MILWAUKEE – Philadelphia quarterback Dan Raudabaugh found Donovan Morgan on a 17-yard touchdown as the Soul (10-3) fought back to defeat the Milwaukee Mustangs (4-8), 69-62, in front of 3,312 fans at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Friday night.
“Milwaukee gave us all we could handle tonight,” said Soul head coach Doug Plank. “But, we also didn’t help ourselves with the mistakes we were making early. I like the way our group hung in there together and battled through the adversity to get our 10th win of the year.”
Raudabaugh, who earned AFL Playmaker of the Game, finished by connecting on 25-of-34 passes for 379 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. Leading the receivers were National Guard MVP and Russell Athletic Offensive Player of the Game, Morgan, who had nine receptions for 153 yards and four touchdowns, while Tiger Jones had eight receptions for 130 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Jeff Hughley added six receptions for 84 yards, one touchdown and a two-point conversion and Larry Brackins had two catches for 12 yards and a touchdown.
National Guard MVP of Week 13, Derrick Ross finished the game with 27 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Leading the way defensively were Joe Goosby and Kent Richardson with 7.5 total tackles each. Rayshaun Kizer added 6.0 total tackles and the game-clinching interception at the end of the game.
The Mustangs opened the scoring when Kelvin Rodgers took the opening kickoff back 58 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. The Soul answered when Ross scored from 11 yards out to even the score at 7-7. Milwaukee’s Andrae Thurman then scored, but Bryan Robinson’s sixth block of the season made the score 13-7. Scores by Philadelphia’s Larry Brackins and Milwaukee’s Jared Jenkins finished the first quarter scoring with the Mustangs leading 20-14.
The Soul got second quarter touchdowns from Ross, Jones and Morgan as both teams put up 21 points in the second quarter. The Mustangs held the halftime lead 41-35.
Third quarter scoring opened when Raudabaugh found Jones to tie the score at 41-41. The Soul defense then stiffened and stopped the Mustangs on downs. Philadelphia capitalized when Morgan scored his second touchdown of the game and gave his team a 47-41 lead. The Mustangs put together a couple of touchdowns from Gino Guidugli and an 24-yard interception return for a touchdown by Marcus Everett for a 55-47 lead at the end of the third.
The Soul defense stepped up lead by the pass rush of Bryan Robinson, Dustin Barno and Brandon Perkins to force a missed field goal and a turnover on downs in the fourth quarter, which proved the be the difference.
The Soul outscored the Mustangs, 22-7, in the final quarter and sealed the 69-62 victory and became the first team in the AFL to reach 10 wins on the season.
The Soul will continue their road trip next Friday when they travel to face the Jacksonville Sharks at 7 p.m. at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. The game will be seen on The Comcast Network (check local listings) Lou Tilley and Tom Goodhines calling the action.
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