goal play from just
inside the 10-yard line, Flanagan fired a pass to his left
toward the goal line, but Drake stepped in front of a Pride
receiver for a big interception.
A personal foul by Georgia and a 24-yard burst up the
middle by former Livingston College running back Cedric Stevens
helped move the Magic as far as the Pride's 37-yard line before
it ran out of downs.
Georgia managed to get four plays off before the half
ended, but it failed to move the ball.
Although the Pride held a slim halftime lead, the Magic
held a statistical edge. Alabama outgained Georgia both rushing
(85-55) and passing (84-77). The Magic had 10 first downs to the
Pride's eight.
The Magic moved quickly into scoring position to open the
second half, but another turnover - its third of the game -
killed the drive.
The Pride opened the third quarter with an onside kick that
the Magic covered at its own 46. On the second play from
scrimmage, Cahill floated a to Prince down the right sideline
for a 25-yard gain to the Georgia 25-yard line.
Joseph fumbled a draw on the next play, but an Alabama
teammate recovered, limiting the disaster to a 7-yard loss. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Georgia |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
16 |
| Alabama |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
17 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
GA |
|
AL |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Alabama: Cedric Stevens (33), Mark Cahill (11) |
|
|
 |
| Alabama: Mark Cahill (11),
Lawrence Joseph (6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| QB Ina leads
Wranglers past winless Texans, 17-6 |
|
|
|
|
|
| George
Breazeale - Austin American-Statesman |
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| |
|
|
|
|
Not quite enough on offense, defense and the kicking game
was the story line - again - for winless Austin as the Texas
Wranglers stopped the Texans, 17-6, in American Football
Association Southwest Division play Saturday night at Burger
Center.
Now 0-5 on the season, Austin was competitive in every phase of
play - but Wrangler quarterback Welby Ina coped with a fierce
Texan pass rush often enough to author a half dozen big plays as
the Mesquite-based team, now 4-1, remained in second place in
the Southwest Division.
While Austin was penned in its own end of the field on offense
for the first 20 minutes of play, Ina put the Wranglers on the
board on the winners' second possession, throwing six yards to
Martin Patterson to cap a 68-yard 11-play |
|
drive midway of the first period.
Ina's 16-yard fourth down scramble to the six set up the
score.
Robert Stringer's 42-yard field goal sent the Wranglers
ahead, 10-0, with 21/2 minutes gone in the second period, but
the Austin defense, keyed by linemen Elvis Shaw and John Hopson,
linebackers Rodney Greene, Arthur Atwood and L. C. Cole, then
asserted itself for the remainder of the first half.
Austin jumped back into contention when quarterback Bryan
Bailey threw a 45-yard scoring bomb to flanker Wayland Gay with
14 seconds left in the half. Gay outfought Wrangler safety Rod
Gerald, a former standout at Ohio State, for the ball at the
goal line, but a penalty killed the Texans' extra point try.
The Texan offense dominated the third |
|
quarter, but a drive from the Austin 35, keyed by Bailey's
27-yard pass to Ricky Caldwell, died on downs at the Wrangler 23
after carrying to the Texas eight. Later, Gay took a 30-yard
pass to trigger a move to the Wrangler 20, but Bailey was a yard
short on a fourth down sneak try.
Ina, harassed all night long by Atwood's brilliant pass
rush, put the game away midway of the fourth quarter after
Bailey's 20-yard punt was run back to the Austin 34. On a
third-and-25 situation, Ina found Steve Sullivan open down the
sideline for a 35-yard scoring throw and Stringer kick concluded
the scoring with 4:03 left in the game.
Gay led all receivers with seven catches for 125 yards
while Caldwell paced Austin's ground game with 45 yards on 12
carries. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Texas |
|
7 |
|
3 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Austin |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
TX |
|
AU |
| First downs |
|
14 |
|
12 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
38 - 128 |
|
33 - 46 |
| Passing yards |
|
147 |
|
178 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
10 - 32 - 1 |
|
13 - 33 - 0 |
| Punts - yards |
|
4 - 45 |
|
5 - 30 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 0 |
|
3 - 2 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
12 - 110 |
|
4 - 23 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| TX |
|
Patterson 6 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| TX |
|
Stringer 42 field goal |
| AU |
|
Gay 45 pass from Bailey (kick
failed) |
| TX |
|
Sullivan 35 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Texas: Rod Williams (72), Don
Maxwell (88) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Bulldogs fight to
win |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jim Kelley -
Buffalo News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
If it's true that practice makes perfect, then the Buffalo
Geminis have an excuse.
"We've had a pretty bad week of practice, as far as guys showing
up," Gemini head coach Gene Zinni said after his team absorbed a
28-7 defeat at the hands, feet and fists of the Canton Bulldogs
in an American Football Association contest Saturday at War
Memorial Stadium.
Contest is a word that would have to be used in its loosest
sense here.
The Gemini's gave a reasonable effort through the first three
quarters, but the combination of a disheartened team and some
rather chippy play by the Bulldogs turned the fourth quarter
into a farce.
Flags on nearly every play after the Bulldogs had built a 21-7
lead with about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Officials were forced to break up a number of post-play
altercations and eventually ended the proceedings with 33
seconds left on the clock when it appeared things would get
entirely out of hand.
"That was entirely their (the officials) fault," Zinni said.
"They let things get completely out of hand."
Leaving blame for the fisticuffs aside, |
|
however, blame for the Gems' fourth loss in five starts could be
placed squarely in the hands of the quarterback George Pachucy
and Jim Hoysick.
Pachucy was intercepted three times and Hoysick once and
two of the errant throws led directly to Canton touchdowns.
The Geminis were nursing a 7-3 lead at halftime. Eric
Gadley's two-yard TD run more than offsetting Les Petroff's
26-yard field goal.
But Pachucy's third misguided missile ended up in the hands
of Bill Armstrong and the Canton safety wasted no time returning
the ball 70 yards for a score.
The Bulldogs, who came into the game with an identical 1-3
record, added another quick six with a scoring drive set up
after Tom Roper swiped a Hoysick pass on the Buffalo 25 and
returned it to the 12-yard line.
The Geminis allowed Canton to tack on another 12 points via
a 35-yard field goal, a two-point safety when Hoysick was
tackled in the end zone and a penalty assisted touchdown drive
capped by Dione Jenkins six-yard run with 14:25 gone in the
final quarter.
"I really don't know what the answer is," |
|
Zinni said of the shabby passing attack that has contributed to
back-to-back losses. "I think the receivers are getting open
down there, we're just not getting them the ball."
One bright spot in the Buffalo passing game was the play of
Mark Lloyd. The former Canisius College star caught five balls
for 57 yards, but on the whole Gemini throwers managed just 10
completions for a measly 107 yards.
On the ground, this one was pretty much a repeat of last
week as the team started strong but failed to finish.
Gadley dented the Bulldog line for 61 yards on 16 carries,
but most of them came in the first half. The running game was
virtually nonexistent in the second half as the Gems were forced
into countless third-and-long situations. But even when they did
try to run, they went nowhere.
"Right now we have to make up our mind as to what we are
and what we want to be," an obviously distraught Zinni said as
his team prepared to head into the second half of the season.
"We play everybody all over again."
And who knows, with a little practice the Geminis may not
even need an excuse. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Canton |
|
0 |
|
3 |
|
13 |
|
12 |
|
- |
|
28 |
| Buffalo |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CA |
|
BU |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| BU |
|
Gadley 2 run (Perri kick) |
| CA |
|
Petroff 26 field goal |
| CA |
|
Armstrong 70 interception
return (Petroff kick) |
| CA |
|
Brumfield 1 run (kick failed) |
| CA |
|
Safety Hoysick tackled in end
zone |
| CA |
|
Jenkins 6 run (Petroff kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Canton: Paul Wintes (32) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Storm bulldozes
Sunbirds |
|
|
|
|
|
| Pat Dooley -
Florida Times-Union |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Jacksonville Sunbirds didn't have much trouble with
Carolina's "Gnat." It was the bulldozers they couldn't handle.
The Carolina Storm simply wore out the Sunbirds in the second
half of last night's American Football Association game, scoring
28 points and gaining 276 yards in the final two quarters in a
31-10 victory in front of a crowd estimated at 2,000 in the
Gator Bowl.
"They wore us out, beat us physically," said Sunbird coach Jerry
Disch. "And our fatigue made them look that much better."
The Sunbirds, now 2-3, managed to stop Carolina receiver Reggie
"Super Gnat" Smith, holding him to two catches for 28 yards,
both in the first drive of the game. Smith helped out, dropping
two passes in the end zone.
"The lights, man, these are bad lights," said Smith. "I lost the
ball in the lights."
With Smith doing little and the Storm tied with the Sunbirds 3-3
at the half, Carolina went to a ground attack that is
statistically the best in the league. After gaining only 54
yards rushing in the first half, Carolina picked up 149 in the
second half and ground out the victory.
"I knew our offensive line would control the |
|
game," said Carolina quarterback Ellsworth Turner. "You could
see Jacksonville's linemen slow down in the second half.
"They have a good team, but they have a lot of guys out of
shape, bellies hanging out over their pants. I couldn't believe
one of their players was even on the field."
Turner did his part by passing for 209 yards and two
second-half touchdowns. He leads the league with 14 scoring
passes.
The turning point of the game may have been in the first
few minutes of the second half. Allan Leavitt's 27-yard field
goal and a 21-yarder by Carolina's John Blum left the score
knotted at the half. The Sunbirds' Leo Ethridge recovered a
fumble on the second-half kickoff at the Carolina 40 and
Jacksonville appeared to be ready to take the lead.
But after being stopped on three downs, the Sunbirds tried
a fake field goal that went for no gain Carolina took over and
drove to the game's first touchdown, a 30 yard pass from Turner
to running back Jackie Reed.
On Jacksonville's next possession, Jerome Simmons recovered
a Jacksonville fumble at the 9 and Emmett Hamilton, the league's |
|
leading rusher, went in on the next play and Carolina led 18-3.
But the two touchdowns within 1:03 of each other didn't
destroy the Sunbirds. Quarterback Albert Chester marched
Jacksonville 76 yards in 2:11 hitting Billy Mims with a 27-yard
touchdown pass to make it 18-10.
Carolina, now 5-0, came right back driving 56 yards, with
all but one play coming on the ground. Reed went in for the
score on a fourth-and-one play.
Jacksonville's last-gasp effort was halted when Simmons
intercepted a Chester pass at the Carolina 10 early in the
fourth quarter. Turner hit former Florida wide receiver Darryl
Jones with a 49-yard pass for the final score with 8:46 left in
the game.
"I was worried the humidity might work against us," said
Jones. "But it worked just the other way."
Bruce Duke led Carolina in rushing with 60 yards. Hamilton
had 59 and Reed 46.
"We just didn't take it to 'em," said Chester, who was 16
of 31 for 219 yards. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Carolina |
|
3 |
|
0 |
|
15 |
|
13 |
|
- |
|
31 |
| Jacksonville |
|
3 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
10 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CA |
|
JA |
| First downs |
|
17 |
|
15 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
42 - 203 |
|
24 - 24 |
| Passing yards |
|
209 |
|
257 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
10 - 20 - 1 |
|
18 - 36 - 2 |
| Punts - yards |
|
2 - 29 |
|
5 - 30 |
| Return yards |
|
120 |
|
91 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
3 - 2 |
|
3 - 3 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
5 - 53 |
|
7 - 74 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| JA |
|
Leavitt 27 field goal |
| CA |
|
Blum 21 field goal |
| CA |
|
Reed 30 pass from Turner
(Matthews pass from Brown) |
| CA |
|
Hamilton 9 run (Blum kick) |
| JA |
|
Mims 27 pass from Chester
(Leavitt kick) |
| CA |
|
Reed 1 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Jones 49 pass from Turner (kick failed) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Carolina: Dennis Colt (35), Charles Hester (53)
Jacksonville: Billy Mims (83) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Rain, Thunder,
national anthem
all hit Armadillos at wrong time |
|
|
|
|
|
| Houston
Chronicle |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
As a score of 48-7 might indicate, it was a night in which
nothing seemed to go right for the hapless Houston Armadillos.
First came the rain. Then came the Thunder - the Tulsa Thunder
that is, the No. 1 team in the American Football Association.
Then came the kickoff. Then came the national anthem.
How is that again?
A recapitulation of the Armadillos' first game at Dyer Stadium
is in order.
Aside from the awful weather, having to face the best team in
the league and playing at Dyer field for the first time, all
seemed normal - until kickoff.
As the 750 fans waited to hear blues singer Johnny Copeland's
rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, all they got was the
kickoff. A lack of communication between game officials and the
public-address announcer apparently caused the snafu. |
|
Realizing their error, officials and the announcer stopped
play. With the ball spotted and the Armadillos waiting to run
their first offensive series, players and fans stood at
attention for the national anthem.
Following suit, however, even Copeland's effort turned
sour. Midway through the song, Copeland paused, missing several
words in the process. Copeland is a former winner of the W.C.
Handy award as an outstanding blues singer.
Restarting the action, the situation only got worse for the
Armadillos. They ran three plays, then lined up to punt. Alas,
thunderous Rayfield Williams banged through and blocked the
kick, picked up the ball and scored the game's first touchdown
less than two minutes deep. It was to be the first of three
blocked punts the Armadillos would suffer. All led to Tulsa
scores.
The second aborted kick enabled Allen |
|
Woodard to make good on a 44-yard field goal, which gave the
Thunder a 10-0 lead.
Houston came back for its only score of the night, a 1-yard
run by William Cook, to close to within 10-7.
Then things really got bad. Quinn Jones scored on a 5-yard
run and Woodard added another field goal to put Tulsa up 20-7 at
halftime.
Midway through the third quarter, Joey Smith snared a
13-yard scoring pass from quarterback Dave Rader to make it
27-7, and the route was on.
Three fourth-quarter touchdowns Dwaine Ball's 2-yard run,
Mike Dorris' fumble recovery in the end zone and Lonnie Davis
20-yard return of the last blocked punt - nailed down the win
for Tulsa, now 5-0 in American Football Association play.
The Armadillos fell to 1-4 on the season. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Oklahoma |
|
10 |
|
10 |
|
7 |
|
21 |
|
- |
|
48 |
| Houston |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
OK |
|
HO |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Gladiators pass to
victory |
|
|
|
|
|
| Kenosha Sunday
News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Joe Grafenauer threw three touchdown passes Saturday night
as the Racine Gladiators won their fifth straight United States
Football League game, beating the West Virginia Rockets, 23-19.
Grafenauer threw to Joe Rodriguez for a 21-yard TD, to Dan
Brunner for a 10-yard TD, and |
|
Jeff White for a 78-yard TD.
Grafenauer threw the ball 41 times, completing 23, as the
Gladiators passed twice for each time they ran with the ball.
Greg Johnson gained 53 yards running.
Cary Stearns kept the visiting Rockets, who went into
action 4-0, in the game by kicking |
|
four field goals.
Kurt Campendahl was credited with Racine's final two points
when he sacked the West Virginia quarterback in the end zone.
The game was played before 4,080 at Horlick Field. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Charleston |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
19 |
| Racine |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
23 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CH |
|
RA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 'Killer' on the
loose fires up road-winning Express |
|
|
|
|
|
| Roanoke Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
If records mean anything, maybe the Roanoke Valley Express
should play all of its games on the road.
The Express scored its third consecutive road victory Saturday
night with a 28-0 triumph over the winless Virginia Chargers
before a sparse crowd at Manassas Park High School.
The victory improved the Express' record to 3-2, including 3-0
on enemy turf. The Chargers, suffering their third shutout, fell
to 0-5.
"I think maybe we play better on the road due to all the
adversity we face at home," Express coach Gary Fallon said. "We
just seem to play better football under those circumstances.
It's hard to explain why."
John Bowers, a former star at James Madison University, led
the Express victory. Bowers threw three touchdown passes as the
Express rolled up its biggest point total of the regular season. |
|
Meanwhile, the Express defense throttled the Virginia
offense. The Chargers, who dropped a 46-6 exhibition decision to
the Express six weeks ago, never mounted a serious threat.
The Express defense was buoyed by an unexpected force.
George "Killer" Miller, an assistant coach, started at defensive
tackle and recovered a fumble to set up Roanoke Valley's first
touchdown.
"The guys were really fired up with George in there. Near
the end I think he was trying to get ejected so he could get the
heck out of there," Fallon cracked.
Devon Hunter's 20-yard run after Miller's fumble recovery
gave the Express a 7-0 lead. Roanoke Valley made it 14-0 on its
second possession when Bowers connected with Wilbur Parsons for
a 30-yard scoring pass.
Bowers, who received a crash course on the |
|
Express offense via a phone talk with Fallon this week, fired
touchdown passes of 18 yards to Marvin Seals and of 35 yards to
Tim Leavell in the second half to complete the scoring.
"Bowers did a heckuva nice job for a guy who took the
offense over the phone," Fallon said. "He said he would come
back this week if we play another game."
Fallon and the club had a meeting after the game to discuss
the future of the team. Unless the team's board of directors
raise $1,700 this week, the Express will reportedly fold.
"We're facing reality," Fallon said. "It's one thing to
play and another to need money to buy tape to practice. We've
been able to survive so far, but the players and the coaching
staff can't go into their pockets any longer. I don't think
anybody can consider us a quitter at this point. I just hope
this team can continue to play football." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Roanoke Valley |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
28 |
| Virginia |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
RO |
|
VA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| RO |
|
Hunter 20 run (Freeland kick) |
| RO |
|
Parsons 30 pass from Bowers
(Freeland kick) |
| RO |
|
Seals 18 pass from Bowers
(Freeland kick) |
| RO |
|
Leavell 35 pass from Bowers
(Freeland kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Smith passes,
tackles in American win |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ron Higgins -
Shreveport Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Shreveport quarterback Ken Smith's passing arm never looked
better as he threw for two touchdowns, but it was his heel which
turned out to be more important in the Americans 14-7 American
Football Association win over the San Antonio Bulls here
Saturday night at Independence Stadium before 3,124 fans and a
Public Broadcasting System television audience.
The Americans were clinging to that seven-point lead with just
over 21/2 minutes left in the game and looked to expand it with
third and eight at the Bulls 18. But Smith, being shut off from
his favorite receiver, Vernon Wells, on the right side of the
field, looked left for tight end Reggie Brock.
However, Smith hung the ball too high and the Bulls' Keith Nelms
intercepted three yards deep into the end zone. With a wall of
blockers, he raced 55 yards down the sideline in front of his
own bench and was a step away from getting past the last
American, Smith, when he cut inside.
"I dove for him and when he cut inside, he tripped over my
heel," said Smith. "Thank God for my heel. The way our defense
played, I didn't want it to end that way."
Still, it could have ended differently if the Americans defense
hadn't come up with one more big play. This one belonged to
linebacker Marty Smith, who intercepted a Pete Przyborowski pass
intended for tight end Tony Armstrong at the Shreveport 19 to
kill the Bulls' final threat with 2:18 left in the game.
"I'd just been on the phones to the press box with Don Rushing
(Americans' defensive coordinator)," said Smith, "and he told me
when I took my normal drop back to look for |
|
the tight end. The ball came right into my hands."
It's hard to believe there are actual defensive battles
left in the offense-happy AFA, but living up to past tradition
of tight, hard-hitting Shreveport-San Antonio games, Saturday's
was no different.
"We had some problems tackling at points during the game,
but it was a great defensive effort," said Shreveport head coach
Tom Rushing, whose team ran its record to 3-2 to stay within two
games of 5-0 Southwest Division leader Oklahoma, who pounded
Houston 48-7 Saturday night.
The Americans defense, which gave up 245 yards total
offense and 11 first downs, was at its peak early in the game.
And it wasn't by design. They were just thrown into difficult
situation after difficult situation.
While Shreveport's offense, which finished up with 327
yards and 20 first downs started slow, San Antonio had three
easy chances to put points on the board in the first half.
The first came after Shreveport punter Jerry Pope scooped
up a low snap and had his kick blocked by San Antonio's Jeff
Ritter with teammate Ken Mills recovering at the Americans 33
with 12:10 left in the first quarter.
The Bulls worked down to Shreveport 11, but on fourth and
one as running back James Tibbs tried to shoot over left guard,
the Americans' Smith and Curley White stopped him cold.
San Antonio's Tally Neal intercepted a James Mosley pass
and returned it to the Shreveport 13 with 3:13 left in the
opening period. The Bulls got to the Americans 2, but a motion
penalty sent them back to the 7. |
|
Four plays later on the second snap of the second period
from the Americans 4 on fourth and goal, Tibbs tried to sweep
left end, but was decked by Shreveport safety Keith Alexander.
On the Bulls' next series, they moved to the Shreveport 21
where Joe Vega's 38-yard field goal was partially blocked by
American Charlie Lewis.
That inability to score early in the game hurt us," said
Bulls bead coach George Pasterchick, whose team dropped to
2-3."We had those chances to score and the score at the half
could have conceivably been 21-7."
