Fort Wayne Freedom

Fusion loses at Quad City

Another heart breaker.
It's amazing how close the Fusion came to producing a decent record for a first-year franchise considering all the injuries and turmoil behind the scenes. Fort Wayne lost four games by six points or less, including tonight's 56-55 loss at Quad City.
Linebacker Derek Brown, perhaps the player who takes losses the hardest on the team, seemed exasperated trying to explain what happened. Again.
"It was frustrating," Brown said of the season and its finale. "It's still frustrating. It hurts to lose. It's never going to be easy. I'm going to think about this all winter now. It'll help me train, but I've got a long time to think about it. I don't know how we always come up one point, two points short. I just don't know.
"I should have ran to the corner."
Brown was talking about his final run on a 2-point conversion that could have given Fort Wayne a lead with seconds to play. He was stopped by at least two defenders at the 1-yard line when he cut inside.
No complaints here for the call to win it.
Is it wrong to say I just wanted it over with?
I think the guys played inspired -- nice to see on the road and in a game that meant pretty much nothing. But after Blayne Baggett scored on a 14-yard scramble, I was rooting for the two-point conversion. And I don't hate the call. Derek Brown looked pretty strong on the ground with his limited carries, so why not?
It's just too bad we all couldn't be looking forward to a quiet offseason.
GM Mike McCaffrey still is trying to round up some local investors to help the team move forward in 2008. Until that happens, everyone will be guessing whether this franchise will be back. Regardless of what the af2 commissioner or McCaffrey says.
And they should.
This community has the right to question everything at this point for as much as it has been burned.
I would be surprised if the Fusion isn't back, considering how badly the af2 likes this market. But we'll see.

• Baggett completed 21 of 29 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns, all to Cesare Manning. Baggett didn't throw an interception. Manning caught 10 balls for 181 yards. Derrick Simmons and Morris Virgil had eight tackles apiece.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Third quarter update at Quad City

Quad City scored on its first possession of the half, and Fort Wayne turned the ball over on downs on its, and the Steamwheelers lead 43-35 at the end of the third quarter.
Fort Wayne had moved to Quad City's 18-yard line when the drive stalled. Blayne Baggett, who had completed most of his passes on the night until then, threw four consecutive incompletions. Jermaine Jackson did drop one, though it would have been a tough catch, stretched wide, off his finger tips. On fourth down, Baggett found extra time by scooting around in the backfield but then wildly hurled the ball across the field and out of bounds. Even if the ball was caught, it would have been for a minimal gain. Coach Eddie Brown went ballistic on the sidelines, kicking the dasher board and then screaming at Baggett when he approached the sidelines.
Quad City added a field goal with less than one minute to play in the half.

• On the last play of the quarter, Fusion guard Stephenol Santos left the field. He appeared to be injured when Shonn Bell grabbed him, held and they did almost a somersault together. Lou Vega came in for Santos.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Halftime update at Quad City

A frantic final minute helped Fort Wayne surge to a one-point lead at halftime, 35-34, in the season finale at Quad City.
The Fusion appeared to be in trouble when it lost a pair of first-half fumbles that Quad City turned into two touchdowns and took a 13-point lead with one minute left in the half.
But the Steamwheelers, who already have clinched a playoff berth, tried an onside kick. Fort Wayne recovered and had the ball on Quad City's 5-yard line. On the Fusion's first play, linebacker Derek Brown rushed in for a touchdown. Brown hasn't had much experience on offense this season, though he did get some reps at receiver. But this was the first time he'd spent time in the backfield that I'd seen, and he got a toss and headed into the right corner of the end zone untouched.
Then the Fusion opted for an onside kick. Nate Williams got his hands on the ball and tipped it around a bit before Brown dove to the turf and recovered the ball. Blayne Baggett's 30-yard pass to Cesare Manning got Fort Wayne to Quad City's 1-yard line. Baggett wound up using a quarterback sneak on the half's final play for a touchdown. Kyle Hooper's extra point officially erased the deficit.
Coach Eddie Brown was as emotional as I've seen him -- in a positive way. He was pumping his fist after Baggett got in for the TD and added some more after Hooper's extra point.

• Joe Johnsonbaugh lost a fumble in the second quarter that Quad City recovered. I've talked before about my lack of comfort with Johnsonbaugh getting the ball, so it wasn't a shock to see it pop out.
• It was interesting to watch Eddie Brown after Baggett fumbled a snap in the first quarter. He initially threw his arms out in frustration, but I didn't see him say a word to Baggett. That's a first.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

First quarter update at Quad City

Cesare Manning caught a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes, but the Fusion still trails at Quad City, 20-14 at the end of the first quarter.
On the third play of the game, quarterback Blayne Baggett connected with Manning for a 24-yard touchdown. Manning beat Kevin Adams by a step in the right corner of the end zone. Later in the quarter, Baggett was on-target to Manning in the left corner after Manning beat Sidney Lewis for a 19-yard score.
But Baggett had another mistake, fumbling a snap inside the red zone that was recovered by Quad City.

• Quad City announced before the game that its quarterback, Matt Pike, is retiring after the season. Pike, a Fort Wayne native and Purdue graduate, and has played in the af2 for seven years, according to the PA announcer.
• Derek Brown solidified backup quarterback Joe Micco's apparent dismissal: he was wearing Micco's No. 12 jersey.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Fusion at Quad City

As I write this, it's about an hour before game time here in Moline, Ill. The fans are just filing in while the Fusion is warming up. It's weird because there's no music playing at all, so it's super quiet in here. But the team is going through it's normal drills. All the regulars are active, though there is no backup quarterback. Dean Jackson, who does the radio broadcasts, told me that the team cut Joe Micco. That appears to be the only roster move since the last game.

