From http://www.tampabaystorm.com
Tampa Bay – The Tampa Bay Storm (1-1, 0-0) improved its record to 15-8 in home openers with a 54-41 win over the Dallas Vigilantes (0-2, 0-1) on Friday night in the very first meeting between the two teams. The Storm were led by an opportunistic defense and a high-flying offensive attack with quarterback Brett Dietz and wide receiver Tyrone Timmons. Defensive back James McCoy intercepted a Collin Drafts pass with just under five minutes remaining to seal the win in front of the home crowd of 14,122 at the St. Pete Times Forum, despite a last-minute touchdown by Dallas that proved to be not enough as it remained winless on the season by dropping its second straight.
Named as the offensive player of the game, Dietz completed 30 of 45 passes for 320 yards and six touchdowns while Timmons finished one off his season-opening touchdown total of five amidst amassing 11 receptions for 108 yards. Hank Edwards also recorded a 100-yard performance and added an additional score for the Storm.
The duo of Storm receivers was countered by Dallas wideout Derek Lee, who led the Vigilantes with six receptions and 84 yards. Lee collected a pair of touchdown passes from Drafts, who found the endzone four times on the night. Receiver/returner Kenny Henderson tallied an additional three scores for the Vigilantes.
Henderson didn’t waste any time putting the Vigilantes on the board as he returned the game’s opening kickoff 52 yards as Dallas jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead. Dietz put the Storm in position to draw the score even when he connected with Timmons at the five yard line, two plays before Cleannord Saintil rushed in a score from three yards out. Tampa Bay was primed to take its first lead of the game when Jermaine Smith caused a Dallas fumble on the following series, but Drafts stripped Smith of the ball to regain possession and delivered a nine-yard touchdown pass to Lee to take a one-touchdown lead into the second quarter.
Saintil and Henderson continued to match each other score for score in the second quarter as each recorded their second touchdown of the game. Timmons hauled in a 13-yard reception from Dietz to bring the Storm within one. The offense’s momentum translated to the other side of the ball as well, as the Storm defense made a key stop from the goal line on fourth down to prevent the visitors from taking a lead into halftime. Dietz capitalized on the next offensive possession with an eight-yard strike to Tyrone Timmons to give Tampa Bay its first lead of the contest with 00:15 left in the first half.
Both teams traded touchdowns following the intermission as the game’s back and forth trend progressed throughout the remainder of the contest. Drafts sprinted 15 yards to regain the Dallas lead, but Dietz responded with a 44-yard strike to Edwards before connecting twice more with Timmons and setting up an additional score in the fourth quarter. Henderson capped the scoring with his second touchdown in the final minute, but to no avail as Tampa Bay earned its first victory of the season.
The Tampa Bay Storm (1-1, 0-0) travel to Milwaukee, WI to take on the Iron Sunday, April 25 at 4:00 PM EST in a clash between two of the top quarterbacks in the AFL, Brett Dietz and Chris Greisen. The Dallas Vigilantes (0-2, 0-1) are idle as they have their final bye week of the season. Russ Michna and the Chicago Rush host Brett Elliot and the Utah Blaze on Arena Football Friday’s broadcast on the NFL Network Friday, April 25 at 8:00 PM EST.
Notes:
•Veteran WR Lawrence Samuels surpassed Issac Bruce with 1,025 career receptions for fifth most receptions in professional football history. The reception was his 960th of his illustrious Storm career. Samuels finished the game with six receptions to push the his career total to 1,026 receptions.
•Samuels also forced his 21st fumble of his career.
•WRs Hank Edwards and Tyrone Timmons each broke 100 yards receiving for the second consecutive game.
•Tyrone Timmons caught four TDs, giving him nine in the first two games of he season
•Storm newcomer, WR Cleannord Saintil, recorded his first touchdown as a Storm player with 8:44 left in the first quarter on a three-yard run. With 10:16 left in the half, he added two more touchdowns later in the game, one on the ground and a reception.
•Storm veteran WR Lawrence Samuels recorded his 136th consecutive game with a catch.
•Hank Edwards recorded his 16th consecutive game with a catch.
•Storm WR Tryone Timmons recorded his 20-career touchdown with 15 seconds left in the half. Timmons also reached the 500-career receiving yard mark.
•Dallas had possession on the Storm’s one-yard line with 42.7 seconds left in the half; however, James ‘Dusty’ Bear recorded a tackle on the goal line to prevent a Vigilante touchdown. Brett Dietz drove the team downfield and found WR Tyrone Timmons in the end zone to put the Storm ahead by six points at the half.
SCORE 1 2 3 4 TOTAL
DAL 14 7 7 13 41
TAM 7 20 6 21 54
PASSING
DAL – Collin Drafts 30-21-212-4-1
TAM – Brett Dietz 45-30-320-6-0
RECEIVING
DAL – Kenny Henderson 8-61-2
TAM – Tyrone Timmons 11-108-4DAL – Collin Drafts 3-27-1
TAM – Cleannord Saintil 2-6-2
RUSHING
All-Purpose Yards
DAL – Kenny Henderson 220 yards
TAM – Tyrone Timmons 108 yards
Brett Dietz pilots the Storm offense
Storm Dawg
Jimmy plays ball with his new friends
Storm defense at work
Dietz fires away
More line play
Jimmy makes another friend
Storm play solid D
Our favorite player, #53 James Bear
Storm win
We sure had fun!
Jimmy says bye-bye to his new friends
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