The seven points in the first half belonged to the
Americans on Smith's 21-yard pass to Vernon Wells 36 seconds
before halftime. On the play, Wells, who added to his
league-leading stats with seven catches for 121 yards, faked a
short sideline pattern and legged it deep past defensive back
Mark Allen to make a diving catch in the end zone.
Pope kicked the extra point and the Americans took a
well-timed lead into the dressing room at the half.
"We really had to have that touchdown before the half,"
said Rushing. "We hadn't gotten that close in the first half and
we need some points out of it."
San Antonio didn't seemed to be fazed. On its second series
of the third quarter, the Bulls tied the game on a three-play,
56-yard drive.
The second play of the march was a 56-yard Przyborowski to
Armstrong pass. That put the ball at the Shreveport 5 where
Tibbs swept around right end for the touchdown. Vega's extra
point kick knotted the game with 6:13 remaining in the third
period. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| San Antonio |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Shreveport |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
14 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
SA |
|
SH |
| First downs |
|
11 |
|
20 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
29 - 73 |
|
32 - 99 |
| Passing yards |
|
172 |
|
228 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
12 - 26 - 1 |
|
17 - 34 - 2 |
| Punts - yards |
|
4 - 36.2 |
|
4 - 25.2 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
0 - 0 |
|
3 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
8 - 67 |
|
4 - 20 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SH |
|
Wells 21 pass from Smith (Pope
kick) |
| SA |
|
Tibbs 5 run (Vega kick) |
| SH |
|
Wells 31 pass from Smith (Pope
kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
San Antonio: George Franklin (44)
Shreveport: Charlie Lewis (61) |
|
|
 |
San Antonio: Tony Armstrong (88)
Shreveport: Stacey Holder (59) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Alabama Magic
at
Jacksonville Sunbirds
July 3, 1982
- Gator Bowl - |
 |
|
| |
| Sunbirds fall
short on scoreboard, at gate |
|
|
|
|
|
| Gordon Robbie -
Florida Times-Union |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Jacksonville Sunbirds took the field against the
Alabama Magic at the Gator Bowl last night needing a good gate
(3,000 paid) to stay alive in the American Football Association.
The gate fell short with 1,465 going through the turnstiles but
the jury is still out on whether the Sunbirds' wings have been
clipped for the last time.
The Sunbirds fell short in the artistic end, also, losing to the
Magic 37-9 while using a converted wide receiver at substitute
quarterback for a starting quarterback who was a substitute last
week.
"We want to continue playing," said Sunbirds general manager Jim
Vance, "but it's up to the players and the league [as to whether
the season continues or not]. The players will have to vote to
go [to Atlanta next week to play the Georgia Pride], and the
league will have to give us some travel money."
"I think the players want to continue," said former general
manager Tom Johnston. "Their spirits are up." But that was
before the Sunbirds realized they couldn't perform their own
magic and pull the game out of the hat.
Vance said the team fell short in its attempt |
|
at getting enough funds to make the trip next weekend.
"I won't let the players down," said coach Jerry Disch,
following the defeat and amidst the indecision about continuing
to beat a possibly dead horse. "I've never let anyone down and
if they want to continue playing, I'll be here with them."
Quarterback Mark Cahill proved too much for the Sunbirds as
the Magic helmsman steered his team to a 16-2 halftime lead and
a 30-2 advantage before giving way to rookie George Johnson.
Cahill, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound graduate of the University of
Nevada-Las Vegas, engineered four scoring drives, one capped by
his 1-yard plunge for the first touchdown of the night after Ron
Slovensky's 40-yard field goal opened the scoring.
A 3-yard pass from Cahill to Mark Robbins before the first
half ended made the score 16-2 following a safety by
Jacksonville.
The Sunbirds began the second half with a fired-up offense
but, with the Magic in one of its rare poor field positions, a
Jacksonville punting attempt went bad when the snap was
|
|
high. Steve Amos made a desperate attempt to punt which was
touched by a Magic player then picked up by the Sunbirds' Leo
Ethridge. But referee Buddy Ward gave the ball to the Magic,
ruling the punt did not carry across the line of scrimmage.
This seemed to take the air out of the Sunbirds. The Magic
rolled to two touchdowns, both by Alex Prince on the scoring end
of passes from Cahill. One was for 13 yards, the other a
38-yarder that made the score 30-2.
Alvin Small, at quarterback for Jacksonville following
Albert Chester's resignation from the team earlier in the week,
was never able to muster a threat before leaving midway in the
third period with a separated left shoulder. Disch said he'd be
out for 2-3 weeks, assuming there'll be more games.
Wide receiver Wayne Foster took over and managed to score a
touchdown on a 3-yard run late in the game. Cedric Stevens
closed the scoring for Alabama with a 2-yard run in the closing
minutes. Slovensky kicked his fourth extra point. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Alabama |
|
3 |
|
13 |
|
14 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
37 |
| Jacksonville |
|
0 |
|
2 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
9 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AL |
|
JA |
| First downs |
|
24 |
|
16 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
39 - 173 |
|
27 - 138 |
| Passing yards |
|
279 |
|
188 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
19 - 39 - 1 |
|
12 - 26 - 4 |
| Punts - yards |
|
3 - 41.3 |
|
3 - 36.3 |
| Return yards |
|
44 |
|
141 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 0 |
|
1 - 0 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
9 - 46 |
|
5 - 25 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| AL |
|
Slovensky 40 field goal |
| AL |
|
Cahill 1 run (Slovensky kick) |
| JA |
|
Safety Cahill tackled in end
zone |
| AL |
|
Robbins 21 pass from Cahill
(attempt failed) |
| AL |
|
Prince 19 pass from Cahill
(Slovensky kick) |
| AL |
|
Prince 39 pass from Cahill
(Slovensky kick) |
| JA |
|
Foster 2 run (Leavitt kick) |
| AL |
|
Stevens 19 run (Slovensky
kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Austin Texans
at
Houston Armadillos
July 3, 1982
- Dyer Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Armadillos' 2
field goals edge Texans |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ellis Johnson -
Houston Chronicle |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Houston Armadillos wipe away the tears from a 48-7
drubbing at the hands of Oklahoma a week ago by correcting their
mistakes, toughening their defense and presenting new coach
Steve Kiner with a 6-2 victory over the Austin Texans in an
American Football Association game Saturday night at Dyer
Stadium.
Jerry Maltz kicked field goals of 30 and 31 yards in the second
period and the Armadillo defense asserted itself when it had to
at Dyer Stadium to preserve the victory.
Armadillo quarterback Arnold Holcombe, who relieved starter
Darnell Johnson at the |
|
start of the second half, was tackled in the Houston end zone to
account for Austin's 2 points.
The safety came following the most critical threat of the
game by the Texans who had registered a first down at the 2 but
had been pushed back by a holding call to the 12. They then
managed to return to the Houston 1 when, on fourth down, Mike
Moore, Errol Graham, Tom Johnson, Audrey Taylor, John Welis and
Raymond Robinson rose up to stop Roosevelt Hardin 1 yard short
of the touchdown that would have sent them out front with 12:17
left in the game. |
|
It wasn't the last stand for the defense. They turned the
Texans back again at the Houston 35 in the last three minutes of
the game to seal the victory.
Texans mistakes set up both Armadillo scores. Johnson
recovered a Texan fumble following a Houston punt on the Austin
25. It took Houston nine plays to register the score with 9:18
left in the period.
Joe Walker intercepted a Brian Bailey pass and returned it
34 yards to the Austin 14. A personal foul set the Armadillos
back to their 29 and three plays later, Maltz added the
three-pointer with 1:54 left in the half. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Austin |
|
0 |
|
2 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
2 |
| Houston |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AU |
|
HO |
| First downs |
|
9 |
|
6 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
27 - 20 |
|
28 - 103 |
| Passing yards |
|
95 |
|
40 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
5 - 17 - 1 |
|
16 - 37 - 2 |
| Punts - yards |
|
8 - 22.5 |
|
4 - 47.5 |
| Return yards |
|
39 |
|
98 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 0 |
|
2 - 2 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
5 - 85 |
|
6 - 81 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| HO |
|
Maltz 31 field goal |
| HO |
|
Maltz 30 field goal |
| AU |
|
Safety Holcombe tackled in end
zone |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Houston: Paul Hood (20)
Austin: Tommy Gonzalez (??) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Georgia Pride
at
Florida Statesmen
July 3, 1982
- Capital Stadium - |
|
|
| |
| Statesmen slip
past Pride 27-23 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Katy Williams -
Tallahassee Democrat |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Florida Statesmen got their first field win of the
American Football Association season Saturday night, 27-23 over
the Georgia Pride, but it wasn't pretty.
With no points, only one first down and an always-narrowing lead
in the second half, the Statesmen barely held off the 3-3 Pride
who had embarrassed them 40-9 in the teams' opener five weeks
ago. Some 500 fans watched at Capital Stadium.
Statesmen quarterback Clyde Walker, who was 14-for-26 for 169
yards but had two interceptions, said, "For a minute it seemed
like we were trying to lose."
The Pride closed to within four points with four minutes to
play. Bob Brien's 19-yard field goal made it 27-16, and the
plays that followed made it rough going for the 2-4 Statesmen.
Walker, on the Statesmen's 14-yard line, seemed set to lead his
team up-field after the kickoff return. Only a Frank Jones sack,
and consequently, a Walker fumble, let the Pride score when
Jones landed on the ball in the end zone.
"That play was a mix-up from the start," Walker said. "It
didn't get off on the right snap, |
|
and our linemen were waiting too long. But what's important is
that we won after all. And whether we win big, or just like
this, is a turning point for us. Now we think we can play with
anyone."
The Statesmen almost repeated their mistake of two weeks
ago in their 17-14 loss against Jacksonville, when they sat on
the halftime lead and played a conservative second half.
Saturday, the Statesmen led 27-10 at the half; more points than
the previously lackluster Statesmen had gotten in four losses.
The Statesman won their first game last week against Panama City
by forfeit.
The 27 points also tied the number that the Pride,
talent-heavy with former National Football League types, had
allowed in first halves all season.
The Statesmen got off to a quick scoring start, going up
6-0 just nine seconds into the game. After a Pride fumble on the
opening kickoff, Walker immediately threw a magnificent 6-yard
scoring pass to wide receiver Greg Jackson. By the game's end
Jackson had pulled down seven passes for 75 yards and three
touchdowns. |
|
"I felt good in the first half, I even felt good in the
second half," Jackson said. "We had an offensive letdown, but we
kept under control. The Pride changed its defense a little in
the second, which we misread, but we still felt we could do
whatever we wanted."
The Statesmen couldn't get their strong ground attack
going. New running backs Bill Fenn and Sam Thomas combined for
just 62 yards.
The Pride came up with 182 yards rushing for 278 total
yards. Quarterback Anthony Flanagan was 10-for-28 for 119 yards
but had one interception.
The Statesmen, bothered by nine penalties for 75 yards,
squeaked by with 197 total yards.
"We made our mistakes," said Detroit Reynolds, the
Statesmen coach. "We made some mental errors and let the
momentum change. In the end we handled them okay, but it was
tense."
The Statesmen face the Charlotte Storm next week in North
Carolina, and return to Capitol Stadium July 17 to play the
Alabama Magic. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Georgia |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
23 |
| Florida |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
27 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
GA |
|
FL |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
| Punts - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Florida: Terry Davis (83) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Pope kicks Thunder
out in overtime, 15-12 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Rick Thomas -
Shreveport Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Jerry Pope drilled a 40-yard field goal with 7:46 gone in
the overtime period Saturday night, lifting the Shreveport
Americans to a 15-12 win over previously unbeaten Oklahoma as a
crowd estimated at 4,000 watched the American Football
Association thriller.
Pope, who kicked three field goals in the game, missed an
earlier try in regulation because of a bad snap from center.
Shreveport was at the two yard line on that and it resulted in a
30-yard loss.
But in the overtime, the Americans started their winning drive
at their 38, steadily got him into position and then watched the
AFA veteran bomb through the winner.
Quarterback Ken Smith completed a seven-yard pass to Reggie
Brock to initiate the winning drive. Arry Moody ran 13 yards and
Donnie Sutton followed with a 16-yard gain to get the ball to
the 26.
Three running plays netted only seven yards and Shreveport was
penalized back to the Thunder 24 before Pope was called on.
His kick avenged a season-opening 20-18 loss to the Thunder in
Tulsa and it left Shreveport with a 4-2 record in the league's
southwest division.
Shreveport used a two-minute drill to send the game into
overtime. The Americans were down by 12-9 when they took over at
their 27 with 1:54 to play in regulation.
Smith then completed four passes in a row to move the ball to
the Oklahoma 32.
A swing pass to Brock then gained 24 yards |
|
to the eight. Following two incompletions, Pope kicked the tying
field goal of 25 yards with a second left on the clock.
Shreveport's defense held the Thunder in check all night
and limited Oklahoma to four field goals - all by soccer kicker
Alan Woodward. The visitors could gain only 272 yards in total
offense.
Meanwhile, coach Tom Rushing decided to go with Smith at
quarterback throughout the entire contest and he responded with
20 completions in 34 attempts for 296 yards and the game's only
touchdown. He was intercepted twice.
Moody had 66 yards in 17 carries and Sutton added 41 in 12
runs.
In all, Pope had field goals of 21, 25 and 40 yards.
Woodward hit from 20, 32, 28 and 37, the last coming with 1:54
left in the game and putting his side on top by 12-9.
It appeared that would make this game a repeat of the visit
to Oklahoma when he kicked a short field goal with two minutes
to play. But Smith and Pope saw it differently.
The win kept Shreveport unbeaten at home in four tries.
The two teams battled to a 6-all standoff by half, the
first 30 minutes of play marred by penalties - there were 21
infractions marked off during the first two quarters.
Oklahoma scored first - taking advantage of a Shreveport
miscue.
When the Thunder was forced to punt on its first
possession, American return specialist |
|
Willie B. Mosley fumbled Rick Engles' kick and Oklahoma special
teamer Bobby Smith recovered at the Americans' 26.
Seven plays flipped off the down marker before Woodward
split the uprights on a 20-yard field goal that gave the
Oklahomans the lead with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter.
The Americans, who moved the ball to the tune of 200 yards
total offense in the half, later scored on an 80-yard drive of
10 plays. Smith lofted a 28-yard pass to Sutton for the
touchdown. But a bad snap marred the point after try, leaving
Shreveport on top by just 6-3 with 10:07 remaining before half.
Smith's passing ignited the Americans' scoring drive. He
hit a couple passes good for 15 and 20 yards to wide out Edwin
Scott and had a 13 yard completion to tight end Gregg Lazarro.
Another Shreveport mistake - a fumble off a scramble by
quarterback Smith - was recovered by Oklahoma and turned into
the tying points in the final 37 seconds of the first half.
The Thunder, behind a 22-yard pass from quarterback Dave
Rader to Smith and a 20-yard run by Vincent Orange, moved to the
Americans' nine after the recovery. But defender Keith
Alexander's diving deflection of a pass forced the visitors into
a fourth down and Woodward kicked a 32-yard field goal that
knotted the count at halftime.
The only score of the third period was Woodward's 28-yard
field goal that capped a 78-yard drive. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Oklahoma |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
12 |
| Shreveport |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
15 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
OK |
|
SH |
| First downs |
|
15 |
|
18 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
42 - 108 |
|
32 - 80 |
| Passing yards |
|
164 |
|
296 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
10 -
24 - 1 |
|
20 -
34 - 2 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 46.8 |
|
3 - 34.6 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 1 |
|
5 - 2 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
19 -
144 |
|
16 -
100 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| OK |
|
Woodward 20 field goal |
| SH |
|
Sutton 28 pass from Smith
(kick blocked) |
| OK |
|
Woodward 32 field goal |
| OK |
|
Woodward 28 field goal |
| SH |
|
Pope 21 field goal |
| OK |
|
Woodward 37 field goal |
| SH |
|
Pope 25 field goal |
| SH |
|
Pope 40 field goal |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Shreveport: Ardis McCann (77), Sam Coaxum (68)
Oklahoma: Vincent Orange (48) |
|
|
 |
|
Oklahoma: Vincent Orange (48), Joey Smith (17) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Texas Wranglers
at
San Antonio Bulls
July 3, 1982
- Harlandale Memorial Stadium - |
|
|
| |
| Wranglers nip
Bulls, 7-6 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Gary Gossett -
San Antonio Light |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
It wasn't your classical Hail Mary pass, but it accomplished the
same results and enabled the Texas Wranglers to take a 7-6
American Football Association (AFA) victory over the San Antonio
Bulls last night before an announced crowd of 5,500 at Memorial
Stadium.
The scoring summary shows the Wranglers' winning touchdown was a
32-yard pass from quarterback Welby Ina to wide receiver Mike
Milton, and that's all that really counts. What the summary
doesn't show is Milton wasn't the primary receiver, and if he
hadn't been where he was when he was, the Bulls might have had a
6-0 win.
It happened this way. With Texas trailing six minutes deep in
the third quarter, and facing a second-and-11 situation at the
Bull 32, Ina dropped back into the pocket and fired to Mark
Owens cutting across the middle. It would have been a first down
if Owens had caught the ball, but the bullet ripped through his
hands and sailed on downfield - toward the end zone.
Lo and behold, there was Milton, and the 6-0 TCU graduate
snatched that football like a kid snitching a sucker. He was so
happy he ran half way to downtown San Antonio before finally
turning back onto the field with his six points. Robert Stringer
was dead center with the conversion kick, and the Wranglers had
their 7-6 margin.
Most of the crowd probably figured that was the ball game,
even though there was still 9:05 on the clock, because the San
Antonio |
|
offense had given them no reason to believe it could come back
and score the winning points. Two field goals, of 27 and 40
yards, by Joe Vega accounted for all the Bull scoring, and both
of those field goals should have been touchdowns.
Three times in the first half San Antonio moved into
touchdown position, and all three times failed to get the
six-pointer. Late in the first, the Bulls had a first-and-10
from the Wrangler 11 and had to settle for a field goal try from
the 16 on the first play of the second quarter. It was no good.
With just over eight minutes left in the half, the Bulls
had a first-and-10 from the Wrangler 10, and three downs later
Vega booted his 17-yarder. Then, with time running out in the
second quarter, they moved to a first down on the Texas 23, and
three plays later Vega got his 40-yard boot.
If not for the Bull defense, which probably logs more
playing time than Moses Malone, the game might have been a
runaway for the Dallas-based Wranglers. Led by defensive back
Keith Nelms, linebackers Tally Neal and Raul Reynosa, defensive
back Casterdale Green and linemen Ken Mills and Terry Beamer,
the Bulls held the visitors to 211 yards total offense, and 140
of that came later in the ball game when they were obviously
tiring. In the first half, Texas was in the Bulls' end of the
field only once, and that came when linebacker Daron Moseley
intercepted a Pete Przyborowski pass on the 26 and returned it
five yards. On fourth- |
|
and-7 from the 19, Mills blocked Stringer's field goal try.
Even in the second half, the Wranglers could not force
their way into Bull territory but one time, and that was their
touchdown drive. Texas possessions ended on their 47, 37, 48,
34, 45 and 45. As time ran out the Wranglers were on the Bull
17, but that was the result of Mosley's having recovered a
Przyborowski fumble on the 19, and the Wranglers were just
trying to run out the clock.
In defense of the San Antonio offense, however, it must be
pointed out George Franklin did not play. The highly-touted
fullback was in an automobile accident Friday night and injured
his knee, and has been advised to stay off the leg completely
until Tuesday. It is hoped he will be back for next week's game.
Bon Dunn, the former Trinity University linebacker turned
running back, didn't do badly as a fill-in. Dunn gained 53 yards
on 14 carries, just three yards less than the Bulls' leading
rusher, James Tibbs, who had 56 yards but rushed 20 times to get
them.
The glaring weakness in the Bull attack is at quarterback.
Przyborowski went to the air 40 times and connected on just 11,
and few of those incompletions were the fault of the receivers.
The New Mexico Highlands product, who obviously has the strength
to throw the ball, got excellent protection from his offensive
line but just couldn't hit his receivers. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Texas |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| San Antonio |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
TX |
|
SA |
| First downs |
|
12 |
|
16 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
39 - 68 |
|
38 - 83 |
| Passing yards |
|
146 |
|
132 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
12 -
26 - 0 |
|
11 -
40 - 2 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
9 - 34.8 |
|
7 - 35.9 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 1 |
|
1 - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
4 -
34 |
|
4 -
50 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SA |
|
Vega 27 field goal |
| SA |
|
Vega 40 field goal |
| TX |
|
Milton 32pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
Texas: Rodney Williams (72)
San Antonio: James Tibbs (25) |
| |
 |
Texas: Rodney Williams (72)
San Antonio: James Tibbs (25)
|
| |
|
| San Antonio: Keith Nelms (??) |
|
|
|
|
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
Charleston Rockets
at
Virginia Chargers
July 3, 1982
- Manassas Park High School - |
|
|
|
|
NO ARTICLE
OR
PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Gladiators sparkle
on 4th |
|
|
|
|
|
| Gregg J.
