LOS ANGELES-The Tampa Bay Storm defeated the Los Angeles Avengers, 31-23 in a Week 6 AFL game.
The Avengers got the ball first, but on the second play of the game, Drake Cushing intercepted a pass from Juan York and reutrned it 31 yards for a touchdown to give the Storm a 7-0 lead with 14:15 to go in the first quarter. After both teams traded punts, Los Angeles moved the ball 62 yards in 10 plays, ending with a 20-yard touchdown pass from York to Caleb Jessen to tie the game at 7 with 4:21 left in the first. The teams again traded punts to end the quarter.
Late in the quarter, Tampa Bay embarked on a 9-play, 74-drive with Orval Stanley throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson Taylor to put the Storm up 14-7 with 11:42 left in the second quarter. The Avengers answered with a 7-play, 64-yard drive that resulted in a 1-yard touchodwn run by Chip Kindrick, and the Avengers tied the game at 14 with 8:11 to go in the half. The Storm went 74 yards on 8 plays with their next possession, and scored on a 2-yard touchdown run by Vinnie Kirksey to put Tampa Bay up 21-14 with 4:37 left in the half. Brick Pettit would reutrn the ensuing kickoff 64 yards to the Storm 14-yard line. Two plays later, York completed a 14-yard pass to Kindrick for a touchdown to tie the game at 21 with 4:10 left in the second. The Storm would end an 11-play, 41-yard drive with a 43-yard field goal by Johnny Quincey to give Tampa Bay a 24-21 lead going into halftime.
The second half began with Montrose Gulley being stuffed on a kickoff return at Tampa Bay's 8-yard line. Elrod Rodgers would then sack Stanley in the end zone for a safety to close the Avengers' deficit to 24-23 with 14:37 left in the third quarter. Los Angeles would be forced to punt after the safety kick, and Nino Schwarz placed the ball on the Storm's 2-yard line. But Tampa Bay would plow down the field on a 11-play, 98-yard drive that ended with Stanley tossing a 6-yard touchdown pass to Greg Ponder with 7:21 left in the third to put Tampa Bay up 31-23.
The defenses settled down afterward. Los Angeles punted, and Courtney Harrelson intercepted a Stanley pass at the Avengers' 43 late in the third. Then the teams traded punts again, and the Avengers drove to the Tampa Bay 24 with 10:32 left in the game facing 4th-and-1. Going for it, Kindrick was smothered on the run for a loss of 5. Tampa Bay would punt, and Los Angeles moved down again, only for York to be intercepted by Anderson Bloodworth in the end zone, and he returned it 68 yards to the Avengers 41-yard line with 2:06 to go. Tampa Bay would go three-and-out, but Preacher Kalkman fumbled the snap on the punt and threw an incomplete pass intended for Kirksey, giving the Avengers one more chance with 1:11 left from their own 40. But York threw his fourth interception of the game, with Elvin Pauls picking off the pass who returned it to the Avengers' 34-yard line. Tampa Bay would subsequently run out the clock.
Tampa Bay (4-2) gained 366 yards of total offense. The Storm ran for 149 yards on 40 carries. Taylor led the team with 62 yards on 20 carries. He also caught 2 passes for 26 yards and a TD, and threw a 30-yard pass to Foster Warhurst. Stanley went 16-for-26 passing for 203 yards with 2 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked twice, losing 16 yards. Warhurst led the receivers with 5 catches for 66 yards. The Storm host the Colorado Crush next week.
Los Angeles (2-4) gained 403 yards of total offense. The Avengers gained 71 yards rushing on 18 carries. The leading rusher was WR Keifer Dance, who gained 23 yards on a reverse. He also caught 5 passes for 77 yards. York went 23-for-45 passing for 340 yards, 2 TD and 4 INT. He was sacked once, losing eight yards. Ken Lavue led the receivers with 6 catches for 100 yards. The Avengers visit the Orlando Predators next week.
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