Columbus Lions stay in first place

[lionsroar]

www.ledger-enquirer.com/293/story/733897.html

Columbus Lions stay in first place
By Chris White - [e-mail]


The Columbus defense intercepted Florence quarterback Brian Scott five times, and the Lions assured themselves at least one more week atop the American Indoor Football Association’s tight South Division with a 37-14 victory over the Phantoms in the Columbus Civic Center.

The victory separated Columbus (8-3) from second-place Florence (6-4), and potentially Fayetteville, which also was 6-3 before its game against the Reading Express on Saturday.

“This was a big one for us; it gave us a chance to make a statement going into the playoffs,” defensive lineman Mike Berry said. “We needed this one. We’ve only got three games left, and we had to make this one matter.”

Columbus appeared to score on an end-zone-to-end zone field goal return by Damian Daniels midway through the first quarter, but a block in the back set up the Lions at the Phantoms 12. Three plays later, fullback Richard Fitzhugh opened the scoring with a 1-yard run up the middle. Carlos Martinez made his first of four point-after attempts to put Columbus ahead 7-0 with 6:50 remaining in the first.

Scott, filling in for injured starter Omar Jacobs, was picked off again on the drive, and the Phantoms did not get any help from the officials this time as Lions linebacker Ryan Babb ran it back 10 yards for a score. It was Babb’s fourth interception of the season and third returned for a touchdown.

Florence trailed 14-0 before Scott connected with Torrey Pettigrew on a 13-yard pass in the left corner of the end zone in the final minute of the first half. Derrick Scott hit the point-after attempt to cut the Lions’ lead to 7 points.

The ball exchanged hands four more times in the final minute of the second quarter, with the Lions scoring twice. Lions quarterback Todd Spitzer carried in a 5-yard score with 39 seconds left, and the Lions scored again 17 seconds later on a 27-yard Carlos Martinez field goal set up when Mike Berry tipped a Scott pass and lineman Franklin Lloyd came down with the interception.

Martinez hit field goals from 23 and 12 yards in the third quarter to put the Lions ahead 30-7. Florence’s Corey Groover scored on a 1-yard run early in the fourth to cut into the lead, but the Lions stopped any hopes of a fourth-quarter rally with an interception and a fumble recovery to end Florence’s final two possessions. Spitzer added more cushion with a 6-yard scoring run midway through the fourth.

Spitzer, making his first start, finished 4-for-18 for 44 yards and carried the ball four times for 35 yards, including his two touchdowns.

“I saw some bright spots, but there are definitely some things we have to work on,” Spitzer said of his performance. “We need to get our timing down a little better, but there were some things we did right.

“I wasn’t going to get forced into any bad plays, so, if I didn’t see anything, I was just going to run with it.”

Scott threw for 125 yards, but the Lions defense refused to let the Phantoms get much ground on any one drive, even stopping Florence twice in the fourth quarter inside the Lions 10 with a full set of downs.

“We just had a good game plan,” said Daniels, who had two interceptions. “The defensive line played their butts off; everyone played real hard.”

:smileylions:

[lionsroar]

I could have sworn I counted three picks by Damian Daniels.

Besides the article says there were 5 int's on the night but only reported 4 through the article.

Lionsfan, golions or anyone that was present at the game can you remember if he had 3 or not?

[golions]

He had three. I hope it gets reported right to the league because he should be leading the league in int's.

Its too bad Damien isn't a couple inches taller and a little bigger because he has NFL talent for sure.

[lionsfan]

Damian is a powerful player and so much fun to watch. He is also a class act. His family is always there supporting him.

We have Fayetteville at home on June 13th and then turn around a go there the following week. We need to have a good fan turn out for those games. It's not a bad drive up there. Would be great to see some Columbus fans there.


:smileylions:

[Greg B.]

Had a great time at the game. This win was all on the defense, Spitzer struggled, but at least he didn't turn the ball over. With a great defense like this, sometimes you just need a QB that can manage the game.

I do have to say that Florence is an embarrassment to the league. This is a team that had lost 2 in a row, fighting for their playoff lives,. They're down 24-7 in the 3rd quarter and they're dancing around like a bunch of clowns. I can't believe their coach didn't get in their grill and demand focus on the game. 2 or 3 of them were dancing all game, and some even start making vulgar gestures to the fans. I'm all for having fun, and I know that trash talk is part of football, but these guys seemed more interested in dancing than playing ball.

