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<< Back to News
May 21, 2007
Xplosion comes from Behind to beat Mayhem 14-7
Cannon scores twice, leads rushing with 80 yards
Atlanta - Xplosion head coach Mario D’Elia was never happier
than he was Saturday, May 19 when he saw his defense force two
Orlando turnovers which resulted in their securing a hard fought
14-7 victory over a determined and much improved Mayhem ballclub.
“They have a great team and they’re well coached,” said D’Elia
after the game. "We knew that the winner of the game would be the
team that got the breaks."
Two key interceptions by defensive backs Mickieon Dozier (3rd quarter)
and Kristal Holmes (4th) put the challenged Xplosion offense in
position to tie, take the lead and then secure the victory.
It was not all downhill for the Xplosion. In fact, in the first half,
the team found itself in unfamiliar territory. For the first time in
several seasons, they did not score.
D’Elia wasn’t phased.“ Coach didn’t get on us in the locker room at
the half,” said linebacker Angela “ Def” Rowe. “ We got on ourselves
to step it up in the second half. We refuse to lose in 2007.”
But it was the Mayhem who drew first blood in the second stanza on a
57 yard drive tha resuled in a 12 yard touchdown run by their
leading rusher Diane Hodges. But then the Xplosion cashed in on
their first break. Dozier’s interception with less than 60 seconds
to go in the third period gave Atlanta the oval at the Orlando 13.
Veteran quarterback Cheryl Glover then engineered a short but
effective three play, 13 yard drive that ended with a 9 yard run
by Onetha Cannon. It was the first of two rushing touchdowns for
Cannon who finished the game with 80 total yards on 12 carries.
Then, with 4:40 remaining and threat of a sudden-death overtime looming,
Glover and the Xplosion offense went to work from their own 31. Glover
and tight end Natasha Slan made short work of the 5 play, 69 yard drive
by connecting on a 61 yard pass play. Cannon finished the drive with
a 2 yard run to pay dirt. Then a second interception by Holmes at the
2:25 mark of the ballgame sealed the fate of the Mayhem who succumbed
to the Xplosion defense led by the seven solo tackles of linebacker
Kiwani Ash.
May 26, the Xplosion will play their fourth game of the season and
their third at home against the winless Palm Beach Punishers. Despite
that, the Xplosion is hardly taking their visitors for granted. “Everybody
that plays us approaching it like a championship,” said Cannon. Adds
Glover, “We have to have our A game every time we step out on that
field.”
SCORING SUMMARY
Orlando
3rd-7:34-Diane Hodges-1 run-11-57-6:05 PAT
Atlanta
4th-14:52-Cannon-19 run-3-13-1:25 PAT
4th-2:36-Cannon-2 yard run-5-69-2:06 PAT
Time of Game 2:30
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