Philadelphia, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) - Matt D'Orazio's 28-yard touchdown pass to Larry Brackins as time expired lifted the Philadelphia Soul over the New York Dragons, 49-48, in the National Conference semifinals.
After taking a 48-43 lead with just 57 seconds left thanks to a two-yard Keron Henry touchdown run, the Dragons kicked off and put the game into the hands of their defense.
First Soul QB Matt D'Orazio found Brackins sitting down in a soft spot for an 11-yard gain, but the team. which had two timeouts remaining, and head coach Bret Munsey were being too nonchalant with the clock.
After D'Orazio hit Chris Jackson for a 14-yard gain, he went for the end zone and Brent Holmes. The receiver was bumped off his pattern, however, and the whistles were silent. An incensed Holmes was called for unsportsmanlike conduct putting the ball back on the Soul 22 with just 7.1 seconds left.
With the season in the balance, D'Orazio found a streaking Brackins in the middle of the field. The 6-foot-4 receiver looked like he was going to come up a yard short but stretched out for the end zone as the gun sounded. The officials raised their arms, indicating touchdown, and the 16,000-plus at the Wachovia Center erupted thinking the Soul had saved their season.
But, the replay still had to be looked out and Dragons employees in the press box were overjoyed thinking the play would be overturned. Instead, referee Bill Athan upheld the call, sending the Soul to the National Conference title game for the first time in their history.
"Both the line judge and the back judge told me they had the runner (Brackins) scoring, breaking the plane in possession of the football," Athan said. "(I) went to the replay monitor, told the replay official what the call on the field was and they gave me four, I believe four shots, four angles. There was no evidence that showed me that (Brackins) had not scored and I could not reverse what was called on the field."
Philadelphia will now face either the Cleveland Gladiators or the Georgia Force in the Wachovia Center on July 12 with a trip to the Arena Bowl in New Orleans on the line.
D'Orazio completed 20-of-32 passes for 258 yards with six TDs and one interception for the top-seeded Soul (14-3). Jackson, the player of the game, had eight receptions for 122 yards and four TDs.
Aaron Garcia connected on 34-of-45 passes for 337 yards with five TDs and one pick for the sixth-seeded Dragons (9-9), who upset No. 3 Dallas last Friday in the wild card round. Kevin Swayne ate up the Soul defense for 14 catches for 166 yards and five scores.
Munsey rolled the dice on the opening kickoff of the second half, calling for an onsides kick. Connor Hughes drilled the ball into the turf and a got a great bounce. After a bobble, Brackins corralled it in stride and returned it to the Dragons 14.
D'Orazio was unable to take advantage. First the Otterbein product overthrew an open Jackson for a TD. On the next play, D'Orazio underthrew Jackson and Billy Parker was there to intercept the ball for New York.
This time, it was Garcia's turn to make a mistake. The 37-year-old former Sacramento State star underthrew Terry Moss on a deep corner pattern and Eddie Moten, who had six interceptions during the regular season, undercut the receiver for a pick.
D'Orazio continued to struggle a bit and leave plays on the field. The QB missed a wide open Jackson for a TD again and overthrew a streaking Holmes. But, he made enough plays to get the Soul to the inside the one. Clifton Smith, an All-ironman selection, did the rest taking it in on a fullback toss play to put the Soul back in front, 30-25, with 6:32 left in the third frame.
The Philadelphia defense did its job on the Dragons next possession. New York held the ball for the rest of the quarter but never found the end zone. New York coach Weylan Harding looked like he was going conservative, settling for a 26-yard Steve Azar field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter. But, the Dragons went for the onsides kick.
It failed and D'Orazio needed just thee plays to find Jackson for a three-yard score that made it a two-possession game, 37-28.
Garcia wasn't flustered by the setback as he took advantage of broken coverage to hit a streaking Swayne down the left sideline for a 25-yard TD cutting Philadelphia's lead to 37-35 with 9 1/2 minutes on the clock.
Sensing a chance to steal things, Harding went for another onsides kick. It came up empty again as Jackson recovered. On the next play, C-Jack caught another TD pass, this one an 11-yarder. Hughes came up empty on the extra point, however, and the Soul had a precarious 43-35 cushion.
