Pensacola Lightning vs. Nashville Storm, 2008 Playoffs

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• published: 31 Jul 2013
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Two great teams battling it out for league supremacy. What a game! I found this nugget while reviewing archives on one of my hard drives. Lighting FTW! Pcola Lightning #78 SATURDAY NIGHT, OCTOBER 18, STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL- THE REMATCH- NASHVILLE STORM VS. PENSACOLA LIGHTNING; 3RD ROUND OF NAFL PLAYOFFS THE TEAMS- The undefeated, nationally-ranked Nashville Storm (12-0) take on the Pensacola Lightning (11-1), the defending NAFL South Champions in the 3rd round of the NAFL playoffs. In previous NAFL playoff action, the Nashville Storm defeated the Asheville Grizzlies 47-27 and defeated the Georgia Generals 13-7; the Pensacola Lightning defeated the Port City Monarchs 42-21 and defeated the Georgia Mustangs 17-14 (2OT). THE STAKES- The winner of this game will play the St. Louis Bulldogs on October 25 for the NAFL South Championship (if the Storm is the winner, that game will be played in Nashville at Stratford High School), while the 2008 season will end for the loser. This game has special significance for the Nashville Storm because the Pensacola Lightning defeated the Storm 31-24 in Nashville in the 3rd round of the 2007 NAFL playoffs to dethrone the Storm as Champions of the NAFL South; this game was the last time the Nashville Storm lost a game. THE PLACE- STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL (BUSTER BOGUSKIE STADIUM), 1800 Stratford Avenue, Nashville, TN 37216. THE TIME- Saturday Night, October 18, 2008; Admission gate opens at 6 PM, Kickoff will be at 7 PM. Post game write up: PENSACOLA LIGHTNING'S 2 TD RETURNS OF BLOCKED FIELD GOALS END STORM SEASON- PENSACOLA LIGHTNING 19-NASHVILLE STORM 14- NASHVILLE STORM FINISH 12-1 FOR 2008 The clock struck midnight on the Nashville Storm's 2008 season at Stratford High School on the 3rd Saturday in October (the same day that used to be the annual date of the Tennessee- Alabama game), in a clash between the South's 2 best minor league football programs. It was well known that this COULD happen; the Pensacola Lightning were the defending NAFL South Champions and had ended the Storm's 2007 season with a 31-24 playoff win in Nashville (also on 2007's 3rd Saturday in October). What left everybody who watched Saturday night's Nashville Storm- Pensacola Lightning playoff game going away stunned was the way it DID happen. The Nashville Storm defense remarkably kept a Pensacola Lightning offense that came into the game averaging 37.8 points a game out of the end zone for 4 quarters, while the Storm offense reached the end zone on TD passes from QB Tye Forte (Arkansas State) to Storm WRs Jeremie "Bird" Whittaker (31 yards) and Albert Winn (28 yards). But once in the 1st Quarter and once in the 4th Quarter, the Lightning Field Goal defense unit blocked short Nashville Storm FG attempts AND RETURNED BOTH BLOCKED KICKS FOR TOUCHDOWNS (1st Qtr- 81 yard return by Lightning's Seth Cumbie, 4th Qtr- 92 yard return by Lightning's John Joiner); the 2nd Lightning TD return came with just 3:18 left in the 4th Quarter and turned out to be the winning score in Pensacola's 19-14 victory. The Pensacola Lightning will travel to St Louis, MO to play the St Louis Bulldogs for the NAFL South Championship on Saturday, October 25. The Nashville Storm finish the 2008 season with a W-L record of 12-1. NOTES ON THE GAME: • The Nashville Storm outgained the Pensacola Lightning in total offense 314-196 in Saturday night's game; Storm RB Johnathan "Bama" Carter led the Storm rushers with 14 carries for 97 yards; Storm QB Tye Forte was 17 for 33 passing for 190 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT.Lightning RB Demarcus Blount (North Alabama)was Pensacola's biggest offensive threat, running for 88 yards in 13 carries. • Lightning K Jacob Matlock (Southern Mississippi) hit FGS of 30 and 27 yards for the only points generated by the Lightning offense; Matlock was also unsuccessful on 2 other FG attempts, from 48 and 31 yards. • The Storm defense held Lightning QB Donald Rich (Ouachita Baptist College) to 5 completions in 14 attempts for only 59 yards and intercepted 2 of Rich's passes (one by Michael Curtis and one by Danarius Fowler). Curtis , the first-year Storm S who played at Aaron Academy and Campbellsville University, finished the 2008 season with 6 interceptions, leading the Storm in that category. • Storm S Jonathan "Gurney" Weaver (Solano CC) blocked a Pensacola punt in the 4th Quarter, giving Weaver (the son of former USC/Detroit Lion DE Charlie Weaver) 6 blocked punts for the 2008 season, a Nashville Storm record.