Blaze 67, Brigade 50

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Blaze (1-9) picked up their first victory of 2008 on Saturday night against the Kansas City Brigade (1-8). Utah’s first win was witnessed by 12,208 fans at EnergySolutions Arena.

“It was great to see our guys fight for four quarters” said Blaze head coach/general manager Danny White. “We came out on the first series of the third quarter and threw an interception, and it could have been real easy for everybody to go in the tank at that point. Everyone just kept playing and stayed up the whole game.”

Offensive Player of the Game honors went to Blaze QB Joe Germaine (6-2, 238, Ohio State) who finished the night 24-of-30 passing for 337 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception. He also recorded a nine-yard touchdown run. Blaze LB Kelvin Morris (6-3, 236, Clemson) was named Defensive Player of the Game after recording 8.0 total tackles and preventing a Brigade two-point conversion in the fourth quarter. DB J”Sharlon Jones (5-8, 188, Colorado State) was named Ironman of the Game after returning six kickoffs for 120 yards and recording 2.0 total tackles.

Kansas City tallied the first score of the evening with a 17-yard touchdown pass from QB D. Bryant (6-2, 205, Duke) to WR Ces’are Manning (6-1, 200, Indianapolis). The Blaze quickly struck back with an eight-yard touchdown strike from Germaine to WR Huey Whittaker (6-5, 228, South Florida). Blaze K Steve Azar (509, 195, Northern Illinois) missed the extra point, but Utah played a solid first quarter stopping Kansas City on downs, recording another touchdown, and forcing a Brigade fumble at the end of the quarter. The first quarter ended with the Blaze on top, 13-7.

Utah outscored Kansas City 20-14 in the second quarter to keep the lead at halftime, 33-21.

The second half started slow for the Blaze with a potential Germaine touchdown pass being intercepted by Brigade DB Travis Coleman (6-1, 195, Hampton) setting Kansas City up for a 31-yard WR Jerel Myers (5-11, 185, LSU) touchdown reception and a missed extra point. Utah answered back with a one-yard touchdown run by FB Kautai Olevao (6-2, 268, Utah) but failed to convert on their two-point conversion. The Blaze held Kansas City to a 58-yard field goal on their next possession and ended the quarter with a nine-yard Germaine touchdown run. The Blaze held on to the lead, 46-30, entering the final quarter of play.

The fourth quarter saw three scores from each team as Utah held off Kansas City, 67-50.