[lionsfan]

Greg B., I couldn't agree more! #42 came out of the tunnel dancing and taunting the fans from the start. He was even talking trash to children on the wall. He danced all the way through the game but just couldn't seem to dance into the end-zone when he got the ball. I counted three touchdown opportunities he missed. But he sure could dance and apparently that is what mattered to him.

[dagr814ever]

Dancing is free and upsetting the crowd and hoping they stay away may be their intent since they aren't gettting paid.

[thedarkknight]

I thought that was pretty funny watching Florence players dancing during the game as they were getting their butts drugged in. That just shows the type of organization they are. Honestly if our offense could of completed some passes we should have blown them out by 60.

Good thing that Reading lost, with no head-to-head matchups the Lions needed the Express to lose with a possible second round playoff matchup.

Lions need to maintain that homefield, last night was proof once again our defense is the best in the league. When our defense creates multiple turnovers, we dominate. Our three losses the defense has only created two turnovers, in our eight wins we have gotten over 20.

Too bad we have to have Florence again in a couple of weeks, it was a joke to see them parade around the field like they were up by 50 but I guess thats the actions of a team not being paid.

GO LIONS :smileylions:

[lionsfan]

Who says they aren't getting paid? Where is this information coming from? And if that is an issue, then why don't they just quit? You are telling me that they will ride all the way down to Columbus and risk injury and not get paid? Something not quite right about that picture. Just can't put my finger on it though....

Secondly, getting the home town crowd upset just got a couple of thousand fans on their feet blowing horns and yelling while Florence had the ball.

But it works to our advantage because nothing gets fans out to games more than rivalries.

[men lie women lie numbers dont]

listen this is the deal anybody in thier right indoor football mind knows this
is not the real florence team over the past two games we have not been
the phantoms our owner has destroyed this team we have lost eight starters
from our team over the last three weeks let's be for real when we had our real
team we were the best in this league no disrespect to columbus good win for
you all but this in florence is just a shell of what it was let's make it clear. You
dont go from dominating columbus to the bs last night and the players who came
are just trying to maintain through this hell.

But just ask your self how does a team that was dominating the league go under
and it's not about players being over paid either it's starts and ends with ownership

I think teams in the league should send her a thank you letter for destroying a championship
team and giving other teams a shot this year.

[d'oh!]

May 31, 2009 12:45:33 GMT -5 lionsfan said:

Who says they aren't getting paid? Where is this information coming from? And if that is an issue, then why don't they just quit? You are telling me that they will ride all the way down to Columbus and risk injury and not get paid? Something not quite right about that picture. Just can't put my finger on it though....

From what's I've deduced from what's been posted here, they are getting paid. It's the accused "extra" that caused players not stay with the team. It's also a dig at posts earlier in the season that the reason for their earlier losses is that they were not getting paid (implying it was like a protest)

[ronniern]

Not really sure what was up with florence last night, but their players dancing around while they were losing big was kind of stupid, i didn't realize that jacobs was injuried but the lions defense was all over his replacement, if the team is indeed in trouble(phantoms) it reminds me of what happened to the mudcats a year ago.

[Greg B.]

Now that phantomguy has explained it, it makes sense, that maybe these were guys that don't really care about their team. Their either not getting paid, or they only expect to play a game or 2. But why doesn't the coach control these guys? If a bunch of Lions starting acting like that while losing, coach Gibson would have them on the bench is a second.

[seb1117]

I disagree with phantomguy. Florence had their entire team including jacobs when Reading came down and beat them by 10 at Florence. The defense of Columbus has continued to get stronger and stronger since the first meeting with Florence. I think the major difference is that Columbus has struggled at QB all season and they still figure out a way to win. Without Jacobs (no question is the best QB in the league), Florence can't compete. Even last year, they started out 3-4 until Jacobs showed up and led them to the championship. As far as the players getting paid (or not) the ownership of that team is bad for indoor football and they are ruining what could be a good fit for the AIFA. If this was vegas, i would bet they don't return next year. Any takers?

[lionsroar]

Been saying it all year. They are basicly dead. NM is probably done also. DC stands a good chance and it will be interesting to see what happens with the Force.

there is probably somebody i'm missing