Like a heavyweight boxer, standing toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring, Garcia refused to give in and got the Dragons a chance to deadlock things with a five-yard TD toss to Swayne. The Soul's Bryan Save came up with a great pass rush on the two-point try and Garcia forced the ball into the hands of Moten, keeping the Soul on top 43-41 with around 4 1/2 minutes left.
The Dragons went for their third straight onsides kick and Jackson was Johnny-on-the-spot again, hauling in Azar's attempt. This time, the New York defense responded. D'Orazio was flushed out of the pocket and Antonio Ficklin swiped at the ball, forcing a fumble that New York recovered.
Garcia quickly hit Chris Anthony and Moss on back-to-back passes and the Dragons had the ball on the Soul three with less two minutes to go. A one-yard run by Henry took the clock down to the one-minute warning. Coming out of the timeout, Garcia was out of the game and Henry took a direct snap from center for the TD to put New York in front, 48-43, with just 57 seconds on the clock.
The Soul took the opening kickoff and needed just three plays to jump on top. After a quick hitch to Brackins and a fullback dive by Smith, D'Orazio went on top, finding a streaking Jackson, who burned Monty Montgomery, for a 37-yard TD.
The Dragons answered with a methodical drive culminating with a six-yard Garcia strike to Swayne. But, a shaky snap forced Azar to push the PAT right and Philadelphia still led, 7-6, with 6:05 left in the opening quarter.
Facing a third-and-10 form their own five on the next possession, the Soul went back to their security blanket, Jackson. D'Orazio found the All-AFL receiver for a 31-yard gain on a deep crossing pattern. A play later, D'Orazio hooked up with Holmes on a 14-yard corner route to put Philadelphia on top 14-6 with under three minutes to go in the first.
The Soul defense then came up big to record the first stop of the game. Gabe Nyenhuis, who set the franchise record during the regular season with 9 1/2 sacks, broke through the offensive line and sacked Garcia in the end zone. The safety put Philadelphia on top, 16-6, with a chance for more.
The momentum was short-lived, however, as Brackins fumbled on the first play of the ensuing drive, giving the ball right back to the Dragons and the dangerous Garcia. The veteran QB found Swayne, who beat Dee Webb with a double-move and made a brilliant catch down the ride sidelines, for a 27-yard TD on the first play of the second quarter.
Brown helped the Soul get back in the groove with a 37-yard kickoff return but D'Orazio and Company couldn't take take advantage, stalling at the Dragons six. On fourth down D'Orazio threw a quick fade to Jackson but neither player was on the same page and the play had no chance.
Seeing his opening to take the lead, Garcia wasted little time in matriculating the Dragons down the field. But, the Soul defense stiffened inside the five and Garcia was stuffed on a 4th-and-goal play from the one.
Instead of reeling after the big play, the New York defense took advantage of the Soul's poor field position. Henry Taylor matched Nyenhuis with a safety of his own and the Dragons were within a point, 16-15.
This time, Garcia took advantage of his good fortune and hit Swayne for a 14-yard TD with a minute left in the first quarter to give the Dragons their first lead, 22-16.
With time in the half waning, the Soul finally got the offense back on track with a quick, timing throws, the last of which, a seven-yard out pass from D'Orazio to Jackson, see-sawed Philadelphia back in front, 23-22, with 12 seconds remaining until intermission.
Twelve seconds in the AFL is an eternity, however, and Garcia used two quick hitch passes to setup a 44-yard field goal attempt for Azar at the buzzer. The kick was true and New York took a 25-23 advantage into the locker room.
Soul Food: The Soul are in the playoffs for the for the third consecutive season but are the No. 1 seed for the first time in team history...This also marked the first divisional round playoff contest Philadelphia has ever hosted...The Soul also swept the season series against the Dragons, including a 59-30 Week 17 victory at Nassau Coliseum that clinched Philly's first Eastern Division title along with the AFL's best record and the overall top seed in the playoffs...New York fullback Idris Price and backup quarterback Justin Wood are former Soul players.
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