Washington Drops 53-47 Final to Tampa Bay

Saturday May 20, 2017

 Toliver eclipses 2,000 career points as Valor fall to Storm

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Bay Storm defeated the Washington Valor, 53-47, in a back-and-forth contest Saturday night at Amalie Arena. Valor WR and Offensive Player of the Game Roger Jackson led the way for Washington with 137 yards and two touchdowns through the air while the game’s MVP, Storm WR Joe Hills, led the way for Tampa Bay with 123 receiving yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner with just three seconds remaining.

“We’re growing,” Valor Head Coach Dean Cokinos said. “We’ve got to keep moving. That’s the game. This is arena ball. It so often comes down to the last possession and just have to learn and be able to win one of these games.”

On the game’s opening kickoff, Storm WR Kendrick Ings dodged his way through the Washington coverage team and broke free, but lost control of the ball inside the five-yard line just prior to scoring. The Valor recovered the ball and capitalized on the mishap, taking an early 7-0 lead when QB Erik Meyer took a one-yard run into the end zone on the ensuing possession. The Storm responded with a 12-yard touchdown pass from QB Randy Hippeard to WR Lamark Brown, tying the game at seven. The score remained tied after one quarter, with the Valor accumulating over 10 minutes of possession time in the opening frame.

Meyer found TE Anthony Parker on the second play of the second quarter, giving the Valor a 14-0 lead. The score marked the first points of the season for Parker. Tampa Bay again answered the bell, this time on a Dexter Jackson one-yard touchdown run with 11:05 remaining to tie the game at 14. With 6:17 remaining in the half, Meyer found Jackson for a 37-yard strike to give the Valor a 20-14 lead. The extra point attempt was blocked. The play was Jackson’s longest reception of the season and his third touchdown on the year.

History was made with 50 seconds remaining in the half as Valor WR T.T. Toliver found the end zone on a 29-yard pass from Meyer, giving the veteran receiver 2,002 career points. Only five players in league history have crossed the 2,000-point threshold. The score gave the Valor a 26-14 lead. Hippeard found Hills for a 35-yard touchdown with 22 seconds remaining in the half, cutting the Valor lead to 26-20.

After the Valor fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half, the Storm tied the game at 26 on a five-yard pass from Hippeard to Ings. Washington answered on its next possession, however, as Meyer found WR Julius Gregory for a 10-yard touchdown, capping a drive highlighted by a 38-yard catch-and-run by Jackson. The Valor led 33-26 with 10:37 remaining in the third quarter. As they had all night, the Storm answered. On the ensuing possession, Hippeard found Ings for his second touchdown of the quarter, a 12-yarder to knot the game at 33. On the last play of the third quarter, Meyer scrambled on third-and-goal from the 12-yard-line, setting up a fourth down try from the two-yard line. Meyer rolled out of the pocket and found WR Charles McClain for a two-yard touchdown, giving the Valor a 40-33 lead just five seconds into the fourth quarter.

Ings scored his third touchdown of the game on a 33-yard toss from Hippeard, tying the game once again, this time at 40. On the Valor next possession, Meyer lost control of the ball as he went down with a right hamstring injury with 6:40 left in the game. The Storm recovered and took a 47-40 lead on the following possession. In his first possession of the game, Valor QB Bernard Morris led Washington down the field and finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown to Jackson. The Storm answered yet again, this time sealing the game, with a three-yard touchdown pass from Hippeard to Hills with three seconds left in the contest.

KEY STAT: Valor WR T.T. Toliver became the fifth player in AFL history to record 2,000 career points when he gathered a 29-yard pass from QB Erik Meyer late in the second quarter.

KEY MOMENT: The Storm took a 53-47 lead on WR Joe Hills third touchdown of the game with just three seconds left in the game, sealing the Tampa Bay victory.

MVP: Tampa Bay WR Joe Hills – 123 receiving yards and three touchdowns

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Washington WR Roger Jackson – 137 receiving yards and two touchdowns

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Tampa Bay DL Monte Lewis – Three solo tackles for loss, resulting in 16 yards lost

The Valor return home next weekend, taking on the Philadelphia Soul on Sat., May 27 at 1 p.m. at Verizon Center.

IN QUOTES:

WASHINGTON VALOR HEAD COACH DEAN COKINOS

On WR T.T. Toliver becoming the fifth player to ever reach 2,000 career points:

It’s just phenomenal. He played a great game tonight. He’s a good leader of the young guys. He’s a competitor. We’re very happy for him. He’s been a great player throughout his entire career.