Post by thor!CRAZIES on Jun 8, 2008 10:44:44 GMT -5
After recovering a fumble with less than a minute remaining while trailing by five, the American Indoor Football Association's Florida Stingrays were in perfect position to spring a monumental upset and score their first victory of the season.
Just 35 yards away from a game-winning touchdown, quarterback A.J. Rogue threw four incomplete passes and the Stingrays lost to the Mississippi Mudcats 46-41 on Saturday at the Lee Civic Center.
“It just didn’t really didn’t click,” coach Riley Ware said “(On fourth down,) A.J. just pulled the trigger a little early. That’s how the ball bounces sometimes.”
Fort Myers High graduate Ryan McCutcheon, who caught two fourth-quarter TD passes, dropped a third-down pass and Rogue and Fort Myers alumnus Richard Washington had a miscommunication on fourth down. That allowed the Mudcats (11-1) to run out the clock.
Florida (0-12) outscored Mississippi 34-27 in the game's final three quarters.
The Mudcats jumped out to a 13-0 lead after touchdown runs by fullback Rico McDonald and quarterback Tommy Jones.
Chris Morant made it a one-score game when he rumbled in from 3 yards out late in the first quarter.
Josh Smith caught his first of two touchdown passes from Jones with less than a minute left in the first quarter to make it 19-7.
Florida trimmed the lead to 19-17 with one minute remaining in the first half after Washington caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Rogue. Maurice Avery extended the Mudcat lead to 26-17 at halftime when he caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Jones with less than 10 seconds left in the second quarter.
Florida kicker Derek Mintzer accounted for the next seven points by booting 19- and 20-yard field goals and putting a kickoff through the uprights.
Mississippi got those points back one play later when Jones found Smith wide-open for a 30-yard score.
Mintzer drilled his fourth field goal to trim the Mudcat lead to 33-27 early in the fourth quarter.
Jones accounted for six total touchdowns and Rogue accounted for three.
Florida played without wideout Kendall Newson.
“We finally came together,” Ware said. “We aren’t where I want to be yet. But we are getting better each week.”
The Stingrays' Keith Drayton and Mississippi's Travis Johnson were ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving personal foul penalties.
The Stingrays have signed quarterback Walter Washington, previously of the arenafootball2's South Georgia Wildcats, to be their backup quarterback.
“A.J. now has somebody to push him,” said offensive coordinator Anthony Dixon. “A.J. is the starting quarterback. But we now have somebody to bring off the bench.”
Just 35 yards away from a game-winning touchdown, quarterback A.J. Rogue threw four incomplete passes and the Stingrays lost to the Mississippi Mudcats 46-41 on Saturday at the Lee Civic Center.
“It just didn’t really didn’t click,” coach Riley Ware said “(On fourth down,) A.J. just pulled the trigger a little early. That’s how the ball bounces sometimes.”
Fort Myers High graduate Ryan McCutcheon, who caught two fourth-quarter TD passes, dropped a third-down pass and Rogue and Fort Myers alumnus Richard Washington had a miscommunication on fourth down. That allowed the Mudcats (11-1) to run out the clock.
Florida (0-12) outscored Mississippi 34-27 in the game's final three quarters.
The Mudcats jumped out to a 13-0 lead after touchdown runs by fullback Rico McDonald and quarterback Tommy Jones.
Chris Morant made it a one-score game when he rumbled in from 3 yards out late in the first quarter.
Josh Smith caught his first of two touchdown passes from Jones with less than a minute left in the first quarter to make it 19-7.
Florida trimmed the lead to 19-17 with one minute remaining in the first half after Washington caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Rogue. Maurice Avery extended the Mudcat lead to 26-17 at halftime when he caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Jones with less than 10 seconds left in the second quarter.
Florida kicker Derek Mintzer accounted for the next seven points by booting 19- and 20-yard field goals and putting a kickoff through the uprights.
Mississippi got those points back one play later when Jones found Smith wide-open for a 30-yard score.
Mintzer drilled his fourth field goal to trim the Mudcat lead to 33-27 early in the fourth quarter.
Jones accounted for six total touchdowns and Rogue accounted for three.
Florida played without wideout Kendall Newson.
“We finally came together,” Ware said. “We aren’t where I want to be yet. But we are getting better each week.”
The Stingrays' Keith Drayton and Mississippi's Travis Johnson were ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving personal foul penalties.
The Stingrays have signed quarterback Walter Washington, previously of the arenafootball2's South Georgia Wildcats, to be their backup quarterback.
“A.J. now has somebody to push him,” said offensive coordinator Anthony Dixon. “A.J. is the starting quarterback. But we now have somebody to bring off the bench.”
