ROUGHNECKS DEFENSE COLLECTS 8 SACKS
FRISCO DROPS PLAYOFF GAME TO ODESSA, 67-33
ODESSA, TX. : Odessa (7-7) played host to the Frisco Thunder (6-8) for the first round of the 2008 IFL playoffs on Saturday, July 5, 2008. The story of the event was the Roughnecks "D" line. Odessa's defense registered 8 sacks, including 5.5 from LB Shomari Earls who set the IFL record for most sacks in a game. Frisco entered the playoffs on a 4-game losing streak and they were without several key offensive players, including QB Wes Cooper. Frisco had grabbed an early lead in the 1st half ,but Odessa returned with 36 unanswered points including 39 points in the 2nd half to close out the Thunder.
Odessa's FB DeWayne Hogan scored the first points of the game with a 19 yard TD run, but Frisco stormed back with a 15 yard TD pass from QB Dixie Wooten to WR Marcus Stiggers to tie the game at 7. QB Dixie Wooten opened the 2nd quarter with a 1 yard sneak into the endzone. However, the Roughnecks would dominate the rest of the quarter by recording a rouge for 1 point and 3 touchdown receptions for WR Don Robinson off the arm of QB Dennis Gile.
Odessa began the second half to perfection with WR Joel Babb receiving a 13 yard touchdown pass from Gile to make it 35-13. The Roughnecks defense was the story in the third quarter as the defensive line put immense pressure on Wooten and forced a fumble in the endzone, setting up a recovery for DE Jerry Turner and a Roughnecks touchdown. LB Shomari Earls registered a saftey on one of his 5.5 sacks on the ensuing drive for Frisco. Dennis Gile's lone mistake in the game was a forced pass that was intercepted by DB Kevin Lenford and returned 50 yards for a score. Odessa led at the end of the quarter 50-20.
In the 4th quarter, DB Kevin Lenford added a 47 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. However, QB Tommy Jones entered the game for the Roughnecks and he found WR Sam Griffin for a 13 yard score to close out the game and the season on the Thunder.
WR Don Robinson recorded 8 catches for 98 yards and 3 touchdowns. QB Dennis Gile went 19-for-30 for 195 yards and 5 touchdowns to 3 different receivers. Dixie Wooten finished 11-for-18 for 149 yards and 3 total touchdowns. Frisco WR Jason Deml and WR Daron Lawerence were non-factors through much of the game, however WR Marcus Stiggers did collect 5 catches for 70 yards and 1 touchdown.
Frisco finishes out 2008 on a 5-game losing streak and with a final record of 6-9. Odessa will await the winner of Alaska at CenTex on July 12 to see who they will face in the next round of the playoffs. With a CenTex win, Odessa heads to Louisiana, but with a Alaska win Odessa travels to Corpus Christi.
Further information regarding this or any other topics can be obtained by contacting the Roughnecks front office at (432) 332 - PASS (7277) or by logging onto the Roughnecks brand new website at www.RoughnecksIFL.com.