Hoffmann - Racine Journal Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Joe Rodriguez and Greg "Grape Juice" Johnson of the Racine
Gladiators spent their Fourth of July igniting fireworks that
blew apart the defense of the Buffalo Geminis.
Rodriguez gained 120 yards on 18 carries and Johnson 118 on
20 to lead the Gladiators to a 49-0 victory over the Geminis in
an American Football Association game at Horlick Field Sunday.
It was the first time in the Gladiators' history that two
running backs have rushed for more than 100 yards in the same
game.
"We got great blocking today," said the 6-foot-1, 232-pound
Rodriguez, who gained most of his yardage inside. "We
concentrated on the running game a little more and had it really
going."
Johnson, who individually has eclipsed the 100-yard mark
several times for the Gladiators, also praised his line and
Rodriguez.
"I can't begin to say enough about the job our line did,"
said Johnson. "They are coming together as a unit now. Joe and I
also block for each other, and he opens things up outside for me
because he is such a power runner inside."
The Gladiators linemen - enter Jeff Olson (6-foot, 235),
guards Tom Houston (6-3, 268) and Nat Dyer (6-4, 275), tackles
Lonnie Richardson (6-5, 275)*and John Scardina (6-4, 255) and
tight end Dan Brunner (6-2, 235) - were relatively new to each
other at the beginning of the season.
Olson, Dyer and Scardina were with the Gladiators last
year, but Houston, Richardson and Brunner played for the Delavan
Red Devils. But on Sunday. they played like they had played been
lining up side by side for years. |
|
"Our line has been coming on each game," said Gladiators'
coach Harry Gilbert, whose team now is 6-0 in the AFA North
Division. "It takes a while for a line to jell as a unit, but
they are getting there.
"I was very glad to see the job they did today and to see
both backs go over 100 yards. Rodriguez and Juice are very
different types of backs. Joe gets his extra yards by running
over and through people. Juice gets his by juking, changing
speeds and sliding around tacklers.
"Last week, Joe Grafenauer threw for 369 yards (in a 23-19
victory over the defending AFA champion, West Virginia) and this
week the running game did it. That shows we are getting some
balance into the offense."
The efforts of Rodriguez and Johnson led the Gladiators to
259 rushing yards in the game. Quarterbacks Grafenauer and Joe
Matallic contributed 169 yards via passing.
Almost overshadowed, but not unnoticed, was another
excellent defensive effort by the Gladiators, who lead the AFA
North in defense.
The Geminis, now 1-5, managed only 33 total yards - 52
passing and minus 19 rushing. Halfback Eric Gadley, the second
leading rusher in the AFA, had 14 yards on 14 carries.
Racine cornerback Ed Howard led the defensive effort. After
singing the national anthem before the contest, Howard exercised
more than his vocal chords during the game by recovering a
fumble in the first quarter and intercepting a pass in the
fourth period. Defensive ends Rick Lafford and Chester Jeffrey
and linebacker John Forchette also had good games. Lafford and
Jeffrey kept constant |
|
pressure on Buffalo quarterback George Pachuchy, and Forchette
hounded Gadley throughout the afternoon.
"Our defense just continues to be superb," Gilbert said.
"You couldn't ask for more from a defensive unit."
Racine scored first via the pass route, when Grafenauet
threw 14 yards to Ray Meinsen for a first quarter touchdown.
But then the running game took over. Johnson, who came into
the game as the fourth leading rusher in the AFA, scored the
Gladiators' second touchdown, on a five-yard run to open the
second quarter.
The Gladiators scored twice more in the period, on a
seven-yard run by Johnson and a 14-yard run by Rodriguez.
The third quarter was scoreless, but the Gladiators caught
fire again in the fourth period. Racine scored on a one-yard run
by Rodriguez, a 16-yard pass from Metallic to James McClelland
and a two-yard run by Mike Larry.
Nils Lindskoog added all seven extra points.
The only disappointment of the day for the Gladiators was
the attendance. Only 1.631 fans watched the game - well below
the 5,000 per game Gladiator President Ron Waisman says the
franchise needs to survive financially.
The Gladiators, who lead the AFA North by one game, host
Arlington, Va., at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and then go on the road
for two important games with Canton July 17, and West Virginia
July 24. Their final regular season game will be played July 31
against Roanoke, Va., at Horlick Field. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Buffalo |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Racine |
|
7 |
|
21 |
|
0 |
|
21 |
|
- |
|
49 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
BU |
|
RA |
| First downs |
|
6 |
|
20 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
23 - (-19) |
|
33 - 259 |
| Passing yards |
|
52 |
|
169 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
8 -
29 - 1 |
|
10 -
25 - 2 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
9 - 31 |
|
3 - 34 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
5 - 2 |
|
3 - 2 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
7 -
72 |
|
5 -
45 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| RA |
|
Meinsen 14 pass from
Grafenauer (Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Johnson 5 run (Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Johnson 7 run (Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Rodriguez 14 run (Lindskoog
kick) |
| RA |
|
Rodriguez 1 run (Lindskoog
kick) |
| RA |
|
McClelland 16 pass from
Matallic (Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Larry 2 run (Lindskoog kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Shreveport wins, 41-6
Texans lose 7th straight game |
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| Michael Hurd -
Austin American-Statesman |
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| |
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The Austin Texans continued their losing ways Saturday
night at Burger Center, dropping their seventh decision in as
many outings, this time a 41-6 self-destruction at the hands of
the Shreveport Americans.
The only difference in this outing and the other six was
that head coach Ben Dial, who left the team to attend to his
construction business, was absent. Interim coach Bill Martin
said the search is on for a new head coach - and some new
players.
Little wonder. The Texans are resting in the Southwest
Division cellar in American Football Association standings, and
Saturday's seven turnovers played a big part in the team's loss
to Shreveport. Austin's only quarterback, Bryan Bailey of
Abilene Christian, threw five interceptions; one of them was
picked off by William Johnson and returned 101 yards for a
score.
Three Americans quarterbacks put the ball up a combined 33
times, completing 17 tosses (255 yards) with three
interceptions, none of which hurt the Shreveport cause. Ken
Smith |
|
(Boston College) had three TD passes. The Americans got on the
board first in the opening quarter after the teams exchanged
interceptions and Shreveport set up shop on its own two-yard
line.
A running play gained nothing, but on second down, Smith
lofted a pass to wide receiver Ed Scott, running behind Eric
Howard at the Americans' 40. Scott pulled the ball in over his
shoulder, shook free from Howard at the Austin 40 and raced
untouched the remaining distance, completing the 98-yard scoring
play. Jerry Pope kicked the first of his five extra points and
the rout was on.
Shreveport (now 5-2) scored on its next possession. This
time, they drove 63 yards in six plays, with Smith throwing his
second TD pass of the night, a 23-yard strike to wide receiver
Vernon Wells (5 catches, 149 yards).
Austin's only score came at the opening of the second
quarter. Texan Elvis Shaw rushed Pope, who was attempting to
punt, and tackled him at the Shreveport 23.
Three plays later, on third and seven, Bailey |
|
hit tight end Kim Watts (10 catches, 79 yards) for 17 yards to
the Americans' three. Don Smith, Austin's leading rusher on the
night with 75 yards on 14 carries, got one yard, then Ricky
Caldwell slammed over left tackle for the final two yards.
Clarence Houston's point-after attempt was blocked.
The half ended on a bizarre, if not comical, note.
Shreveport went ahead 21-6 with 5:45 remaining in the second
period on a 45-yard pass from Smith to running back Ron Jones.
But, from their own 20, the Texans drove to the Shreveport 6,
with Bailey completing 6-of-12 passes (four to Watts). The drive
died there when a pass to Watts in the end fell incomplete.
But, with 26 seconds left, Smith dropped back in his end
zone to pass. Howard intercepted and ran it back 33 yards to the
Shreveport 1. On Austin's second play, Bailey passed, but it
went straight to Johnson, who intercepted the short pass and ran
uncontested 101 yards for a Shreveport score. |
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| Score by Quarters |
| Shreveport |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
41 |
| Austin |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
6 |
| |
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| Statistics |
| |
|
SH |
|
AU |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
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| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
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| Bulldogs defeat
Charleston in OT |
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| Dick Shippy -
Akron Beacon Journal |
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Les Petroff kicked a 31-yard field goal with less than two
minutes expired in a sudden death period to give the Canton
Bulldogs a 20-17 victory over the Charleston Rockets Saturday
night at the Rubber Bowl.
The Rockets, down 17-0 at halftime, had capitalized on Canton
mistakes and the Bulldogs' suddenly quiet offense to force the
game into an extra period, getting the tying touchdown with only
1:19 left in regulation time.
But the Rockets gave the initiative right back in the overtime.
Charleston was supposed to get the ball first in the extra
session, having won the coin flip, but failed to hold possession
on the ensuing kickoff. Defensive back Bill Armstrong recovered
for Canton at the Rockets' 15-yard line after the ball had
bounded off a Charleston player.
Canton ran Paul Winters, the former University of Akron star,
into the line twice for short gains, then Petroff came in and
performed his specialty. |
|
The win was the fourth straight for Canton, including a
forfeit victory, after three opening losses and pulled the
Bulldogs to within a game of second-place Charleston in their
American Football Association division.
Next Saturday, Canton takes on division-leading Wisconsin
(6-1) in an 8:05 p.m. game that has been moved to Massillon's
Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.
Wide receiver Tyrone Hicks, the ex-Ohio State star, and
Bulldog quarterback Bob Stachowicz connected on a 66-yard
touchdown pass that put Canton on top seven minutes into the
game.
Alternate quarterback Sammy Shon drove the Bulldogs 38
yards in six plays after a Charleston fumble for a 14-0 lead,
Dennis Brumfield, another Akron U product, getting the touchdown
on a dive from the 2. That came in the first minute of the
second quarter. And 2:24 before the half, Petroff kicked a
39-yard field goal for the halftime edge.
Charleston, which had given up notions of |
|
running against the Canton defense to the extent it ran 21
consecutive pass plays in a first-half span, finally got its
first score by that route. The score came on quarterback Steve
Turk's 11-yard pass to Bo Chambers.
That came with 2:24 left in the third. Charleston got a
29-yard field goal from Carey Starnes following a 48-yard drive
aided by a pass interference call against Canton and it was
17-10 with 7:25 left in the game.
The Bulldogs, who failed to make a first down for almost 20
minutes, the span covering the third and fourth quarters, were
stymied again, had to punt to Charleston and saw the Rockets
start their tying scoring drive from the Canton 48. A 29-yard
pass, Turk to Albert Anderson, put the ball on the 5-yard line,
and one play later Turk passed to Mike Cosumano for the tie.
Charleston got 177 of its net 191 yards by passes, Turk
completing 19 of 44. The Bulldogs had 159 yards rushing and 99
passing. |
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| Score by Quarters |
| Charleston |
|
7 |
|
10 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Canton |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
10 |
|
- |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
20 |
| |
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| Statistics |
| |
|
CH |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 14 |
|
? - 159 |
| Passing yards |
|
177 |
|
99 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ?
- ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
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| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Hicks 66 pass from Stachowicz
(Petroff kick) |
| CA |
|
Brumfield 2 run (Petroff
kick) |
| CA |
|
Petroff 39 field goal |
| CH |
|
Chambers 11 pass from Turk
(Starnes kick) |
| CH |
|
Starnes 29 field goal |
| CH |
|
Cosumano 5 pass from Turk
(Starnes kick) |
| CA |
|
Petroff 31 field goal |
| |
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| Storm stops
tenacious Tallahassee |
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| David Scott -
Charlotte Observer |
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It didn't take long, but it was all the Carolina Storm
needed.
The Storm, getting two touchdowns in the last two minutes
of the first half, whipped the Tallahassee Statesmen 28-14
Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. The victory clinched the
Storm (7-0) at least a tie for second in the American Football
Association's Southeastern Division. Carolina next plays
Saturday in Atlanta against the Georgia Pride.
This game had designs on being close. For about 58 minutes,
it was. But for the final two minutes of the second quarter,
matters got out of hand for the Statesmen (2-5).
For much of the first half, Tallahassee hung with the Storm
7-7. That was no mean feat, considering Carolina went into the
game outscoring its opposition 189-37. It had scored first in
the opening quarter on an 8-yard pass from Storm quarterback
Ellsworth Turner to Jeff Thompson.
Then, something happened that happens in most Storm games.
It was late in the half, and the Statesmen were to getting
tired. Carolina wasn't.
After a Tallahassee punt, Turner went to work with his main
man, Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith.
Turner, who finished with 332 yards passing, hit Smith for
37 yards to the Tallahassee 11. After he was sacked, he threw
Smith an 18-yard touchdown pass. John Blum's kick was blocked,
but it was 13-7 with 1:46 remaining in the half. |
|
The Statesmen got the ball back, and after three plays
punted back. Turner stepped out of the pocket to find Darrell
Jones downfield - a 56-yard pass play. Four plays later, Turner
found Lonnie Harris 6 yards away in the end zone. Holder Steve
Brown faked the extra point and threw to Emmett Hamilton for two
points.
Being ahead 21-7 at halftime is a lot different than being
up 14-7. That simply set the stage for Tallahassee's big
poop-out in the fourth quarter, when the Statesmen couldn't hope
to contain the Storm.
"It's a combination of us being in shape and them not being
in shape," said Storm center Reid Squires. "We run in practice
all the time. After practice the offensive and defensive lines
run. We're in shape."
Tallahassee, after cutting it to 21-14 in the third
quarter, rolled over for the Storm offense in the fourth
quarter. Carolina had the ball three times in the final period.
On the first possession, Jackie Reed broke a run for 71 yards,
but the whole thing fell through three plays later when Hamilton
fumbled. A break for the Statesmen.
The second time, however, Turner completed four straight
passes, the final one a 5-yard scoring toss to Harris, making
the final 28-14. The Statesmen couldn't keep up.
"We're in good physical condition," said Carolina coach
Eddie Joyce. "It's our mental condition I'm worried about. We've
got no intensity. But we do have some talented |
|
football players. That's carried us."
Joyce traces the lack of ferociousness to the season's
first half, when the Storm was winning easily each week. One of
those blowouts was a 30-0 triumph over the Statesmen in
Tallahassee.
This was a different Statesmen team, however. Tallahassee
picked up some players from the defunct Florida Sun, and they
helped.
The Statesmen, do, however, still have their aggressive
defensive backfield. The Storm complained about what Joyce
called Tallahassee's "taking liberties," in the teams' first
meeting. The Statesmen, evidentially, hadn't changed much.
For instance: When Carolina's Jones caught the long pass to
set up the Storm's third touchdown, he was tackled by
Tallahassee's Robert Linton, who dragged Jones down by that face
mask. Jones kicked Linton and was thrown out of the game.
"That kind of thing happens," said Joyce.
The Statesmen also had Mike Cox, a former Carolina Charger
placekicker. Cox was cut by the Storm before the season started.
He had been shopping around the AFA looking for a better deal
while his lawyer negotiated with the Storm.
That, evidentially, created some bad feelings among Storm
fans, who booed Cox - an Independence High and Gardner-Webb
alumnus - every time he took the field.
Once, Cox caught an overthrown pass along the sidelines. He
was booed, then, too. |
|
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|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Florida |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
14 |
| Carolina |
|
7 |
|
14 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
28 |
| |
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|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
FL |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
14 |
|
22 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 84 |
|
? - 178 |
| Passing yards |
|
150 |
|
352 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
19 -
34 - 1 |
|
24 -
41 - 1 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 36 |
|
3 - 34 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
4 - 1 |
|
3 - 2 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
6 -
30 |
|
3 -
40 |
| |
|
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|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Thompson 8 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| FL |
|
Jackson 9 pass from Walker
(Cox kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 18 pass from Turner
(kick failed) |
| CA |
|
Harris6 pass from Turner
(Hamilton pass from Brown) |
| FL |
|
Davis 20 pass from Walker (Cox
kick) |
| CA |
|
Harris 5 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
 |
|
Players unknown |
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|
|
Carolina: Reid Squires (66)
Florida: Mike Ardley (??) |
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| |
| Sun almost sets on
Pride, but blocked kick brings win |
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|
|
| Earnest Reese -
Atlanta Journal |
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| |
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It was too much to ask, but it was asked of them anyway.
After most of their coaching staff quit during the week,
and after losing their first two quarterbacks and seeing 22 of
37 players walk out, the Jacksonville Sunbirds rolled into
Atlanta to fulfill an American Football Association engagement
with the Georgia Pride at Lakewood Stadium Saturday night.
It was a bit much to ask of the Sunbirds, an AFA breed on
the brink of extinction. But under such trying circumstances,
Jacksonville gave an admirable account of itself before bowing
to the Pride 15-7 before an estimated crowd of 2,000.
Former Morehouse College standout Ricky Sims blocked a
third-period field goal attempt and returned it 66 yards for a
touchdown to seal the Sunbirds' fate.
"We just threw ourselves together to try to save the
franchise," said Rudolph Jones, an offensive tackle on a
Jacksonville team that made the trip with 28 players packed into
three vans. "If we hadn't made this game, we would have had the
franchise revoked."
The Sunbirds, who left Jacksonville about 10 a.m. and
arrived at Lakewood just 20 minutes |
|
before game time, didn't know who their coach would be until
five minutes before going on the field for warmups. At that
point, it was decided that Malichi Beyah, a linebacker, would
let injured quarterback Alvin Small handle the chore.
The week before, Small became the starting quarterback
after previous starter Albert Chester quit the team. Small
suffered a shoulder separation in a 37-9 loss to the Alabama
Magic last Saturday and dressed in street clothes Saturday. He
was called upon to replace Jerry Disch, the Sunbirds' coach
until Tuesday.
Disch, an assistant principal of a high school in
Jacksonville Beach, quit because of a walkout by players
disenchanted with unfulfilled promises - mainly about
compensation for playing.
"We're doing it out of personal pride because we've got
some good athletes on this team," Jacksonville free safety
Charles Walker said. "Even before this game started, we were
prepared for the worst."
"The worst" didn't occur until less than two minutes
remained in the first half. After quarterback Anthony Flanagan
had passed 32 |
|
yards to tight end Larry Powers to give the i ride a 6-0 lead
with 9:23 left in the first period, Jacksonville fought back to
take a 7-6 lead that held up until defensive back Sims made the
first of two interceptions within a span of 12 minutes.
The Sunbirds, down to wide receiver Wayne Foster as the
quarterback, enjoyed that one-point advantage as the result of a
9-yard run by fullback Jerry Young and Charles Fooshee's
point-after. But just before the half, a Foster pass was
intercepted by Sims and returned 40 yards to Jacksonville's 15.
When an offensive effort stalled, Bob O'Brien kicked a
23-yard field goal to give the Pride a 9-7 lead with 27 seconds
left before intermission.
Jacksonville continued its threat of an upset most of the
second half, but Sims' return of the blocked field-goal attempt
and an interception by Ben Scott at the Pride's goal line late
in the fourth period will send the Georgia team into its home
game against undefeated Carolina next week with a 4-3 record.
As for the Sunbirds (2-5), this past weekend may have been
their last as an AFA unit. |
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|
| Score by Quarters |
| Jacksonville |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Georgia |
|
6 |
|
3 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
15 |
| |
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|
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| Statistics |
| |
|
JA |
|
GA |
| First downs |
|
12 |
|
16 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
34 - 103 |
|
38 - 156 |
| Passing yards |
|
82 |
|
134 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
3 -
14 - 2 |
|
7 -
18 - 2 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 34.4 |
|
2 - 42.5 |
| Return yards |
|
74 |
|
69 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 0 |
|
3 - 2 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
5 -
25 |
|
10 -
117 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| GA |
|
Powers 32 pass from Flannagan
(kick failed) |
| JA |
|
Young 9 run (Fooshee kick) |
| GA |
|
Bryan 22 field goal |
| GA |
|
Sims 66 blocked field goal
return (pass failed) |
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
| Wranglers flatten
Armadillos 19-0 |
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| Luke Johnson -
Mesquite Daily News |
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| |
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|
Despite a slow first half start the Texas Wranglers managed
to rediscover their offense in the final period Saturday night
at Mesquite Memorial Stadium, in time to take a 19-0 win over
the Houston Armadillos.
Through the first two periods, the Wranglers had managed a
total of 58 rushing yards, 57 from running back Henry Bush.
Their passing offense did not fare any better, as quarterback
Welby Ina had problems making connections with his receivers. On
many occasions Ina underthrew or overthrew the receivers, and on
other occasions receivers alternately dropped sure passes or
quit in the middle of touchdown routes.
In the second period receiver Mike Milton ran a streak
route down the sidelines to beat a Houston defender and Ina put
the ball up with enough room in the end zone for the scoring
catch. Unfortunately Milton misjudged the loft of the ball and
slowed his pursuit of the pigskin at the five-yard line,
watching an apparent touchdown throw elude him.
