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Cobras
sloppy in scrimmage |
Lest anyone
doubt that the Cobras are an expansion team that has practiced together
for less than a week, the team provided plenty of evidence
in its first annual Red-White Scrimmage Saturday in Fayetteville.
Led by QB Jim
Arellanes, who threw two touchdown passes, and FB/LB Alan
Campos, who had two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and
several catches, the White team defeated the Red team by a decidedly low
25-10 score.
The aforementioned
evidence came in the several forms:
-
four interceptions, two by Arellanes
and two by Red team QB Mike Thomas
-
bad snaps on nearly every field
goal and extra point try, including one snap that went out of the end zone
-
three false start penalties
on the Red team
-
six sacks, one of Arellanes
and five of Thomas
The Red team
scored first on their first possession (each team got six possessions in
the first half and four in the second.) A long run by FB/LB Bo
Kelly and a pass to WR/LB Cornelius
White – who had given the Red team the ball with an interception of
a juggled pass – set up Thomas’ scramble into the end zone.
The White
team struck back immediately with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Arellanes
to WR/DB Marlon Estes on the first play of their second possession.
After a 30-yard field goal from Remy
Hamilton on their next possession, the White team moved further out
in front with a long catch and run touchdown to OL/DL Jeremy
Beutler on an end-eligible play.
An exchange
of interceptions, by Alan Campos for the White team and by Jason
Nichols for the Red team, gave the Red team the ball at their own five.
Campos then provided his second interception, returning this one for the
touchdown that iced the game. Another Hamilton field goal, this one
for the Red team, and the safety were the only other scores in the game.
Thomas did
little to give Cobras fans or coaches faith in him as a backup quarterback.
On one possession in the second half, he had three passes batted down,
was sacked once and overthrew OS Jack
Jackson near the end zone. After under throwing an attempt to
FB/LB Toran James on the next possession,
Jackson, who was open down the field, asked a child in the crowd, “Wanna
play quarterback?”
Hamilton missed
seven field goal attempts, though all seven were from 48 yards or longer.
Arellanes, Campos and Beutler all performed admirably however. In
addition to his touchdown catch, Beutler also had a sack and knocked down
a pass. Arellanes was successful at hitting his receivers in the
first half, and the play-calling seemed to shift toward the running game
in the second period.
Despite the
sloppy play, the crowd of about a thousand at the coliseum seemed to enjoy
the game. The biggest cheers came during the player introductions,
when WR/DB Marcus Wall, who played his high school football in Fayetteville,
jogged out onto the field. Wall finished with a sack and two tackles.
The Cobras’
management must have been happy as well, as they proved they could draw
their target audience. The large majority of the crowd consisted
of families and 18-30 year-old males.
Click
here for scrimmage photos.
Quick Bites:
WR/LB Kevin Lee, WR/DB Dexter
Dawson and OL/DL Hunter Adams were injured and did not play.
Not listed on the roster distributed
at the game, and presumably not at training camp, were FB/LB Bobbie Cotten,
OL/DL Damien Jeffries, OL/DL Casey Jones, OL/DL Eric Kerley, OL/DL Bryant
Mix, WR/LB Jeff Thomas and WR/DB Montrell Williams. CobraZone will
place these players under the heading “Not At Camp” on the roster
page.
For those waiting with bated
breath: the Cobras’ dance team is called the Snake Charmers.
The trade for Buffalo backup
QB Jay McDonagh has been invalidated by the league office. McDonagh
is reportedly playing for the Indoor Football League’s Madison Mad Dogs
this season.
FB/LB Mike Dulaney, acquired
in a trade from Albany, is reportedly a exempt player. CobraZone
will place him on the exempt roster.
The roster provided at the game
listed the numbers for the players present. These have been added
to the roster page and the individual players’ pages. Also, according
to the roster, Tommy Johnson, Jason Nichols and Cedric Samuel are now defensive
specialists, and Marrio Grier is an offensive/defensive linemen.
These changes have been made on the roster page as well.
Box Score
White 23 2 - 25
Red 10 0 - 10
First Half
Red - M. Thomas 10 run (Hamilton kick)
White - Estes 45 pass from Arellanes (Hamilton kick)
White - FG Hamilton 30
White - Beutler 35 pass from Arellanes (Hamilton kick)
White - Campos 3 interception return (no kick)
Red - FG Hamilton 33
Second Half
White - Safety (ball fumbled through end zone)
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