Post by cavfan on May 2, 2010 17:59:50 GMT -5
By JACK NOWLIN - Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Sunday, May 2, 2010 12:00 am | No Comments Posted
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For nearly nine minutes Friday the Ogden Knights went toe to toe with the Wyoming Cavalry.
The Knights answered the Cavs' opening score with a touchdown of their own and trailed just 10-7 with 6 minutes, 21 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Unfortunately for Ogden, that was as close as it got as Wyoming scored 68 consecutive points and cruised to an 84-15 victory at the Casper Events Center.
The win kept the Cavs atop the Western Conference of the American Indoor Football Association with a 6-0 record, while the Knights fell to 0-6.
"The biggest thing is we're playing well right now," Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak said.
That's an understatement.
Wyoming has won its previous four games by an average of 50 points. Friday, the Cavs not only scored on all nine offensive possessions, but the defense and special teams also found the end zone.
Linebacker Charles Hunt returned a blocked extra point attempt for a two-point coversion in the first quarter and later had a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown after a big hit from Cavs safety Rodell Razor knocked the ball free.
"Charlie has a nose for the end zone," the 5-foot-7, 170-pound Razor said. "The hit was fun because most people don't expect me to do that. But it was fun and the crowd loved it."
Razor scored midway through the fourth quarter when he returned an errant Ogden field goal attempt 57 yards.
Cavs cornerback Emery Beckles, filling in at running back in the second half for the injured Josh Schleusner (broken clavicle), also got into the scoring act with two TD runs.
"That's what I was brought here to do," Beckles said. "To play wherever I was needed. It doesn't matter where, I just want to play."
Maciejczak said the Cavs are finally starting to put it all together across the board.
"We got contributions from all facets of the game and that makes me proud," Maciejczak said. "That's the best part about it, when those guys get to see the result of their hard work."
While the Cavs defense was finding its way into the scoring column the offense continued to steamroll opposing defenses.
Matt Strand completed 15 of 19 passes for 213 yards and seven touchdowns -- four to B.J. Charlton and three to Jasonus Tillery -- and Wyoming's quick-strike offense faced just two third downs in the game. Not surprisingly, the Cavs scored on both plays.
"We knew that Ogden might not be up to par and we just wanted to make sure we were playing at a high level," Strand said. "Our goal every game is to score on every possession, but [Friday] we really wanted to do it."
They did, beginning with a five-yard strike from Strand to Tillery less than five minutes in.
Charlton then joined the act as he continuously found himself wide open in the Knights secondary. The 6-3 wide receiver actually dropped a sure touchdown pass on the Cavs' second possession, but came back two plays later to haul in a 24-yard scoring toss from Strand.
Charlton finished with six catches for 96 yards and the four touchdowns, all of which came in the first half.
"When you play with guys like Dante [Dudley] and Jasonus and [James Everage] they're always going to demand double coverage," Charlton said. "It was just my night to catch three wide-open [touchdown passes].
"But I'll remember the one I dropped, first and foremost. I thought about that drop on every other catch. I just wanted to make sure I was doing what I had to do so we could keep moving the ball and scoring points."
With an offense that has failed to score on just two possessions in its previous four games, scoring points hasn't been a problem for the Cavs. Now, with the defense and special teams also getting into the act, the Cavs are once again taking control of the Western Conference.
"This is our third week together [on defense] and we're jelling more as a unit," Hunt said. "By the end of the year I think we can be a scary defense.
"We've still got a long way to go, but I think with our athleticism and the system ... We don't even have it down yet, but when we do we'll be pretty scary."
Wyoming definitely put the scare into Ogden, and possibly the rest of the AIFA, on Friday.
Wyoming 84, Ogden 15
Ogden 7 0 0 8 –- 15
Wyo 18 25 22 19 –- 84
First Quarter
Wyo – Matt Strand 4 pass to Jasonus Tillery 4 pass (Strand to Tillery), 10:22.
Ogden – Jeremy Glover 16 pass to LJ Walker (kick blocked), 7:20.
Wyo – Charles Hunt blocked PAT return, 7:20.
Ogden – Brandon Miller rouge, 6:21.
Wyo – Strand 24 pass to B.J. Charlton (Strand to Charlton), 3:15.
Second Quarter
Wyo – Strand 27 pass to Charlton (James Everage run), 9:50.
Wyo – Strand 14 pass to Charlton (Strand to Tillery), 4:22.
Wyo – Strand rouge, 3:32.
Wyo – Strand 7 pass to Charlton (Strand to Charlton), 0:08.
Third Quarter
Wyo – Strand 30 pass to Tillery (Strand to Tillery), 14:45.
Wyo – Strand 8 pass to Tillery (pass failed), 6:37.
Wyo – Hunt 45 interception return (Strand to Everage), 0:58.
Fourth Quarter
Wyo – Emery Beckles 8 run (run failed), 11:11.
Wyo – Rodell Razor 57 return of missed FG (Strand kick), 7:40.
Ogden – Glover 27 pass to Walker (Glover to Walker), 6:04.
Wyo – Beckles 4 run (run failed), 3:14.
Individual Statistics
Rushing – Ogden, Kevin Hall 6-28, Jeremy Glover 4-24, Adrian Conway 1-5, Michael Bryant 1-2. Wyo, Emery Beckles 6-51, Matt Strand 2-22, James Everage 1-0.
Passing – Ogden, Glover 11-27-2 – 128, Hall 1-1-0 – 0. Wyo, Strand 15-19-0 – 213.
Receiving – Ogden, Conway 6-62, LJ Walker 5-61, Hall 1-5. Wyo, B.J. Charlton 6-96, dante Dudley 4-59, Jasonus Tillery 3-42, Everage 2-16.
Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Cavalry Tracker
FRIDAY: Wyoming 84, Ogden 15.
RECORDS: Cavalry (6-0); Knights (0-6).
ALL FACETS: The Cavs offense scored on all nine of their possessions and the defense and special teams also found the end zone in the rout of the Knights.
NEXT: Wyoming at Yakima Valley, Saturday.
