Celebrating the history of the Arena Football League

Avengers take care of business against VooDoo

Jeremy Meyer
Sunday March 2, 2008


The Los Angeles Avengers (1-0) season opener against the visiting New Orleans VooDoo(0-1) did not start off right as the VooDoo got an early 13-0 lead after Voodoo’s Wendall Williams returned the opening kick off 54 yards for a touchdown and Sonny Cumbie threw an interception. In the Avengers 59-42 victory at the Staple Center.

Damen Wheeler who made the play of the game as he literally ripped the ball away from VooDoo’s Wendall Williams and walked into the end zone for the Avengers first lead of the game. But the VooDoo was not about to let the Avengers go into halftime with the lead as a touchdown and a field goal later and the VooDoo get the lead back to go into halftime with the score of 33-28.

“He tried to run me over and when I stood up the ball was in my stomach,” Wheeler told reporters after the game. “So I just took it from him. I knew I was taking it but I didn’t know I would just walk into the end zone.”

New Orleans quarterback Steve Bellisari was 20-of-38 for 210 yards and three scores. He connected with Zach Hilton once for a score and B.J. Barre who Bellisari connected with twice for touchdowns for the VooDoo

During the second half the Avengers where on fire starting with the opening drive for another touchdown and the lead was again in favor of the Avengers who would only be down for one point early in the third quarter as Sonny Cumbie’s (23-of-38 for 268 yards and seven scores) aerial attack was more or less perfect as his team mates including Timon Marshall a rookie connected for three touchdowns including the first touchdown of the game that actually got the Avengers on the board after they handed VooDoo a 13 point lead to start the game off.

Marshall was happy about the game and just wanted the Avenger fans to accept him as a member of the Avengers.

“We were rolling. I think the second half is a preview of what we can do.”

But the second half was like another team had walked on the field as they did what they where supposed to do on both offense and defense.  The defense shut down the curse of the VooDoo to only nine points in the second half.

Head Coach for the Avengers said in the post game interview that he told them that they where a good team. He also informed the media that they had some first game jitters “But we did a good job. I’m always happy to get a win.”

The Avengers will now have nine days off before they travel to Arizona to take on the Rattlers for the first conference game that will be played on Monday night and will be broadcast by ESPN.


 
Jeremy Meyer (born January 5. 1984 in Stavanger, Norway) is a Los Angeles-based Sports Reporter. He was formerly the the Los Angeles Avengers beat writer for the Westside Chronicle; UCLA football and San Diego Chargers beat writer for MVN.com. Currently he is a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Sports Journal.
The opinions expressed in the article above are only those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts, opinions, or official stance of ArenaFan Online or its staff, or the Arena Football League, or any AFL or af2 teams.
Jeremy Meyer Articles
Can the Avengers go to 2-0 against Arizona?
3/10/2008
Avengers take care of business against VooDoo
3/2/2008
Avengers Focused on 2008
2/26/2008
View all articles