Post by DiamondThief on Jul 17, 2016 20:16:52 GMT -8
July 17, 2016 -- What a difference a running game makes.
After finishing their last two games of the season with offensive utility, The Spokane Empire established their ground game early and held off the Nebraska Danger in the second half to earn a trip to the United Bowl in their first season in the Indoor Football League.
The Intense Conference Championship game's final tally of 55-44 was not quite as close as it may indicate.
The Empire will face the Sioux Falls Storm in the United Bowl on Saturday, July 23. Kickoff is set for 5:05 p.m. The Storm earned the trip to their seventh consecutive berth in the IFL's championship game with a 54-28 win over the Cedar Rapids Titans in the United Bowl Championship game in Sioux Falls on July 16.
The Empire used their ground game early to throw the Danger's defense off balance. Newly acquired running back Andrew Pierce gave Spokane a punch in with 27 first quarter rushing yards. Pierce was brought in to fill in for Trevor Kennedy, who missed the last three games with a broken leg. Kennedy last week was named the IFl Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Empire quarterback Charles Dowdell tossed a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes to Diondre Borel. Dowdell's 20-yard pass to Pierce with 24 seconds left in the opening quarter put the Empire up 24-10.
Dowdell would hit Borel again, and Samuel Charles twice, for scores in the second quarter as the Empire opened up a 45-17 halftime lead.
The Danger scored a pair of touchdowns on a 15-yard catch by Eric Thomas and a Derrick Bernard run in the third quarter cut the Empire's deficit to 45-31. The Empire were unable to score in the quarter.
Charles would catch his third touchdown pass of the game, and Pat Clarke hit a 20-yard field goal to hold off the Danger in the fourth.
Dowdell was nearly perfect on the night, completing 14 or 17 passes for 197 yards and seven touchdowns. Borel led all receivers in the game with six atches for 64 yards and three scores. Charles amassed 31 yards on his three catches -- all for touchdowns. Pierce averaged nearly 3.9 yards rushing en route to a 63-yard performance on the ground.
Pasqual Vacchio led the Empire's defense with 9.5 tackles. Toby Jackson had a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery to go along with his four overall tackles.
For the Danger, Bernard completed just 40 percent of his passes (14/35 for 138 yards and three touchdowns. The passes were spread out, as he completed four passes each to three separate receivers. Dello Davis tallied 49 yards, Eric Thomas 38 and O.J. Simpson 34. Each of the three caught a pass for a score. Lyle McCombs rushed six times for 25 yards.Bernard rushed the ball nine times for 55 yards and three touchdowns.
Okechura Okoroha and Justin Edison led the Danger's defense with six tackles. Roosevelt Falls added five tackles and Simpson had a fumble recovery on an onside kick attempt.
The Danger wind up their season with an overall record of 7-11 (6-10 in the regular season), while the Empire, who had a bye week in the first round, now post an overall mark of 13-4.
SCtoC will have additional coverage of this game in the coming days, as well as some additional features on the Empire to come over the next week.
- ANM
Photo Credit: David Hein/SCtoC
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