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Dispatch

3/4/06

DESTROYERS 65 | DRAGONS 54

Destroyers bust out with big second half

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Joe McDonald
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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NEW YORK — In past weeks, the Destroyers might have lost this game. But after every setback last night, they refused to be denied and responded with a season-best scoring output in a 65-54 win over the New York Dragons in Nassau Coliseum.
After a lackluster first half, the Destroyers clicked for 48 points in the second half.
"It’s more like arena football and I wish we could have done it at home," said quarterback John Kaleo, who had 186 of his 305 passing yards, four of his six touchdown passes and one rushing score in the second half.
"I got into a really nice groove with (offensive specialist) Carl Bond and it was a really good performance overall."
Trailing 31-17 at halftime, Columbus (3-3) came out smoking in the second half with two quick strikes to Bond — touchdowns of 31 and 17 yards — to tie the score.
"(The players) just understood what they were capable of doing," coach Doug Kay said.
"We needed to score and needed to stop, then needed to score and needed to stop. It became a possession game."
With a new ballgame, Columbus went to work trying to forge a precious lead. It happened with 8:85 left in the fourth quarter, when Kaleo ran in the go-ahead score from the 1-yard line to put the Destroyers ahead 51-45.
The Dragons (3-3) blocked the extra-point attempt and converted it into a defensive score to cut their deficit to 51-47. New York quarterback Justin Wood — who threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns with four interceptions in his first Arena Football League start — ran for a touchdown to put the Dragons ahead by three with 3:48 to go.
Not to be denied, on the next drive Kaleo connected again with Bond on a 30-yard touchdown pass to put the Destroyers ahead for good, 58-54.
"We knew how to pull together," said Bond, who had 142 of his 190 receiving yards in the second half with three touchdowns.
"We are a veteran team and we cleaned up the mistakes."
A bit of controversy ensued before all was said and done, though.
It appeared Destroyers defensive lineman Ken Jones knocked the ball out of Wood’s hand for a fumble into the end zone to ice the game. However, it was ruled an incomplete pass.
Destroyers defensive back B.J. Barre then made his second key interception of the game, taking the ball to the New York 4-yard line.
Three plays later, fullback Howard Wells ran it in from the 2 to clinch it.
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