Soul's skid hits five in a row

By Michael Rushton
Phanatic Magazine

Philadelphia, PA - It seems like a long time ago that the Soul were undefeated to start the season. Now the club isn’t even above .500.

Quarterback Juston Wood turned the ball over four times, and the Soul defense failed to come up with a big stop at the game’s conclusion as the club fell to the Kansas City Brigade, 53-41. The loss was Philadelphia’s fifth in a row, dropping the franchise to 4-5 on the season.

However, this isn’t the same club that started the season with four straight wins. Quarterback Tony Graziani, defensive back Mike Brown and wide outs Larry Brackins and Sean Scott were among several players who missed the game due to injury.

Graziani has missed the club’s last three games now due to a shoulder injury.

“We are injury laden,” said majority owner Jon Bon Jovi. “Until Mike Brown is back on that field, until Tony is back on that field, Sean Scott is back on that field…no one in there is giving up hope. The coaches have not given up hope, I have not given up hope, but we have got to get healthy.”

Head coach Bret Munsey refused to blame injury, however.

“That’s part of the business,” said Munsey. “You’re going to get injuries in professional football. It’s my job to find 20 men that can go out and win games for the Philadelphia Soul. We’re not doing that right now. We can’t use that as an excuse.”

After allowing 33 first-half points, the Soul defense turned in a better second-half performance until the end. The defense came up with a big third down stop early in the second half, and later forced a fumble at their own goal line to will the Soul back into the game.

The forced fumble by Idris Price came right after Wood himself fumbled the ball away at his own five trailing 33-20. The offense showed its appreciation in the form of a 24-yard touchdown catch by J.J. McKelvey, who shed a few tackles while sprinting up the right side to get Philly within 33-27 late in the third in what was the lone score of the frame.

The defense couldn’t work its magic again, however, as the Brigade’s Charles Frederick converted a short run into a TD early in the fourth to extend Kansas City’s lead to 39-27, as Clay Rush missed his third kick of the game.

Needing to respond, the Soul did just that as Wood found Jerrian James streaking across the end zone with 11:25 left in the game for the score and a five-point deficit. However, the Brigade answered with a 15-yard TD catch by Boo Williams for a 46-34 edge with nine minutes to play.

Philadelphia answered, as Wood hit Charles Pauley on two big passes before completing the drive with a scoring pass to McKelvey to again pull the Soul to within five.

Wood, who finished 19-of-28 throwing with 238 yards and five touchdown passes in addition to two interceptions and a pair of fumbles, had chemistry with Pauley, who hauled in nine passes for 147 yards with two scores.

The Soul defense forced a third down inside their own 10 and came up with a big stop on the down to put Kansas City into a 4th-and-2 situation with under a minute to play. However, the club failed to come up with one more big stop, as Raymond Philyaw found Williams in the end zone from seven-yards out to ice the game.

Any comeback hopes died on Woods’ en suing fumble on the Soul’s next possession. Wood did not blame injuries after the game, but instead took responsibility himself.

“You can’t have two fumbles and two interceptions in any league, it’s going to put your team in a bad position,” Wood said.

The game got off to a bad start for Wood and the Soul, as Wood was intercepted on an overthrown ball on the game’s first drive. The Brigade countered with a seven-yard touchdown catch by Williams from Philyaw for a 7-0 early lead.

Wood redeemed himself on the next drive, as he scampered for a 10-yard scoring run -- taking a shot in the end zone that resulted in a penalty call on Kansas City -- less than two minutes later. Todd France’s kick after the score was no good, resulting in a 7-6 deficit.

The inability to stop the Brigade harmed the Soul next time out, as an illegal defense call extended Kansas city’s drive. Given new life, KC marched down the field and took a 14-6 advantage after a one-yard TD run by Frederick.

Things continued to go the Brigade’s way, as Price failed to punch the ball in from one-yard out on fourth down late in the first quarter. However, after again failing to stop KC on third down, the Soul defense grabbed some momentum back.

Philyaw hit Williams on a pass before the wide out ran into a wall of Philly defenders, and Brian Mance jarred the ball loose to give the Soul possession. On the very next play, Wood found Pauley streaking down the left side for a 40-yard scoring pass to make it 14-13 early in the second.

The two clubs then traded scores, with Rush failing on his point-after try, allowing the Soul to even things up at 20-20 with 6:09 left until the half.

The Brigade then went ahead by seven after a four-yard TD catch by Jerel Myers, and Wood was intercepted on Philadelphia’s next possession. The turnover proved costly, as KC took a 33-20 edge into the break after a nine-yard scoring pass by Philyaw to Frederick with just three ticks left, with Rush again missing the kick.

Philyaw threw six touchdown passes for KC, whole Frederick hauled in two of them in addition to running for a pair.

The Soul will next be in action next Monday when they host the New York Dragons.