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Thunder rallies to win season opener
Thunder vs Albany at the Chevy Centre
Gallery
Mahoning Valley’s defense played a huge role, and Davon Vinson threw four touchdown passes.
YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning Valley Thunder came from 11 points down to beat the Albany Firebirds, 44-34, before a season-opening crowd of 3,713 at the Chevy Centre on Friday night.
Mahoning Valley’s defense played a huge role in the comeback to win its third straight season opener.
“It was a gutsy effort all the way across the board,” said Thunder coach Mike Hold. “It was ugly, but it was a win. I told our guys in the locker room that it’s a heck of a lot more fun to correct your mistakes with a ‘W’ than it is with a loss.”
The Thunder’s first touchdown came on the game’s first drive, culminating a 39-yard drive with Quorey Payne catching Davon Vinson’s pass from 9-yards out at 8:55. Derek Schorejs’ point-after attempt hit the left upright.
Albany tied the game on Stephen Wasil’s 10-yard TD pass to Christian Wise at 3:55 and the Firebirds went up, 7-6, when Brian Umstead’s extra-point succeeded.
Mahoning Valley appeared to be headed for its second score when Vinson scrambled to the right corner of the field and attempted to run over an Albany tackler when the Thunder quarterback fumbled.
The Firebirds got possession at its 5-yard line and ran out the clock to end the first quarter with a one-point lead.
Albany scored on the first play of the second quarter when Wasil threw to Mike Wall who was just a shade ahead of defensive back Jamar Landrom when the Firebirds receiver hauled in the pass as he reached the end zone with 14:07 left. The Wasil-to-Wall pass covered 38 yards.
The Thunder came right back to knot the score at 13-all following a 23-yard drive. Payne’s 27-yard kickoff return set up the tally, a 5-yard pass to George Murray at 12:21.
Mahoning Valley got excellent field position when it held Albany at the Firebirds’ 5-yard line. However the Thunder failed to get the short yardage TD.
Albany went on another march, helped by Wasil’s 33-yard pass to Anthony Rodriguez to the Thunder 4. However, the Firebirds fumbled at the 1-yard line and Frashon McGee recovered.
Mahoning Valley took advantage of the turnover and scored at 3:03 when Vinson hit Payne at the Thunder’s 15-yard line, but the receiver spun after the reception and had clear sailing to the end zone for a touchdown. Schorejs’ kick put Mahoning Valley up, 20-13. The pass play covered 42 of the 49-yard drive.
Albany tied the game just before halftime after recovering a fumble at the Thunder 1. Backup quarterback Adam Bednarik made the 1-yard plunge with 10 seconds on the clock. Umstead’s PAT pulled the visitors even, 20-20.
Similar to an NBA game where an eternity is rolled into seconds, Mahoning Valley squeezed three points out of its offense when Schorejs converted a 26-yard field goal as time ran out.
Vinson passes to Chris Schubert and Payne helped put Mahoning Valley on Albany’s side of the field. The 12-yard reception was Schubert’s first in competition as a pro.
The Firebirds made good use of their coin-toss win/deferral when Albany’s 45-yard drive to open the second half resulted in Bednarik’s 9-yard TD pass to Rodriguez at 8:05 of the third quarter for a 27-23 advantage.
Mahoning Valley blew an opportunity to go ahead after advancing to Albany’s 1-yard line before being shut out of the end zone. A pair of runs by Vinson and two incomplete passes were the culprits.
The third quarter ended with Albany ahead 27-23.
Albany marched all but one yard of the entire distance of the field for another TD that gave the Firebirds a 34-23 lead with 11:11 left.
A 7-yard pass play from Bednarik to Alvin Ray Jackson and Ustead’s PAT accounted for the seven points.
Mahoning Valley came back with seven of its own when Schubert caught a 4-yard TD pass from Vinson at 7:27 after the Thunder marched 30 yards. Schorejs pulled the home team within 34-30.
Mahoning Valley got a break when Taz Wallace sacked Bednarik and forced a fumble while Brandon Taylor recovered at Albany’s 4. Vinson studder-stepped over the goal line and Schorejs’ PAT put the Thunder ahead, 37-34, at 3:26.
On the ensuing kickoff, Payne’s tackle of Kenneth Williams on the return put the Firebirds deep in their own territory at the 6. As time ticked down, Bednarik tried to throw long, but he overthrow. On 3rd-and-7, the Thunder caused a fumble and Taylor recovered at the 10 and trotted into the end zone untouched at 0:49 for a 44-34 lead.
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Albany71377—34
Thunder617021—44
First Quarter
MVT—Quorey Payne 9 pass from Davon Vinson (kick failed), 9:25
ALB—Christian Wise 10 pass from Stephen Wasil (Brian Umstead kick), 4:20
Second Quarter
ALB—Mike Wall 38 pass from Adam Bednarik (kick blocked), 14:20
MVT—George Murray 5 pass from Vinson (Derek Schorejs kick), 12:21
MVT—Payne 42 pass from Vinson (Schorejs kick), 3:03
ALB—Bednarik 1 run (Umstead kick), 0:10
MVT—FG Schorejs 26, 0:00
Third Quarter
ALB—A. Rodriguez 9 pass from Bednarik (Umstead kick), 8:33
Fourth Quarter
ALB—A.R. Jackson 7 pass from Bednarik (Umstead kick), 12:00
MVT—Chris Schubert 4 pass from Vinson (Schorejs kick), 8:10
MVT—Vinson 4 run (Schorejs kick), 4:00
MVT—Brandon Taylor 10 fumble return (Schorejs kick), 0:49
ALBMVT
First downs1617
Rushing5-813-66
Passing251182
Comp-Att-Int24-40-218-26-0
Fumbles7-44-3
Penalties6-364-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Albany, Norman Bauer 1-3, Adam Bednarik 3-3, Rob Wright 1-2; Thunder, Davon Vinson 9-26, Brenton Brady 2-21, Chris Schubert 2-19.
PASSING—Albany, Adam Bednarik 35-19-2-217, Stephen Wasil 5-5-0-65; Thunder, Davon Vinson 26-18-0-190.
RECEIVING—Albany, A. Rodriguez 11-88, Christian Wise 8-128, Mike Wall 4-59, A.R. Jackson 1-7; Thunder, Quorey Payne 8-99, George Murray 7-71, Chris Schubert 2-16, Rob Carey 1-4.