Arena Football League : Cobras Fall to Fast-Starting Drive

The Lakers are not the only Los Angeles team to lose two straight to a team from the Motor City. The Cobras lost their second straight Arena Football League game to the Detroit Drive, 38-14, before 6,861 fans at the Sports Arena Thursday night.

Last week in Detroit, the Drive jumped out to a 27-0 lead and went on to defeat the Cobras, 39-26. In Thursday’s game, Detroit got off to another fast start and outscored the Cobras, 23-0, in the first half.

In Arena Football, offenses are the main attraction, however, and the Cobras’ lack of offense in the first half was decisive. They managed to gain only 37 yards and make only three first downs in the half.

Cobra quarterback Matt Stevens, pressured by Detroit’s defense, completed only 15 of 32 passes for 137 yards and 1 touchdown. Three passes were intercepted.

Detroit took the opening kickoff and scored in four plays on a Rich Ingold pass to Dwayne Dixon for 6 yards. The Cobras took their first possession to Detroit’s 2-yard line before the Drive defense stiffened, stopping three straight Stevens passes.

Detroit capitalized on Stevens’ misfires by striking quickly with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Ingold to George LaFrance.

The Drive continued its dominance in the second quarter, holding the Cobras to minus 8 yards. Detroit scored after a LaFrance interception, on a 13-yard field goal by Novo Bojavic, former St. Louis Cardinals kicker.

Closing out the first-half scoring, Ingold scored on a 3-yard quarterback sneak in the final seconds to send Detroit into a 23-0 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Cobras were able to move the ball better against the Drive defense. The Cobras’ first score came on a 2-yard run by Yepi Pauu. The touchdown was set up by two completions from Stevens to Wade Lockett.

The Drive shot down any hope for a Cobra comeback with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Ingold to Steve Griffin.

To finish the Cobra scoring, Stevens hit Wade Lockett with a 9-yard touchdown pass. However, Detroit answered with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Ingold to LaFrance. Ingold ended the game with 14 pass completions in 27 attempts for 162 yards and 4 touchdowns. After winning three straight, the Cobras have now lost two consecutive games.

“We are not regressing,” said Cobra Coach Ray Willsey, “Detroit is just a good team, and we lost our composure.”

With the loss, the Cobras dropped 2 games behind the Drive in the battle for third place and are just 1 1/8 games up on the New York Knights and New England Steamrollers for the last playoff spot. The Cobras play New England and New York in the next two weeks.