Post by rkb on May 26, 2007 18:55:28 GMT -5
Speed falls short in final home game
By Paul Hershey
phershey@independenttribune.com
Saturday, May 26, 2007
CONCORD - The Carolina Speed lost only two home games during its expansion season.
Unfortunately, one came in the opener and the other was the regular-season finale.
The Lakeland Thunderbolts scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 39-21 win over the Speed Friday night at Cabarrus Arena.
Lakeland (10-2) clinched the outright South Division championship, while Carolina (8-7) finished in fourth place.
“I would’ve loved to win the last one at home but it was a tough matchup,” Speed coach Michael Mink said.
“They’re the No. 1 team in the league. We just couldn’t score when we needed to score and we couldn’t stop them in the end when we needed to stop them.”
A 2-yard touchdown run by DeMarcus Fox put Carolina ahead 21-18 in the final minute of the third quarter.
But it was all Lakeland in the fourth.
The Thunderbolts took the lead for good with a short touchdown run on their ensuing possession and the Speed missed a chance to answer.
After two completions by quarterback Aaron Leak moved the ball to the Lakeland 12, two incompletions followed. Leak was then sacked on fourth down.
Lakeland took over but faced third-and-18 after a sack by Carolina’s De’Adrian Coley.
However, the Thunderbolts got a 17-yard completion and the Speed jumped offsides on 4th and 1.
On the next play, Lakeland got a 22-yard touchdown reception for a 32-21 advantage with 4:25 left.
“They made the plays and we didn’t make the plays when it counted,” Mink said.
Thunderbolts quarterback Aso Pogi then added his third touchdown pass of the game to cap the scoring in the final minute.
Pogi completed 19 of 27 passes for 199 yards.
After Lakeland scored a point on the game’s opening kickoff, the Speed dominated the first quarter, building an 11-1 lead.
Leak threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Fox on Carolina’s second offensive play.
However, Carolina later missed opportunites to open a bigger lead as Leak was intercepted twice deep in Lakeland territory.
“That hurt us because we could’ve been up pretty good and it would’ve been a different ballgame,” Mink said.
Lakeland scored 10 straight points in the second quarter to tie it before a short field goal by Bruce Rienecker put the Speed ahead 14-11 at halftime.
Leak completed 14 of 29 passes for 180 yards. Fox had five receptions for 70 yards, while Brandon McDowell caught five passes for 68 yards.
The two teams will meet again in the first round of the American Indoor Football Association playoffs at Lakeland.
“We let one get away,” Mink said. “Hopefully it will be a different story in two weeks. We’re not that far off. We’ve just got to be able to convert fourth downs and we’ve got to be able to execute.”
By Paul Hershey
phershey@independenttribune.com
Saturday, May 26, 2007
CONCORD - The Carolina Speed lost only two home games during its expansion season.
Unfortunately, one came in the opener and the other was the regular-season finale.
The Lakeland Thunderbolts scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 39-21 win over the Speed Friday night at Cabarrus Arena.
Lakeland (10-2) clinched the outright South Division championship, while Carolina (8-7) finished in fourth place.
“I would’ve loved to win the last one at home but it was a tough matchup,” Speed coach Michael Mink said.
“They’re the No. 1 team in the league. We just couldn’t score when we needed to score and we couldn’t stop them in the end when we needed to stop them.”
A 2-yard touchdown run by DeMarcus Fox put Carolina ahead 21-18 in the final minute of the third quarter.
But it was all Lakeland in the fourth.
The Thunderbolts took the lead for good with a short touchdown run on their ensuing possession and the Speed missed a chance to answer.
After two completions by quarterback Aaron Leak moved the ball to the Lakeland 12, two incompletions followed. Leak was then sacked on fourth down.
Lakeland took over but faced third-and-18 after a sack by Carolina’s De’Adrian Coley.
However, the Thunderbolts got a 17-yard completion and the Speed jumped offsides on 4th and 1.
On the next play, Lakeland got a 22-yard touchdown reception for a 32-21 advantage with 4:25 left.
“They made the plays and we didn’t make the plays when it counted,” Mink said.
Thunderbolts quarterback Aso Pogi then added his third touchdown pass of the game to cap the scoring in the final minute.
Pogi completed 19 of 27 passes for 199 yards.
After Lakeland scored a point on the game’s opening kickoff, the Speed dominated the first quarter, building an 11-1 lead.
Leak threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Fox on Carolina’s second offensive play.
However, Carolina later missed opportunites to open a bigger lead as Leak was intercepted twice deep in Lakeland territory.
“That hurt us because we could’ve been up pretty good and it would’ve been a different ballgame,” Mink said.
Lakeland scored 10 straight points in the second quarter to tie it before a short field goal by Bruce Rienecker put the Speed ahead 14-11 at halftime.
Leak completed 14 of 29 passes for 180 yards. Fox had five receptions for 70 yards, while Brandon McDowell caught five passes for 68 yards.
The two teams will meet again in the first round of the American Indoor Football Association playoffs at Lakeland.
“We let one get away,” Mink said. “Hopefully it will be a different story in two weeks. We’re not that far off. We’ve just got to be able to convert fourth downs and we’ve got to be able to execute.”