Vigilantes Fumble Season Opener
David Smithey
Monday April 12, 2010
The weekend could not have come soon enough. While most arena football fans got to satisfy their craving last week after the reformation of the Arena Football League, Dallas Vigilantes fans had to call upon every bit of patience they had. This year the Vigilantes face many high expectations as they replace the prominent Dallas Desperados in the AFL.
After a promising preseason win, Dallas started the season with a bye on opening week. Dallas fans and players alike anxiously waited for Saturday night when the Vigilantes finally made their debut in Oklahoma against the 1-0 Tulsa Talons. The game was full of the intense, seat gripping moments that we have come to expect from arena football. However, fundamental mistakes cost Dallas in the end. Penalties and turnovers showed to be more than the Vigilantes could overcome.
The Vigilantes opened the game on defense, relentless pressuring the Tulsa Talons’ offense on the opening drive. After forcing a turnover on downs, Dallas marched down the field and drew first blood with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Jake White. The Talons immediately answered the challenge with a short drive and touchdown pass completed to Jeff Hughley. From that point on, the first half became a shootout with one team continuously countering the other.
Dallas gained a 14 point lead when quarterback Shane Stafford completed a touchdown pass to Kenny Henderson and another to Larry Brackins after Tulsa was forced to attempt a field goal that ended up falling short of the uprights. Brackins would find the end zone again in the second quarter, along with Tulsa’s Jeff Hughley and Donovan Morgan. The Vigilantes ended the first half with a field goal that was put into position with an interception by Eddie Moten, giving Dallas a 31-21 lead.
The second half proved to be even more competitive than the first. Continuing the momentum from halftime, Dallas’s Stafford completed a touchdown pass to Henderson on the opening drive. The Talons fought back with another touchdown pass to “Spiderman” Morgan.
Fans witnessed déjà vu when Henderson and Morgan completed the next two touchdowns as well. While it looked like Dallas might retain the lead the entire game, Tulsa found its break. Tulsa sacked Stafford, forcing a fumble which was recovered for a touchdown by the defense’s John Scott. The Vigilantes’ lead was cut to four points as the offensive battle continued to rage.
On defense with less than thirty seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Tulsa Talon’s found themselves trailing 56-59. Things soon changed when Tulsa’s Terrance Carter forced Stafford to fumble during a short scramble in Dallas’s red zone. The Talons recovered the ball and scored two plays later with a run by Justin Allgood. With 22 seconds left, Dallas made one final effort to take the victory back. However, the Vigilantes fell short when time ran out after a closing pass to Henderson was fumbled as well.
While this was not the opening game that Vigilantes fans were hoping for, it was not entirely surprising. It is early in the season and fundamental mistakes are not uncommon in the first few games. The Talons entered the game with the advantage of having played a season game the previous week. This proved to be a pivotal element in the win. Dallas fumbled three times during the game, causing a loss of possession twice.
Offensive mistakes were not the only issue. The Vigilantes defense, while looking solid on most plays, had a hard time limiting the number of big plays made by the Talons. In fact, Tulsa only ran 31 plays; less that half the amount Dallas ran.
The Vigilantes also faced 12 penalties for a total of 91 yards while the Talons only had two penalties for 9 yards. Dallas can easily correct these errors and will no doubt make it a priority this week during practice. The sooner Dallas is able to control this aspect of the game, the quicker they will be able to reach the potential that we saw glimpses of against Tulsa.
Despite the loss, Dallas fans could still find hope for the Vigilantes’ season. The Vigilantes managed to overcome the large amount of penalties to maintain a lead until the last thirty seconds of the game. A number of players also showcased themselves during the opening game. Two players, Lee and Brackins, had over 100 receiving yards and Henderson was just two yards short of the achievement as well.
The Vigilantes managed to move the ball well, creating 31 first downs during the game. On the defensive side, Dallas was able to force an interception and cause the Talons to fail on their only attempted fourth down conversion. Yet with a heartbreaking 59-63 loss hanging over their heads, the Vigilantes hope to rise above their bad luck while facing the Tampa Bay Storm next week.
David Smithey is currently a teacher/coach for Mesquite ISD. He is an alumnus of Louisiana College, having obtained a BA in two subject areas. There, he played football and became a NCAA National Academic Hall of Famer. David was a photographer for arenafan.com prior to the AFL’s previous dismissal.
