Xtreme Xplode Hitmen’s Chamber

By David Curtis, Xtreme Team Reporter

Los Angeles - (5 March 2001) -- Wait a minute. What’s this? Los Angeles scores first? LA never trails? The team wins on the final play – of a drive in the second quarter? So it was. When the NY/NJ Hitmen tried pulling the trigger, their efforts blew up in their collective face.

It appeared the Xtreme might be off to yet another sluggish start as the Hitmen moved the ball to LA’s 40 on the game’s opening possession. Then quarterback Wally Richardson committed an unforced turnover while scrambling for 19 yards on second-and-14. Safety Leomont Evans managed a short return to set up Team X at their own 35. Ten plays and five minutes later, tight end Josh Wilcox was in the end zone after receiving a five-yard pass from Tommy Maddox, who overcame pressure on a naked half-roll to find his target. A quarterback draw out of an empty backfield gave LA the point-after and a 7-0 lead.

NY/NJ responded with a ten-play scoring drive of its own, but the Xtreme made it difficult to close the deal. Running back Joe Aska had to convert a fourth-and-one, and Richardson’s subsequent eight-yard touchdown pass to Zola Davis required a ruling that Davis would have come down in-bounds if not for contact.

LA took the lead for good on a 36-yard Jose Cortez field goal with 8:08 remaining in the half. Maddox was nearly intercepted on this possession after a blitz and an improper route left cover man Joey Eloms the only player within ten yards of the pass. Eloms failed to pull it in despite getting both hands on it. The drop was a classic example of losing concentration when a big play looks too easy. A few snaps later, Maddox overshot Jeremaine Copland on what would have been a sure touchdown, perhaps consoling Hitman fans to some extent.

Cortez posted another field goal and missed on a third opportunity before halftime, leaving the score 13-7.

The second half was cream for the Xtreme. A 75-yard touchdown drive, highlighted by Copeland’s 25-yard reception (his long for the season), extended their lead to 19-7 early in the third quarter. NY/NJ eventually chose to punt on a fourth-and-two at the LA 40, allowing Maddox and company to consume more than seven minutes en route to one last field goal. The final blow to the Hitmen’s chances involved a fourth-quarter fumble by Aska, previously their bright spot with 82 yards on ten carries. He surrendered the ball on a ten-yard run after being smacked by safety Ron Carpenter. Linebacker Errick Herrin recovered with nine minutes to go, and the game was essentially over.