Post by 50yardfan on May 23, 2011 13:30:35 GMT -5
Amarillo, TX 5/23/11 - The Amarillo Venom won in dramatic fashion Saturday night as they came back from a 27 point deficit to defeat the Allen Wranglers 36-33 on the final play of the game.
"This was a big win for our guys," said Julian Reese, the Venom's head coach. "Down by 27, we didn't get discouraged and continued to believe in ourselves."
The Venom struggled early as they fell behind 27-0 late in the second quarter on a five-yard touchdown pass from Kewan Dewberry to Jackie Robinson, but that was the last points the Wranglers would score until the 4th quarter.
Edward Cantrell would put the first Venom points of the game on the board with four seconds remaining in the first half to make the score 27-7 at the break.
"That was a big score for us heading into the locker room," said Coach Reese. "I told the defense at the half we needed to come out and get a stop. I knew with a stop and a score we were right back in it."
That's exactly what the Venom was able to do. After an interception by Jared Williams that set the Venom up at the three-yard line, the offense was able to capitalize on another Cantrell touchdown run. After a failed PAT, the score was 27-13 Allen.
The defensive continued to hold the Wranglers scoreless in the second half allowing the Venom offense to continue chipping away at the deficit. With 5:17 to go in the 3rd quarter, Cantrell rushed for his third touchdown of the game making the score 27-20, Allen.
The Venom would pull even closer toward the end of the 3rd quarter after the defense forced a safety on a Mario Reese sack giving the Venom two points and the football with the score 22-27.
The Venom's defense wasn't through scoring points of their own. With a little under 10 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, Kyle Wilson would step in front of a Dewberry pass, making the interception and returning it to the house giving the Venom their first lead of the game 29-27.
The Wranglers would answer back however. With 4:31 to go in the game Dewberry would connect with Robert Chase from 6-yards out giving the Wranglers back the lead 33-29. The Wranglers would not convert their attempted two-point conversion.
The Venom would show their resiliency on their final possession of the game. With no timeouts remaining and the football inside the Wrangler five-yard line, Cantrell was stopped on an attempted run in the closing seconds.
Quarterback Sherard Ellis would rush his team to the line signaling he was going to spike the football. Ellis would take the snap and instead of spiking the football, he would throw a lob pass to Anthony Clark in the end zone. Clark would go up high and with one hand haul in the reception in the end zone as time expired giving the Venom the win 36-33.
"Clark went up and made a great play," said Coach Reese. "It's plays like that play, with the game on the line, that make special players special."
The Venom is now 2-0 since Coach Reese was named the team's interim head coach. Up next for the Venom is the Arizona Adrenaline as the Venom travel to Prescott Valley, Arizona. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. CST on May 28th and can be listened to on 107.1 FM the Armadillo.
"This was a big win for our guys," said Julian Reese, the Venom's head coach. "Down by 27, we didn't get discouraged and continued to believe in ourselves."
The Venom struggled early as they fell behind 27-0 late in the second quarter on a five-yard touchdown pass from Kewan Dewberry to Jackie Robinson, but that was the last points the Wranglers would score until the 4th quarter.
Edward Cantrell would put the first Venom points of the game on the board with four seconds remaining in the first half to make the score 27-7 at the break.
"That was a big score for us heading into the locker room," said Coach Reese. "I told the defense at the half we needed to come out and get a stop. I knew with a stop and a score we were right back in it."
That's exactly what the Venom was able to do. After an interception by Jared Williams that set the Venom up at the three-yard line, the offense was able to capitalize on another Cantrell touchdown run. After a failed PAT, the score was 27-13 Allen.
The defensive continued to hold the Wranglers scoreless in the second half allowing the Venom offense to continue chipping away at the deficit. With 5:17 to go in the 3rd quarter, Cantrell rushed for his third touchdown of the game making the score 27-20, Allen.
The Venom would pull even closer toward the end of the 3rd quarter after the defense forced a safety on a Mario Reese sack giving the Venom two points and the football with the score 22-27.
The Venom's defense wasn't through scoring points of their own. With a little under 10 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, Kyle Wilson would step in front of a Dewberry pass, making the interception and returning it to the house giving the Venom their first lead of the game 29-27.
The Wranglers would answer back however. With 4:31 to go in the game Dewberry would connect with Robert Chase from 6-yards out giving the Wranglers back the lead 33-29. The Wranglers would not convert their attempted two-point conversion.
The Venom would show their resiliency on their final possession of the game. With no timeouts remaining and the football inside the Wrangler five-yard line, Cantrell was stopped on an attempted run in the closing seconds.
Quarterback Sherard Ellis would rush his team to the line signaling he was going to spike the football. Ellis would take the snap and instead of spiking the football, he would throw a lob pass to Anthony Clark in the end zone. Clark would go up high and with one hand haul in the reception in the end zone as time expired giving the Venom the win 36-33.
"Clark went up and made a great play," said Coach Reese. "It's plays like that play, with the game on the line, that make special players special."
The Venom is now 2-0 since Coach Reese was named the team's interim head coach. Up next for the Venom is the Arizona Adrenaline as the Venom travel to Prescott Valley, Arizona. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. CST on May 28th and can be listened to on 107.1 FM the Armadillo.