Post by 50yardfan on Jun 18, 2011 23:19:59 GMT -5
Trenton Steel lose 62-60 in playoffs as comeback falls short
www.trentonian.com/articles/2011/06/18/sports/doc4dfd5f8ba26ff088591637.txt
COLUMBUS, Ga. — After starting their inaugural season in the Southern Indoor Football League with three straight 3-point losses, the Trenton Steel saw it end here last night with an even more gut-wrenching defeat.
Unable to recover an onside kickoff with 15 seconds left that would have given them a chance to attempt a game-winning field goal, the Steel instead came away with a 62-60 loss to the top-seeded Columbus Lions in the first round of the SIFL playoffs.
Trenton, which had rallied to get within 40-39 to start the final quarter, saw quarterback Chris McCoy lead Columbus on a 22-7 run over the first six minutes of the last period to give the 12-1 Lions enough momentum to hold on and set up an Eastern Conference semifinal playoff next week with archrival Albany which beat Erie in the other first round game.
Despite 410 passing yards by quarterback E.J. Nemeth that saw him throw for five scores and run for two, the 8-5 Steel could not pull off the upset against a Columbus team that has won 10 straight over two years in the Columbus Civic Center.
The big difference in this one were three one-point ‘unos’ made by Columbus kicker Trey Crum, who also added a field goal of 45 yards.
Trenton trailed 62-46 with 5:45 to play after McCoy, a Naval Academy grad, threw a 32-yard TD to Gerald Gray before Crum kicked a extra point and the uno.]
The Steel didn’t give up and despite Nemeth going 0-for-5 with an interception to start the quarter, kept its hopes alive when Nemeth ran for a 2-yard score after a big 12-yard completion to Antoine Rivera.
Trenton lost valuable time when it tried an onside kick by Craig Camay, and although Rivera recovered it the ball had traveled only nine yards, not the required 10 so Columbus kept possession at the 10.
But it lost yards on three straight plays before Crum attempted a 22-yard field goal that Tyrell Zimmerman blocked with 0:36 left.
Nemeth immediately threw his fifth TD pass of the game to Oderick Turner for 40 yards, but a 2-point PAT pass into the endzone to tie the game was batted down by veteran Damian Daniels.
One last onside kick was recovered by Brandon Horace at the 15 to allow Columbus to run out the clock.
Trenton, which won eight of its last nine to make the playoffs in its first season, never led, but closed to within 40-39 when Nemeth closed the third period with a 2-yard TD run, his 28th of the season.
McCoy followed with a 40-yard TD to Anthony Merritt, then after Rivera kept it a one-point game (47-46) with a 30-yard catch from Nemeth, McCoy would score on a 4-yard ‘shovel pass’ from Mettitt and Crum added his second uno with 9:49 to go.
McCoy’s 32-yard TD pass to Charleston Gray and Crum’s last uno put the Steel in a 16-point hole with 5:45 remaining that it nearly climbed out of in the final minute — only to be deprived on two onside kickoff attempts that might have pulled out the miracle win.
Kicking was crucial in the outcome as Trenton had the league’s highest scoring kicker - Camay - have a field goal go wide, an extra point kick blocked and had two UNO attempts miss wide by inches.
Nemeth had his best passing night for Trenton as he completed 32 of 49 for 410 yards and six TDs. Turner caught 12 balls for 183 yards and five scores and Dan Huff was 14 for 158.
McCoy, who was QB at Navy a decade ago, used his precision passing and short dum-off throws to throw for 263 yards and six scores on 27-for-39 passing.
Columbus 62, Trenton 60
Trenton Steel (8-5) 7 11 21 11 — 60
Columbus Lions (12-1) 14 14 12 22 — 62
FIRST QUARTER
C - Gales 32 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 11:10. C: 7-0
T - Turner 14 pass from Nemeth (Camay kick), 9:22. Tied 7-7
C - Smith 15 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 7:26. C: 14-7
SECOND QUARTER
C - Babb 34 interception return (kick failed), 10:10. C: 20-7
T - Spellman PAT fumble return, 10:10. C: 20-9
T - Turner 13 pass from Nemeth (kick blocked), 4:29. C: 20-15
C - Merritt 22 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 0:44. C: 27-15
C - Crum UNO, 0:44. C: 28-15
T - Camay 27 field goal, 0:00. C: 28-18
THIRD QUARTER
C - Crum UNO, 15:00. C: 29-18
T - Turner 19 pass from Nemeth, 11:54. C: 29-25
C - Crum 45 field goal, 6:56. C: 32-25.
C - Crum UNO, 6:56. C-33-25.
T - Turner 37 pass from Nemeth (Camay kick), 5:01. C: 33-32
C - Horace 18 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 3:09. C: 40-32
T - Nemeth 2 run (Camay kick), 1:09. C: 40-39
FOURTH QUARTER
C - Merritt 24 pass from McCoy, 14:13. C: 47-39
T - Rivera 30 pass from Nemeth, 13:45. C: 47-46
C - McCoy 4 pass from Merritt (kick failed), 9:49. C-53-46.
C - Crum UNO, 9:49. C: 54-46
C - Graves 32 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 5:45. C: 61-46
C - Crum UNO, 5:45. C: 62-46.