The same sort of thing took place in the first half with
Mark Owens. Running a corner route, Owens had gained a step on
the Armadillos defensive back, only to turn the wrong direction
for the ball. By the time he turned the other way to look for
the pass, it had bounced away from him. |
|
Fortunately for the Wranglers, they had kicker Robert
Stringer waiting on the sidelines to keep them in the game. When
a first quarter drive fizzled, Stringer came on to hammer a
44-yard field goal for the team's first three points, clearing
the top of the uprights for the score. Stringer added to his
point total in the second period when another drive ran out of
impetus at the Houston five-yard line. The backup for Tony
Franklin while at Texas A&M, Stringer put the 22-year effort
high on the grass in the bowl stadium for a 6-0 halftime
advantage.
Neither side could muster sufficient offense to score in
the third period, but the Wranglers got untracked last in the
period after Houston's Alvin Bailey provided them with a golden
scoring opportunity. Bailey mishandled a Stringer punt at his
own 19, where Wranglers defensive back Gary Warren fell on the
football.
Bush started the drive off with a rush that was stopped
cold before Ina found Owens for nine yards. From there, Bush
carried off left tackle for a touchdown he got standing up as
the Wranglers cleaned out the entire right side of the Houston
defensive line. Ina elected to try the two-pointer with a pass
to Owens which was broken up at the back line of the end zone.
The Wranglers moved across midfield on another drive midway
through the final period with Bush carrying for 18 yards and
Leonard |
|
Medlock adding another 13 rushing and 12 receiving to set the
Wranglers up on the Houston 45. From there, the Armadillos were
nailed with a six-yard interference penalty and an additional
five yards for disputing the call, moving the home squad to the
34. Bush carried for two and Ina teamed up with Milton for two
more to the 30 before fourth down caught up with the Wranglers.
Stringer came on to attempt his longest kick of the night, from
47 yards away, but a low snap cut short the effort as he
squibbed a knuckleball kick over the defenders.
Mesquite's Dean Nixon set up the next Wranglers score, as
he grabbed his second interception of the game, short-circuiting
a Darnell Johnson to Darrell Jones pass at the Armadillos 40 and
returning it to the Houston 18. More dispute erupted from the
Houston team, drawing a nine-yard personal foul penalty to move
the Wranglers all the way to the nine.
It took the Wranglers only one play to cash in on the
scoring opportunity. Ina, under a heavy rush, scrambled away
from two tacklers 10 yards deep in the passing pocket and,
running to his left, found wide receiver Ethan Ogletree all
alone in the left corner of the end zone for the final 19-0
advantage. |
|
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|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Houston |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Texas |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
6 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
19 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
HO |
|
TX |
| First downs |
|
10 |
|
14 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
-50 |
|
43 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
4 -
10 - 2 |
|
14 -
28 - 0 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
9 - 28.5 |
|
4 - 33.8 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 1 |
|
1 - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
9 -
93 |
|
5 -
28 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| TX |
|
Stringer 44 field goal |
| TX |
|
Stringer 22 field goal |
| TX |
|
Bush 5 run (conversion failed) |
| TX |
|
Ina 9 pass from Ogletree
(Stringer kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Texas: Leonard Medlock (??) |
|
|
 |
Houston: Wendell Hobley (83)
Texas: Gary Warren (??), Fred Williams (75) |
|
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|
| |
| Thunder pins 45-24
loss on Texans |
|
|
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|
|
| Jeff Necessary
- Tulsa World |
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|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The television cameras were in place at Skelly Stadium for
Saturday's Oklahoma-San Antonio game in the American Football
Association, and both offenses were present. Someone forgot to
inform the defenses to show up, though.
The result was a 45-24 shootout in which the Oklahoma
Thunder offense showed a crowd announced at 7,500 fans and a
cable television audience some of the firepower that Thunder
players and coaches had insisted all along they had. The Thunder
defense, while almost invisible, did come up with enough big
plays to keep the score from resembling a basketball final.
The play that finally broke the Bulls' backs was Dwaine
Ball's 54-yard jaunt down the right sideline on a basic pitch
sweep. The Thunder caught San Antonio in a stunt and Ball needed
only one move to score.
"The touchdown was just a straight pitch," Ball said
afterward. "They were stunting and we |
|
picked it up. It was me and the defensive back. I cut in and cut
out and that was it."
Ball shared offensive MVP honors with quarterback Dave
Rader, which seemed fitting. Although Ball's run ended all
doubt, Rader's right arm - he hit 14 of 30 passes for 282 yards
and two scores - consistently threaded the ball to wide-open
receivers inside the Bulls' secondary.
"We were taking what they gave us." Rader explained. "They
were gambling a lot and we picked it up. When the offensive line
picks them up and I have time I can complete passes."
Those passes often got big yardage, Rader found Ted
Alexander for 56 yards to set up Ball's first score, a one-yard
run that gave the Thunder a 10-0 second-quarter lead. After Mike
Siganos stole a Tim Bailey pass to set Oklahoma up again, Rader
hit Ronnie Smith for 56 yards again, this time resulting in a
touchdown.
Rader and Smith again connected for the Thunder's final
score, a 19-yard fourth-quarter |
|
play that provided the final margin.
After the first Rader-Smith connection, the Bulls fought
back into the thick of things. Bailey found tight end Tony
Armstrong for a 29-yard score to cut the lead to 17-7, then,
after Randy Butler fumbled a punt back to San Antonio at the
Oklahoma 33, 230-pound fullback George Franklin, a former St.
Louis Cardinal, crashed across from the six to trim the lead to
17-13. Rader then directed a frantic two-minute drill, capped
off with his own one-yard sneak with three seconds left in the
half, but the Bulls were still in a threatening position.
San Antonio's Keith Nelms set the Thunder up by fumbling
away the second half kickoff at the 38, and former Oklahoma
State star Vince Orange cashed in, scoring from the three on the
eighth play. Alan Woodward, who opened the scoring with a
22-yard field goal, added his fourth of six extra points for a
31-13 lead.
The run kept Oklahoma atop the Southwest Division of the
AFA with a 6-1 mark. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| San Antonio |
|
0 |
|
13 |
|
8 |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
24 |
| Oklahoma |
|
3 |
|
21 |
|
7 |
|
14 |
|
- |
|
45 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
SA |
|
OK |
| First downs |
|
13 |
|
17 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
22 - 70 |
|
34 - 183 |
| Passing yards |
|
223 |
|
254 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
17 -
36 - 3 |
|
13 -
30 - 0 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
4 - 34.7 |
|
1 - 47.0 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
3 - 2 |
|
4 - 3 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
6 -
58 |
|
7 -
58 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| OK |
|
Woodward 22 field goal |
| OK |
|
Ball 1 run (Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Smith 56 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| SA |
|
Armstrong 25 pass from Bailey
(Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Franklin 6 run (kick failed) |
| OK |
|
Rader 1 run (Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Orange 4 run (Woodward kick) |
| SA |
|
Pasterchick 33 pass from
Bailey (Armstrong pass from Nelms) |
| SA |
|
Vega 34 field goal |
| OK |
|
Ball 53 run (Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Smith 19 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
|
|
 |
|
Oklahoma: Alan Woodward (7), Dave Rader (17) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Gladiators 'rain'
touchdowns |
|
|
|
|
|
| Gregg J.
Hoffmann - Racine Journal Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
There was no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the
Arlington, Va., Chargers Saturday night.
Instead, the unbeaten Racine Gladiators were waiting there
to hand the hapless Chargers their seventh straight loss - a
76-0 beating - in the American Football Association.
A beautiful double rainbow shown brightly through the light
showers that fell before the start of the game at Horlick Field.
But once the contest started, it rained touchdowns on the
Chargers.
The Gladiators led 14-0 before the game was two minutes
old. They had a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, led
42-0 at halftime and 63-0 by the end of the third quarter.
And, it could have been even worse had it not been for an
officials' decision to run the clock rather liberally in the
second quarter.
"We tried to hold the score down, but I think we probably
could have bombed them on practically every play." said
Gladiators' coach Harry Gilbert, whose team improved its record
to 7-0 in the AFA's North Division.
"We really didn't get to accomplish much of what we wanted
tonight as far as preparation for upcoming games, but we did get
everybody into the game at least. |
|
"It's a shame to see something like what happened tonight,
really. I feel sorry for them, but I also give them credit for
making the trip all the way here from Arlington and sticking it
out."
The Chargers couldn't help but remind Gladiator fans of the
days when Racine ran over teams like the Gary Golden Bears and
the Alsip Colts. Only 20 men suited for Arlington. Starting
quarterback Joe Rakich had to double as an outside linebacker on
defense.
"We've had a lot of problems with injuries and illnesses,"
said Arlington coach Bob Shaw. "Plus, we only got into the
league a few weeks before the season was supposed to start.
"But, we want to last out the season. Then, we have eight
months to get ready for next season."
The Gladiators' running tandem of Greg "Grape Juice"
Johnson and Joe Rodriguez, who both rushed for over 100 yards
last Sunday in a 49-0 win over Buffalo, took it to the Chargers
early.
Johnson, who came into the game as the second leading
rusher in the AFA, ran 31 yards for a touchdown on the fifth
play of the game.
Moments later, the Chargers' Leroy Tibbs fumbled Nils
Lindskoog's kickoff and Paul Banks recovered for Racine. Three
plays later, |
|
Rodriguez ran two yards for a touchdown.
Before the quarter ended, James McClelland scored the third
TD, on a 24-yard pass from Joe Grafenauer.
Gilbert substituted freely in the second quarter, and the
scoring onslaught continued. Mike Larry scored two touchdowns,
on a nine-yard pass from Joe Metallic and a three-yard run, and
Errol Barnett ran two yards for another touchdown.
Johnson and Rodriguez returned to the game long enough in
the third quarter to each score another touchdown. Johnson's
score came on a 19-yard run, while Rodriguez ran nine yards for
his touchdown.
The Gladiators' defensive unit scored the next two
touchdowns. Cornerback Bill Panfil returned an interception 30
yards for one, and linebacker Tom Paulus got the other on a
25-yard interception return.
Quarterback Charlie Bliss, who led the Gladiators to the
Minor Professional Football Association title last year, saw his
first action of the year in the fourth quarter and passed 34
yards to Ray Meinsen for the Gladiators' final TD. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Virginia |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Racine |
|
21 |
|
21 |
|
21 |
|
13 |
|
- |
|
76 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
VA |
|
RA |
| First downs |
|
8 |
|
14 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
17 - 36 |
|
29 - 240 |
| Passing yards |
|
53 |
|
117 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
9 -
20 - 1 |
|
6 -
12 - 0 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
3 - 29 |
|
0 - 0 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
8 - 5 |
|
2 - 2 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
1 - 5 |
|
3 -
25 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| RA |
|
Johnson 31 run (Lindskoog
kick) |
| RA |
|
Rodriguez 2 run
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
McClelland 24 pass from
Grafenauer
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Larry 9 pass from Grafenauer
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Larry 3 run
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Barnett 2 run
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Johnson 19 run
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Rodriguez 9 run
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Panfil 30 interception return
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Paulus 25 interception return
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Meinsen 34 pass from Bliss
(kick failed) |
|
|
 |
|
Racine:
Joe Rodriguez (45),
Lonnie Richardson (77) |
|
|
 |
|
Racine: Joe Rodriguez (45) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Alabama Magic
at
Florida Statesmen
July 17, 1982
- Capital Stadium - |
|
|
| |
| Statesmen's
defense leads to 19-14 victory |
|
|
|
|
|
| Gerald Ensley -
Tallahassee Democrat |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
One expected Zero Mostel to walk on the field at the end
and sing his famous song from the Broadway musical "A Funny
Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
Because in beating the Alabama Magic 19-14 Saturday night
in front of several hundred spectators at Capital Field, the
Florida Statesmen certainly provided "Some- thing for
everyone... a comedy tonight."
In many ways, the victory, which lifted the Statesmen's
record to 3-5, was a credit to a staunch defense. Spearheaded by
defensive back Frank Thomas, who intercepted three passes, the
Statesmen's defense held the Magic to 12 points below their
average.
"The defense carried us," said Statesmen quarterback Clyde
Walker. "Considering how long they were on the field, it was
amazing."
The Magic, 6-2, scored on the game's second play from
scrimmage, but did not score again until less than four minutes
remained in |
|
the game.
In between, Alabama gave the Statesmen the ball at every
opportunity, and got called for numerous penalties that led
radio announcer Gary Yordon to comment, "The Magic has shown a
real imagination for moving the ball backward."
The game's oddest play, however, was performed by the
Statesmen.
The Magic had scored with less than a minute gone in the
game. On the game's first play from scrimmage, quarterback Tom
Cahill found wide receiver Alex Prince with a 65-yard pass,
moving the ball to the one. The Magic scored on the next play,
on a pass from Cahill to Herman Lowery.
In the opening moments of the second quarter, the Statesmen
drew to within a point, as Mike Barnes caught an 18-yard
touchdown pass from Walker.
The score stayed 7-6 until 3:29 remained in |
|
the third quarter. Then, it was time for street ball.
Eddie Williams, in at quarterback for Walker, attempted a
flare pass, from the Magic's 48-yard line, to Greg Jackson, who
was behind Williams. Jackson dropped the pass, which was at that
point a lateral, picked it up and started running. With at least
three Magic players hanging onto his legs, though, he
shot-putted a pass to running back Sam Thomas. Thomas gathered
the ball in on the left side, at about the Magic's 45, reversed
field and went down the right side for a touchdown. That gave
the Statesmen a 12-7 lead, and though the teams each scored a
fourth-quarter touchdown, proved to be the game's turning point.
"The scoreboard doesn't show razzle-dazzle," said Statesmen
coach Detroit Reynolds. "It shows 19-14. What this shows is that
we kept our goal, winning, in sight." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Alabama |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
14 |
| Florida |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
19 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AL |
|
FL |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Austin Texans
at
San Antonio Bulls
July 17, 1982
- Harlandale Memorial Stadium - |
|
|
| |
| Bulls gore Texans |
|
|
|
|
|
| David Flores -
San Antonio Express-News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
San Antonio, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at
its foes, exploded for 35 points in the final 10:47 of the game
to pin a 56-28 loss on the Austin Texans Saturday night at
Harlandale Memorial Stadium.
The Bulls, snapping their three-game losing streak before a
crowd of 5,700, raised their record to 3-5. Austin, 0-10 in its
series with San Antonio, sank to 0-8.
Larry Collins, who finished his career at Texas A&I in 1977
as the most prolific rusher in Texas collegiate history, scored
on a 1-yard run with 5:02 left to put the Bulls ahead for good.
Joe Vega was successful on all eight of his extra point kicks
for S.A.
On the first play from scrimmage after Collins' go-ahead
TD, Casterdale Green picked off a Bryan Bailey pass at the Texan
25 and returned it for another score. Things got progressively
worse for the visitors from there. |
|
Bulls quarterback Tim Bailey hit Steve Pasterchick with a
27-yard scoring strike on S.A.'s next possession. The final
Bulls score came when Keith Nelms returned a Bailey interception
40 yards on the final play of the game.
Collins, who wasn't even expected to suit up because of a
pulled hamstring, finished with 42 yards on 12 carries and
scored another 1-yard TD in the second period.
George Franklin, Collins' running mate at A&I, led the
Bulls' ground forces with 138 yards in 21 carries. Franklin
suffered a mild knee injury in the third quarter and sat out
most of the final period. His 1-yard TD dive knotted the score
at 7-7 with 4:05 left in the opening quarter.
Tim Bailey connected on 11 of 28 passes for 149 yards and
had three scoring throws. Bailey hit tight end Tony Armstrong
with TD strikes of |
|
4 and 20 yards.
The score was tied at 7-7 after one period and 14-14 at
halftime. Bailey's first TD pass to Armstrong put the Bulls
ahead 21-14, but then the Texans came roaring back.
Bryan Bailey hit Wayland Gay with a 63-yard bomb to close
the gap to 21-20. Steve Ferrell blocked the extra-point kick by
Clarence Houston to preserve S.A.'s lead.
The Texans, however, took the lead when Bailey threw 11
yards to Kim Watts for a TD with 13:16 left in the game. Ricky
Caldwell scored the two-point conversion to make it 28-21,
Austin.
But then the Bulls' Bailey took over, hitting Armstrong
with a 20-yard scoring strike at the 10:47 mark. The roof caved
in on the Texans after that.
All told, the Bulls stole six Bryan passes and completely
stopped Austin's ground game. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Austin |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
6 |
|
8 |
|
- |
|
28 |
| San Antonio |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
35 |
|
- |
|
56 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AU |
|
SA |
| First downs |
|
11 |
|
26 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
29 - 24 |
|
50 - 211 |
| Passing yards |
|
179 |
|
120 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
13 -
26 - 6 |
|
11 -
28 - 2 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
6 - 39.5 |
|
3 - 10.0 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
6 - 2 |
|
3 - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
19 -
187 |
|
11 -
89 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| AU |
|
Gay 35 fumble recovery return
(Houston kick) |
| SA |
|
Franklin 1 run (Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Collins 1 run (Vega kick) |
| AU |
|
Bailey 1 run (Houston kick) |
| SA |
|
Armstrong 4 pass from Bailey
(Vega kick) |
| AU |
|
Gay 63 pass from Bailey (kick
failed) |
| AU |
|
Watts 11 pass from Bailey
(Caldwell run) |
| SA |
|
Armstrong 20 pass from Bailey
(Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Collins 1 run (Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Green 25 interception return
(Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Pasterchick 27 pass from
Bailey (Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Nelms 40 interception return
(Vega kick) |
|
|
 |
|
Austin: Wayland Gay (33) |
|
|
|
|
Austin: Ken Mills (??) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Geminis throttle
Chargers |
|
|
|
|
|
| David Flores -
San Antonio Express-News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Buffalo Gemini quarterback Jim Hoysick, making his first
start, threw for 123 yards and two touchdowns as the Geminis
ripped the Virginia Chargers, 42-6, in an American Football
Association game at War Memorial Stadium Saturday night.
The Geminis, 3-5, remained alive in the hunt |
|
for a wild-card playoff spot with their second win over the 0-8
Chargers. Buffalo won its first road game of the year, 17-6, at
Virginia.
Hoysick scored the game's first touchdown on a one-yard
plunge, which was set up by Bill Morris' 40-yard punt return.
Hoysick hit tight end Steve Downs with a 14-yard TD pass in the |
|
second period on the first play from scrimmage after a poor
punt. Hoysick's other TD toss came early in the fourth quarter
when he threw 31 yards to wide receiver Perry Jenkins to end the
scoring.
The Geminis totaled 201 yards passing and 83 on the ground. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Virginia |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
6 |
| Buffalo |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
42 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
VA |
|
BU |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Bulldogs fall
short in bid to upset undefeated Racine |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jack Patterson
- Akron Beacon Journal |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Canton Bulldogs scored as many touchdowns on the
unbeaten Racine (Wis.) Gladiators as all previous foes combined
this season but still couldn't come away with a victory in an
American Football Association game at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
in Massillon Saturday night.
The Gladiators, 8-0 and Northern Division leaders, had
yielded only three touchdowns in seven outings and one of them
was on a pass interception. The Bulldogs scored three touchdowns
before 3,800 Saturday night but still lost 23-20.
The defeat set Canton's record at 4-4 and put a serious
dent in the Bulldogs' hopes for a wildcard AFA playoff berth
with two games left in the regular season. Canton plays the
Buffalo Gemini Saturday night at the Rubber Bowl.
Emotions ran high in Saturday's battle and a total of 27
penalties, 15 on the Bulldogs, figured prominently in the
outcome. The Bulldogs gave it their best shot of the season,
gaining a 7-7 |
|
halftime standoff and actually leading 14-10 in the third period
before succumbing.
Big plays won it for Racine, however. Greg Johnson, the
former University of Wisconsin star and the AFA's leading
rusher, broke a 57-yard touchdown gallop in the first period. In
the fourth quarter, Michael Larry dashed 56 yards to seal the
win. His TD made it 23-14, and although the Bulldogs went 33
yards to score on Paul Winters' 4-yard run with 4:41 to play,
Racine was able to run out the clock thereafter.
The Bulldogs evened the score with 23 seconds left before
the half on a 67-yard pass from quarterback Sam Shon to split
end Alan Webster.
Racine took a 10-7 lead shortly into the third period on a
39-yard field goal by Nils Linskoog.
Canton then took its 14-10 lead on a 75-yard march
highlighted by the passing of Bob Stachowicz, the running of
Winters and two 15-yard penalties, one for roughing the passer |
|
and one for pass interference. Winters ran 6 yards for the
tally.
The Gladiators, however, came back with a 73-yard scoring
drive in which a pass interference call on Canton's Charlie
Swann gave the visitors possession at the Bulldog 10. Joe
Grafenauer passed 8 yards to Jim McClellan for the touchdown.
That made it 16-14 and Racine decided to go for a two-point
conversion after the Bulldogs were penalized half the distance
to the goal for encroachment as Racine set up for the kick
conversion. The Bulldogs stopped the attempted run.
