Soul win on final play

PHILADELPHIA (June 3, 2011)  – In a game dominated by defensive play, the offense of the Philadelphia Soul (5-7) prevailed with a four-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Donovan Morgan on the final play of the game to give the Soul a 39-37 victory over the Milwaukee Mustangs (3-8) in front of 7,681 fans at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday night.

“It’s not exactly how we drew it up, but it was a special play by the guys who freelanced and found a way for us to win the game,” said Soul head coach Mike Hohensee.  “It is our first back-to-back wins of the season and we did it by battling hard and never giving up.  Our defense played tremendous, our offense plugged away, and we did what we had to do to win.”

Soul quarterback Ryan Vena heated up as the game progressed, completing 19-of-31 passes (61.3%) for 214 yards and five touchdowns by game’s end.  Morgan, an Offensive Player of the Year candidate, caught seven of those passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns, earning him National Guard MVP and Offensive Player of the Game honors.  Receiver Syvelle Newton contributed with 72 yards and a touchdown on seven catches.

The first quarter was controlled by both defenses, with two interceptions by the Mustangs and one by the Soul’s Brandon Perkins, who earned Defensive Player of the Game honors.  The teams were held scoreless in the first, a feat that has occurred twice in Soul franchise history, most recently taking place on April 23, 2007 at the Columbus Destroyers.

The Soul lit the scoreboard first when Perkins raced to the end zone to recover a fumble lost by Milwaukee quarterback RJ Archer, at 12:13 in the second quarter.  The Mustangs fired back at 6:51 with a 25-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Damian Harrell, tying the game at 7-7.  In the final minute, Newton added a 13-yard touchdown reception, while the Mustangs capitalized on a field goal.

The 14-10 Soul halftime lead, and 24 point total, set a Soul franchise record for the least points scored in a first half by both teams.  The previous record was set in the Soul’s first ever game on February 8, 2004, where the Soul led the VooDoo 14-13, a total of 27 points.

Soul wide receiver Larry Brackins hauled in a five-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, while Mustangs fullback Mykel Benson, Playmaker of the Game, reached the end zone twice, on carries of one and two yards, to give Milwaukee a 23-20 lead heading into the final quarter.

The teams traded touchdowns, with two Mustang carries, of three yards by wide receiver Marcus Everett and four yards by Benson, while Morgan caught fire, with receptions of 20, 43, and four yards, which solidified a victory for the Soul on the final play.

The largest score differential in the game was seven points, which took place on the first Soul touchdown.  The Soul avenged their last-second 51-49 loss to the Mustangs, which took place in Week 4 at Milwaukee, and have now won two straight games.

Next week, the Soul travel west to take on the defending champion Spokane Shock (4-7) at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena on Friday, June 10.  Coverage of the game begins at 8 p.m. (EST) on the NFL Network.