NASHVILLE-The Nashville Kats defeated the New York Dragons 20-14 to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Storm in the AFL Southern Division. Meanwhile, the Dragons fall to 0-6 and aren't even within shouting distance of their Eastern Division counterparts.
After Nashville opened the game with a punt, New York would move 84 yards on 8 plays. Faron Emerson finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Booker Starling to give the Dragons a 7-0 lead with 6:15 remaining in the first quarter. Following another punt by the Kats, the Dragons turned the ball when George Larron was stripped of the ball and Lyndon Trimmer sprinted 13 yards to the Dragons' 28-yard line. After a 5-play, 18-yard drive, Daniel Stevenson would kick a 27-yard field goal to make it 7-3 with 2:18 remaining in the first.
After trading punts, the Kats embarked on a 9-play, 80-yard drive. Curt Wardlaw would throw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Hershey Guziewicz to give Nashville a 10-7 lead with 7:22 left in the second quarter. New York looked to tie the game, but Jose Trust would miss a 55-yard field goal attempt. Nashville then drove 55 yards on 5 plays, and Wardlaw threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chet Fondren making it 17-7 with 2:30 to go in the half.
Not much of note happened in the third quarter. The Kats were pinned back at their own 2-yard line after the Dragons punted on their initial possession. Nashville got out of the shadow of their end zone, but Damien Holden would fumble and Hudie Mancini recovered for the Dragons at their own 47-yard line. The exchange of punts would continue until late in the quarter. RW Burns would pick off Emerson at midfield near the end of the third.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Vince Caselli fumbled for Nashville, and Mancini recovered at the New York 49-yard line. Emerson would finish an 8-play, 51-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Barry Starr to make it 17-14 with 10:09 remaining in the fourth. The Kats would answer back with a 6-play, 51-yard drive. Stevenson would kick a 38-yard field goal to extend Nashville's lead to 20-14 with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Dragons would be turned away on fourth down in Kats' territory. Nashville would punt, and New York managed to reach the Nashville 32-yard line with 7 seconds left. But Emerson's heave to Elvin Strait in the end zone fell incomplete.
Nashville (4-2) gained 338 yards of total offense. The Kats ran for 139 yards on 32 carries. Oliver Osler led the team with 56 yards on 18 carries. Wardlaw was 18-of-27 passing for 185 yards and 2 TD. He was sacked three times, losing 19 yards. Alza Chipman (50 yards), Cobey Kingston (43 yards) and Guziewicz (16 yards, TD) each caught three passes. The Kats visit the Detroit Drive next week.
New York (0-6) gained 298 yards of total offense. The Dragons ran for 127 yards on 27 carries. Larron led the team with 45 yards on 10 carries. Emerson was 14-of-33 passing for 166 yards, 2 TD and 1 INT. He was sacked four times, losing 37 yards. Starr (61 yards, TD) Paden Caspar (44 yards) and Starling (19 yards, TD) each caught three passes. The Dragons will host the Orlando Predators next week.
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