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MUSKEGON – The
Muskegon Thunder were looking to add fuel to their red-hot season start against
the visiting Chicago Slaughter on Friday night at L.C. Walker Arena. The hosts,
however, never even got the pilot light lit in a 27-10 loss that snapped the
team’s four game winning streak in Continental Indoor Football League action.
Chicago
(4-3) needed less than two minutes to get on the scoreboard as receiver
Dontrell Jackson grabbed a Ronnie Gordon pass near midfield, juked his defender,
and sprinted untouched to the end zone. The 29-yard score was Jackson’s
10th TD of the season. Kicker Ben Aguillar’s successful point-after
try made it 7-0 with 13:30 remaining
in the opening quarter.
On the ensuing
kickoff, Aguillar drilled a line drive that bounced off of Muskegon’s
Mitch Cumings and into the hands of a Slaughter player. The guests took full
advantage as running back JR Taylor broke free on a 31-yard scoring dash that
pushed the lead to 13-0 after Aguillar’s kick was blocked by defensive end
Ernest Bentz just 3:35 into the
contest. It would be all the points Chicago
would need to ensure their third win in as many tries against their Great Lakes
Conference rivals.
The slow start by
the hosts was not unusual. They have now been outscored 52-26 in the first
quarter of games during the 2008 campaign. Their ability to rally from behind
during the win streak has helped overshadow the deficiency, but the trend
proved too difficult to buck against a steadily improving Chicago
squad.
The Slaughter
increased their lead to 20-0 on another Gordon to Jackson
hookup from 9 yards out at the 7:50
mark of the second quarter. The play capped a 5-play, 45 yard drive that further
took the air out of the Thunder and their usually raucous crowd of 2,910.
Muskegon’s
lone highlight of the first half was provided by kicker Mike Brennan who guided
a 43-yard field goal through the 9-foot wide uprights 4:06 before the intermission. The Lexington,
Kentucky native has made four
three-pointers this season, none closer than 34 yards. Making the feat more
impressive is the low ceiling and overhead scoreboard that makes kicking at
Walker Arena a challenge to say the least.
The Thunder’s comeback
bid gained momentum as quarterback Dan Richard hit a streaking Tony Terrell
over the middle on a 19-yard pitch and catch that cut the deficit to 20-10
after 2:55 had elapsed off the third
quarter clock. It was Terrell’s 4th TD this year, eclipsing his
output of three a year ago.
What may have been
the most pivotal play of the game came on Muskegon’s
next offensive series as they drove to the Slaughter 10 yard line. On third
down, center Lance Dusendang snapped the ball to an unsuspecting Richard who
chased the rolling ball all the way back into Thunder territory before making
the recovery. The lost opportunity meant Terrell’s was the only scoring in the
frame as the two teams stale-mated each other over the final 12 minutes.
With the fourth
quarter being Muskegon’s best
scoring period, and Chicago’s
worst, it appeared the Thunder might have the Slaughter right where they wanted
them as the final 15 minutes began.
That theory was
quickly dismissed by Taylor who again got loose and rambled 29 yards on the
first play of the fourth quarter. It was the 15th TD on the season (14
rushing) for the former Eastern Illinois standout.
Muskegon’s
sluggish offense never threatened down the stretch. The Thunder entered the
game ranked seventh in the circuit in scoring at 44 points per game, but the
Chicago defense, led by defensive back Torri Stuckey’s 5 tackles, including a
sack and pass break up, were up to the challenge, despite coming in allowing 42
points per game (9th best).
Jonathan Martin
added an interception for the visitors and Phil Alexander notched a sack.
Offensively, the
Slaughter got 109 yards rushing from Taylor
on just 8 carries as Chicago
muscled its way to a 137-20 advantage on the ground. Gordon completed 15-of-28
passes for 144 yards with one interception and added 21 yards on 5 rushes. Jackson
paced a balanced receiving corps with 53 yards on four catches while Keith
Herron and Robert Height also hauled in four receptions each, good for 31 and
30 yards, respectively.
Richard connected
on only 12-of-32 attempts for 154 yards with a pick and contributed all 20
rushing yards for the Thunder. Running back Preston Garris was held out of the
end zone for the first time this season, but managed 81 yards on 6 grabs.
Nathan Wruble, making his first appearance since suffering a leg injury in the
season opener, made 3 catches for 21 yards while Terrell notched a pair of
catches totaling 42 yards.
Defensively, Muskegon
got nine stops and a pass break up from Jon Horn and 8 tackles from Tim Gough.
Maurice Simpson posted his second interception of the season and Eric Malloy had
3 tackles and recorded the Thunder’s lone sack, his fourth. The 4th
best scoring defensive unit did its share, holding the Slaughter 24 points
below their season average. Muskegon
has held five of its six opponents below their current scoring pace on the
season.
For the game, Chicago
held a 275-150 advantage in net yards of offense and edged Muskegon
13-10 in first downs. The Slaughter was whistled for 5 penalties equaling 24
yards in the intense, physical battle while the Thunder were flagged for 52
yards on 7 infractions.
With the loss, Muskegon
falls to 4-2, and now must prepare for a rematch at Eastern Division leading Kalamazoo
(6-1) on Saturday, May 3rd. On April 4th, the Thunder
knocked off their closest geographical rival, handing the Xplosion a 44-37
setback in a game that required overtime.
Chicago,
winners of two in a row, will host Rock
River (3-3) this Saturday at the Sears Centre Arena in
Hoffman Estates. The Western Division combatants played on March 29th
in Rockford with the Raptors prevailing, 55-45. The two teams are
a mere 56 miles apart. |