Revolution vex the Venom

By Tonya Swim

Frisco, Texas-
The Amarillo Venom entered the Dr. Pepper Arena with a 4-1 season and a bye week to get healthy. 

The Venom received the ball first and Cashmin Thomas got them started bringing the ball out to their own 16 yard line. 

Nate Davis and company lined up and in 32 seconds, found Xavier Amey and the Venom put the first points of the game on the board. Connor Hollabaugh kicked the ball through the uprights making the score 7-0.

​The Texas Revolutions first possession of the game saw the first penalties, two in fact but didn't stop Quarterback Andrew Jackson from getting the ball up to the Venom six before handing off to Darius Fudge for a touchdown at 11:05 in the first quarter. The possession didn't end there however, as the Venom and Revs went tit for tat with the penalties and the extra point kick was given a take two off of the Venom 23 yard line. The Venom penalty would be assessed on the kickoff, the game is now seven all.

Venom Raymond Johnson took the next kickoff and brought the ball out to their own 14 yard line. The penalty being assessed, Davis took over with the ball on the Venom nine. After a flag on the Revs pushed the ball up to Venom 24, Davis had an incomplete pass then a handoff to Johnson for a pickup of 8 before a fumble and Rev recovery that they turned into a touchdown. A delay of game flag pushed the Rev kicker, Jarod Haynes, 
10 yards but that didn't stop the score going up to 14 for the Revs with 7:21 left in the first quarter.

Johnson again took the kickoff giving the Venom with their next possession at their own 21. A possession of incomplete passes and a fumbled snap left the Venom with a field goal attempt, but it went wide leaving the score Venom 7 Revs 14 with 4:35 left in the first quarter.

 The end of the first quarter saw the Revs with possession starting on their own five yard line. Jackson used a series of passes and handoffs to get the ball up to the Venom 13 when the first quarter ended. Switching sides, Jackson and the Revs continued their tromp down the field with a touchdown pass to finish up at 12:06 in the second quarter. The pat from Haynes was good putting the Revs in a padded 21-7 over the Venom.

In another possession of errors, the kickoff found Johnson, but the ball rolled out of his hands into the endzone for a safety tacking on the one point for the 22-7 score. After much discussion, a compromise was reached, the Revs got to keep their one point, but the Venom kept the ball on their own five yard line. 
Davis found Alex Watson Sr and Johnson in two plays where they got to the Rev three yard line.  Reese threw the Challenge flag in hopes Johnson made the touchdown, but the ruling on the field stood and the Venom continued on the Rev three yard line. On second and goal, Davis found Watson in the endzone. Hollabaugh got the ball through the upright making it a seven point game. Venom 14-Revs-22 with 9:45 left in the half.

Revs took the kickoff up to the Venom 23 where it was stopped by Arealus Lee. Jackson took possession and used four plays before handing off to Fudge for a run into the endzone. The Revs again had padding. Haynes extra point added to that leaving the Venom 14 Revs 29 with 5:34 in the half.

Venom Thomas ran the ball out to their own 23 where Davis made short order of the possession with a 23 yard touchdown pass to Johnson. The pat barely left the ground before it was blocked leaving the score short. Venom 20 Revs 29 with 4:55 left in the half.

Revs took the next kickoff all the way to the house! Touchdown! FLAG!
Against the Revs bringing the ball all the way back to the point of the penalty, the Rev nine yard line.  Jackson used up three minutes of the clock with a series of passes and handoffs to be to the Venom 13. Jackson handed off, but fumbled and the ball rolls into the endzone! A Rev player falls on it, touchdown. Haynes, perfect on the night, did not disappoint. Venom 20 Revs  36 with 1:54 left in the half.

Johnson took the next kickoff and headed to the zone, but was tripped up on the Rev 14. Davis took over and in one play pass to Watson, pushed the score up to Venom 28 Revs 36. In lew of one point, Davis went for a two point conversion pass to Johnson and completed. Venom 28 Revs 36, 1:08 left in the half.

The next kickoff took a discussion on the part of the referees, finally starting Jackson on his own nine yard line. Using his passing game, in three plays found the Revs again adding six to thier score. Haynes stayed perfect and with 39 seconds left in the half, Venom 28 Revs 43.

Thomas took the next kickoff out to the Venom 21 where Davis took over. A Venom penalty put the ball back on the 16 then Davis threw an interception and the Revs took over.

Jackson's first play was an incomplete pass tipped by Thomas then a pass that was stopped on the Venom four by Demario Donnell. The first half ends with an incomplete pass and a score of Venom 28, Revs 43.

Second half started with a bang when the kickoff was fumbled in the endzone by the Revs giving the Venom a touchback. 

Davis took the ball on the Venom five, but on the third play was intercepted giving the ball to the Revs on the Venom three yard line.

Jackson started with a handoff to Fudge, but lost a yard. An incomplete pass then another handoff to Fudge again changed the scoreboard when he pushed into the zone. Venom 28 Revs 50, 11:33 in the third.

Another short kick into Lee gave great position for Davis to start with a touchdown pass to Johnson then a two point conversion pass to Watson bringing the Venom up to 36 with 10:59 in the third.

Revs Joe Adams took the next kickoff to the house, and this time got to keep the points. Haynes remained perfect and with 10:50 left in the third, the quickly building score was Venom 36 Revs 57.

Answering the Revs score, Johnson took the ball to the Venom 14 then Davis used passes to Watson, Amey and Johnson to move the ball down to the Revs 14. Davis scrambles on the next play, but finds Amey in the endzone for a touchdown. Flags flying, touchdown was called back for holding, but the Revs had an illegal contact so the penalties offset and the play was repeated. Davis' pass was incomplete but saw more flags fly. Holding, Venom. Davis sets up for another pass, flags, offsides Revs. The ball on the Revs 19, Davis found Watson on a slant pass then on the next two plays runs in for a touchdown, and those points stuck! Davis tried for the two point conversion, flags, illegal procedure Venom. The ball pushed back to the Rev seven, Davis runs the ball in for the two point conversion. Venom 44 Revs 57 with 4:34 left in the third.

Adams took the kickoff, but the Revs was charged with holding putting the ball back to the Rev seven. Jackson handed to Fudge twice, but had two incomplete passes before being intercepted by Terrious Triplett. 

Starting on the Rev five yard line, Davis runs the ball up to the one, then tries a handoff to Jer'yl Christian for a no gain to end the third quarter.
Davis again runs, but no gain then scrambles, but his pass was incomplete. The Revs got the ball on downs 13:22 in the fourth.

Jackson used up nearly five minutes with incomplete passes, one complete pass to Adams, and three handoffs to Fudge before the ball was turned over on downs at the Venom 7 with 8:39 left in the game.

Davis takes the ball to the Venom 10 with a pass to Amey but an interception by Frankie Solomon Jr gave the Revs a touchback with 7:37 left in the game.

The next six minutes of the game saw both teams turn over the ball in downs on their next possessions. The Revs took over the ball and on their possession with several plays got another touchdown with a pass to Adams. Haynes added to the score and with 21 seconds left in the game the Revs went up to 64, Venom 44.

With this loss the Venom move to 4-2 and the Revs improve to 3-5.

When I asked Venom player Demario Donnell why the team seemed to struggle this game, "We just have to play a full game. We will be fine. Small errors that can easily be fixed. We beat ourself. We will be fine."

You can catch the Venom with the next game at home beginning at 6pm cst.

Nate Davis throws across the middle (Photo by Tonya Swim)