Xplorers Offensive Specialist Kevin Prentiss caught seven touchdown passes and added a kickoff return for a score in the Xplorers’ 83-61 First Round Playoff win over the Louisville Fire at the DeSoto Civic Center Saturday night.  

 

The team’s 83 points broke the af2 record for most points in a post season game and the combined total of 144 points for both teams was also an af2 post season record.      

 

Prentiss’ 7 touchdown receptions, 8 total touchdowns and 48 points are also all new af2 post-season records.  He wound up with 12 catches for 192 yards.  His yardage total was 8 yards shy of the post season record.  Brian Jones threw for 273 yards and 9 touchdowns as Memphis won the rematch of last season’s ArenaCup title game.  The Xplorers outscored the Fire 34-8 in the decisive fourth quarter.

 

The first half was a see-saw of offensive momentum as Prentiss got the ball rolling as he returned the opening kickoff 58 yards for a score.  The Fire scored the next two touchdowns, the second of which came on a leaping interception by LB Laurence Matthews followed by a 7 yard scamper into the endzone.

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Memphis came back with two scores in a row on a Jones 8 yard toss to Prentiss and a 1 yard run by Greg Golden.  Golden’s score was set up by a Louisville fumble on the ensuing kickoff return following the Prentiss TD. 

 

The game was tied at 21 after the first quarter and at 41 at half.  The Xplorers grabbed the advantage with a defensive stop on the Fire’s opening possession of the second half.  Four plays later, they took the lead for good on Jones’ 7 yard pass to Deon Giddens.

 

The Xplorers defense rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter, forcing 3 turnovers and getting a stop on fourth and short early in the quarter when the lead was just 2.

 

Louisville Quarterback Brett Dietz passed for 318 yards and 4 touchdowns.  OS Rob Mager led the Fire receivers with 9 grabs for 137 yards and a touchdown.

 

The win for the Xplorers improves their all-time post season record to 4-1, 3-0 at the DCC.  They travel to Green Bay to face the East Division Champ and number 2 seeded Blizzard Friday at 7:30 at the Resch Center in the American Conference Semifinals.  Florida hosts Manchester in the other semifinal on Saturday.

 

SCORE BY QUARTERS                   1                2                3                4                F

Louisville Fire                                   21              20              12                8               61           

Memphis Xplorers                           21              20              14              28               83

Attendance: 2031

 

LEADERS:

PASSING: JONES (Mem) 19-24-1 273 yds 9 TD; Dietz (Lou) 26-38-0 318 yds 4 TD

RECEIVING: PRENTISS (Mem) 12-192 7 TD;  MAGER (Lou) 9-137 137 yds 1 TD

 

Schutt Offensive Player of the Game:  Kevin Prentiss   MEM

US Army Ironman of the Game:  Terrance Quattlebaum   MEM

ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Deon Giddens   MEM

Cutters Catch of the Game:  Kevin Prentiss  MEM