Close game, wild game in Week 5.
Salt Lake Stallions Vs San Diego Fleet
This game was between a pair of teams that are still trying to figure out their identity. Salt Lake came into the contest sitting at 1-3 and needed a win to keep pace for a playoff spot. The Fleet came in sitting at 2-2, playing at home where they tend to play a lot better.
In the first quarter, the Fleet brought back QB Mike Bercovici, and he did not disappoint.
The Stallions managed to score late to take the first lead of the game. The Fleet only scored six points in the first, both via field goals. To add to that, the Fleet came up with an interception but didn’t capitalize on great field position. At the half, it was 8-6 Stallions.
In the second half, the tempo of the game picked up by a lot. The Stallions would strike quickly with an early field goal making the score 11-6. The Fleet would then force a fumble and score off of that and make the score 12-11. In the third, the Stallions make a QB change, inserting Austin Allen, who only passed the ball three times. Allen was taken out after the Fleet forced another fumble that led to another score putting the Fleet up 18-11 to end the third.
To start the 4th, the Fleet would come up with yet another interception. The drive that followed would stall out, but the Fleet would snag another interception, and this time it would be a pick 6 making the score 24-11. Kam Kelly was the one who was doing the work for the Fleet, he had two picks in the 4th and was a big factor in this game.
But the Stallions would not give up. They scored to cut the deficit to seven late in the 4th. The Fleet would stall out on their next drive giving the Stallions a chance to take the lead. The Stallions did just that, scoring with 51 seconds left and taking a 25-24 lead.
Mike Bercovici had a chance to lead his team to a victory with just 47 seconds left to play. He did. The Fleet kicked a 44-yard field goal to win, 27-25.
The Player of the Game was Kameron Kelly who had a pair of interceptions, one resulting in a touchdown. Bercovici was big-time, too, throwing for 304 yards and one TD. Dontrez Ford caught three balls for 94 yards. On the other side, Josh Woodrum threw 48 passes for 380 yards, but he also had three passes intercepted.
San Antonio Commanders vs. Arizona Hotshots
Both clubs came in sitting at .500 and looked to build on the young season. The Commanders are an up and down team, just like the Hotshots. Both teams are capable of making a run in the playoffs.
In this ball game, the Commanders would show their dominance, showing a glimpse of just how good they can be.
The Commanders came out ready to play and showed it by scoring on a pick-six. The Hotshots couldn’t get anything rolling on offense and were forced to punt multiple times.
Then Logan Woodside connected with McKay for a 54-yard TD pass to put the Commanders up 14-0 to end the first quarter.
Early in the second, Kenneth Farrow scored from two yards out to put the Commanders up 20-0. The Hotshots would get the ball moving, but Wofford would throw yet another interception.
It was a pattern. The Hotshots defense kept stopping the Commanders, but Wofford would throw another interception. The Commanders capitalized again on a Woodside-to-Reden TD to put the Commanders up 26-0 heading into the half.
The Hotshots woke up in the second half.
San Antonio would drive the ball late in the third, but the drive stalled out. They got an FG out of the effort–to go up 29-11–but that would be their last points of the game.
Late in the 4th, the Hotshots cut the lead to just ten and, then, to just four, 29-24. Running out of time, they tried to convert an onside kick with 1:20 left but couldn’t recover the ball.
The Commanders came out on top in a crazy game that was a tale of two halves.
Here are the results for the two other games
Apollo’s 31, Iron 14
Express 20, Legends 23
