LEXINGTON HORSEMEN FALL SHORT IN TITLE QUEST AT SIOUX FALLS

- Sioux Falls touchdown with seven seconds left lifts Storm to third consecutive title.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Third-seeded Lexington fought valiantly with top-seeded and undefeated Sioux Falls Saturday, but the Storm rallied in the game’s final minute to capture United Indoor Football’s United Bowl III 62-59 in Sioux Falls Arena. Sioux Falls extends its winning streak to 38 games, spanning three seasons, en route to its third consecutive UIF Championship.

“Sioux Falls is just a great football team,” Horsemen head coach Mike Zuckerman said. “We told our guys that we had to go out and work as hard as we could and that’s what we did tonight. We gave everything we had and we were just three points short.”

The Horsemen (10-8) led the entire game until a touchdown by Sioux Falls’ (18-0) Leon Hall with 3:23 remaining in the game put the Storm ahead 54-53. Lexington quarterback Eddie Eviston, who threw five touchdown passes in the game, found the end-zone on a 7-yard run with 2:01 left to give the Horsemen a 59-54 advantage. With seven seconds remaining, Sioux Falls’ Casey Veenhof hauled in a 9-yard scoring strike from quarterback Terrance Bryant to put the Storm in front 62-59.

After the ensuing kickoff, Lexington kicker Collin Barber set up for a field goal that was blocked, but a member of the Sioux Falls chain gang touched the ball while it was still live, resulting in a penalty and another opportunity for the Horsemen to knot the score. Barber attempted a 38-yard field goal, but missed the attempt just wide to the right as time ran out.

“That’s the way games like this go sometimes,” Zuckerman said. “I can’t say anything more about our team. They came out, played hard and did everything we asked them to. Sometimes you just come up short. You know every time these two teams meet, it doesn’t matter what the records are, you are going to see a heck of a football game and that’s what we saw tonight.”

The Horsemen were looking to capture their second national championship in franchise history and their first since the 2004 season. Lexington has ended its season by facing Sioux Falls in each of the past four seasons. The Horsemen have competed for the national championship in three of the last four years.

“All you can ask for is the opportunity to get in the playoffs,” Zuckerman said. “We told them that anything could happen. They believed it and that’s why we got to where we were tonight.”

The game marked the final contest in Zuckerman’s tenure as Lexington’s head coach. He resigned July 11, citing a desire to spend time with his two children, Andrew and Emily.

“It was a great run while it lasted and I’ve been very lucky to have some great coaches and some great players,” Zuckerman said. “This is a great organization. [Team owners] Lennie and Vicki [House] have supported me all the way and I really appreciate that. I want to thank the fans for being there and supporting us. Teams don’t get very far unless they have great support and we have had that all along.”

Eviston went 17-of-25 for 183 yards with five touchdown passes. Eviston, in his third game with the Horsemen this season after playing the early part of the 2007 campaign with the Cincinnati Jungle Kats, threw 16 touchdown passes in the playoffs this season. He also rushed four times for 27 yards with a score. Eviston completed touchdown passes to five different receivers in the game.

Kick return specialist William Mulder returned seven kicks for 166 yards with a touchdown.

The Horsemen got on the board early as Mulder snatched down the opening kick-off and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown. After kicker Barber’s extra point, the Horsemen led 7-0 just 10 seconds into the game. On Lexington’s kick to Sioux Falls following the score, the Horsemen’s Earven Flowers was able to record a rouge in the end-zone to extend Lexington’s advantage to 8-0. The Horsemen were able to hold Sioux Falls to a field goal on the Storm’s opening possession, making the score 8-3 Lexington with 9:26 remaining in the first quarter.

It took the Horsemen just three plays to find the end-zone on their first drive from scrimmage. Eviston found wide receiver John Cooper from 19 yards out to put Lexington ahead 15-3 with 7:53 to go in the opening period. The Horsemen defense again came up big on the next Storm possession, holding Sioux Falls to another field goal. Hicks connected on a 19-yarder with 4:24 remaining in the first period to bring the Storm within nine, 15-6. Barber nailed a 47-yard field goal to extend Lexington’s lead to 18-6 to close the opening quarter. The Horsemen scored on each of their first-quarter possessions.

