Pirates Get Stung By Cincinnati
Steve Robinson
Sunday July 13, 2003
Cincinnati (6-8), trying to finish the season by getting an outside shot at the af2 playoffs, defeated an already downtrodden Pirates team, 54-39, as a crowd of 5,396 watched, along with Pirates head coach Bruce Cowdrey, in frustration at how the home team failed to contend with the Swarm’s offensive and defensive schemes.
Cincinnati had a commanding 19-0 lead by the 10:18 mark in the second quarter. Quarterback Charlie Peterson’s first scoring pass on the night to Jack Walker with six minutes even until halftime finally got Peoria on the board. Kicker Kraig Baker’s extra point cut Cincinnati’s lead to 19-7.
Prior to that pass, Peterson, usually suave in his ability to find receivers quickly, went a bewildering 3-for-11 in Peoria’s first four possessions before putting any points on the board.
Each team would score a touchdown before halftime, but Peoria (4-10) probably felt already they were on their way to dropping their third straight game even before the first half closed out with the Swarm owning a 26-13 lead.
“Peterson’s recovery was due to the fact that our receivers were catching the ball and he didn’t have some conscientious objectors (on the field) afraid to catch the ball,” said Cowdrey, for whom the loss was an unwanted delivery on his 50th birthday.
Cowdrey continued: “We had one player who was just afraid to be out there. He knows who he is and our team knows who he is. He won’t be with us after this week.” The third-season af2 coach would not name the player directly.
Peterson was 15-for-32 on the night for 200 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. Walker led a four-man receiver team, catching 5 passes for 101 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Although the damage was already done by halftime, Peoria’s second half survival can be credited to Peterson’s finding receivers Jack Walker once in the third quarter on a 17-yard scoring play in the third quarter and for 20- and 27-yard strikes in the fourth quarter. Receiver Davaren Hightower also scored in the third quarter to keep Peoria close as was possible under the circumstances.
Peoria’s second half recovery was able to cut Cincinnati’s advantage by nine, 40-31, by the end of the third quarter, but it would be as close as Cowdrey’s team would come.
Numerous skirmishes and personal fouls were doled out by the officials as the second half wore on, with three Swarm players being tossed from the contest, as well as Peoria’s Hightower. Among those tossed was Cincinnati lineman Sam Mavrick from the game at the start of the fourth quarter for deliberately charging Peoria center Jon Verdegan following a play that ended in an offsides call. Officials cited him with a flagrant foul and ejected him.
Cincinnati head coach Chris McKeown said he saw the ejections of his players as being punishment for retaliating against actions caused by Peoria players. “My guys were thrown out because they retaliated, but someone started it. My (players) were thrown out because they retaliated, but someone has to start (those incidents). “(Referees) always flag the guy who retaliates,” McKeown said.
Swarm quarterback Andy Sahm was 19-for-33 on the night, for 234 yards and five touchdowns. His leading receiver was Anthony Payton, who snared 9 catches for 75 yards and one touchdown. Payton also rushed twice for 6 yards and ran in for one score.
The rematch between these two teams is next Saturday and US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, with kickoff slated for 6:30p.m. Peoria time.
Steve Robinson, a freelance writer since 1984, has written about the Peoria Pirates since the Pirates were members of Indoor Football League, beginning in 1999. He covers the Pirates currently for the Bloomington IL Pantagraph.