T - Nemeth 2 run (Nemeth run), 0:58. C: 62-54
T - Turner 40 pass from Nemeth (pass failed), 0:30. C: 62-60
www.trentonian.com/articles/2011/06/18/sports/doc4dfd5f8ba26ff088591637.txt
COLUMBUS, Ga. — After starting their inaugural season in the Southern Indoor Football League with three straight 3-point losses, the Trenton Steel saw it end here last night with an even more gut-wrenching defeat.
Unable to recover an onside kickoff with 15 seconds left that would have given them a chance to attempt a game-winning field goal, the Steel instead came away with a 62-60 loss to the top-seeded Columbus Lions in the first round of the SIFL playoffs.
Trenton, which had rallied to get within 40-39 to start the final quarter, saw quarterback Chris McCoy lead Columbus on a 22-7 run over the first six minutes of the last period to give the 12-1 Lions enough momentum to hold on and set up an Eastern Conference semifinal playoff next week with archrival Albany which beat Erie in the other first round game.
Despite 410 passing yards by quarterback E.J. Nemeth that saw him throw for five scores and run for two, the 8-5 Steel could not pull off the upset against a Columbus team that has won 10 straight over two years in the Columbus Civic Center.
The big difference in this one were three one-point ‘unos’ made by Columbus kicker Trey Crum, who also added a field goal of 45 yards.
Trenton trailed 62-46 with 5:45 to play after McCoy, a Naval Academy grad, threw a 32-yard TD to Gerald Gray before Crum kicked a extra point and the uno.]
The Steel didn’t give up and despite Nemeth going 0-for-5 with an interception to start the quarter, kept its hopes alive when Nemeth ran for a 2-yard score after a big 12-yard completion to Antoine Rivera.
Trenton lost valuable time when it tried an onside kick by Craig Camay, and although Rivera recovered it the ball had traveled only nine yards, not the required 10 so Columbus kept possession at the 10.
But it lost yards on three straight plays before Crum attempted a 22-yard field goal that Tyrell Zimmerman blocked with 0:36 left.
Nemeth immediately threw his fifth TD pass of the game to Oderick Turner for 40 yards, but a 2-point PAT pass into the endzone to tie the game was batted down by veteran Damian Daniels.
One last onside kick was recovered by Brandon Horace at the 15 to allow Columbus to run out the clock.
Trenton, which won eight of its last nine to make the playoffs in its first season, never led, but closed to within 40-39 when Nemeth closed the third period with a 2-yard TD run, his 28th of the season.
McCoy followed with a 40-yard TD to Anthony Merritt, then after Rivera kept it a one-point game (47-46) with a 30-yard catch from Nemeth, McCoy would score on a 4-yard ‘shovel pass’ from Mettitt and Crum added his second uno with 9:49 to go.
McCoy’s 32-yard TD pass to Charleston Gray and Crum’s last uno put the Steel in a 16-point hole with 5:45 remaining that it nearly climbed out of in the final minute — only to be deprived on two onside kickoff attempts that might have pulled out the miracle win.
Kicking was crucial in the outcome as Trenton had the league’s highest scoring kicker - Camay - have a field goal go wide, an extra point kick blocked and had two UNO attempts miss wide by inches.
Nemeth had his best passing night for Trenton as he completed 32 of 49 for 410 yards and six TDs. Turner caught 12 balls for 183 yards and five scores and Dan Huff was 14 for 158.
McCoy, who was QB at Navy a decade ago, used his precision passing and short dum-off throws to throw for 263 yards and six scores on 27-for-39 passing.
Columbus 62, Trenton 60
Trenton Steel (8-5) 7 11 21 11 — 60
Columbus Lions (12-1) 14 14 12 22 — 62
FIRST QUARTER
C - Gales 32 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 11:10. C: 7-0
T - Turner 14 pass from Nemeth (Camay kick), 9:22. Tied 7-7
C - Smith 15 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 7:26. C: 14-7
SECOND QUARTER
C - Babb 34 interception return (kick failed), 10:10. C: 20-7
T - Spellman PAT fumble return, 10:10. C: 20-9
T - Turner 13 pass from Nemeth (kick blocked), 4:29. C: 20-15
C - Merritt 22 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 0:44. C: 27-15
C - Crum UNO, 0:44. C: 28-15
T - Camay 27 field goal, 0:00. C: 28-18
THIRD QUARTER
C - Crum UNO, 15:00. C: 29-18
T - Turner 19 pass from Nemeth, 11:54. C: 29-25
C - Crum 45 field goal, 6:56. C: 32-25.
C - Crum UNO, 6:56. C-33-25.
T - Turner 37 pass from Nemeth (Camay kick), 5:01. C: 33-32
C - Horace 18 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 3:09. C: 40-32
T - Nemeth 2 run (Camay kick), 1:09. C: 40-39
FOURTH QUARTER
C - Merritt 24 pass from McCoy, 14:13. C: 47-39
T - Rivera 30 pass from Nemeth, 13:45. C: 47-46
C - McCoy 4 pass from Merritt (kick failed), 9:49. C-53-46.
C - Crum UNO, 9:49. C: 54-46
C - Graves 32 pass from McCoy (Crum kick), 5:45. C: 61-46
C - Crum UNO, 5:45. C: 62-46.
T - Nemeth 2 run (Nemeth run), 0:58. C: 62-54
T - Turner 40 pass from Nemeth (pass failed), 0:30. C: 62-60