Turnover frenzy powers Iron win

Four giveaways were costly in Mahoning Valley’s 59-39 loss to Milwaukee.

Vindicator sports staff

YOUNGSTOWN — They were as unwelcome as IRS obligations this time of year, but the Mahoning Valley Thunder had to face reality.

Four nasty turnovers were on the books at the Chevrolet Centre Saturday night when the Thunder suffered their first loss at the hands of the Milwaukee Iron, 59-39.

Two fumbles and two interceptions were to blame for stopping Thunder drives in a game in which Mahoning Valley (1-1) never led.

Stopping drives is bad enough, but turnovers that result in points are backbreakers that turn capital gains into capital losses.

“I think we had some individual efforts that were pretty good, but unfortunately, it’s a team game,” Thunder coach Mike Hold said. “Last week, we got more [turnovers] than we gave. This week, we didn’t and those turnovers were crucial.”

The home team appeared to be making progress toward a comeback when Jamar Landrom intercepted a Tyler Donovan pass that gave Mahoning Valley the ball not long after the Thunder pulled within 24-21.

The joy of Landrom’s theft four minutes into the third quarter didn’t last long because quarterback Davon Vinson fumbled and Milwaukee’s Lathavis Miller recovered.

Donovan’s 20-yard pass to Antoine Burns was a big play in the ensuing drive that put the visitors up, 31-21.

“Landrom gets the ball back for us, so all we’ve got to do is score and we’re up,” Hold said. “But it’s a different ballgame and a whole different attitude and different play-calling on their part,” the coach said of the quick change in momentum, starting with Vinson’s second fumble at the 10-minute mark of the third quarter.

“We just can’t turn it over,” Hold repeated.

The Thunder never got closer than 10 points the rest of the game because Lavar Stepter returned a Vinson pass 31 yards for a touchdown.

Mahoning Valley’s quarterback made no excuses for the fumbles or the interception that resulted in six Iron points.

“It was just a bad throw and they made a good play on it,” Vinson said in a professional manner. “I played a bad game is what it boils down to.

“I’ve just got to play better. I feel like, in the first half, we should have scored a couple times and didn’t. I’ve got to step my game up and play a little better so we can win games.”

Although hard work always results in a paycheck in the af2, it doesn’t always produce the desired results.

“We don’t coach turnovers, we don’t plan for turnovers, but we just can’t have them,” Hold said. “What do you do? You quit doing it.

“How do you practice not fumbling? We just can’t do it — not in this league. Teams are too good across the board to give anyone four turnovers.

“That’s four stops and you’ve got to assume that every time they touch the ball they’re going to score; turnovers lead to points.”

As if the 20-point loss wasn’t enough, the Thunder lost Carlos Spinner with a possible broken leg.

“That’s a big hit for us because we put a fullback at noseguard and that’s not our defense,” Hold said of moving Wally Sonnie into Spinner’s slot. “We didn’t have any push in the middle and we couldn’t put any pressure on the quarterback.

“We’re allowing him [Donovan] to make throws and find open receivers. Last week we were forcing the quarterback to put the ball where he didn’t want to — causing some fumbled snaps and things like that. Losing a guy in the middle was tough for us.”

Sonnie’s place at fullback was assumed by tight end Shawn Donaldson.

In the first quarter, receiver George Murray sustained a hamstring injury.

“It’s one thing to turn the ball over four times, but then we lose two key guys. Moving Donaldson to fullback is OK because we’ve been using big fullbacks this season, but then [Mac linebacker] Taz Wallace played through a lot of pain the whole game after he hurt his shoulder.”

Milwaukee coach Gary Compton agreed with Hold on the damage factor of turnovers, but the new franchise had the same fate in its season-opening loss last week.

“They can kill you and that’s what we saw last week [in a 60-38 loss to Iowa].

Against Mahoning Valley, “we were able to put together a game plan and when we were able to capitalize on those we did.

“We put some pressure on Vinson and tried to make him hurry a little and he made some bad reads and we were able to capitalize on those turnovers.”

Did the Iron coach think that holding Mahoning Valley to under 40 points was a guaranteed victory?

“Almost, that’s our goal. We feel that if our defense can hold a team under 40, then our offensive side can put up more numbers than that.”