Firebirds bury Terror(Full Story) Firebirds bury Terror, 63-35
By James Allen
Tony Stinnette says the waiting is over. He wasn't talking about wins or losses but of his Albany Firebirds teammates.
"Everyone has to make his own plays instead of waiting for someone else to make big plays, " he said. "Tonight we made the big plays."
Stinnette followed his own advice, coming up with a crucial fourth-quarter interception as the Firebirds scored a 63-35 Arena Football League victory over the Texas Terror before 10,052 fans at Pepsi Arena.
The Firebirds (4-5), unlike recent weeks, came forth with a superlative fourth-quarter effort by outscoring Texas, 29-7, over the final 15 minutes to pull away.
"We made the plays late � that was it, "` Albany head coach Mike Dailey said. "Tony Stinnette's interception was a big play. So was (fullback) Leroy Thompson's reception and sweep play. This was a big win for us; it gives us confidence and keeps us looking forward."
Albany is now tied with Tampa Bay and San Jose for seventh place among the 14 AFL teams with five weeks remaining.
The Firebirds held a tenuous 34-28 lead entering the fourth quarter, but used a 5-play 37-yard drive capped by a 2-yard TD run by Albany quarterback and game MVP Mike Pawlawski to grab a 42-28 advantage.
Dailey could not say enough about the play of his quarterback who finished with 27 of 33 passing for 327 yards and four TDs. `"Mike showed toughness and leadership," Dailey said., "He took three late hits on roughing-the-passer calls and still came through with a big performance. He's been coming on as a leader."
The Terror trailed 49-35 midway through the fourth quarter when Stinnette intercepted an errant attempt at throwing the ball out of bounds by Texas quarterback Gary Porter. "My eyes got real big. All I saw was touchdown," Stinnette said. He was tackled at the Texas 11. "I would have liked to score."
Pawlawski didn't waste any time, however, hitting TD specialist Eddie Brown with a scoring pass on the next play.
