Nelson Scores Four Touchdowns as Valor Fall, 36-27, in Albany
Saturday May 4, 2019
Jackson leads strong defensive performance with eight total tackles for Washington
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington Valor (0-2) fell, 36-27, to the Albany Empire (2-0) Saturday night at Times Union Center in Albany, NY. Led by quarterback Arvell Nelson’s four total touchdowns (one passing, three rushing), the Valor outgained Albany 258-252 in total yards in the loss.
Washington looks to rebound next Saturday, May 11 against the Atlantic City Blackjacks at 7 p.m. at Capital One Arena, the team’s first of six home games this season. Prior to the game, the Valor will unveil their ArenaBowl XXXI banner, commemorating last season’s championship run. The game will be broadcast live on Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Washington and ESPN3.
VALOR NOTES & QUOTES
- Rookie wide receiver Dezmon Epps, coming off a record-setting 200-yard, four-touchdown game in Week 1, wasted no time getting back into the endzone. Epps hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Nelson on the game’s opening drive. Four of his five receiving touchdowns this season have been 30+ yards.
- Wide receiver Jared Dangerfield led the team with 94 receiving yards and set a new career high with nine receptions, topping his previous high of seven.
- For the second straight week, linebacker Alvin Ray Jackson led the Valor in total tackles. Jackson’s eight tackles fell one short of tying his career high.
- Nelson has accounted for all 12 of the team’s touchdowns this season – eight in Week 1 and four in Week 2.
- Nelson recorded three rushing touchdowns against the Empire, his fifth game with multiple rushing touchdowns since joining the Valor last season.
- For the second consecutive week, all five wide receivers on the Valor roster caught at least one pass.
- With a three-yard reception early in the second quarter, Valor wide receiver Reggie Gray moved into a tie for 13th place on the AFL’s all-time receptions list. He now has 843 career receptions.
- Nelson threw for 250 yards and now sits just eight yards shy of 10,000 for his career heading into Week 3.
VALOR HEAD COACH BENJI MCDOWELL
On the game in general:
“The defense came out early and got three stops tonight. Normally, that’s enough to win in this league. We just didn’t put enough points on the board as a team. We have to change some things in terms of how we operate in the red zone and keep momentum in our hands going forward.”
On what the team needs to do differently to get a win:
“We just have to play better, we have to score more, and we have to take advantage of the opportunities that we’re given. There were plenty of chances. We just have to take advantage of them.”
On what the team will focus on heading into Week 3:
“Our focus this week is on winning. Not just the game. Winning each day, each possession and each play. That’s what it comes down to. That’s how you have to prepare.”
ABOUT THE WASHINGTON VALOR
The AFL’s Washington Valor, 2018 ArenaBowl Champions, are owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country with one of the most diverse partnership groups in all of sports. MSE owns and operates seven professional sports teams: the Valor, AFL’s Baltimore Brigade, NBA's Washington Wizards, NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go, NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming, WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals. Monumental Sports & Entertainment is also co-owner of aXiomatic, which has controlling interest in global esports franchise Team Liquid, and owns and operates Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Monumental Sports & Entertainment also manages MedStar Capitals Iceplex, the state-of-the-art training facility for the Capitals and EagleBank Arena on George Mason University's campus. In conjunction with the District of Columbia and Events DC, MSE is a partner in a new sports and entertainment facility in Southeast DC on the St. Elizabeth’s East campus that opened in September 2018.