Racine's Larry then broke his big touchdown run and the
Bulldogs' score in the waning minutes wasn't enough to pull off
the upset.
Racine piled up 204 yards rushing, with Johnson getting
106, and had 129 passing. The Bulldogs had only 89 yards
rushing, 73 by Winters, and 186 passing. Canton's Webster had
seven receptions for 110 yards. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Racine |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
3 |
|
13 |
|
- |
|
23 |
| Canton |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
20 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
RA |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
14 |
|
17 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
32 - 197 |
|
38 - 86 |
| Passing yards |
|
138 |
|
178 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
11 -
20 - ? |
|
13 -
24 - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 38 |
|
7 - 37 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 1 |
|
1 - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
12 -
97 |
|
15 -
122 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| RA |
|
Johnson 57run (Lindskoog kick) |
| CA |
|
Webster 67 pass from Shon
(Petroff kick) |
| RA |
|
Lindskoog 39 field goal |
| CA |
|
Winters 6 run (Petroff kick) |
| RA |
|
McClellan 8 pass from
Graefenauer (Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Larry 56 run (run falied) |
| CA |
|
Winters 4 run (run failed) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Smith, Carolina
stop Pride 41-24 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ed Hinton -
Atlanta Journal |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Former Atlanta Falcon Reggie Smith had phoned
his old teammate, Wallace Francis, and pleaded: "Come see me,
Wallace. I'm burning up the league. Come see me, man."
Smith, released by the Falcons after last season, is now with
the Carolina Storm, which visited the Georgia Pride of the
American Football Association Saturday night.
Francis did come out to watch, and Smith did burn up Herndon
Stadium, catching touchdown passes of 29 and 68 yards to lead
Carolina's 41-24 victory in a game in which seven of the nine
touchdowns scored came on passes in the first half.
The victory kept Carolina's record perfect at 8-0, while the
Pride still struggling for a playoff berth, fell to 4-4.
The score soared to 28-21, Carolina's favor, before the game was
20 minutes old, all on passing. But then a real Georgia storm of
thunder, lightning and heavy rain, forced the
game to the ground and kept Smith from |
|
keeping his promise to Francis to catch three touchdown passes.
"He owes me one," said Francis, who still is not certain
about whether he wants to return to the Falcons this year. "He
didn't get the third one."
"I would have, but the rains came," said Smith. "Wallace
had told me to get two in the first half, and I did do that for
him."
Smith, playing before a crowd of about only 300 but happy
to be playing in Atlanta again just the same, opened the scoring
with a 29-yard reception from Ellsworth Turner with 8:43 left in
the first quarter.
Georgia countered on its next possession with a 48-yard
bomb from Dale Love to tight end Larry Powers, but Carolina came
right back with a 53-yarder from Turner to Darrell Jones when
Georgia defender Don Shockley fell and left Jones open. That
made it 14-7, Carolina.
But Georgia tied the game with 1:08 left in the first on
Powers' second touchdown |
|
reception, this one nine yards from Anthony Flanagan.
Smith caught his 68-yarder to open the second quarter,
beating rookie Georgia cornerback Ben Scott at midfield and then
streaking away from him.
Georgia tied it again, at 21, on a 58-yard play that was
recorded as a pass but actually was mostly a running effort by
Zollie Harris, who caught a Flanagan swing pass behind the line
of scrimmage and did the rest himself.
Carolina got in the final scoring pass of the night, 5
yards from Turner to Jackie Reed, just before the downpour began
with 10 minutes left in the half.
From there, the only scoring came on a 38-yard field goal
by Georgia's Bob Brien that made it 28-24 Carolina at the half,
and short Carolina scoring dives of 2 yards by Emmett Hamilton
and 1 yard by Turner in the second half. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Carolina |
|
14 |
|
14 |
|
7 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
41 |
| Georgia |
|
14 |
|
10 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
24 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CA |
|
GA |
| First downs |
|
14 |
|
17 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
32 - 197 |
|
38 - 86 |
| Passing yards |
|
138 |
|
178 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
11 -
20 - ? |
|
13 -
24 - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 38 |
|
7 - 37 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 1 |
|
1 - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
12 -
97 |
|
15 -
122 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Smith 28 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| GA |
|
Powers 49 pass from Love
(Brien kick) |
| CA |
|
Jones 53 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| GA |
|
Powers 9 pass from Flanagan
(Brien kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 68 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| GA |
|
Harris 58 pass from Flanagan
(Brien kick) |
| CA |
|
Reed 7 pass from Turner (Blum
kick) |
| GA |
|
Brien 37 field goal |
| CA |
|
Hamilton 2 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Turner 1 run (pass failed) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Houston turnovers
lead to 22-9 defeat |
|
|
|
|
|
| Terry Blount -
Houston Post |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Shreveport Americans took advantage of two first-half
turnovers by the Houston Armadillos to claim a 22-9 American
Football Association victory Saturday night at Dyer Stadium.
Shreveport, 6-2, remained in contention for the Southwest
Division title. The Americans play the division-leading Texas
Wranglers next week.
Houston mistakes led to 10 first-half points for
Shreveport. With the Americans leading 3-0, Armadillo
quarterback Jim Kelly fumbled the snap at the Houston 11-yard
line. Shreveport linebacker Marty Smith recovered and, four
plays later, Jerry Pope kicked a 21-yard field goal.
On Houston's next possession, halfback Paul |
|
Hood missed a pitch from Kelly and Shreveport defensive tackle
Sam Coaxum recovered at the Armadillos' 12-yard line.
Shreveport quarterback James Mosley found Vernon Wells in
the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown to give the Americans a
13-0 lead with 14:01 left in the first half.
Wells, the AFA's top receiver, caught four passes for 110
yards on the night.
Houston receivers and defensive backs had slippery hands
all night. Split end Randy Claiborne dropped a possible
touchdown pass on the Americans' 10-yard line. Claiborne had a
clear field to the end zone.
Houston cornerback Mark Moore stepped in front of a
Shreveport pass at the Houston 5- |
|
yard line but bobbled the ball and lost control.
Kelly, starting his first game at quarterback, threw the
ball well but was victimized by the dropped passes.
The Armadillos, 2-6, managed to score their first touchdown
in three games. Fullback Frankie Lindsey's 3-yard touchdown run
capped a 63-yard drive in the third quarter. The extra-point
attempt failed.
Jerry Maltz's 42-yard field goal accounted for Houston's
other points.
The Armadillos suffered seven turnovers, compared to 11 in
their first meeting with the Americans this year. The Armadillos
lost that game 59-0. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Shreveport |
|
6 |
|
13 |
|
3 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
22 |
| Houston |
|
0 |
|
3 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
9 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
SH |
|
HO |
| First downs |
|
8 |
|
7 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
24 - 85 |
|
20 - 83 |
| Passing yards |
|
188 |
|
82 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
11 -
38 - 1 |
|
7 -
20 - 4 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - 37.0 |
|
6 - 27.2 |
| Return yards |
|
109 |
|
102 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 1 |
|
3 - 3 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
6 -
62 |
|
9 -
58 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SH |
|
Pope 27 field goal |
| SH |
|
Pope 21 field goal |
| SH |
|
Wells 9 pass from Mosley (Pope
kick) |
| HO |
|
Maltz 42 field goal |
| SH |
|
Brock 15 pass from Mosley
(kick failed) |
| HO |
|
Lindsey 3 run (kick failed) |
| SH |
|
Wells 28 field goal |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Wranglers strangle
Thunder |
|
|
|
|
|
| Tulsa World |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Welby Ina passed for three touchdowns and ran for another
and completed 19 of 32 passes for 253 yards Saturday night as
the Texas Wranglers downed the Oklahoma Thunder, 32-14, in
American Football Association action at Memorial Stadium.
The victory moved Texas into sole possession of first place
in the Southwest Division of the American Football Association |
|
with a 7-1 record. Oklahoma lost for the second time in three
outings and fell to 6-2, same record as the Shreveport
Americans.
The Thunder led 14-10, at halftime but Ina tossed touchdown
passes of 22, 40 and 22 yards in the third quarter to stake the
Wranglers to a 30-14 lead. Texas picked up a safety five seconds
into the fourth period to complete the scoring. |
|
Tulsa's first score came with 7:24 left in the half.
Quarterback David Rader capped a 12-play, 65-yard drive with a
four-yard keeper around right end. Alan Woodward made the
point-after to put Tulsa ahead 7-3.
Texas went back ahead, 10-7, and then Oklahoma came back to
score with eight seconds to go in the half on a 20-yard pass
from Rader to Randy Butler. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Oklahoma |
|
0 |
|
14 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
14 |
| Texas |
|
3 |
|
7 |
|
20 |
|
2 |
|
- |
|
32 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
OK |
|
TX |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| TX |
|
Stringer 39 field goal |
| OK |
|
Rader 4 run (Woodward kick) |
| TX |
|
Ina 8 run (Stringer kick) |
| OK |
|
Butler 20 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| TX |
|
Sullivan 22 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| TX |
|
Owen 40 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| TX |
|
Ogletree 22 pass from Ina
(kick failed) |
| TX |
|
Safety |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Magic caught by
Carolina Storm |
|
|
|
|
|
| Don Kausler,
Jr. - Birmingham News |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
For what it's worth, the Alabama Magic came close to
defeating the Carolina Storm Saturday night in an American
Football Association game at Legion Field.
How close?
Charlie Trotman held his thumb and his index finger and
inch or two apart.
That's how close the wide receiver came to catching a
touchdown pass late in the game that would have put the Magic
ahead.
Instead, all he managed was to deflect the ball in the end
zone. After one more deflection, Storm safety Tim King
intercepted the pass from Alabama's Mark Cahill, clinching a
17-14 Carolina victory.
The victory kept Carolina undefeated in the AFA's
Southeastern Division with a 9-0 record. Alabama fell to 6-3 and
must beat the Georgia Pride in next weekend's regular-season
finale in Atlanta to win a playoff berth.
A crowd estimated at 3,500 by Birmingham Park Board
Director Frank Wagner watched the game. It was the Magic's
largest crowd in four home games this season.
The crucial interception came on a third-and-11 play from
Carolina's 26-yard line. Cahill scrambled to his right under a
modest rush and then lofted a pass over the middle to Trotman,
who was running a post pattern against three defenders.
"I had my hand up there," said Trotman, a former Auburn
University quarterback. "It hit a little bit. The pass was a
little high, but it wasn't too high. I might have had it if I
could have gotten a better jump."
King said the Storm saw the play coming.
"We knew they were going deep," he said. "It was
third-and-long. We had good coverage to the outside.
"It was a close play, but I wouldn't call it a lucky play.
We were where we were supposed to be.
"Things have been going our way so far this season. Why
shouldn't they keep going our |
|
way?"
Things definitely went Carolina's way in the first half.
Despite a 126-32 advantage in passing yardage and a 61-26
edge in rushing yardage, the Magic trailed at halftime, 10-7. It
trailed because of one costly turnover and one costly penalty.
The turnover came after the Storm had taken a 3-0 lead on
its first possession, thanks to a 40-yard field goal by John
Blum.
The Magic drove as far as the Storm's 38-yard line on its
first possession before Cahill bumped into running back Lawrence
Joseph on an attempted handoff. The ball popped loose,
Carolina's Ken Tillman scooped it up and sprinted 57 yards for a
touchdown that helped put the Storm ahead, 10-0, with 6:53 left
in the first quarter.
"He stepped too far." Cahill said of Joseph, "and we
collided. We ran that play three times in the first half, and
that was the only time it hurt us.
"A defensive end also came in untouched and grabbed us both
at once. That helped knock the ball loose."
Cahill was the only Magic player who had a chance to catch
Tillman, but the 263-pound defensive lineman embarrassed the
200-pound quarterback.
"I was 5 yards behind him to start with," Cahill said.
He also was 5 yards behind when Tillman crossed the goal
line.
"I'm just not fast," Cahill said.
The Magic's costly penalty came in the closing seconds of
the first half. It had marched from its own 34 to Carolina's 23
when Joseph took a screen pass from Cahill and darted down the
left sideline, stepping out of bounds inside the 5-yard line
with 8 seconds remaining.
But a clipping penalty brought the ball back to the 33. One
play later, Alabama's Ron Slovensky attempted a 44-yard field
goal, but |
|
his kick was wide to the right.
Earlier in the second quarter, Slovensky missed another
shot at a field goal. That came from 37 yards away, at the end
of a 43-yard drive.
The next time the Magic got the ball, however, it scored.
Cedric Stevens ran 3 yards for a touchdown to climax a 52-yard,
10-play drive with 4:05 left in the half.
The Magic had a chance to take the lead later when Trotman
slipped behind four Carolina defenders, but Mike Bartik launched
a wobbly pass on an end-around play that fell far short of its
target.
Carolina increased its lead to 17-7 with 8:08 left in the
third quarter when quarterback Ellisworth Turner threw a 16-yard
touchdown pass to James Crowder, a former teammate at North
Carolina A&T.
But the Magic retaliated with an 80-yard, 11-play drive
that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by Stevens with 1:27 left
in the third period.
The Storm drove as far as Alabama's 32-yard line midway
through the fourth quarter, threatening to add to its lead, but
the Magic's Tyrone King came up with a big interception.
That interception set up the drive that ended with Cahill's
interception, his only one of the game. He had thrown 17
interception in seven previous games.
Despite the interception, the Magic got one more shot at
winning the game. The Storm fumbled the ball in the waning
seconds, and the Magic took over at its own 22 with 32 seconds
left. Two Cahill passes to Trotman gained 39 yards, but time ran
out before the Magic could move into field-goal range.
"We had our chances," Magic coach Steve Patton said. "We
missed those two field goals, and we gave them that one
touchdown. That was the play that hurt the most.
"We outplayed them most of the game, but we didn't come up
with the big play." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Carolina |
|
10 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Alabama |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
14 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CA |
|
AL |
| First downs |
|
15 |
|
22 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 97 |
|
? - 116 |
| Passing yards |
|
157 |
|
241 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
12 -
21 - 1 |
|
16 -
26 - 1 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 41 |
|
4 - 50 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
1 - 1 |
|
3 - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
8 -
62 |
|
8 -
70 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Blum 40 field goal |
| CA |
|
Tillman 57 fumble return (Blum
kick) |
| AL |
|
Stevens 3 run (Slovensky kick) |
| CA |
|
Crowder 16 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| AL |
|
Stevens 2 run (Slovensky kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Oklahoma wins, 35-16
Texans lose ninth straight |
|
|
|
|
|
| George
Breazeale - Austin American-Statesman |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Austin's offense lapsed into peril with blurring rapidity,
but the Texan defense had prolonged miseries and the payoff was
a 35-16 win for the Oklahoma Thunder in American Football
Association Southwest Division play Saturday night at Burger
Center.
Now 0-9 on the season and destined to go winless at home
for the second year in a row, Austin collected a solid 321 yards
passing on 24 pass completions, including 12 catches for 189
yards by receiver Wayland Gay. But the Texans self-destructed
early - and often - and the 7-2 Thunder was in control all the
way.
Former University of Oklahoma linebacker Jimbo Elrod set
the theme on the game's fourth play from scrimmage when he
intercepted quarterback Bryan Bailey's over-the-middle pass and
returned it to the Austin |
|
33. The Thunder drove the distance in seven plays, with running
back Dwaine Ball's fourth-down lunge from the one producing the
score. Alan Woodward kicked the first of his five conversions.
A recovery of a fumbled punt snap set up Austin at the
Oklahoma 33 late in the first period, and Clarence Houston
kicked the longest field goal of his brief Texan career, a
42-yarder to close the margin to 7-3.
Quarterback Dave Rader drove the Thunder 64 yards in eight
plays after the kickoff, hitting two big third-down passes and
scoring from the three on a keep.
On the next series, Oklahoma rammed 74 yards in six plays.
Ball's 45-yard gain on a draw carried to the 10, and Rader threw
10 to Jeff Brown for the score and a 21-3 lead. |
|
Gay's brilliant pass route down the sideline produced a
40-yard touchdown throw from Bailey five plays after the
kickoff, but the Thunder uncorked another backbreaker - an
80-yard, eight- play push, with Rader throwing seven yards to
Joey Smith with nine seconds left in the half.
Austin squandered its last chance to get back in contention
after recovering the second-half kickoff at the Oklahoma 30. But
Bailey promptly threw an interception into the end zone.
Oklahoma then drove 82 yards in five plays, with Ball going the
final 22 up the middle. Woodward kicked for a 35-10 edge with
21/2 minutes gone in the third quarter.
The Texans' final touchdown came on a 31-yard scoring pass
from Bailey to Gay. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Oklahoma |
|
7 |
|
21 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
35 |
| Austin |
|
3 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
16 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
OK |
|
AU |
| First downs |
|
12 |
|
20 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
31 - 185 |
|
30 - 24 |
| Passing yards |
|
160 |
|
321 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
10 -
20 - 0 |
|
24 -
42 - 4 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
4 - 29 |
|
1 - 45 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 2 |
|
1 - 0 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
14 -
89 |
|
13 -
87 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| OK |
|
Ball 1 run (Woodward kick) |
| AU |
|
Houston 42 field goal |
| OK |
|
Rader 3 run (Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Brown 10 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| AU |
|
Gay 40 pass from Bailey
(Houston kick) |
| OK |
|
Smith 7 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Ball 22 run (Woodward kick) |
| AU |
|
Gay 31 pass from Bailey (kick
failed) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 'Dogs roll 55-2 to
keep alive playoff hopes |
|
|
|
|
|
| John Seaburn -
Akron Beacon Journal |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Canton Bulldogs' chances for a wild-card berth in the
American Football Association playoffs kept pace with their
dreams as the Bulldogs defeated the Buffalo Geminis 55-2
Saturday night before 2,000 at the Rubber Bowl.
Canton (5-4) entered the game vying with the Atlanta Pride
of the AFA Southwestern Division for a playoff berth.
Atlanta (5-4) received a forfeit victory over Florida and
will meet division leader Alabama in its final game Saturday.
Canton goes to Arlington, Va., to play Roanoke Valley.
Roanoke Valley has been forfeiting its games lately, and likely
will forfeit to the Bulldogs Saturday. If Canton receives a
victory and if Atlanta loses to Alabama, the Bulldogs will be in
the playoffs for the third straight year.
The Bulldogs scored 27 points in the fourth quarter, but
the game was never in doubt.
Canton's defense scored two touchdowns and pestered the
Gemini into numerous mistakes and turnovers that resulted in
other Canton scores.
Canton rolled up 351 yards, including 247 on the ground,
while Buffalo accounted for just 77 yards, 52 coming through the
air. Canton led in first downs, 19-7. |
|
Canton took a 6-0 lead with just 24 seconds gone in the
game when Bulldog defensive tackle Harry Forepaugh intercepted a
Jim Hoysick pass and returned it 33 yards for the touchdown. Les
Petroff's kick for the conversion was wide left.
The Gemini came right back for a two-point safety when
defensive tackle Carl Guidotti pulled down Canton quarterback
Sammy Shon in his end zone with 8:14 to play.
Making the best of a bit of razzle-dazzle, Canton took a
9-2 lead when Petroff booted a 34-yard field goal just 51
seconds into the second quarter.
Canton moved from a fourth-and-6 at its 48 to a first and
10 at its 18 when, in a short punt formation, the ball was
snapped to fullback Gary Wroblewski who shuffled the ball
through the legs of Melvin Weatherspoon.
Weatherspoon scampered up the left side and broke two
tackles before being pulled down from behind within sight of the
Buffalo goal.
With 5:18 remaining in the second quarter, Canton sent
Dennis Brumfield 3 yards to score and when Petroff booted the
conversion, the Bulldogs had moved out to a 16-2 lead. Eight
plays earlier, linebacker Mark Sullivan had covered Brian
Gaines' fumble at the Canton 33 to give the Bulldogs possession.
Canton held a 19-2 lead at halftime, Petroff |
|
booting a 21-yard field goal with just four seconds to the
intermission.
Canton's lead went to 21-2 with 5:28 to play in the third
quarter when Hoysick, back to pass, stepped across the back line
of his end zone and was called for intentional grounding,
awarding the Bulldogs a safety.
With 1:23 left in the third period, Canton increased its
lead to 28-2 when Shon snuck over from the five and Petroff
booted the conversion. Canton linebacker Amos Mims covered
Hoysick's fumble at midfield to give the Pups possession this
time.
With just 1 1/2 minutes gone in the fourth quarter,
Canton's defense dragged Hoysick down for a big loss and the
Bulldogs took over at Buffalo's 31. On the first play of the
series, Dave Bouldin carried into the end zone and Petroff's
kick lifted Canton to a 35-2 cushion.
Sullivan soured Buffalo's next series when he picked off a
Hoysick pass and ran it back 34 yards to score. Petroff's boot
gave Canton a 42-2 lead.
