Toliver Makes History, Valor Fall to Defending Champs

Saturday July 15, 2017

Washington unable to overcome Raudabaugh’s nine touchdowns, fall to Philly, 68-41

PHILADELPHIA, PA. — The Washington Valor lost, 68-41, at the hands of the defending-champion Philadelphia Soul Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center. Valor WR T.T. Toliver caught five passes for 82 yards and a pair of scores, his first multi-touchdown game of the season. QB Dan Raudabaugh led the way for the Soul, completing 26-30 passes for 330 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Valor got on the board first, taking a 7-0 lead on a 17-yard Toliver touchdown reception with 10:58 left in the opening quarter. Toliver, already the AFL’s all-time leader in receiving yards, surpassed the 16,000-yard mark in the first quarter. Just under two minutes later, the Soul responded with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Raudabaugh to WR Shaun Kauleinamoku, tying the game at seven. A 16-yard catch-and-run from FB Mykel Benson gave the Soul 14-7 lead, which held until the end of the first quarter. Valor WR Gregg Carr scored on a four-yard pass from QB Sean Brackett, tying the game at 14 and marking the sixth-straight game the wideout has found the end zone. After a Soul score, Toliver tallied his second touchdown of the night, this time a 29-yarder to knot the score at 21 apiece. The teams traded a trio of scores in the final minute of the first half, Brackett throwing one and Raudabuagh throwing two, giving the Soul a 38-24 lead at half.

A pair of Kauleinamoku touchdown receptions accounted for the only scoring in the third quarter, giving the Soul a 48-28 heading into the fourth. Brackett scored on a five-yard run less than a minute into the quarter, bringing the Valor back within two scores. The Soul then scored on consecutive offensive drives, both by way of Raudabaugh touchdown passes. Soul FB Mykel Benson’s one-yard run with 4:31 left in the game gave Philadelphia a 68-35 lead. Valor FB Will Corbin scored on a seven-yard run with just over a minute left to set the final score, 68-41.

KEY STAT: Valor WR T.T. Toliver became the third player in major professional football history to surpass 16,000 career receiving yards. Already the league’s leader in receiving yards, Toliver now has 16,071 on his career.

The Valor return home next weekend, hosting the Baltimore Brigade on Sat., July 22 at 7 p.m. at Verizon Center. The game will be broadcast live on Monumental Sports Network.