• I was hoping general manager Mike McCaffrey would make the trip so I could get an update for you on the ownership situation. But he's still in Fort Wayne, so that will have to wait a bit. I did have contact with him briefly today, and he said he's still hoping an announcement will be made soon. I will have player reaction on this crazy season in Friday's paper.
• Be sure to check back. I will be filing blogs throughout the game.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Third-quarter update vs. Wilkes-Barre

Cesare Manning's fourth touchdown catch of the game gave Fort Wayne a 41-34 lead, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has the ball near midfield as the quarter ended.
The last 30 seconds of the half were not kind to the Fusion defense as two linemen left the game due to apparent injuries. Ken West collided hard with a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton receiver, and A.J. Lindsay appeared to be favoring his right knee. Randy Degg and Lou Vega entered the game to fill the holes.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Halftime update vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

The Fusion leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at halftime, 27-20, and has been playing pretty well. Fort Wayne missed a couple of opportunities late in the half, though, that could be costly.
Fort Wayne led by 13 and had Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's offense in a tight spot with fourth-and-2 on the 11-yard line. But Pioneers quarterback Ryan Vena threw a touchdown on the down with 1 minute to play. Wilkes-Barre missed the extra point, matching Fort Wayne kicker Kyle Hooper's miss earlier in the half.
The Fusion offense couldn't capitalize on its final drive of the half. Blayne Baggett moved the team to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's 12-yard line with 27 seconds remaining. Terrel White ran for about 5 yards on the next play, but Stephenol Santos was called for holding. So instead of being inside the 10-yard line, Fort Wayne moved back to the 22, killing the drive.
Hooper missed a field goal at the end of the half.

• It's not particularly surprising the Fusion has been able to score against Wilkes-Barre, but Fort Wayne's defense has done a great job against the Pioneers' high-powered offense. Derek Brown and Nate Williams have interceptions, and Fort Wayne has been getting pretty good pressure. A.J. Lindsay has one sack. But Wilkes-Barre/Scranton gets the ball to start the second half and a score then wipes out the lead.
• Baggett has completed 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns. Cesare Manning has four catches for 79 yards and two touchdowns, including a pretty 45-yarder in which he toasted his defender.
• A random note: Manning has black socks on. I wonder if that's going to be some kind of fine -- the Fusion wear purple socks.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

First-quarter update vs. Wilkes-Barre

The game is tied at 14 after the first quarter. Fort Wayne safety Nate Williams just got an interception, apparantly taking the ball out of a Wilkes-Barre receiver's hands, to give the ball back to the Fusion offense.

• Another new guy this week, Darian Tate on the defensive line. Ernest Bentz practiced Thursday with Ken West and A.J. Lindsay, so Tate must have been a late addition. Bentz isn't playing tonight.
• Wilkes-Barre quarterback Ryan Vena looks like a linebacker. He's a big guy without pads. But he appears to have extra support, especially on his back, and it makes him look huge (and awkward).

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Third quarter update

Neither team scored in the third quarter, so Fort Wayne still leads 24-19.

• Blayne Baggett re-entered the game at quarterback for the Fusion on its second series of the quarter. Joe Micco, whose touchdown pass late in the first half gave Fort Wayne the lead, went four-and-out on his first series in the third quarter. Baggett came back in and moved the offense 15 yards before it had to attempt a long field goal.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Halftime update

Fort Wayne scored a touchdown with 9 seconds left in the half to take a 24-19 lead -- and it was thrown by backup quarterback Joe Micco.
Starter Blayne Baggett got yanked earlier in the quarter after throwing an interception. As soon as he threw it, I was watching him and coach Eddie Brown closely on the sidelines. Baggett headed straight for the tunnel and appeared ready to get some kind of spray on his hand. Brown said something brief to Baggett -- I'm guessing something along the lines of "You're done" -- and Baggett appeared to say the ball slipped out of his hands. Brown obviously didn't care.
Micco was in the next series. He had great field position after Morris Virgil returned the kickoff about 30 yards, setting up the Fusion at Cincinnati's 17-yard line. Micco threw an incompletion on his first pass in the end zone, but then he hit Mario Pratcher for a short completion. He followed with an 18-yard touchdown to Jonathan Graham in the back of the end zone.
Besides the interception, Baggett also lost a fumble in the end zone that Cincinnati recovered for a touchdown. He also didn't look very sharp throwing the ball, often being late on passes. He didn't have great protection -- Lou Vega has been so-so at tight end -- but even when protection was solid, Baggett seemed to be a bit hesitant.
Baggett completed 7 of 19 passes for 78 yards and threw two touchdowns. Micco completed two of his four passes for 22 yards and a touchdown.

• Maybe Aaron Marshall didn't lead Cincy to any victories, but he certainly can't be any worse than the quarterback they have playing tonight, Patrick Josten. Josten has looked really bad on the majority of his throws -- as in not even in the vicinity of his receivers. And yet, he stood in the pocket and took a big-time hit by Tyus Jackson and delivered perhaps his best ball of the half for a touchdown.
• Virgil, who returned a kickoff for a touchdown last week, has really given the team a spark. He's been steady fielding balls off the net, and he's exciting to watch once the ball is in his hands. On one return, he stopped in his tracks to avoid a defender near the sideline and followed that by ducking under another charging defensive player. Pretty shifty and speedy guy.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette