MARSHALS DEFEND THEIR TERRITORY

Cincinnati takes first of three with Dayton.
Through the first four games of the season, the Cincinnati Marshals' high-powered offense had been given the task of staying ahead of a defense that ranks in the bottom half of most NIFL categories.
Despite allowing 74 points, those role reversed during an 18-minute stretch Saturday night, propelling Cincinnati to a win in their third straight game and in the first of three contests with the Dayton Warbirds.
After allowing touchdowns on seven straight posessions in the first half, the Marshal defense held Dayton to a field goal over the first 20 minutes of the second half, a stretch that featured a goal line stand, a safety, and an interception.
While the defense was coming alive, the offense struggled, misfiring on consecutive possessions to open the second half and missing opportunities to take over the game.
Cincinnati's second empty possession came on the heels of the goal line stand in which the entire defense stuffed Wardbird running back Keith Brooks to keep Dayton's lead at 53-43. Leaping catches by Rayshawn Askew and Tobias Deans that were ruled out of bounds in the end zone on consecutive plays forced Jesse Obert to attempt a 23-yard field goal that missed the mark.
The defense finally took it upon themselves to break the unprecedented 13-plus minute scoring drought in this 155-point game. Recently acquired rush linebacker Johnell Wyatte stormed through the Dayton line to wrap up Steve Bellisari's feet in the end zone, and with Ian Etheridge taking Bellisari high, the defense had contributed two points with a safety.
The Marshal offense took little time to respond to the defense's effort this time, scoring in one play after a long Askew kick return and a penalty placed the ball at the 2. When Brett Dietz threaded a two-point conversion pass into Tobias Deans, the Marshals had tied the score at 53.
Brett Hamblen's interception three plays into Dayton's next possession gave the Marshals resurgent offense the chance they would need to take the lead. Askew took care of all 20 remaining yards on three runs, including a one-yard plunge to give Cincinnati their first lead since his reception from Dietz in the first quarter put the Marshals ahead 22-21.
Jesse Obert's extra point attempt banged off the left upright, extending a trend of bad snaps and missed kicks that left the Marshals chasing points with two-point conversions throughout the second half.
The importance of that kick was made evident when the Warbirds offense finally got going again again. After Bellisari found Anthony Tyus for a nine-yard touchdown, Tom Sellers' successful point after kick gave the lead back to Dayton at 60-59.
Cincinnati regained the seven-point advantage with a touchdown run and two-point conversion catch by Askew, but the trend renewed itself.
Dayton tied it back up at 67-67 with B. J. Lovett's catch in the corner of the end zone, but Cincinnati went back ahead with another Askew run. Again, Obert's kick was wide, and when Bellisari ducked in from the one, Dayton was back ahead.
Now down 74-73 with just over a minute left in the game, Cincinnati gained control when Ernie Samuels took advantage of a gaping hole to return Sellers' kickoff back to the Warbirds nine. Disaster nearly ruined Cincinnati's chance to take the lead when Brandon Tisdale jarred the ball away from Askew on his second attempt to run down the clock, but the Cincinnati star more than atoned for the near turnover on the Marshals' next play. Dietz lofted a pass to the back of the end zone that Askew temporarily juggled before coming to the ground with the ball for his eighth touchdown of the night and an NIFL record 48 points in a single game.
A laser pass to Jeff Jourdan after a Dietz scramble fixed the Cincinnati advantage back at seven, 81-74.
That left the Cincinnati defense 50 seconds to come up with their first game-ending stop of the year. Aided by a crowd that contibuted to consecutive offside penalties on Dayton's receivers, the Cincinnati secondary came away with three game-winning plays. After Terrell Mingo and Ron Carpenter knocked away second- and third-down passes, Hamblen came away with his second interception of the game, easily taking in Bellisari's desparation pass at the Dayton 20.

UNOFFICIAL BOX SCORE
DAYTON 2921 321-74
CINCINNATI22211028-81
FIRST QUARTER
C- Jourdan 27 pass from Dietz (Obert kick), 13:25.
D- Brooks 1 run (Sellers kick), 10:05.
C- Deans 3 pass from Dietz (Askew pass from Obert), 5:34.
D- Tyus 16 pass from Bellisari (run failed), 4:33.
D- Bellisari 1 run (Lee pass from Bellisari), 2:33.
C- Askew 6 pass from Dietz (Obert kick), 0:34.
D- Cain 22 pass from Bellisari (Bellisari run), 0:00.
SECOND QUARTER
D- Bellisari 1 run (kick failed), 8:18.
C- Askew 4 pass from Dietz (Obert kick), 5:39.
D- Lovett 22 pass from Bellisari (Lovett pass from Bellisari), 3:14.
C- Askew 3 run (Obert kick), 1:30.
D- Brooks 2 run (Sellers kick), 0:18.
C- Deans 14 pass from Dietz (Obert kick), 0:11.
THIRD QUARTER
D- Sellers 31 field goal, 12:56.
C- Safety, Bellisari sacked in end zone by Wyatte, 1:56.
C- Askew 2 run (Deans pass from Dietz), 1:15.
FOURTH QUARTER
C- Askew 1 run (kick failed), 12:46.
D- Tyus 9 pass from Bellisari (Sellers kick), 9:19.
C- Dietz 1 run (Askew pass from Dietz), 7:18.
D- Lovett 12 pass from Bellisari (Sellers kick), 6:11.
C- Askew 2 run (kick failed), 3:43.
D- Bellisari 1 run (Sellers kick), 1:21 C- Askew 8 pass from Dietz (Jourdan pass from Dietz), 0:50.1.

