Fright Night in Greensboro

It was Halloween in July last night as the Carolina Cobras hosted the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks. The Cobras gave the Steelhawks a night of terror as the offense scored seven touchdowns, the defense scored two touchdowns and three safties, and the special teams added to deuces to give the Cobras a 78-9 victory. The only scare for the Cobras was when quarterback, Charles McCullum, went down in the 2nd quarter with a back injury that sidelined him for the night.

Carolina opened the game in dominating fashion. After receiving the opening kickoff, McCullum would find Jordan Jolly for the first touchdown of the game. After a successful PAT by Craig Peterson, the Steelhawks would give the ball back to Carolina on downs. The offense was not able to put the ball in the endzone on this drive but Peterson would add a 39-yard field goal. A miscommunication by Lehigh Valley on the first play on the ensuing drive would lead to a Cedric Poole interception, giving the Cobras the ball on Lehigh's 18. McCullum would strike again on the Cobras next drive, finding Phillip Barnett for a 28-yard score. Peterson would add the PAT and the deuce on the kickoff. Anthony Ellis would take a fumbled snap by the Steelhawks back for a score as time expired in the 1st quarter. 

Peterson ended the 1st quarter with a PAT and started the 2nd with a deuce. After recovering another fumbled snap on the Lehigh 4, McCullum would fumbe the ball back to the Steelhawks. Palmer would break through the offensive line for a safety. McCullum would find Barnett for a 14-yard touchdown on the Cobras drive and Ellis would find pick up another fumble recovery for a touchdown with Peterson adding the PAT after each. The scare of the night for Cobra fans came on the offenses next drive. Lehigh Valley would get after McCullum, causing him to bruise his back and sidelining him for the remainder of the night. Fans would see both Tyrell Goodman and Jordan Jolly share the snaps for the rest of the game. After a pick by Ken Walton, Jolly would throw one of his own. The Steelhawks would also have quarterbacks sharing the snaps for the 2nd half of football. Lehigh kicker, Spencer Hotaling would miss a 38-yard field goal as the first half of football ended with the Cobras leading 46-0.

Jolly would score twice in the third quarter once on a 2-yard quarterback keeper and then on a bulet pass between two defenders to Goodman. The 3rd quarter would also produce the only points of the night for the Steelhawks on a 42-yard touchdown from Derrick Macon to Daryl Boggan. With Hotaling adding the PAT and deuce making the score 62-9 to begin the 4th quarter.

A relatively quiet 4th quarter, fans would see a 24-yard field goal from Peterson and Jolly connecting with Goodman on a touchdown and running another one across from one yard out. A rare missed PAT by Peterson would make the final score 78-9 and giving the Cobras a spot in the playoffs.

The Cobras travel to Massachusetts next week to face the Pirates who are now #1 with the Lions losing to the Mammoths this weekend. Showing that even though the regular season is winding down, the intensity is not.

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