UPSET in North Little Rock; NASHVILLE STORM 23-ARKANSAS RHINOS 20 in Overtime Thriller

The Nashville Storm will next take the field Saturday night, August 26 in Asheville,NC against the Asheville Grizzlies in a rematch of their July 8 NAFL opener in Nashville, which was won by the Storm 43-6.

Photo Courtesy Nashville Storm If any NAFL team had ever had the Nashville Storm's "number", that team was the Arkansas Rhinos, the defending NAFL South Champion and 2005 NAFL playoff Final Four team who, since a 32-7 Storm victory in Nashville early in the 2004 season, had defeated the Storm 4 consecutive times, the most recent being a 24-22 victory over the Storm in the NAFL South Championship Game in 2005. Not only had the Rhinos handed the Storm their only 3 defeats of the 2005 season, but the Storm had never defeated the Rhinos in a game played in the state of Arkansas. That is, until now...

UPSET in North Little Rock; NASHVILLE STORM 23-ARKANSAS RHINOS 20 in Overtime Thriller
The Nashville Storm (7-1,5-0), behind 308 passing yards from QB Phellepe Hall (Maplewood/TSU), including TD passes of 42 and 6 yards to Gary Peete (AF2 Memphis Xplorers), and 3 field goals from Blake Coble (Centennial), including the game-winner in overtime defeated the Arkansas Rhinos(4-2) 23-20 in an overtime thriller in North Little Rock, AR to remain undefeated in NAFL play and take a giant step toward possibly clinching the #1 seed in the NAFL South playoffs.

The Storm took the lead on their first offensive series of the game with Phellepe Hall's 42-yard TD pass to Gary Peete capping a 6-play, 57-yard drive. The lead only lasted a few seconds, however, as Arkansas CB Sam Witcher returned the ensuing Storm kickoff 80 yards for the tying TD, making this the 3rd consecutive game the Storm had surrendered a kickoff return for a TD.

The Storm retook the lead at 10-7 on Blake Coble's 1st FG (a 39-yarder) on the next possession after Hall's 38-yard completion to Roger Moore (Glencliff/Missouri Western) put the Storm in Field Goal range.

The Rhinos retook the lead at 14-10 early in the 2nd Quarter when Arkansas' QB Lawrence Copling capped an 82-yard drive with a 27-yard TD pass to Anthony Lampkin, a score that held up until halftime.

In the second half, the Rhinos threatened to take command of the game early when a shanked Storm punt gave the Rhinos possession of the football at the Storm 21-yard line. However, the Storm defense stiffened, holding Arkansas to a 35-yard Garrett Morgan FG.

The Storm then drove 76 yards to the Rhino 14 on the next possession, where Coble's 2nd FG (a 32-yarder), cut the Rhino lead to 17-13. This lead would hold up until the mid-4th Quarter, when Fred Beard(AF2 Tulsa Talons)of the Storm intercepted a Lawrence Copling pass and returned it 32 yards to the Rhino 19, where the Storm scored in 5 plays capped by Hall's 2nd TD pass of the night to Peete (a 6-yarder) with 4:52 left, giving the Storm a 20-17 lead.

The Rhinos had one last push left in them, however, driving 50 yards in 13 plays to set up a 43-yard FG try for Garrett Morgan with 4 seconds left on the clock. Morgan split the uprights, sending the game into overtime at 20-20.

Fortuitously, the Storm won the coin toss for the OT period and drove 65 yards to the Rhino 15, where Coble's 32-yard FG ended the game with the 23-20 score in favor of the Nashville Storm.

Roger Moore led the Storm receivers with 109 yards on 4 catches while Johnathan "Bama" Carter led the Storm rushers with 55 yards as the Storm outgained the Rhinos in total offense 400-210. Storm DE Lonnie Harris (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) led the Storm defense in his first game against his former Arkansas Rhino teammates with 7 tackles and 2 Tackles for Losses.

GAME SUMMARY
1 2 HALF 3 4 OT FINAL
NASHVILLE STORM 10 0 10 3 7 3 23
ARKANSAS RHINOS 7 7 14 3 3 0 20

NASHVILLE- Gary Peete 42 pass from Phellepe Hall (Coble Kick)- 7:06 1st Qtr
ARKANSAS- Sam Witcher 80 KO return (Morgan kick)-6:53 1st Qtr
NASHVILLE- Blake Coble 39 FG- 2:48 1st Qtr
ARKANSAS- Anthony Lampkin 27 pass from Lawrence Copling (Morgan Kick)- 14:11 2nd Qtr
ARKANSAS- Garrett Morgan 35 FG- 8:21 3rd Qtr
NASHVILLE- Blake Coble 32 FG- 2:42 3rd Qtr
NASHVILLE- Gary Peete 6 pass from Phellepe Hall (Coble kick)-4:52 4th Qtr
ARKANSAS- Garrett Morgan 43 FG - 0:04 4th Qtr
NASHVILLE- Blake Coble 32 FG- 8:42 OT

STATISTICS
Nashville- Arkansas
First Downs 19 - 11
Yds Rushing 92 - 103
Yds Passing 308 - 107
Total Offense 400 - 210
Passes 16-29-1-2 - 14-21-1-1
Turnovers 1 - 1

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