BOSSIER CITY, La. — The Bossier-Shreveport BattleWings forced four turnovers and beat the Arkansas Twisters 64-50 on Saturday at the CenturyTel Center in a game that determined the Arena Football 2 National Conference's Southwest Division champion.
The BattleWings (11-5), who never trailed, won the division for the second consecutive year by beating the Twisters (11-5) for the second time in three games this season.
Phillip Geiggar intercepted two passes, Marvin Byrdsong intercepted another and Rolanda Cola recovered a fumble for Bossier-Shreveport, which earned home field advantage for a first-round playoff game against Rio Grande Valley next Saturday.
The Twisters will face the Boise Burn in the first round either next Friday, Saturday or Sunday in Boise, Idaho.
Playing in front of the thirdlargest crowd in the Bossier-Shreveport's nine-year history, 5,612, the BattleWings' Jason Schule scored three times and became AF2's career rushingleader. He needed 38 yards entering the game to pass former Bossier-Shreveport player Sherard Poteete.
Manwell Talbert and Buchie Ibeh also scored three times each.
The BattleWings won theirseventh consecutive game and for the ninth time in 10 games, while the Twisters had a fourgame winning streak snapped.
The Twisters trailed by two touchdowns for most of the second half but had a chance to take their first lead when Jerry Turner blocked a 31-yard fieldgoal attempt by Art Carmody with about two minutes remaining. Tranaine Jahovah recovered the blocked kick for a safety to pull the Twisters within 56-50. But on the first play after the ensuing kickoff, Byrdsong intercepted a tipped Kyle Rowley pass. Andrico Hines then connected with Talbert for a 13-yard score and the final margin.
Bossier-Shreveport improved to 8-0 in games in which Hines doesn't throw an interception.
Two key first-half stops helped the BattleWings to a 35-21 halftime lead.
Geiggar intercepted Rowley in the end zone midway through the second quarter to end one threat. The BattleWings, already in front 14-7, went ahead 21-7 moments later after Ibeh scored from 4 yards out.
Arkansas' Cameron Kinard returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards for a touchdown, but Schule ran 30 yards for a score on the BattleWings' next offensive play for a 28-14 Bossier-Shreveport lead with three minutes remaining in the half.
Bossier City-Shreveport got another break when former BattleWing Kenny Williams fumbled after a short reception and Cola picked it up. It took just three plays for Hines to find Ibeh for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left in the first half.
That's all the time Rowley needed to pick up his third touchdown pass of the night, hitting Aaron Fairooz from 23 yards out on the final play of the half.
Sports, Pages 37 on 07/26/2009