Saturday, September 2, 2017

AFL: Predators Beat Desperados, 37-27

ORLANDO-The Orlando Predators entered the win column defeating the Dallas Desperados 37-27 in a Week 4 AFL game.

The Predators opened the game with a punt, but Fahad Ruff would come through intercepting Heinie Voorhees and returning it 39 yards to the Desperados' 1-yard line. Two plays later, Woodrow Richardson scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to give Orlando a 7-0 lead with 10:46 to go in the first quarter. After Dallas was forced to punt, the Predators struck again with a 6-play, 54-yard drive. Richardson would throw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Doering extending the lead to 14-0 with 6:33 remaining in the first.

The teams would trade punt, then Orlando would move the ball 35 yards on 6 plays. Abel White ended the drive with a 42-yard field goal to make it 17-0 with 14:11 left in the second quarter. The Desperados would finally get on the board following a 8-play, 71-yard drive. Elson Gregson would score on a 7-yard touchdown run to make it 17-7 with 10:02 left in the half. On Orlando's first play after the kickoff, Richardson was picked off Ardell Edmonds who raced it back 38 yards to the Predators' 6-yard line. Three plays later, Voorhees hit Clem Shaffer with a 7-yard touchdown pass making it 17-14 with 9:19 remaining in the second quarter. Richardson would turn the ball over again on a fumbled snap recovered by Edmonds at the Dallas 24-yard line. But both teams ended up trading punts until late in the half, when Orlando drove 43 yards on 8 plays. White would kick a 22-yard field goal with 55 seconds to go in the half to give the Predators a 20-14 halftime lead.

Dallas would open the second half with a punt, then Edmonds would thwart an Orlando drive by picking off Richardson again returning it 11 yards to the Desperados' 20-yard line. But Dallas went three-and-out, and Orlando went on a 4-play, 59-yard drive ending with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to D.J. Giles making it 27-14 with 5:32 left in the third quarter. The Desperados would answer back with a 15-play, 91-yard drive that ended with Voorhees hitting Indiana Falcinelli with a 22-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the third quarter to make it 27-21.

After White missed a 41-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, Dallas was forced to punt after a three-and-out. But Ole Soward blocked Jean Butler's punt, scooped it up and ran 28 yards for a touchdown to make it 34-21 with 9:10 to go in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing Desperados' possession, Voorhees was sacked by Morris Buck and the fumble was recovered by Ringo Flack at the Dallas 46-yard line. After netting 13 yards on 6 plays, White would connect on a 50-yard field goal to make it 37-21 with 5:58 to go in the fourth. Dallas would get turned away on fourth down neat midfield, then after an Orlando punt, they took three plays to travel 89 yards. An 82-yard completion from Voorhees to Falcinelli set up a 7-yard touchdown pass to Holt Leash. The Desperados missed the 2-Point Conversion, and trailed 37-27 with 1:07 left in the game. An onside kick failed, and the Predators ran out the clock.

Orlando (1-3) gained 320 yards of total offense. The Predators ran for 71 yards on 30 carries. Doering led the team with 31 yards on 8 carries. He also led the receivers with 7 catches for 95 yards and a TD. Richardson was 19-of-27 passing for 278 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked four times, losing 29 yards. The Predators will host the Tampa Bay Storm next week.

Dallas (1-3) gained gained 367 yards of total offense. The Desperados were held to 40 yards rushing on 18 carries. Gregson led the team with 31 yards on 9 carries and a TD. He also led with 6 catches for 39 yards. Voorhees was 26-of-44 passing for 350 yards, 3 TD and 2 INT. He was sacked three times, losing 23 yards. Falcinelli caught 3 passes for 109 yards and a TD. The Desperados visit the Iowa Barnstormers next week.

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