Dion Jenkins from 2 yards and Rich Brindis from 1 yard
scored Canton's final two touchdowns, and Petroff tacked on the
point after Jenkins' score but missed after Brindisi's. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Buffalo |
|
2 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
2 |
| Canton |
|
6 |
|
13 |
|
9 |
|
27 |
|
- |
|
55 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
BU |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Forepaugh 33 interception return (kick failed) |
| BU |
|
Safety Shon tackled in end
zone |
| CA |
|
Petroff 34 field goal |
| CA |
|
Brumfield 3 run (Petroff kick) |
| CA |
|
Petroff 21 field goal |
| CA |
|
Safety Hoysick intentional
grounding in end zone |
| CA |
|
Shon 5 run (Petroff kick) |
| CA |
|
Bouldin 31 run (Petroff kick) |
| CA |
|
Sullivan 34 interception
return (Petroff kick) |
| CA |
|
Jenkins 2 run (Petroff kick) |
| CA |
|
Brindis 1 run (kick failed) |
|
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|
| |
| Tallahassee romps
over Sunbirds 25-0 |
|
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|
|
| Barb Kingsley -
Florida Times-Union |
|
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| |
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|
Before their last home contest of the season, the
Jacksonville Sunbirds said they would "pull out all the stops"
in their last home contest and open up their passing game with
the the long bomb.
Unfortunately, no one said anything about receivers.
The Sunbird defense was ruled ineffective as the
Tallahassee Statesmen blew the Sunbirds out of the deserted
Gator Bowl and took a 25-0 American Football Association victory
last night.
The Sunbirds completed six of 31 passes as player-coach
Malachi Beyah was forced to play musical quarterbacks. Beyah
used starter Alvin Small, Chuck Graham and wide receiver Leonard
Tookes. None, however, was able to move the Jacksonville
offense.
"We didn't execute plays well," Beyah said. "We weren't
able to do what we wanted to do. They forced us to play away
from our game plan. We had nothing to lose by changing |
|
quarterbacks."
But with short flare and screen passes, Tallahassee
quarterback Clyde Walker managed to inch the Statesmen slowly
downfield. The only score of the first half - a field goal -
came after Walker's third-down pass to Gregg Jackson was
dropped. Mike Drake then came on to kick a 24-yard field goal to
cap a 14-play, 50-yard drive.
"We went to the air too much," said Walker. "Our running
game was really good, we should have stayed on the ground."
The Statesmen passed for 178 yards and completed 23 of 35
while rushing for 95 yards on 35 carries.
One of the Sunbirds' few legitimate scoring drives was
initiated in the fourth quarter when Charlie Dorsey caught a
16-yard pass from Graham. The ball popped in the air, Dorsey
grabbed it and ran for five more yards. Graham attempted two
touchdown passes, both of |
|
which were overthrown. On the next play Graham was chased out of
the pocket and he was forced to ground the ball. Tallahassee
took over on the 43.
Tallahassee's final touchdown came in the fourth quarter
when Smalls attempted a pass near his own goal line. Tallahassee
linebacker Frank Grady grabbed Small's arm, the ball popped lose
and Grady fell on it in the end zone.
The Sunbird defense, however, did manage some
respectability. The Jacksonville secondary managed six
interceptions and the defense was credited with four quarterback
sacks.
The loss firmly entrenches the Sunbirds, whose record fell
to 3-6, in last place of the Southeastern Conference of the
American Football Association. Tallahassee improved to 4-5. |
|
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|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Florida |
|
3 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
15 |
|
- |
|
25 |
| Jacksonville |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| |
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|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
FL |
|
JA |
| First downs |
|
20 |
|
5 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
35 - 95 |
|
23 - 2 |
| Passing yards |
|
178 |
|
92 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
23 -
35 - 6 |
|
6 -
31 - 3 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
3 - 32.3 |
|
8 - 31.7 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 1 |
|
1 - 0 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
9 -
90 |
|
8 -
105 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| FL |
|
Drake 24 field goal |
| FL |
|
Davis 8 pass from Walker
(Drake kick) |
| FL |
|
Linton 32 interception return
(Drake kick) |
| FL |
|
Grady fumble recovery in end
zone (Davis pass from Williams) |
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
|
 |
Racine Gladiators
at
Charleston Rockets
July 24, 1982
- Laidley Field - |
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
|
|
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NO ARTICLE
OR
PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE |
|
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|
| |
| San Antonio
bullish on Armadillos |
|
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|
|
|
| Terry Blount -
Houston Post |
|
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| |
|
|
|
|
Don't try and teach your son the fundamentals of football
from the Houston Armadillos. He may end up being better
qualified for the circus.
The San Antonio Bulls returned two pass interceptions for
touchdowns in the first half and breezed to a 40-0 American
Football Association victory Saturday night at Dyer Stadium.
Houston, 2-7, continued to struggle on offense, turning the
ball over eight times. Armadillos quarterback Jim Kelly suffered
through a miserable game, throwing six interceptions and
completing only 2 of 16 passes for a minus 2 yards. Kelly was
replaced late in the second quarter by Arnold Holcombe.
San Antonio, 4-5, scored at 3:39 of the first |
|
quarter when linebacker Paul Paveglio took a interception 50
yards for a Bull touchdown. The extra-point attempt failed.
Houston handed the Bulls two more touchdowns before the
half was over. Tallefero Neal intercepted Kelly's pass at the
Armadillo 18-yard line early in the second quarter. On fourth
down, San Antonio quarterback Jim Bailey found Tony Armstrong in
the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Bulls led 12-0
after missing the two-point conversion attempt.
Houston gave the Bulls one more freebie when defensive back
Keith Nelms scored on a 34-yard interception return with 2:45 to
go in the second quarter. The point-after was good for a 19-0
halftime advantage.
After a scoreless third quarter, San Antonio |
|
scored on an 11-play, 78-yard drive when James Tibbs ran in from
the Armadillo 1.
Houston coach Steve Kiner then gave Jim Kelly another
chance at quarterback. Kelly took up where he left off, throwing
the ball into the hands of Paul Peveglio at the Houston 15. Two
plays later, Jim Bailey threw to a wide-open Hal Lewis for a
78-yard completion to the Houston 1. James Roberts dove in for
the Bull touchdown.
Late in in the fourth quarter, the Bulls scored after
another interception at the Houston 33. Joel Comer took a pitch
from Bailey for a 3-yard touchdown run.
Houston closes out the 1982 season next week in Tulsa
against the Oklahoma Thunder. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| San Antonio |
|
6 |
|
13 |
|
0 |
|
21 |
|
- |
|
40 |
| Houston |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
SA |
|
HO |
| First downs |
|
10 |
|
8 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
29 - 116 |
|
28 - 49 |
| Passing yards |
|
115 |
|
94 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
7 -
26 - 1 |
|
10 -
35 - 6 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
7 - 35.4 |
|
6 - 32.0 |
| Return yards |
|
113 |
|
182 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
0 - 0 |
|
2 - 2 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
12 -
149 |
|
9 -
90 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SA |
|
Paveglio 50 interception
return (kick failed) |
| SA |
|
Armstrong 5 pass from Bailey
(pass failed) |
| SA |
|
Nelms 34 interception return
(Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Tibbs 1 run (Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Roberts 1 run (Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Comer 3 run (Vega kick) |
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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Houston: Jim Kelly (10) |
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|
 |
Texas Wranglers
at
Shreveport Americans
July 24, 1982
- Independence Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Americans down
Wranglers, 21-14 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ron Higgins -
Shreveport Times |
|
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| |
|
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|
|
Texas Wranglers head coach Rusty Talbot had seen Shreveport
Americans quarterback Ken Smith and wide receiver Vernon Wells
before.
So, his pre-game plan Saturday night before the American
Football Association showdown between the teams in Independence
Stadium was simple: Keep constant defensive pressure on Smith
and double-team Wells.
As it turned out, both chores were performed reasonably
well, but Shreveport tight ends Reggie Brock and Gregg Lazzaro
combined for nine catches for 146 yards and one score as the
Americans downed the Wranglers 21-14 before a crowd of 5,033.
The seven-point win gave Shreveport a 7-2 record on the
year with one game to play at San Antonio and if the Americans
win that game, they'll go into the playoffs as the No. 1 team
from the Southwest Division.
"They (Texas) came out doubling our wide receivers," said
Americans head coach Tom Rushing in the midst of champagne
celebration in the Shreveport dressing room. "We just dragged
our tight ends over or under the linebackers and it was pretty
effective."
"We saw they were weak in the middle," said an
obviously-tired Brock afterwards. "We just kept hitting the
passes in there and they never adjusted." |
|
The tight end passes were effective to the point where
Brock caught eight passes for 139 yards. Lazzaro only one catch
for seven yards, but it was a big one - touchdown from Smith
with 14:56 left in the final quarter.
With Wells' extra point, Lazzaro's catch gave Shreveport a
14-7 lead. But Texas came right back, drove to the Americans 6
and prepared to score possibly the tying touchdown.
But on third and three at that point, Texas running back
Leonard Medlock tried to run through right tackle when a trio of
Americans - Sam Coaxum, Marty Smith and Keith Alexander popped
the ball loose. Smith recovered at the 5 and the Americans
promptly drove 95 yards for what turned out to be the deciding
score.
With Americans offensive coordinator Norman Hodgins
screaming, "No long passes" into his pressbox headset to Rushing
on the field, Smith uncorked a 43-yard bomb on third and 10 at
the Americans 15 to Brock. An additional five-yard facemask
penalty put the ball at the Texas 38.
Four plays later, Smith, who completed 18 of 28 passes for
214 yards, got Texas defensive back Rod Gerald to commit a
34-yard pass interference penalty to the Texas 15. A 13-yard
Smith to Wells pass put the ball at the Wranglers 2 where
running back Arry Moody |
|
crashed in for the score. Wells' extra point handed Shreveport a
seemingly safe 21-7 lead.
But with elusive Welby Ina at the quarterback controls,
Texas drove 63 yards on seven plays. The Wranglers' second
touchdown, like Ina's earlier 19-yard scoring pass to Steve
Sullivan which tied the game at 7-7 with 1:18 left in the second
quarter, came on a typical mad Ina scramble.
He rolled left, danced around for a bit, then bulleted a
12-yard pass to Ethan Ogletree. That and Robert Stringer's extra
point only put Texas down with 5:33 left in the game.
Shreveport opened scoring on the first play of the second
quarter when Smith got off a 7-yard scoring pass away to Wells
right before being buried by an avalanche of Wrangler rushers.
Wells converted for a 7-0 Americans lead with 14:55 left in the
quarter.
Ina's pass to Sullivan tied the game shortly before the
half, but the Wranglers had a chance to go ahead midway through
the third quarter.
On fourth and one at the Shreveport 10 with 7:17 left in
the third, Texas chose go with Stringer and a 27-yard field goal
attempt. He missed and it opened the door for the Americans. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Texas |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
14 |
| Shreveport |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
14 |
|
- |
|
21 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
TX |
|
SH |
| First downs |
|
16 |
|
12 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
36 - 158 |
|
23 - 44 |
| Passing yards |
|
192 |
|
214 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
18 -
32 - 2 |
|
18 -
28 - 2 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 36.2 |
|
5 - 34.0 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
5 - 2 |
|
1 - 0 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
10 -
117 |
|
10 -
75 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SH |
|
Wells 7 pass from Smith (Wells
kick) |
| TX |
|
Sullivan 19 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| SH |
|
Lazzaro 7 pass from Smith
(Wells kick) |
| SH |
|
Moody 2 run (Wells kick) |
| TX |
|
Ogletree 12 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
|
Shreveport: Reggie Brock (??)
Texas: Dean Nixon (26) |
|
|
 |
Shreveport: Tony Brown (47)
Texas: Keith Alexander (45) |
|
|
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|
 |
Alabama Magic
at
Georgia Pride
July 31, 1982
- Etowah County High School - |
|
|
| |
| Pride in playoffs
with 16-14 win |
|
|
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|
|
| James Bennett -
Atlants Journal |
|
|
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| |
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|
|
Georgia Pride defensive back Al Brown shrugged off a high
five from Ricky Sims and said, "I want a hug."
Sims had just intercepted a pass in the end zone with 1:32
remaining to save the Pride's 16-14 win over the Alabama Magic.
The victory sends the Pride, now 6-4, to the American Football
Association playoffs, where they will play Shreveport on the
road next Saturday.
"It was a lucky play," Sims said of the interception. "But
that's what football and defense is all about. I knew he (Magic
quarterback Mark Cahill) was going to throw it.
"The receiver fell down, and I reached up, |
|
and there it was. If he hadn't slipped, it would have been
athlete on athlete, and it would have been a hell of a contest
for the ball. I had to go get it."
The Pride jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead and added to
its advantage with a third-quarter, 11-yard touchdown pass from
Anthony Flanagan to running back Melvin Jenkins.
But the Magic came back quickly, scoring on a one-yard
Lawrence Joseph run with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter.
Moments later, James Drake recovered a Ron Slovensky onside kick
and returned it for a touchdown.
"It just bounced right up there," said Drake. |
|
"They weren't expecting it. We caught them off guard."
The Pride scored first in the game on a one-yard sneak by
Flanagan, two plays after punter Reggie Jones completed a
32-yard pass to Don Shockley from a fourth-down punting
formation.
The Pride's other first-half score came on a 43-yard field
goal by Bob Brien at 8:47 of the second quarter.
"I didn't worry about my distance," Brien said. "I know I
have the leg to get it there from 50 to 55 yards." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Alabama |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
14 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
14 |
| Georgia |
|
7 |
|
3 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
16 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AL |
|
GA |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| GA |
|
Flanagan 2 run (Brien kick) |
| GA |
|
Brien 51 field goal |
| GA |
|
Jenkins 14 pass from Flanagan
(kick failed) |
| AL |
|
Joseph 1 run (Stephens pass
from Bartik) |
| AL |
|
Drake onside kickoff
return (pass failed) |
| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
 |
Austin Texans
at
Texas Wranglers
July 31, 1982
- Mesquite Memorial Stadium - |
|
|
| |
Wranglers blast
past Austin, 49-7
Texas gathering momentum as AFA
playoffs approach |
|
|
|
|
|
| Luke Johnson -
Mesquite Daily News |
|
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| |
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|
|
The Texas Wranglers catapulted their way into the American
Football Association playoffs Saturday night at Mesquite
Memorial Stadium, with a lopsided 49-7 victory over the hapless
and helpless Austin Texans.
The Texans, who came into the game with only 26 players in
uniform, were plainly no match for the geared-up Wranglers, who
piled up 260 rushing yards and added another 100 through the
air. If there was any doubt as to the outcome prior, to kickoff,
the Wranglers settled it quickly on the way to an 8-2 season
record. Unfortunately for the Texans, they were headed in the
opposite direction in the win-loss column, as they absorbed
their 10th defeat in as many outings.
Tony Brown was the big gun in the Wranglers' offensive
attack, as he carried 18 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns.
He was aided in the decimation of the Texans by Henry Bush, who
toted the ball nine times for 44 yards and one touchdown, while
adding another on a touchdown pass from quarterback Welby Ina.
"We just had the whole attack going," said Ina after the
one-sided victory. "We were able to run the ball just about
anywhere we wanted to.
"I would have liked to get more yards through the air, but
as it turned out, we didn't |
|
need them," Ina continued. "But I still felt good about the
passing game."
Ina finished the night with nine completions in 20 attempts
and two touchdowns, though he suffered a pair of interceptions.
The win puts the Wranglers in a first round playoff contest
against the Oklahoma Thunder in Tulsa's Skelly Stadium Saturday
night at 7:30 p.m. The Thunder and the Wranglers have split in
two meetings this season, with each team winning at home.
Bush got things off to a fast start in the first quarter,
as he worked his way clear for a safety valve pass from Ina in
the middle of the Texans' secondary. He high-stepped his way 28
yards into the end zone, splitting two defensive backs at the
five-yard line for the score.
The Wranglers were forced to go only 18 yards for their
next score, as Austin's Bryan Bailey had a punt partially
blocked in the end zone. The ball was downed on the Texans'
18-yard line and five plays later Brown got the payoff from the
one for the first of his two touchdowns in the contest.
Austin, in its only offensive punch of the evening, managed
to cut the Wranglers' lead to seven points. The Texans put
together a seven-play, 29-yard drive for the touchdown, which
came as Bailey found a wide-open Wayland |
|
Gay alone in the Wranglers' end zone for a one-yard scoring
pass. Clarence Houston's PAT would prove to be the final points
of the night for the visitors.
Texas immediately came back on its next possession with a
seven-play, 43-yard scoring effort to go up 21-7. Bush did the
honors, going through a gaping hole on the right side of the
offensive line from four yards out.
Ina provided some rushing of his own on the next Wrangler
drive. After moving his team to the Texans' three-yard stripe,
Ina sent the play action to the right side and pulled off a
naked bootleg for a three-yard score, just squeezing in at the
flag in the left corner of the zone ahead of a closing Austin
defender.
"I didn't think I was going to make it, but I managed to
dive across the goal line before he got there," said Ina.
Adding insult to injury, the Wranglers put on a 21-point
blitz in the final 15 minutes. The first of the three scores
when Brown scored from 13 yards out after a roughing penalty
negated a 45-yard field goal by Gale Grant. Less than three
minutes later Ina teamed up with wide receiver Steve Sullivan
for a 31-yard scoring connection and reserve running back Pat
Noonan, who had 28 yards on two carries, rambled in untouched
from the 16-yard line for the game's final score. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Austin |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Texas |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
49 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
AU |
|
TX |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
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|
| |
|
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
|
Texas: Fred Williams (75)
Austin: Bryan Bailey (??) |
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|
 |
Buffalo Geminis
at
Charleston Rockets
July 31, 1982
- War Memorial Stadium - |
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
|
| |
| Rockets crush
Geminis, 48-7 |
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|
|
| Buffalo News |
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| |
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|
|
Buffalo quarterback Jim Hoysick averted a shutout by
plunging across the Charleston goal line with nine seconds left,
providing the |
|
Geminis' only good memory from a 48-7 season-ending loss to the
playoff-bound Rockets. If there was a defensive highlight for |
|
the Geminis in allowing 48 points, it had to be the play of Tony
Diberatore, who had 15 tackles. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Buffalo |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
7 |
| Charleston |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
48 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
BU |
|
CH |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
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| |
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| |
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| |
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| |
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|
| |
Storm breezes past
Jacksonville 63-0
Carolina enters playoffs 10-0 |
|
|
|
|
|
| David Scott -
Charlotte Observer |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Carolina Storm concluded a perfect American Football
Association regular season Saturday night with a 63-0 whipping
of the Jacksonville Sunbirds in Memorial Stadium.
It wasn't that close.
The Storm, leading 35-0 at the end of the first quarter and
54-0 at halftime, really didn't have much of a chance to score
in the second half.
The clock operator, knowing a rout on a rainy, miserable
night when he saw one, let the time click by in the second half,
stopping the clock only on a few occasions late in the game.
Otherwise, it steadily ran down, through pass incompletions and
out-of-bounds plays alike. The half lasted less than an hour.
But it didn't really make any difference. It let both
squads and most of the crowd of 2,012 - those who hadn't left in
the first half - get out of the rain more quickly.
It was the Storm's easiest victory of the season, a season
that had lots of easy victories. It outstripped Carolina's
opening game back in May, when it beat the since-folded Florida
Sun 62-7.
Now the Storm (10-0) can devote its |
|
attention to the AFA playoffs, which begin next week. Carolina
is host Saturday to Northern Division runner-up West Virginia in
Memorial Stadium.
The Storm will get more fight from the Rockets than it did
from the Sunbirds (3-7). Jacksonville, which lost its last five
games - including a 31-10 home loss to the Storm - brought only
27 players. There's been a shortage on that front since
mid-season, when most of the Sunbirds' front-line players quit
in a money dispute.
"I know a lot of their players and I've got family in
Jacksonville," said Storm offensive lineman Lawrence Faulkner, a
Johnson C. Smith alumnus. "So I know what's gone on down there.
I truly appreciate that team showing up after all the stuff
they've been through. I really appreciate it."
The Storm struck early and decisively. Saturday afternoon,
quarterback Ellsworth Turner had let on that Carolina's first
play would be a long pass to Reggie "Super Gnat" Smith. It was.
Turner hit Smith for 33 yards to the Sunbird 28, and five
plays later Emmett Hamilton's 2- |
|
yard run was Carolina's first touchdown. It got four more in the
first quarter - a 3-yarder by Hamilton, a 51-yard pass from
Turner to Smith, a 1-yard run by Turner and a 47-yard pass from
Turner to Smith.
Every time the Storm got the ball, it scored. Carolina,
which didn't punt all night, scored the first seven times it had
the ball.
It finally was stopped in the third quarter, when John Blum
- who was perfect in nine point-after kicks - missed a 37-yard
field-goal attempt.
No matter. As soon as Jacksonville got the ball back,
Carolina's Mike Graham picked off a pass and returned it 27
yards for a touchdown.
