Wardogs Lose Mistake Filled Game
Dallas Dunn
Sunday April 15, 2001
The game started off well with QB Matt Hicks throwing a 45-yard Touchdown to OS Tyrone Butterfield on the first play of the game. Charleston then drove down the field and tied the score on a play action fake with QB Ray Issac running around the end untouched for a TD. With the score 7-7 the Wardogs took over at their own 12-yard line and put together a 5 play TD drive that ended with QB Hicks throwing a 38-yard TD to WR Karlos Odom. This drive was marred by two fights between the teams with QB Matt Hicks getting a personal foul penalty for punching a Charleston player.
Charleston answered right back with a 28-yard TD pass from QB Issac to WR Richard Dykes. Matt Bergman missed the PAT and the score was now CHA 13, COL 14.
On the ensuing kickoff a new addition to the team, Matt Burnstein, fielded the kick 2 yards deep in the end zone and streaked down the right side of the field for a 52-yard touchdown. After the PAT the score was now CHA 13, COL 21. The first quarter ended with that score.
The lead would not last however as the Wardogs seemed to fall apart in the second quarter. The Swamp Foxes drove down the field and scored on another sweep, this time by WR Kenyatta Spruill for 2-yards. After a successful two-point attempt the score was tied at 21.
On the following kickoff Matt Burnstein tried to put the Wardogs back ahead with a 51-yard TD return but it was called back by a holding penalty, so instead they had to start with 1st and 10 on their own 2-yard line. On the first play the offensive line collapsed and did not give the QB any protection, this resulted him being called for intentional grounding in the end zone, which in Arena Football is a safety. Charleston then returned the kickoff for a touchdown and now the momentum had definitely swung in the Swamp Foxes’ favor. The score was now CHA 30, COL 21.
On the first play for Columbus the offensive line again collapsed and QB Matt Hicks was hit while throwing the ball. It was ruled a fumble and Charleston recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. The offensive line looked terrible. They did not give the QB sufficient time to throw the ball all night.
Now with 10:57 left in the first half the score was CHA 37, COL 21. The Wardog offense still had trouble providing protection and again allowed the QB to get hit while throwing the ball. This time it was intercepted by the Swap Foxes.
The Wardog defensive secondary could not find an answer for WR Antoine Calloway as he was left open all night and scored on an 11-yard pass form Issac. After the PAT the score was CHA 44, COL 21.
Matt Burnstein was back again to receive the kickoff and he had the exact same results, a 54-yard touchdown return and it looked like, maybe, the Wardogs had some fight left in them with the score CHA 44, COL 28. But the they would not score again in the first half and the half ended with Charleston leading the game 58 to 28.
I spoke to several fans at half time and asked about their thoughts of arena football. Fausto Gomez a soldier stationed at Fort Benning came to tonight’s game with a couple of buddies because “he had nothing else to do.” He said “I like the speed of the game, it is fast and the players hit hard, I hope we win but I will be back, I love this.” With a sparse crowd of 2,745 the Wardogs staff hopes that fans like these spread the word and there will be more fans at the next home game.
With the Wardogs trailing by 30 to start the second half they came out flat. They looked like a team that had given up. “The players are all new to the Arena football game”, Coach Campbell said, “the guys had the outdoor game in their heads and felt there was no way they could make up the deficit. But this is arena football and you can score 21 points in one minute.”
Charleston received the kickoff and scored at will. The Swamp Foxes scored on Kenyatta Spruill’s second end around for a touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff Matt Burnstein fumbled in the endzone. Long story short, the Wardogs had given Charleston a 49-point lead before they even got the ball in their hands in the second half.
The Wardogs made a change at QB putting in Jerome Weaks for Matt Hicks but with the offensive line not giving either QB any time to throw the ball it seemed like the problem was not the QB. This drive ended when Weaks mishandled the ball from center and fumbled it into the hands of a Charleston defender.
The lone bright spot in the second half came when Ben Washington recovered a fumble by the Swamp Foxes. Weaks then drove the team down the field and scored on a 23-yard pass to Butterfield.
Charleston then hit Calloway for a 14-yard TD. The Swamp Foxes were able to connect with Anton Calloway all night as he ended with 10 rec. for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns. The rest of the game went all Charleston’s way. The Swamp Foxes had six different receivers catch a pass where the Wardogs only had two. It seemed the primary target on every pass for Weaks was Tyrone Butterfield who ended up with 11 rec. for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns in the losing effort. Karlos Odom had 3 rec. for 50 yards and 1 touchdown. The final score was Charleston 94, Columbus 44.
Last week I said that the decision on which QB to play would be an important one for Coach Campbell in his first season as a head coach. Well, tonight the starter Matt Hicks finished up 5 of 10 for 111 yards, with 2 TD’s, 2 Int’s, and 2 Fumbles. Jerome Weaks finished 9 of 15 for 94 yards, with 1 TD, 1 Int and 2 Fumbles. The cause of the terrible QB play was the offensive line not giving them enough time to even breath let alone throw the ball. Coach Campbell said “ I am going to hit the phones tonight and find some players who want to protect my QB.” If Coach Campbell wants to turn this team around he needs to find someone quickly. The Wardogs are on the road next week against the Augusta Stallions.
Dallas Dunn has been an Arena Football League enthusiast since he
first attended a Tampa Bay Storm game in 1991. He graduated from Nova
Southeasten University with a Bachelor's Degree in Management. He has
spent the last 18 years in the Army and is currently stationed at Fort
Lewis, Washington with his wife Stephanie. He covered the Columbus
Wardogs during their inaugural season of 2001 for Arenafan and is now
covering the Everett Hawks.