The Columbus Lions have defeated the Fayetteville Guard 45-36 in their first-round playoff game at the Columbus Civic Center. Fayetteville scored on a 7-yard pass with :38 second remaining in the game, but the conversion failed and the onside kick attempt allowed the Lions to run out the clock on two short runs by quarterback Todd Spitzer.
-------------------------- Columbus reciever Gerald Gales scored his third touchdown of the night on an 18-yard pass from quarterback Todd Spitzer. Carlos Martinez's extra point and the uno on the ensuing kickoff gave the Lions a 45-30 lead with about 1:30 remaining in the game.
--------------------------- Columbus' defense just stopped the Guard on four consecutive plays on a set of downs that began on the Lions' 4. On first down, running back Wilmont Perry was stopped for a 3-yard loss; on second, Perry was again stopped, this time for a 2-yard loss; third down was wasted on an incomplete pass; and quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen was sacked on fourth.
The Lions lead 37-30 with 3:30 left in the game.
---------------- Columbus kicker Carlos Martinez hit a 23-yard field goal with 9:58 left in the fourth quarter to give the Lions a 37-30 lead.
--------------------- Fayetteville quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen hit Walter Ford with a 21-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-1 play and kicker Brandon Gilbert hit the extra point with 20 seconds left in the third quarter. It cut the Lions lead to 34-30.
Lions linebacker Justin Rivers just stripped the ball from Guard running back Wilmont Perry at the Lions 20 and ran it back 30 yards for a touchdown. Carlos Martinez hit the point-after attempt, putting Columbus ahead 34-23 with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter.
-------------------------- Fayetteville running back Wilmont Perry carried in a 1-yard touchdown and kicker Brandon Gilbert hit the point-after attempt with 10:07 in the third quarter. The Lions lead 27-23.
------------------------- Columbus quarterback Todd Spitzer hit Gerald Gales for a 25-yard touchdown on the Lions' first offensive play of the second half and kicker Carlos Martinez hit the point-after attempt to give the Lions a 27-16 lead with 13:49 left in the third quarter.
--------------------------- The Columbus Lions scored twice in the final minute of the first half to take a 20-16 lead into the break against the Fayetteville Guard.
With 55 seconds remaining in the half, kicker Carlos Martinez hit a 45-yard field goal to cut the Guard's lead to 16-13, and Columbus quarterback Todd Spitzer found Gerald Gales open on the goal line for a 6-yard score with 19 seconds left in the second quarter.
Damian Daniels, who had returned one missed field goal from end zone to end zone already in the quarter, set the Lions up for Gales' touchdown catch with another big field goal return, this one from the end zone down to the Guard 10.
Spitzer has struggled in the first half, going 4-for-12 for 25 yards, all to Joel Babb.
Fayetteville quarterback Shawn Withy-Allen ran in a 1-yard score to open the game and put his team ahead 7-0 with 6:56 left in the first period, and the Guard took a 9-0 lead shortly after when they capitalized on a bad snap to Spitzer for a safety.
Martinez cut the lead to 9-6 with an 18-yard field goal a little less than five minutes into the second quarter and Daniels then returned a missed field goal 50 yards to give Columbus its first lead of the game, 10-9.
Fayetteville retook the lead on a 7-yard Withy-Allen pass before the Lions' 10-point closing minute.
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