Blizzard win streak ends with loss at Chicago
By: Nick Goddard
Updated: April 22, 2012
CHICAGO (Green Bay Blizzard) - What a difference a week makes. Last weekend the Green Bay Blizzard faced the Chicago Slaughter in front of the home crowd at the Resch Center and pulled away early for a 63-36 win. Just eight days later on Saturday night at the Sears Centre in Chicago the resilient Slaughter (2-6) came up with big play after big play late in the game and squeezed past the Blizzard (5-2) by a score of 45-42. Providing a silver lining in the loss was another dominating performance by Blizzard running back LaRon Council. Council, the IFL's leading rusher, continued to write his name in the Green Bay Blizzard record books by scoring four touchdowns on the ground, matching the single game record for a Blizzard player. Last week Council broke the record for most rushing yards in a game.
Both offenses got off to sluggish starts early in the game as turnovers
and good defense resulted in the score remaining knotted at zero for the
first 13 minutes of play. Finally, with just over two minutes
remaining in the first quarter Chicago drew first
blood on a 30-yard field goal courtesy of kicker Chris Nendick. The
highlight of the period for Green Bay was B.J. Hill's seventh
interception of the season on an errant pass from Perry Patterson.
Aaron Moore then snared the first of his two interceptions on the night
leading immediately to a Donovan Porterie to Desmond Tardy 14-yard
scoring strike to give the Blizzard a 7-3 lead early in the second
quarter. At this point Juice Williams, the former
Illinois standout, took over for Perry Patterson under center for
Chicago. Using his legs, Williams drove the Slaughter inside the
Blizzard ten and then handed off to receiver Eyad Salem for a 4-yard
score to put the Slaughter back on top 14-10. For the
rest of the half the teams traded blows, each scoring a pair of
touchdowns. Green Bay's scores came on Council's first TD run and the
first touchdown reception of his Blizzard career by wide receiver John
Halman. The Slaughter scored their touchdowns courtesy
of a Williams to Shatone Powers 12-yard pass and a Williams 15-yard
scoring run of his own. The Williams run pushed Chicago ahead 24-21
heading into the break.
Head coach Robert Fuller made sure that Council got a heavy dose of
carries early in the second half and that decision paid dividends for
the Blizzard. Council carried for touchdowns on the first two Green Bay
possessions of the half giving the Blizzard the
largest lead of the night at 35-24 late in the third. Juice Williams
and the Slaughter wouldn't go away, however, as Williams again found
Powers in the end zone from 26 yards out to trim the deficit heading
into the dramatic final period.
Chicago reclaimed the lead early in the fourth quarter after a short
scoring burst by halfback Daniel DuFrene. After back-to-back drives
ended in interceptions thrown by Porterie and Williams respectively,
Council plowed into the end zone from 3 yards away
to give the Blizzard their final lead of the night. With under a
minute to play and the Slaughter facing 4th down and 14 from their own
22 yard line, Williams evaded the Blizzard rush and threw a bullet to
Powers for 14 yards and a first down. Two plays
later, Williams hit Powers in the flat out of the backfield and he
scampered across the goal line untouched to put the Slaughter ahead
45-42. The Blizzard had time remaining and a timeout in their pocket
after Chicago's kickoff sailed out of the end zone
with 21 seconds left in the game. Needing only a field goal to tie,
Porterie dropped back to pass and lofted a pass down the middle of the
field that was intercepted by leaping Chicago defensive back Christopher
Rodgers to seal the Blizzard's fate.
Green Bay lost despite outgaining the Slaughter both in the air and on
the ground. The Blizzard are now 0-2 in games in which they trail at
halftime (Week 1 in Sioux Falls).
Next up for the Blizzard is a crucial game against the Bloomington Edge
(7-1) at the Resch Center on Saturday, April 28th. Kickoff is slated
for 7:00 p.m.
