On a night where it seemed that at any moment either team could take control of the game, the Soul eventually used big plays to thump the Power by 25 points and took sole possession of the American Eastern Division lead.
Both teams combined for 11 turnovers on a wild night that ended with the Soul dominating the 4th quarter to take control of the game. Soul QB Dan Raudabaugh went 19 of 29 for 207 yards 7 TD's and 3 INT's along with a lost fumble in a very uncharacteristic performance. It was only his third time throwing that many picks in his young career, but despite his miscues the Soul were still able to set a team record for most points in a game.
Power QB Bill Stull had an impressive first half, but as turnovers and missed opportunities began to mount Stull began throwing interceptions having three go against him late in the game. He finished throwing 26 of 42 for 299 yards 6 TD's and 3 INT's, but failed to deliver late in the game.
The game began with the Soul and Power trading two touchdowns as the Soul led 7-6 at the 9:24 mark of the game. Then Power K Collen Wagner kicked the ensuing kickoff and it took a bad Soul bounce off the net and into the arms of Power DB Bryan Williams who recovered it for the touchdown.
After another missed PAT the Soul took the ball and drove 34 yards for their second score of the game when Raudabaugh connected with WR Donovan Morgan for his second touchdown reception in as many tries. Morgan would finish the game leading all Soul receivers with 12 receptions for 112 yards and 4 TD's.
The Power quickly made it a 19-14 advantage for the home squad as they utilized their FB Tyre Young who finished the drive off with an athletic 5-yard rushing touchdown. The 310 pound FB had another 6-yard run earlier in the drive which showed off his impressive man-moving power as he forced his way to a first down.
Right before the 1st quarter was to end, Raudabaugh's pass was intercepted by a leaping DB John Green who undercut the pass and was inches away from returning the INT for a touchdown when FB Derrick Ross punched the ball out of his hands resulting in a Soul fumble recovery for a touch-back in the back of the endzone.
Ross recorded 3 of his 4 touchdowns on the night in the 2nd quarter, recording his first touchdown with a 16-yard screen pass. A 3-yard TD recption by OL Moqut Ruffins for the Power came next followed by a Ross 3-yard touchdown run for the Soul.
DB Micheaux Robinson forced Power WR PJ Perry to fumble as DB Keon Perry recovered it at the Power 5-yard line which led to another Morgan touchdown reception four plays later.
Another Power touchdown followed by a Raudabaugh INT didn't hurt the Soul as the were able to force the Power to turn the ball over on downs. This gave Soul the ball with 34 seconds left in the half and after a 9-yard run by Ross, he punched it into the endzone as time expired giving the Soul a 41-33 halftime lead.
The Power started the 2nd Half off by scoring a TD after two straight passes to WR Randy Hymes. A 19-yard reception set up the 14-yard TD reception for Hymes.
A 30-yard strike to WR Tiger Jones brought the game back to an 8-point advantage for the Soul to which they would add onto after K Phil Marfuggi recovered his own kickoff. The ball took a Soul bounce off the net and traveled to the Power 12-yard line where Marfuggi dove into the pile to come up with the football giving the Soul great field advantage. The Soul would add a TD on the very next play as WR Larry Brackins caught his first pass of the season and only of the game on a slant to give the Soul a 15-point lead at 55-40.
Stull connected with Hymes for a 39-yard passing play after Hymes broke a tackle and was eventually taken down at the Soul 5-yard line. Washington would end the drive for the Power with a 3-yard TD reception to cut the lead back to 8 points.
Power K Warren then attempted the onside kick where it bounced off of Soul DL Bryan Robinson an the Power recovered it on their own 11-yard line. On the very next play, Stull completed a 14-yard pass to Ruffins to the 25-yard line where DB Kent Richardson forced and recovered the fumble for the Soul at the Power 22-yard line.
Another turnover ended the Soul's drive after Raudabaugh attempted a deep pass to Jones, but DB Chris LeFlore jumped up and took it away from Jones for the INT in the endzone and the touch-back. Three straight plays resulted in a change of possession further cementing the back-and-forth action that took place last night.
Two plays took the Power to the Soul's 7-yard line setting up a 1st-and-goal situation in which the Power could not capitalize again as DB Rayshaun Kizer undercut a Stull pass for the INT and returned it 23 yards to the Power 22-yard line.
The Power would seemingly end the 3rd quarter with a score of their own on a 2nd-and-goal play at the Power 2-yard line. Raudabaugh's grip of the football slipped as he went into his throwing motion resulting in a fumble that Power LB Justin Parrish would return for the 40-yard TD.
With the score at 55-53 the Power would attempt the PAT, but DL Robinson came through in the clutch as he broke through the line to block the attempt. The ball ricocheted off Robinson's hand and landed in the arms of Richardson who returned the missed PAT for 2 points. Soul now led 57-53 at the end of three.
The Soul would dominate the 4th as the Power would only add 6 points in the quarter while the Soul tacked on an additional 27 points to give the Soul a franchise best 84 points for the game.
Morgan caught a 30-yard TD pass to give him his fourth TD of the game as the Power struck back when Stull completed a 9-yard pass to WR Lonnell DeWalt for the Power TD at the 9:27 mark. The Power would not score again.
DB Robinson would return the ensuing onside kick attempt for the 12-yard TD. On the Powers last three drives they would end via turnover-on-downs, a LB Joe Goosby INT and a Richardson INT.
A Ross 12-yard TD run along with the 37-yard INT return off of Stull's last INT ended the game for the Soul.
FINAL: Soul 84 Power 59
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