A good look was had at Lonnie Harris, too. Harris, a 5-6
wide receiver, returned a punt 42 yards for a touchdown and took
an end-around run 49 yards for another.
The Storm rolled up 379 yards total offense. Jacksonville
had 102 - 62 on a pass from Wayne Foster to Tyrone Green. Green
almost broke it. Appropriately, though, he slipped on the wet
grass. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Jacksonville |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Carolina |
|
35 |
|
21 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
63 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
JA |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
3 |
|
18 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
4 - (-4) |
|
29 - 213 |
| Passing yards |
|
106 |
|
194 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
4 - 16 - 2 |
|
7 - 16 - 0 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 39.2 |
|
0 - 0 |
| Return yards |
|
170 |
|
135 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
3 - 3 |
|
5 - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
7 - 66 |
|
4 - 25 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Hamilton 2 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Hamilton 1 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 51 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Turner 1 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 47 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Reed 4 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Harris 42 punt return (Blum
kick) |
| CA |
|
Graham 27 interception return
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Harris 49 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Thompson 16 run (Blum kick) |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carolina: Jeff Thompson (88) |
|
|
|
|
Carolina: Jeff Thompson (88) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Thunder pops
Houston to take share of title |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jeff Necessary
- Tulsa World |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Oklahoma took advantage of two Houston turnovers for quick
first-quarter touchdowns and was never threatened as the Thunder
clinched a share of the American Football Association Southwest
Division title Saturday night with a boringly easy, 42-0 victory
over the Armadillos at Skelly Stadium.
The game was decided in a one-minute, 28-second span early
in the first period. After Houston's Paul Hood fumbled on the
game's third play from scrimmage at the Armadillo 29, the
Thunder capitalized eight plays later on Dwaine Ball's
three-yard run. Alan Woodward, the AFA's leading scorer, added
his first of six extra points.
Four plays after the ensuing kickoff, Houston punter Glen
Franks fumbled the deep snap from his 15. The loose ball rolled
back into the end zone, where Thunder cornerback |
|
Demetrious Thompson covered the ball for a touchdown. Woodward
made it 14-0 at 8:20, only 1:28 after Ball's run.
The Thunder running game, usually lethargic in nine
previous games, was prominent in the first half. Quarterback
Dave Rader, who passed for 207 yards and three touchdowns, did
not attempt a pass until the 1:12 mark of the first quarter.
A short punt by Franks set up the third Oklahoma score
early in the second quarter. The Thunder drove 41 yards in seven
plays, with Rader finding Ronnie Smith for the first of his two
touchdown catches from 13 yards out. Woodward closed the
first-half scoring at 21-0.
Whatever doubt remained was ended by the Thunder's first
march after intermission, a crisp 67-yard operation that closed
with Quinn Jones' one-yard run. |
|
Franks again mishandled the snap on his next punt attempt,
set- ting Oklahoma up on the Houston 18. Rader passed to Jones
two plays later for a 16-yard score.
Houston threatened twice after Thunder fumbles in the third
quarter, but came no closer than the Oklahoma 10. The Armadillos
could not convert a third-and-two from the 10 in two tries and
never came close again.
The victory ended a successful maiden season for the
Thunder, which concluded with an 8-2 regular season record.
Coach Frank Grimm said the performance was exactly the
prescription for entering Saturday's playoff date with the Texas
Wranglers at Skelly.
Thunder officials estimated Saturday's attendance at 7,100. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Houston |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
0 |
| Oklahoma |
|
14 |
|
7 |
|
14 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
42 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
HO |
|
OK |
| First downs |
|
5 |
|
19 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
40 - 28 |
|
38 - 107 |
| Passing yards |
|
8 |
|
208 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
2 - 15 - 2 |
|
16 - 26 - 1 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 32 |
|
3 - 35 |
| Return yards |
|
46 |
|
0 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
3 - 3 |
|
3 - 2 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
7 - 50 |
|
5 - 45 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| OK |
|
Ball 4 run (Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Tapps fumble recovery in end
zone (Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Smith 13 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Jones 1 run (Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Jones 16 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| OK |
|
Smith 7 pass from Rader
(Woodward kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Oklahoma: Quinn Jones (35)
Houston: Errol Graham (53) |
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|
| |
| Shreveport
outlasts San Antonio Bulls, 32-23 |
|
|
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|
|
| Gary Gossett -
San Antonio Light |
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| |
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|
|
A fourth-quarter rally by the San Antonio Bulls fell short
at Alamo Stadium last night, giving the Shreveport Americans a
32-23 win in the American Football Association regular season
finale for both teams.
The defeat left San Antonio with a 4-7 mark, the first
losing record in franchise history. Not since the old San
Antonio Toros were formed in the late '60s has a local
professional team finished below .500.
The playoff-bound Americans, who scored on the game's final
play, are 8-2.
The Bulls, down by 10 points late in the game, got a
touchdown on a one-yard run by |
|
James Tibbs with just under four minutes to play. Joe Vega's
kick left the Bulls with a three-point deficit, but Shreveport
drove to the San Antonio 40 and punted the ball out of bounds on
the 7.
San Antonio broke on top on a 20-yard field goal by Vega in
the first period. Shreveport, however, scored 19 points in the
second quarter on a 46-yard scoring pass from Ken Smith to
Reggie Brock and TD passes of 5 and 14 yards to Vernon Wells.
Wells was good on one conversion, but missed the other two.
San Antonio got second period scoring on a 10-yard pass
from Tim Bailey to Anton Niles |
|
and another 20-yard field goal from Vega to make the halftime
score 19-13.
Shreveport went 26-13 in the third quarter when Donnie
Sutton took a 22-yard pass from Smith. Vega cut the margin to 10
points with his third field goal of the night.
Shreveport got a freebie on the last play. With 13 seconds
to go, Bailey faded back from his 11 to the 4 while attempting
to pass. Shreveport defensive lineman Walter Chapman got to
Bailey, stole the ball and stepped into the end zone. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Shreveport |
|
0 |
|
19 |
|
7 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
32 |
| San Antonio |
|
3 |
|
10 |
|
3 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
23 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
SH |
|
SA |
| First downs |
|
19 |
|
15 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
23 - 83 |
|
30 - 16 |
| Passing yards |
|
367 |
|
297 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
23 - 41 - 2 |
|
17 - 44 - 1 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 39.0 |
|
6 - 33.5 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
4 - 2 |
|
4 - 2 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
8 - 69 |
|
10 - 91 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SA |
|
Vega 20 field goal |
| SH |
|
Brock 46 pass from Smith
(Wells kick) |
| SA |
|
Miles 10 pass from Bailey
(Vega kick) |
| SA |
|
Vega 20 field goal |
| SH |
|
Wells 5 pass from Smith (kick
failed) |
| SH |
|
Wells 14 pass from Smith (kick
failed) |
| SH |
|
Sutton 22 pass from Smith
(Wells kick) |
| SA |
|
Vega 30 field goal |
| SA |
|
Tibbs 1 run (Vega kick) |
| SH |
|
Chapman 4 fumble return (kick
failed) |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Playoffs |
| |
|
|
| |
| Gladiators: There
was never a doubt |
|
|
|
|
|
| Gregg J.
Hoffmann - Racine Journal Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Racine Gladiators Coach Harry Gilbert was no longer scared.
His team had just beaten the odds, and the Canton Bulldogs,
44-6, Saturday night.
"I was scared as hell about having to play this team for the
third time this season," Gilbert said after the Gladiators'
victory before 2,542 fans at Horlick Field. "But we played well
tonight on offense and defense.
"We wanted to win by a blowout if we could. We felt that if we
got tied up in another close game with them the odds would catch
up with us."
The win moves the Gladiators into the second round of the
American Football Association (AFA) playoffs against the
Carolina Storm, a 61-15 winner over the West Virginia Rockets
Saturday night. The game will be played at Charlotte. N.C.,
where more than 6,900 fans watched the Storm's victory.
The city of Canton hosted the National Football League Hall of
Fame game earlier on Saturday, and by halftime at Horlick Field
the Bulldogs must have been wishing they had stayed home as
spectators.
Racine marched 60 yards for a touchdown the first time it had
the ball. Fullback Steve Fuller ran one yard for the score.
On the ensuing kickoff, Canton's Dion Jenkins fumbled the ball
after a 25-yard return, and the Gladiators' Chris Schnell
recovered at the Bulldogs' 33 yard line.
Four plays later, Racine quarterback Joe Grafenauer sneaked one
yard for the Gladiators' second touchdown. Nils Lindskoog's
extra point gave Racine a 14-0 lead.
The Gladiators increased that lead to 23-0 by halftime on a 50
yard field goal by Lindskoog |
|
and a 15-yard scoring pass from Charlie Bliss to Jeff White.
Canton's offense was stymied in the first half by four
Gladiators interceptions. Racine finished the game with six, led
by Earl Anderson who had two.
"Our front line put on a great rush, and their quarterback
(Bob Stachowicz) couldn't get set all night," said Gladiators
safety Daryl Herrick, who serves as the secondary's
player-coach.
"He started throwing to spots, and we were just able to
out-hustle their receivers for the ball," said Herrick, who had
one of the interceptions himself. "We had scouted them very
thoroughly which really helped."
In the second half, the Gladiators' passing attack
dominated the game. Grafenauer passed nine yards to White for a
third quarter touchdown and 12 yards to tight end Dan Brunner
for a fourth quarter score.
Brunner also caught a 10-yard scoring pass from Joe
Metallic late in the fourth period to complete the rout.
Sandwiched between the Brunner touchdowns was the Bulldogs'
lone score, a two-yard run by Paul Winters.
The Gladiators finished with 325 passing yards. Grafenauer
led the way with 15 completions in 27 attempts for 224 yards.
Bliss completed five of eight passes for 71 yards, and Metallic
had two of five for 30 yards.
Brunner led all receivers with eight catches for 98 yards.
White had six receptions for 83 yards.
"We studied the films of the first two games and saw that
the middle was open quite often," Brunner said. "We decided to
exploit that tonight and it worked." |
|
Grafenauer, who frequently threw to Brunner when they both
played for the Delavan Red Devils, said it was about time he
started to use his favorite receiver again.
"We haven't thrown to him as much this year. because the
outside stuff has been there," he said. "Also, when he was open
I was missing him in a lot of games. But he's a heck of a
receiver and tonight we got him the ball.
"It really helped to have our defense getting us the ball
in good field position. They've done a great job all year. Our
offensive line also did a good job tonight."
The Bulldogs had given the Gladiators two tough games
during the regular season, losing 12-6 and 23-20. Gilbert
thought those two games taught his team a lot about the Canton
team.
"We knew them awfully well," Gilbert said. "We tried to
pick on the weaknesses they had shown in the first two games."
Greg "Grape Juice" Johnson, the Gladiators' leading rusher,
did not play after the second quarter because of a knee injury.
However, the injury was not serious, and Johnson said he would
be ready for the Carolina game.
Carolina is the only team other than the Gladiators which
has an undefeated record in the AFA. The score of their rout
over West Virginia originally was reported as 61-18, but the
actual 61-15 score still impressed Gilbert.
"They must have a heck of an offensive football team," he
said. "It should be a good football game."
In another AFA playoff game, Dallas defeated Tulsa, 17-13.
The score of the Shreveport-Georgia Pride game was not reported. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Canton |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
6 |
| Racine |
|
14 |
|
9 |
|
7 |
|
14 |
|
- |
|
44 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CA |
|
RA |
| First downs |
|
8 |
|
25 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
17 - 126 |
|
39 - 117 |
| Passing yards |
|
89 |
|
325 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
10 -
31 - 6 |
|
22 -
40 - 3 |
| Punts - avg |
|
3 - 44 |
|
2 - 33 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
2 - 1 |
|
3 - 1 |
| Penalties - yards |
|
7 - 60 |
|
12 - 115 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| RA |
|
Fuller 1 run (Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Grafenauer 1 run
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Lindskoog 50 field goal |
| RA |
|
White 15 pass from Bliss (kick
blocked) |
| RA |
|
White 9 pass from Grafenauer
(Lindskoog kick) |
| RA |
|
Brunner 12 pass from
Grafenauer
(Lindskoog kick) |
| CA |
|
Winters 2 run (pass failed) |
| RA |
|
Brunner 10 pass from Metallic
(Lindskoog kick) |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Canton: Tom Roper (22) |
|
|
|
|
NO LOGO
AVAILABLE |
Charleston Rockets
at
Carolina Storm
August 7, 1982
- Memorial Stadium - |
|
|
| |
| Storm defuses
Rockets 61-18 |
|
|
|
|
|
| David Scott -
Charlotte Observer |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The Charleston Rockets' little psyche game didn't work
Saturday. All it did was keep the fires burning a little warmer
for the Carolina Storm.
So the unbeaten Storm, kept waiting on the field 20 minutes
by the Rockets at the beginning of the game, whipped defending
champion Charleston 61-18 in a first-round American Football
Association game before a crowd of 6,932 in Memorial Stadium.
The Storm's victory sets up a semifinal game next Sunday in
Charlotte against the also unbeaten Wisconsin Gladiators, 44-6
first-round winners over the Canton Bulldogs.
Beating the Rockets took a while for Carolina to do.
Charleston, led by coach Lonnie Warwick, did everything it could
to throw the Storm off its game. But the Rockets' tactics were
strictly of the off-the-field variety.
On the field, it was no contest.
For the week preceding the game, Charleston - which has won
the league's last two championships - kept those who cared in
the dark about who its quarterback would be. Steve Turk, the
Rockets' quarterback most of the season, was mentioned. Clyde
Walker, who didn't join the team until late in the season, was
mentioned. Kenny Stabler, who never joined the team, was
mentioned.
Shortly before the game, knowing Walker |
|
was ineligible because his name hadn't been put on the Rocket
roster in time, Warwick said his team would go home unless
Walker could play.
The Storm, which had said all week it would not let Walker
play, gave in. But Carolina played the game under protest. Turk
started the game, but Walker played about half of it.
That never made a difference. The Rockets were completely
outclassed.
That began to be apparent on the Storm's first possession,
when Ellsworth Turner hooked up with Reggie Smith for a 31-yard
touchdown pass. It got more obvious when, after Joe Clyburn
intercepted the first of four Rocket passes caught by Storm
defenders, Turner hit Darrell Jones for a 34-yarder.
It became crystal clear late in the first quarter after
another interception, this one by Dennis Coit deep in Charleston
territory. Two plays later, Jackie Reed went in from 5 yards.
Although John Blum missed the conversion, it was 20-0 at the end
of the first period.
"Maybe if they had come out and played us on time, they
would have played us tougher," said Storm linebacker Ike Huey.
"I don't think they were as pumped as we were.
"We really wanted them after that stunt they pulled. We
weren't going to let it upset us. Our minds were ready. We had
more |
|
intensity and I bet it took the edge off them."
After the first quarter, the Storm didn't let up. On and on
it went. It was as badly as the Storm had beaten anyone this
season - and Carolina had beaten some turkeys. Charleston,
though, wasn't supposed to be like that. The Rockets were the
champions.
"We knew about them, though." said Huey. "We had a good
scouting report. We knew how they played."
Charleston didn't know enough about Carolina, though. Then
again, maybe that wouldn't have helped much.
An example: the Storm, which had a few players banged up
going into the game and a few more when it was over, had to use
wide receiver Jones as a kickoff returner. So in his only
appearance this season at that position, Jones raced 94 yards
for a touchdown, giving the Storm a 35-6 lead in the second
quarter.
Turner threw for 250 yards and six touchdowns. Five were to
Smith, including a 38-yarder on the game's last play. The Storm
was by no means trying to hold down the score.
About the only place the Rockets were effective was through
the air. Turk and Walker combined for 264 yards passing.
But, as it turned out, it never made much of a difference
who the Rockets' quarterback was. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Charleston |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
6 |
|
6 |
|
- |
|
18 |
| Carolina |
|
20 |
|
22 |
|
6 |
|
13 |
|
- |
|
61 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
CH |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
19 |
|
19 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 96 |
|
? - 165 |
| Passing yards |
|
235 |
|
267 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
15 - 37 - 4 |
|
17 - 20 - 1 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
3 - 32 |
|
3 - 32 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
0 - 0 |
|
1 - 0 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
9 - 55 |
|
15 - 150 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Smith 31 pass from Turner (Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Jones 34 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Reed 5 run (kick failed) |
| CA |
|
Smith 7 pass from Turner
(Brown run) |
| CH |
|
Riley 2 run (run failed) |
| CA |
|
Jones 95 kickoff return (Blum
kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 25 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 25 pass from Turner
(kick blocked) |
| CH |
|
Riley 5 run (pass failed) |
| CA |
|
Bolton 1 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CH |
|
Oliveira 7 pass from Walker
(pass failed) |
| CA |
|
Smith 38 pass from Brown (no
attempt) |
|
|
 |
|
Players unknown |
|
|
 |
|
Carolina: Darrell Jones (??) |
|
|
|
|
Carolina: Tim King (41) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Georgia Pride
at
Shreveport Americans
August 7, 1982
- Independence Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Smith's
last-second pass lifts Americans |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jim McLain -
Shreveport Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Quarterback Ken Smith's 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end
Gregg Lazzaro with 15 seconds left lifted the Shreveport
Americans to a 42-35 victory over the Georgia Pride here
Saturday night.
The game-winning touchdown was one of six scoring tosses by
Smith on the night.
The victory in the first round of the American Football
Association playoffs, puts the Americans up against the Texas
Wranglers, who beat Oklahoma, 17-13, in Tulsa Saturday night.
The Americans were forced into a last-gasp drive to avert
an overtime period after Georgia had tied it up with just 1:12
remaining on a pass from quarterback Anthony Flanagan to Geno
Washington.
Getting the ball on its own 27 after the kickoff, Smith
completed passes of 20 yards and five yards to Edwin Scott, hit
Donnie Sutton for nine and then tossed to Arry Moody for six to
give the Americans a second-and-four at their the Georgia 33.
"It was a play designed to get the wide receivers out of
bounds," said Smith of the winning touchdown. "Their safeties
went with our wide receivers and Lazzaro was wide open down the
middle. All I had to do was to get it over the safety's head.
I'm just praising the Lord for that."
"I caught it over my shoulder," said Lazzaro, who was
subbing for shaken-up starter Reggie Brock on the play. "It was
a perfect pass. Any shorter or longer and I wouldn't have gotten
it. |
|
Kenny laid it in there real pretty."
The Americans had gone into the fourth quarter with a 35-21
lead, but couldn't hold it under the relentless passing assault
of Georgia of Flanagan.
Flanagan shortened Shreveport's lead to 35-28 with a
one-yard sneak with 10:15 left in the game and then directed a
78-yard drive that tied it up.
Star safety Keith Alexander, who had seven tackles on the
night, said "He (Flanagan) gave us a very tough time. He's a
scrambler and by the third quarter, our tackles were tired from
chasing him."
Flanagan completed 21 of 31 passes for 307 yards and three
touchdowns.
His performance was overshadowed, however, by Smith who hit
26 of 40 passes for a whopping 406 yards and the six touchdowns.
Vernon Wells, who had a 90-yard touchdown catch, was the
leading receiver with eight for 229 yards. Brock had six catches
for 69 and Scott latched onto six for 66.
The visitors, finishing their season 6-5, had the better of
it in the rushing game, outgaining Shreveport 125-58.
Louis Kelly, one of a fleet of small, hard running backs,
led the Pride with 75 yards on 15 carries. The Americans' top
rusher was Sutton with 19 yards on six carries. Shreveport
jumped its lead after halftime to 35-21 on Smith's 28-yard
touchdown toss to Sutton.
The game lived up to its aerial circus billing in |
|
the first half as Shreveport took a 28-21 lead.
A 90-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Wells just 20
seconds after Georgia had tied the score, 21- all, gave the
Americans their seven-point cushion 2:17 before intermission.
Georgia broke on top with a 74-yard opening drive, capped
by a seven-yard Flanagan to Larry Powers pass.
The Americans, getting three first downs by the penalty
route, hit right back with a 72-yard drive that a scrambling
Smith climaxed with a nine-yard toss to Brock.
The quarter ended 7-7, but the Americans were on top after
the first play of the second quarter, a 25-yard Smith pass to
Scott.
An interception by Clif McCray set up Georgia on the
Americans' 20 a little later in the quarter and Flanagan tied it
up with a one-yard sneak at the 6:54 mark.
It took the Americans only two plays to go back out front.
Reserve quarterback James Mosley fired a 62-yard halfback pass
to Wells and on the next play Smith hit Brock from 11 yards out
as the tight end was slanting across the goal-line.
