Firebirds come up short against Dogs (Full Story)
June 27, 1998 - Final 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Totals New Jersey 7 16 14 18 55 Albany 10 10 14 14 48 Firebirds come up short against Dogs
By MIKE MacADAM
Gazette SportswriterALBANY - The Albany Firebirds needed a score Saturday night, and instead got a flameout.
Trailing by a touchdown in the final minute, the high-powered Firebirds offense was stopped on downs at the New Jersey 18-yard line with 16.3 seconds left as the Red Dogs preserved a 55-48 victory at Pepsi Arena.
The 6-3 Firebirds have lost two in a row for the first time this season, and, for the first time, some frustration has crept into the locker room.
"All across the board, we did not play well," Firebirds quarterback Mike Pawlawski said. "Offense, defense, special teams, every facet of the game. We made mistakes tonight, and I think we need to really focus on that."
Two turnovers proved particularly costly to the Firebirds, an interception just before halftime, and a fumble by Chad Dukes early in the second half that allowed New Jersey to take a 17-point lead.
But the Firebirds had the ball, plenty of time on the clock and a tie game, but they couldn't get the equalizer.
"This is a league that's a lot like basketball, exchanging scores," Firebirds head coach Mike Dailey said. "You have to keep matching scores with people. Once we got to a point where we could match scores with them, I thought we'd be in a position to probably win. But give them credit, they made the plays they needed to to win, and we didn't."
Larry Ray Willis scored the winning touchdown on an option shovel pass from Rickey Foggie from a yard out with a minute and a half left.
Dukes, who was bottled up on kickoff returns all night, brought the ball out to the 15, and Pawlawski hit Eddie Brown for 13 yards.
After Pawlawski overthrew Cornelius White on second-and-four, he found Greg Hopkins wide open cutting across the middle, but the ball was a little low, and Hopkins turned his head upfield before squeezing it, and dropped it.
On fourth-and-six, Pawlawski hit White on a short inside slant, but Alvin Ashley made a shoestring tackle immediately, and White was two yards short of the first down.
"I thought we were going to put it away," Pawlawski said. "Obviously, I'm disappointed. That's what good teams do; they win the big games at big times. We didn't get it done there, and that's a big disappointment."
Brown, who finished with seven catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, was disappointed he didn't get the ball more.
"I don't know what's going on behind me," Brown said. "All I can do is go out there and run the play that's called."
Dailey said the play-calling wasn't the problem, though.
"I don't think you question any call," he said, referring to the pass by Pawlawski to White that came up short on the final Albany possession. "Mike Pawlawski has to read the defense and take what they give you. That's the nature of the game. Sometime it works, and sometimes it doesn't, and we came up a little short."
The teams played a close first half, but the Albany turnovers allowed New Jersey to get the upper hand early in the third quarter.
A tipped pass from Pawlawski was caught by Chad Lindsey at the Firebirds' 13, which led to Steve Videtich's 20-yard field goal, and a 23-20 Red Dogs lead at halftime.
New Jersey wasted no time in the third quarter as Rickey Foggie hit Ashley for a 45-yard touchdown on the second play after intermission.
The Firebirds took over at their own five, but Dukes fumbled on the first play, and the Red Dogs' Rob Stanavitch recovered at the one. Foggie dove over for the score on the next play, and New Jersey led, 37-20.
The Firebirds answered with a pair of touchdowns.
Brown, who came into the weekend leading the Arena Football League in scoring, finally got in the end zone on a five-yard timing pattern to cut the deficit to 37-27.
The Red Dogs drove downfield, and had a first-and-seven at the Firebirds' 11, but Foggie's pass to Dave Andrews bounced off the receiver's chest, and Derek Stingley intercepted it.
After Pawlawski hit White for 46 yards down the left sideline, Pawlawski powered over from the one.
The Firebirds held New Jersey to a field goal on the next possession, and took their first lead since midway through the second quarter on a 19-yard run by Brown, 41-40, with about 10 minutes left to play.
Notebook
The Red Dogs lost fullback-linebacker Ron Perry to an ejection in the second quarter after an altercation near the New Jersey bench.
After the Red Dogs' Andrews and the Firebirds' Carlton Johnson got locked up, Perry took a swing at a fan in the stands and was ejected, as was the spectator.