James Jones ran the ball in from 2 yards out to give Sioux Falls its first touchdown of the game and narrow Lexington’s advantage to 18-13 with 13 minutes remaining until intermission. The Horsemen responded as Eviston drilled a 23-yard pass to wide receiver Harry Lewis with 11:41 left in the second quarter to widen Lexington’s margin to 25-13. Jones scored his second touchdown of the game with 5:55 left before halftime, this time finding the end-zone on a 1-yard run to bring the Storm as close as 25-20. With 3:22 remaining in the period, Eviston pitched a 1-yard pass to Jarrod Rouanzoin to put Lexington ahead 31-20.

Bryant completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to Marques Smith to narrow the Horsemen’s edge to 31-27 with just 1:38 left in the second quarter. After a series of penalties and strange plays, Eviston found running back Rayshawn Askew, professional football’s all-time touchdown leader (all levels), for a 21-yard score to send Lexington into the locker room ahead 37-27 after Hicks missed a field goal for Sioux Falls just before the horn sounded.

Out of halftime, Bryant called his own number from 3 yards out to bring the Storm within four, 37-33, with 12:17 left in the third quarter. Wide receiver Chad Spencer hauled in a 13-yard pass from Eviston with 10:19 to go in the third to put the Horsemen ahead by 11, 44-33. After a 3-yard run by Smith with 7:01 left in the period brought Sioux Falls as close as 44-40, Barber nailed a pair of clutch field goals at 43 and 48 yards, respectively to give Lexington a 10-point, 50-40, advantage heading into the final quarter of play.

Casey Veenhof caught a 19-yard pass from Bryant to begin the third quarter as the Storm inched within three, 50-47, with 13:42 remaining in the game. Lexington answered with a 32-yard field goal by Barber with 8:30 left that put the Horsemen ahead 53-47.

Sioux Falls took its first lead of the game at 54-53 when Leon Hall ran the ball in from the 4-yardline with 3:23 left in the game to set up the Storm’s late-game heroics.

Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 - F

Lexington Horsemen (10-8) 18 19 13 9 - 59

Sioux Falls Storm (18-0) 6 21 13 22 - 62

Scoring Summary

LEX – Mulder 50 KO return (Barber kick) … 14:50 1st qtr., LEX 7-0

LEX – Flowers rouge … 14:32 1st qtr., LEX 8-0

SFS – Hicks 20 FG … 9:26 1st qtr., LEX 8-3

LEX – Cooper 19 pass from Eviston (Barber kick) … 7:53 1st qtr., LEX 15-3

SFS – Hicks 19 FG … 4:24 1st qtr., LEX 15-6

LEX – Barber 47 FG … 1:46 1st qtr., LEX 18-6

SFS – Jones 2 run (Hicks kick) … 13:00 2nd qtr., LEX 18-13

LEX – Lewis 23 pass from Eviston (Barber kick) … 11:41 2nd qtr., LEX 25-13

SFS – Jones 1 run (Hicks kick) … 5:55 2nd qtr., LEX 25-20

LEX – Rouanzoin 1 pass from Eviston (Barber kick failed) …3:22 2nd qtr., LEX 31-20

SFS – Smith 9 pass from Bryant (Hicks kick) … 1:38 2nd qtr., LEX 31-27

LEX – Askew 21 pass from Eviston (Barber kick failed) … 0:08 2nd qtr., LEX 37-27

SFS – Bryant 3 run (Veenhof pass intercepted) … 12:17 3rd qtr., LEX 37-33

LEX – Spencer 13 pass from Eviston (Barber kick) … 10:19 3rd qtr., LEX 44-33

SFS – Smith 3 run (Hicks kick) … 7:01 3rd qtr., LEX 44-40

LEX – Barber 43 FG … 4:14 3rd qtr., LEX 47-40

LEX – Barber 48 FG … 1:19 3rd qtr., LEX 50-40

SFS – Veenhof 19 pass from Bryant (Hicks kick) … 13:42 4th qtr., LEX 50-47

LEX – Barber 32 FG … 8:30 4th qtr., LEX 53-47

SFS – Hall 4 run (Hicks kick) … 3:23 4th qtr., SFS 54-53

LEX – Eviston 7 run (Eviston pass failed) … 2:01 4th qtr., LEX 59-54

SFS – Veenhof 9 pass from Bryant (Terry reception) … 0:07 4th qtr., SFS 62-59

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For more information, contact:

Gary Ball (gary@lexingtonhorsemen.com) or Sean Cartell (sean@lexingtonhorsemen.com)

at (859) 422-PASS