INDIVIDUAL STATS
DAYTON
RUSHING- Brooks 15-79, 2 TDs; Bellisari 10-51, 3 TDs; Pearson 4-22; Tyus 1-3.
PASSING- Bellisari 15-31-2 161, 5 TDs.
RECEIVING- Lee 4-49; Tyus 4-42, 2 TDs; Lovett 4-40, 2 TDs; Cain 1-22, TD; Pearson 1-14; Brooks 1-(-6).
CINCINNATI
RUSHING- Askew 25-98, 5 TDs; Dietz 2-6, TD.
PASSING- Dietz 14-25-1 152, 5 TDs; Obert 0-1-0 0.
RECEIVING- Deans 6-71, 2 TDs; Askew 3-23, 2 TDs; Jourdan 2-39, TD; Fry 2-12; Samuels 1-7.

PREVIEW

DAYTON WARBIRDS (2-1) at
CINCINNATI MARSHALS (2-2)

Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m. at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio

PREVIEW

The battle for Southwest Ohio supremecy kicks off Saturday night as the Dayton Warbirds are the first to have to make the drive down I-75 to take on the Cincinnati Marshals. The rivalry couldn't have come at a better time for the fans, as both teams enter the contest looking to have put things together after some opening-season troubles.
While the Marshals have reversed their 0-2 start, avenging the inaugural game loss to Beaumont last week, the Warbirds struggles extend far beyond their first-game loss to the Drillers. After bolting the National Indoor Football League for the rival United Indoor Football over the winter, the Warbirds were exiled from the UIF a week into their season. Although the NIFL was even further into their schedule, the league rearranged their schedules to welcome the Warbirds back. As if the wait for football wasn't long enough for Dayton, travel difficulties by Beaumont forced the kickoff of their first game to be pushed back to just before midnight.
Since that 48-40 loss, things have gone much better for the Warbirds, picking up win number one against Montgomery and then routing the New Jersey Xtreme, 77-26, last week.
The Warbirds offense is not only built around a pair of Ohio State standouts in quarterback Steve Bellisari and running back Pepe Pearson, but some pretty good depth as well.
Just like Marshals' passer Brett Dietz, Bellisari has taken some time to adjust to the indoor game, completing just over half his passes and enduring a four-interception game to start the year. He has not thrown a pick since then, tossing seven touchdowns.
Pepe Pearson leads the Warbirds in rushing, but with never more than 34 yards in any game, Steve Bellisari's scrambling ability and backup Keith Brooks have emerged as just-as-dangerous ground threats.
Dayton's depth on offense is most evident in their receiving corps, where four players all have seven more catches in three games, with three of those topping 100 yards on the year. Greg Lathan lead the team in catches at 10, Maurice Lee in yards at 125 despite missing a game, and B. J. Lovett in touchdowns with four of his seven catches ending up in the end zone. The Warbirds other receiving threat is former Cincinnati Swarm pass catcher Jon Cain.
The Marshals, on the other hand, have been dominated by a couple of stars.
Rayshawn Askew was the star everyone knew about going into the season, and hasn't disappointed, ranking third in the league in rushing and scoring, and second in all-purpose yards. With one more touchdown run, Askew will reach 100 for his NIFL career.
After last week, Tobias Deans is becoming the new star on the team. With teams working to stop Askew, Deans has been able to stretch the field, surging ahead of Askew for the team-lead in receiving touchdowns last week and placing second in the league with 341 receiving yards.
With the Warbirds no doubt concentrating on Askew at the line and Deans deep, this could be the game that the connection between Hanover teammates Brett Dietz and Jeff Jourdan heats up.
The Dayton defense has put up some gaudy numbers so far, but much of that is the benefit of a less than impressive schedule, particularly last week's game against 0-5 New Jersey.
The Warbirds may lead the league in sacks, including seven from league-leader Ryan Terry, but seven of those came in last week's game. Terry accounted for six of those sacks against the Xtreme.
Likewise, defensive back Arden Banks may be tied with the Marshals' Tim Wilkins for second in the league with four interceptions, but three of those came against the Xtreme.
While the Warbirds' first road trip isn't kind the haul that the Marshals' bus ride to Beaumont was last week, Cincinnati will get the rare advantage of being able to prepare for the Warbirds for a full week for Dayton's first road game. Dayton's previous three opponents all had various cirumstances that may have distracted their focus. They'll have no such luck with the Marshals, and with three games between the two teams in the next month, Cincinnati will need all the time they can get to study the Warbirds.