Valor Drop Home Matchup After Soul's Dominant Second Half
Saturday June 23, 2018
Gray scores in eighth consecutive game, Nelson totals four touchdowns in loss
WASHINGTON, DC — The Washington Valor dropped a home matchup with the Philadelphia Soul, 63-28, Friday night at Capital One Arena. Philadelphia outscored Washington, 35-0, in the second half after the two teams entered halftime tied at 28. Valor quarterback Arvell Nelson totaled four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in the loss. Soul fullback Jeramie Richardson was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after running for four touchdowns.
Nelson put the Valor on the board early, scoring his first of two rushing touchdowns on a three-yard run to cap the game’s opening drive. Nelson has now scored a rushing touchdown in three-straight games. After trading defensive stops, Philadelphia tied the game at seven when quarterback Shane Austin found wideout Aaron Wascha for a 30-yard score with just under two minutes left in the first quarter. On the following Valor possession, Nelson found wide receiver Jared Dangerfield for a nine-yard score to give Washington a 14-7 lead. Consecutive Soul scores gave Philadelphia a 21-14 lead with just two minutes left in the half. Washington tied the game on the following possession as Nelson threw his second touchdown of the night, this time to wide receiver Reggie Gray, who has scored a touchdown in all but one game this season. Washington and Philadelphia traded touchdowns in the final 30 seconds of the half, including a one-yard rush by Nelson as timed expired in the second quarter, trying the game at 28.
Philadelphia took control of the game in the second half after Richardson opened the third quarter with a 20-yard rushing touchdown. After forcing a Washington turnover on downs, Austin found Wascha for his second touchdown of 30+ yards, giving the Soul a 42-28 lead with 3:35 left in the third quarter. A pair of Austin touchdown passes and Richardson’s fourth rushing touchdown of the night highlighted Philadelphia’s 21-0 fourth quarter.
MVP: PHI FB Jeramie Richardson – five carries, 37 yards and four touchdowns
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: PHI WR Darius Prince – seven receptions, 104 receiving yards and two touchdowns
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: PHI DB Dwayne Hollis – 12.5 total tackles and one fumble recovery
The Valor are back home next Friday, June 29, taking on the Albany Empire at 7 p.m. at Capital One Arena. The game will be broadcast live on Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Washington, AFL Now and Facebook Watch.
ABOUT THE WASHINGTON VALOR
The AFL’s Washington Valor 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. The company also owns and operates the NBA’s Washington Wizards, NHL’s Washington Capitals, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, the NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go, the AFL’s Baltimore Brigade, NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming, as well as Capital One Arena, the premier sports and entertainment venue in Washington, D.C. Monumental Sports & Entertainment is also co-owner of aXiomatic, which has controlling interest in global esports franchise Team Liquid, and oversees the management of Kettler Capitals Iceplex--the training facility for the Washington Capitals--and the Eagle Bank arena at George Mason University.
