20120509: Show lose league opener in Kristiansand
AFC Show received the ball to start the game, and on the second offensive play QB Pål Dannevig found WR Magnus Vadla for an 80-yard touchdown pass. The PAT was no good. The Gladiators answered not long after, scoring a touchdown through the running of QB DeShawn Wilkins. The PAT was good, leaving the Kristiansand side with a 7-6 lead.
The lead would shift again early in the 2nd quarter, as AFC Show had a solid drive that ended up in a spectacular 11-yard touchdown run by RB/DB Jorma Bailey. AFC Show went for two-points right after, and RB/QB Sivert Duvsete found TE/LB Darryl Kennon on a pass into the endzone, securing a 14-7 lead that would last through the rest of the 1st half.
The 2nd half saw the Show start with an unsuccessful onside kickoff, with a subsequent score from the Gladiators QB DeShawn Wilkins. The PAT was no good, and Show had a 14-13 lead. The lack of scrimmages and preseason games showed as the 2nd half grew older, as Kristiansand more or less controlled the 3rd and 4th quarter.
It seemed like a question of when rather than if, and sure enough - RB/LB Thor Campe of the Gladiators managed to cross the goalline on a great run in the 4th quarter which gave the Gladiators the lead for the first time since mid-1st quarter. The two-point conversion was no good, and the home team had a well-deserved 19-14 lead.
AFC Show attempted a late comeback, but it all ended in disaster when QB Dannevig ran out behind the endline in his own endzone on a rollout pass, giving the Gladiators a 21-14 lead and the ball back with less than a minute left on the clock. A couple of symbolic Show timeouts could not change the course of the game, and the Kristiansand Gladiators could run out the time and celebrate a victory they had to fight hard to obtain.
The lead would shift again early in the 2nd quarter, as AFC Show had a solid drive that ended up in a spectacular 11-yard touchdown run by RB/DB Jorma Bailey. AFC Show went for two-points right after, and RB/QB Sivert Duvsete found TE/LB Darryl Kennon on a pass into the endzone, securing a 14-7 lead that would last through the rest of the 1st half.
The 2nd half saw the Show start with an unsuccessful onside kickoff, with a subsequent score from the Gladiators QB DeShawn Wilkins. The PAT was no good, and Show had a 14-13 lead. The lack of scrimmages and preseason games showed as the 2nd half grew older, as Kristiansand more or less controlled the 3rd and 4th quarter.
It seemed like a question of when rather than if, and sure enough - RB/LB Thor Campe of the Gladiators managed to cross the goalline on a great run in the 4th quarter which gave the Gladiators the lead for the first time since mid-1st quarter. The two-point conversion was no good, and the home team had a well-deserved 19-14 lead.
AFC Show attempted a late comeback, but it all ended in disaster when QB Dannevig ran out behind the endline in his own endzone on a rollout pass, giving the Gladiators a 21-14 lead and the ball back with less than a minute left on the clock. A couple of symbolic Show timeouts could not change the course of the game, and the Kristiansand Gladiators could run out the time and celebrate a victory they had to fight hard to obtain.
Although it was a disappointing start to the season for AFC Show, it showed the Stavanger team that they can compete in the 1st Division. Granted, the Gladiators were also a 2nd Division team a year ago, but thanks to a massive shopping spree, a great recruiting effort as well as good media work - the Kristiansand Gladiators are clearly a much-improved and highly motivated team.
"Anyone taking them lightly will be in for a rather unpleasant surprise" said AFC Show Head Coach Jarle Magnus Henriksen. He followed up by adding: "We had done a lot of scouting beforehand and knew exactly what we would be facing. That we still lost can be attributed to two things: Our lack of preseason action, and the quality of the Gladiators team".
Show's lineman Jarle Vangsnes suffered a season-ending injury in the game. He will have knee surgery in June, and will be back for the 2013 season. We wish him a speedy recovery!
"Anyone taking them lightly will be in for a rather unpleasant surprise" said AFC Show Head Coach Jarle Magnus Henriksen. He followed up by adding: "We had done a lot of scouting beforehand and knew exactly what we would be facing. That we still lost can be attributed to two things: Our lack of preseason action, and the quality of the Gladiators team".
Show's lineman Jarle Vangsnes suffered a season-ending injury in the game. He will have knee surgery in June, and will be back for the 2013 season. We wish him a speedy recovery!
AFC Show's next game is at home versus the Eidsvoll 1814's at ISS Stadium in Stavanger on the 5th of May.
Travelling with 31 players, AFC Show arrived in Kristiansand Saturday April 28th prepared to take on a much-improved Kristiansand Gladiators. The Gladiators had suffered a loss to the NTNUI Nidaros Domers the previous week and was facing a must-win game. AFC Show came well prepared mentally, but by the time the final whistle blew, the lack of gametime experience was apparent.
Despite a 14-7 halftime lead for the Stavanger team, the Gladiators managed to come back in the 2nd half and turn the game around.
The final result was 21-14, leaving AFC Show with a donut in the win column, while the Gladiators got their first win in the 1st division since 2009.
The final result was 21-14, leaving AFC Show with a donut in the win column, while the Gladiators got their first win in the 1st division since 2009.
Check out the video on the right for some highlights from the game.