Georgia came back to get good field position as kick
returner Ricky Sims raced back a kickoff 46 yards and the Pride
started out on the Shreveport 44 after a penalty. Eight plays
later, a scrambling Flanagan dumped a short pass off to running
back Zollie Harris, who scooted 18 yards into the end zone. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Georgia |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
35 |
| Shreveport |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
? |
|
- |
|
42 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
GA |
|
SH |
| First downs |
|
? |
|
? |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Passing yards |
|
? |
|
? |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
? - ? - ? |
|
Punts - avg |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - ? |
|
? - ? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| |
|
Not available |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Shreveport: Keith Alexander (45), Fred Galloway (76),
Larry Smith (32)
Georgia: Leon Chadwick (80) |
|
|
|
|
Shreveport: Willie Mosley (49), John Kelly (43) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| Wranglers slip
past Thunder in AFA playoff |
|
|
|
|
|
| Jeff Necessary
- Tulsa World |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Former Ohio State quarterback Rod Gerald's 61-yard punt
return set up the winning touchdown and the Texas Wrangler
defense staved off a last-ditch Oklahoma drive as the Wranglers
ended the Thunder's inaugural American Football Association
season with a 17-13 playoff victory before about 3,400 drenched
fans Saturday night at Skelly Stadium.
Gerald returned a Rick Engles punt from the Texas 20 to the
Thunder 19, breaking through on the left sideline and being
caught from behind as he cut across the center of the field. The
Thunder momentarily appeared to survive this threat, but one
final mistake gave Texas new life.
After three plays went nowhere, kicker Robert Stringer's
36-yard field goal attempt was wide left. An overzealous
Oklahoma rush, however, crashed into both Stringer and holder
Mark Owens, and the Wranglers had a first and goal at the nine.
Quarterback Welby Ina lobbed the ball toward the far sideline
for Ethan Ogletree, who scored both Texas touchdowns, and the
Wrangler wide receiver took the ball away from Oklahoma
cornerback Mike Siganos for the score. Stringer added the 17th
Texas point with 9:34 left.
Oklahoma made one first down after the kickoff, then punted
the Wranglers back to their |
|
12. The Thunder stopped fullback Tony Brown on third and one,
and Stringer's punt set Oklahoma up at the Thunder 41 with 4:48
left.
Quarterback Dave Rader directed the Thunder to three first
downs, reaching the Texas 24 with 1:13 remaining. Rader
scrambled out of bounds on first down, then was face-masked on
another scramble. The foul was ruled to be incidental, however,
and Texas was assessed only five yards, with no automatic first
down awarded.
The Wrangler pass rush, ineffective all night, suddenly
turned vicious. Don Maxwell sacked Rader for a loss of four,
then linebacker Basil Dabbs broke through to nail the former
Tulsa University star for an eight-yard setback. Oklahoma called
time, facing a fourth-and-18 at the Texas 32.
Rader had enough time on the critical play, but not enough
receivers. His pass for Randy Butler, which might not have
picked up the first down even if complete, was batted away by
linebacker Daron Mosley. Ina fell on the ball twice and the
Thunder's perfect home record was ruined.
The game was delayed 30 minutes by torrential rain, and
although both offenses sputtered in the first half, Texas made
the most of two intercepted Rader passes for a 10-7 lead. |
|
Brown fumbled on the second play, with Thunder safety Ron
Gibbons recovering at the Texas 27, but the play was a costly
one for Oklahoma. Thunder linebacker Jimbo Elrod suffered an eye
injury on the play and was taken to St. Francis Hospital
overnight.
Oklahoma capitalized five plays later, as compact running
back Dwaine Ball lunged across from the two. Alan Woodward's PAT
made it 7-0 after only 2:08 of play.
Rader's first pass attempt went directly to Texas
cornerback Chris Middleton, who raced 35 yards to the Oklahoma
21 before Rader brought him down. That set up a 25-yard field
goal by Stringer.
Rader was intercepted by Steve Beck later in the first
period, and Texas marched 39 yards in five plays. Ina found
Ogletree in the corner of the end zone for a 31-yard score.
Stringer made it 10-7 with 2:10 left in the first.
Quinn Jones' one-yard plunge gave the Thunder a 13-10 lead
with 6:47 to go in the third quarter. A low snap prevented
Woodward from attempting the point after.
Texas advances to meet Shreveport in the AFA semifinals
next week. Shreveport scored with 12 seconds left to defeat
Georgia, 42-35, Saturday at Shreveport.
Oklahoma finishes at 8-3. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Texas |
|
10 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
17 |
| Oklahoma |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
6 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
13 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
TX |
|
OK |
| First downs |
|
7 |
|
9 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 27 |
|
? - 48 |
| Passing yards |
|
117 |
|
82 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
9 - 24 - 2 |
|
8 - 19 - 2 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
8 - 36.2 |
|
10 - 40.9 |
| Return yards |
|
116 |
|
-5 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
? - 3 |
|
? - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
? - 56 |
|
? - 31 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| OK |
|
Ball 2 run (Woodward kick) |
| TX |
|
Stringer 25 field goal |
| TX |
|
Ogletree 31 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| OK |
|
Jones 1 run (run failed) |
| TX |
|
Ogletree 9 pass from Ina
(Stringer kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Texas: Ethan Ogletree (22)
Oklahoma: Leon Bolding (44) |
|
|
|
|
 |
Texas Wranglers
at
Shreveport Americans
August 14, 1982
- Independence Stadium - |
 |
|
| |
| Americans advance
with overtime win |
|
|
|
|
|
| Ron Higgins -
Shreveport Times |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
In a game which probably should have been won in regulation
time by the Shreveport Americans, Jerry Pope kicked a 26-yard
field goal with 9:37 left in overtime to give the Americans a
30-27 victory over the Texas Wranglers and a spot in next
Saturday's American Football Association finals.
An Independence Stadium crowd of 5,674 fans watched the
thriller.
The AFA grand finale, the American Bowl, will match the
Americans and either Carolina or Wisconsin, a semi-final to be
played tonight at Charlotte, N.C.
The Americans drove from their 30 with 3:49 left in
regulation play to the Wrangler 27 with 39 seconds left. At that
point as Pope was readying himself on the sideline for a field
goal try, Shreveport quarterback James Mosley tossed up a pass
in the corner of the end zone for tight end Gregg Lazzaro. The
pass was intercepted by Texas defensive back Dean Nixon.
"I was trying to throw the ball out-of-bounds and right
when I threw I got hit," explained Mosley.
The Americans won the coin toss at the start of overtime
and chose to receive with Shorty Williams returning the kickoff
to the Shreveport 23.
"We wanted to keep everything short on that final drive,"
said Mosley, who replaced starter Ken Smith late in the fourth
period. "We were running draws, screens, stuff to make them run
a lot because they appeared to be tired. All we wanted to do was
get in field goal range."
With running backs Donnie Sutton and Arry Moody chewing up
short gains, the Americans moved down to the Texas 36 where
Mosley completed a key 19-yard pass to Sutton.
Three plays later, Pope trotted on, set up his tee and
waited through a Texas timeout called to jangle his nerves.
"Walking around like I was during the timeout helped me not
think about nothing," said Pope. "All I wanted to do was hit the
kick |
|
like any other."
And when he did, shooting the ball past the diving arms of
Wrangler Rod Gerald. And the Americans had the victory that put
them in the finals.
Shreveport, down 24-14 at the half, came back with two
straight touchdowns in the third quarter as Smith flipped a
3-yard scoring pass to Sutton and Larry Smith scored on a 1-yard
run. Pope converted one of two extra points following the scores
and the Americans actually led 27-24 entering the final period.
There were four interceptions and one fumble in the fourth
quarter by both teams, but only Texas could get any points with
Robert Stringer tying the game at 27-27 with 9:51 left on a
40-yard field goal.
He later missed a 47-yard field goal wide left with 3:49
left to play and Shreveport blew its final shot at scoring in
regulation on the Mosley interception.
Nevertheless, the Americans record now is 10-2 while Texas
ended the year 9-3.
Shreveport's offense didn't have to run off one play to get
its first points on the board. On Texas' fifth play from
scrimmage, Wranglers quarterback Welby Ina completed a
seven-yard pass to tight end Malcolm Patterson.
But as Patterson turned upfield he was decked by a duo of
Americans and fumbled. Williams scooped up the ball and ran 40
yards for the game's opening touchdown. Jerry Pope kicked the
extra point for a 7-0 Americans lead with 12:27 left in the
first quarter.
The first time Shreveport did touch the ball on offense, it
scored - for Texas.
Backed up at its own 7, Shreveport came out in a shotgun
offense. Smith dropped the snap, picked it up, scrambled and
unloaded a pass to lineman Chuck Kelly, an ineligible receiver.
Smith was ruled down in the end zone for a safety with 10:24
remaining in the opening period and the Americans' margin was
sliced to 7-2.
Texas moved somewhat on offense, couldn't |
|
score, but
gradually gained field position
thanks to the punting of Robert Stringer. A 33-yard Stringer
punt put the Americans in a hole at their 3 and even a 45-yard
Pope punt could not keep Texas from getting prime field position
at the Shreveport 36 following a 14-yard Steve Beck return.
Texas put together a nine-play scoring drive with Ina
lofting a six-yard touchdown pass to Steve Sullivan on a quick
corner route. Ina followed that with a two-point conversion to
Brown and Texas led 10-7 with 14:52 left in the second quarter.
The Wranglers' first trip into the end zone seemed to wake
up the dormant Shreveport offense. Two plays into the next
Americans' offense possession at the Shreveport 36, Smith hit
Sutton with a short pass which Sutton turned into a 64-yard
touchdown. On the play, Sutton ran the last 30 yards holding the
ball aloft while almost stepping out of bounds.
Pope kicked the extra point and Shreveport was back on top,
14-10, with 14:28 left before the half.
Texas turned on the offensive power with two consecutive
scoring drives after that.
The first drive went 73 yards in eight plays with the key
play being Ina's 40-yard pass to Sullivan to the Shreveport 11.
Two plays later, Henry Bush dived over for the score from the 2
and Stringer's extra point kick was blocked by Ardis McCann.
That left Texas with a 17-14 lead with 11:20 left in the period.
The Wranglers next drive consisted of 12 plays over 54
yards. Ina completed four of seven passes along the way and Tony
Brown scored on a one-yard run over the middle. Stringer's extra
point put the Wranglers comfortably ahead at 24-14 with 4:12
left before the half.
Shreveport drove to the Texas 36 in the closing minutes of
the half, but on fourth and 18 Smith was sacked for a 12-yard
loss to preserve the 10-point Wrangler lead at halftime. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Texas |
|
2 |
|
22 |
|
0 |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
27 |
| Shreveport |
|
7 |
|
7 |
|
13 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
3 |
|
- |
|
30 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
TX |
|
SH |
| First downs |
|
14 |
|
22 |
|
Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 104 |
|
? - 63 |
| Passing yards |
|
184 |
|
290 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
16 -
38 - 4 |
|
24 -
48 - 4 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 39 |
|
6 - 40 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
3 - 3 |
|
2 - 1 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
9 -
84 |
|
1 -
15 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| SH |
|
Williams 40 fumble return
(Pope kick) |
| TX |
|
Safety Smith intentional
grounding in end zone |
| TX |
|
Sullivan 6 pass from Ina
(Brown pass from Ina) |
| SH |
|
Sutton 64 pass from Smith
(Pope kick) |
| TX |
|
Bush 2 run (kick blocked) |
| TX |
|
Brown 1 run (Simeone pass from
Ina) |
| SH |
|
Sutton 3 pass from Smith (Pope
kick) |
| SH |
|
Smith 1 run (kick failed) |
| TX |
|
Stringer 40 field goal |
| SH |
|
Pope 26 field goal |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Texas: Darren Mosley (??)
Shreveport: Larry Smith (32) |
|
|
|
Texas: Fred Williams (75)
Shreveport: Larry Smith (32) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Routs Racine
Storm rolls into finals |
|
|
|
|
|
| David Scott -
Charlotte Observer |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
The spectacular has become typical for the Carolina Storm.
How else does one explain the Storm's 35-8 drubbing of the
previously unbeaten Racine (Wis.) Gladiators in an American
Football Association playoff semifinal game Sunday in Memorial
Stadium?
Simply, the Storm (12-0) does things with flash and
brashness. It doesn't care who it is playing, whether it be the
dismal Florida Sun or a supposed power like Racine. Carolina,
which will host the league championship game Saturday against
the Shreveport Americans, blows out everybody.
Its next chance comes against the Americans (10-2), who got
to the championship - the American Bowl - by edging the Texas
Wranglers 30-27 in overtime Saturday in Shreveport, La.
The Storm hosts the game because it attracted a season-high
crowd of 9,598 to watch it thrash the Northern Division-champion
Gladiators. The AFA announced earlier this week it would award
the championship game to the city with the biggest attendance in
the semifinals.
Shreveport drew 5,674 against Texas.
So the game will be in Charlotte, where the summer football
crowd has begun to discover the Storm. It was the largest crowd
to see an AFA game in Charlotte in the three seasons the league
has had a franchise here. |
|
The people came to see the big-play Storm. They came, they
saw. Offensively and defensively, Carolina was at its impressive
best.
"It's hard to explain," said defensive defensive lineman
Richard Tate. "We were super out there. We got it going early
and kept it going."
The Storm jumped all over Racine early by getting - as has
become customary - a touchdown on its first play and some
first-quarter interceptions. That is how Carolina beat
Charleston 61-18 in a first-round game last week.
This time, after Wisconsin punted, Storm quarterback
Ellsworth Turner hit Darrell Jones on a 40-yard touchdown pass.
Turner was to end up with 262 yards passing and four touchdowns.
By this time, and the game had barely begun, it was
apparent that, among other things, there would be no way the
slower Gladiators would be able to keep up with the Storm's
fleet receivers and running backs.
Then, the defense took over. It likes to keep its hand in
there, as far as setting up touchdowns go.
Dennis Matthews picked off a Joe Graffenauer pass at the
Gladiator 35. A few plays later, Turner threw a 4-yard scoring
pass to Jeff Thompson. |
|
When Racine got the ball back, Joe Clyburn immediately
intercepted. The Storm drove 69 yards, getting its touchdown on
a 5-yard pass from Turner to Reggie Smith. It was 21-0 at the
end of the first quarter.
The fourth time the Storm had the ball, it scored again.
This time, Jackie Reed sprinted 40 yards for a touchdown.
Reed gained 157 yards, making people forget about the
personal duel between Racine's Greg Johnson and Carolina's
Emmett Hamilton, the league's top two rushers. For the record,
Johnson was an unimpressive winner there, outgaining Hamilton 23
yards to 17.
After Racine cut it to 28-8 at halftime on a 2-yard scoring
pass from Graffenauer to Reggie Johnson, the Storm sat on the
ball in the second half.
Carolina allowed Racine eight offensive plays in the third
quarter, not a good number to mount a comeback on.
In the fourth period, the Storm got its final touchdown on
a 38-yard pass from Turner to Smith.
"Their offense is so overpowering," said Racine tight end
Ray Meinsen, who had a good night, catching nine passes for 93
yards. "It demoralized us. It was a cut above all the rest of
the teams we've played." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Score by Quarters |
| Racine |
|
0 |
|
8 |
|
0 |
|
0 |
|
- |
|
8 |
| Carolina |
|
21 |
|
7 |
|
0 |
|
7 |
|
- |
|
35 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Statistics |
| |
|
RA |
|
CA |
| First downs |
|
13 |
|
31 |
|
Rushing (att - yards) |
|
? - 48 |
|
? - 263 |
| Passing yards |
|
152 |
|
251 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
|
17 -
39 - 4 |
|
21 -
39 - 0 |
|
Punts - avg |
|
5 - 34 |
|
2 - 25 |
| Fumbles - lost |
|
0 - 0 |
|
1 - 0 |
|
Penalties - yards |
|
7 -
76 |
|
13 -
113 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
|
Jones 40 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Thompson 4 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Smith 4 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| CA |
|
Reed 40 run
(Blum kick) |
| RA |
|
Johnson 2 pass from
Graffenauer (White pass from Graffenauer) |
| CA |
|
Smith 39 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Carolina: Jackie Reed (25) |
|
|
 |
|
Carolina: Ellsworth Turner (15) |
|
|
 |
|
Carolina: Darrell Jones (??) |
| |
|
American Bowl IV |
| |
|
|
| |
| There's no doubt
now: It's the Year of the Storm |
|
|
|
|
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| David Scott -
Charlotte Observer |
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Memorial Stadium was dressed to kill Saturday night for the
American Football Association's championship between the
Carolina Storm and Shreveport Americans, a game and league
championship claimed by the Storm 46-22.
CAROLINA and SHREVEPORT were boldly painted in the end zones,
the red-white-and-blue AFA logo was at the 50, American flags
were around the scoreboard, and a Charlotte franchise-record
crowd of 13,798 was in the stands. A fine, competitive game was
in the offing.
Things were indeed special. Then, in a manner typical of the
Storm, Carolina stripped the event of all its flashy trappings.
Getting its usual ton of air yardage from quarterback Ellsworth
Turner and bunch of turnovers courtesy the defense, the Storm
played a typical game. Which means it won easily.
In the end. it was another night's work for Carolina (13-0),
which got no more of a struggle from the Americans (10-3) than
it did from anyone else this season.
In other words, the 1982 version of the AFA will be remembered
as the Year of the Storm And The 17 (or less, depending on how
many teams ended up folding) Dwarfs.
Playing an all-star team from the AFA might be the only way the
Storm might lose, and we'll find out about that later. The Storm
will |
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host the AFA all-stars next Sunday.
But, that won't count for much. The important game has been
played and won. "Everybody was saying take them one at a time,"
said lineman Lawrence Faulkner. who played both offense and
defense much of the season. "But we were always looking for the
big one. We finally got it. It was worth it."
It was also over in the second quarter, which is pretty
much how every Storm game went.
After seeing the Americans tie the game 7-7 midway through
the first quarter, Carolina put it away with a 17-point second
quarter. Shreveport, which generated more offense than anybody
the Storm had seen this season, couldn't get it back.
Carolina scored on each of its first four possessions, the
first coming on a 49-yard pass play from Turner - who threw for
284 yards - to Reggie Smith.
Then, just for a little while, Shreveport looked like it
might make it interesting.
The Americans answered with a touchdown, ending a 12-play
drive with a 10-yard run by Arry Moody.
After the Storm went back up 14-7 on a 5-yard run by Turner
things started going wrong for Shreveport. And the Storm, never
one to look away from a few gifts, took advantage.
The first came on Shreveport's first possession after
Turner's touchdown. American quarterback Ken Smith, pressured |
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and in trouble at the Shreveport 46, tried to dump the ball to
Donnie Sutton. Storm linebacker 1ke Huey stepped in front of
Sutton and one-handed the ball, taking the interception to the
9. It took three plays for Turner to pass 1 yard to Smith and a
21-7 lead.
The next time Shreveport had it, Smith again moved the
Americans to within scoring range. At the Carolina 12, Smith
threw what looked to be a scoring pass to Reggie Brock. But
Shreveport was called for illegal motion, and ultimately had to
try a field goal, which was missed from 34 yards by Jerry Pope.
Carolina, then, ended the half with a 23-yard field goal by
John Blum and led 24-7.
The victory - and league championship - was cemented early
in the third quarter, On Carolina's first possession. Turner hit
Darrell Jones for an 89-yard touchdown pass. A two-point
conversion pass from Steve Brown to Jeff Thompson made it 32-7.
Then, defensive back Dennis Coit, injured two plays
earlier, picked off a Smith pass and went 50 yards for a
touchdown, 39-7.
The teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter,
Carolina's coming on a 1-yard run by Emmett Hamilton.
"We had times when we needed big plays and we got them,"
said Storm coach Eddie Joyce. "A good team does that."
And the Storm has proven it's not only good, but it's the
best. |
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| Score by Quarters |
| Shreveport |
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7 |
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0 |
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7 |
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8 |
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- |
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22 |
| Carolina |
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7 |
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17 |
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15 |
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7 |
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- |
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46 |
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| Statistics |
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SH |
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CA |
| First downs |
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27 |
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25 |
| Rushing (att - yards) |
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? - 62 |
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? - 189 |
| Passing yards |
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278 |
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296 |
| Passing (comp -
att - int) |
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23 -
44 - 3 |
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17 -
28 - 0 |
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Punts - avg |
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0 - 0 |
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2 - 35 |
| Fumbles - lost |
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1 - 1 |
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2 - 0 |
| Penalties - yards |
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9 - 50 |
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18 - 154 |
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| Scoring Summary |
| CA |
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Smith 49 pass from Turner
(Blum kick) |
| SH |
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Moody 10 run (Pope kick) |
| CA |
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Turner 5 run (Blum kick) |
| CA |
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Smith 1
pass from Turner (Blum kick) |
| CA |
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Blum 23 field goal |
| CA |
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Jones 89
pass from Turner (Thompson pass from Brown) |
| CA |
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Coit 50 interception return
(Blum kick) |
| SH |
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Wells 16 pass from Moseley
(Pope kick) |
| CA |
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Hamilton 1 run (Blum kick) |
| SH |
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Moody 1 run (Wells pass from
Moseley) |
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Carolina: Emmitt Hamilton (45) |
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Carolina: Ellsworth Turner (15) |
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Carolina: Ed Thomas (72)
Shreveport: Ken Smith (??) |
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