Arena Football League : Knights Follow Bouncing Ball to Victory Over Cobras

In a bizarre game decided by missed field goals that turned into touchdowns, the Cobras lost to the New York Knights, 40-30, Saturday night before 6,248 at the Sports Arena.

The Cobras’ chance to clinch an Arena Football playoff spot slipped away when they allowed three touchdowns on balls recovered by New York in the Cobras’ end zone.

“It was a crazy game,” Cobra quarterback Matt Stevens said. “The ball just did not fall right for us. We played very well, but the nets just killed us.”

One Cobra victimized by the funny bounces of the ball was receiver/defensive back Gary Mullen. He was involved in all three Cobra giveaway touchdowns.

In the first quarter, a field goal missed by the Knights’ Eric Shubert bounced off the Cobra end zone net, past Mullen and into the grasp of Greg Best to give New York an 8-0 lead.

After the Cobras rallied to take a 30-27 lead early in the fourth quarter, the nets again took over. Schubert missed a field goal that bounced over the head of Mullen, but this time Stan Hunter recovered to give New York a 34-30 lead.

On the ensuing kickoff, Mullen did not need any assistance from the nets. After returning the ball to the Cobra 15-yard line, Mullen was stripped of the ball by a Knight defender. Edwin Lovelady recovered for the New York touchdown that made the score 40-20, clinching the win.

Said Mullen: “I was just trying to make something happen, make the big play, when a guy stripped me of the ball. This game was a nightmare, but I will walk out of here with my head up because things like these happen.”

Another factor in the Cobras’ loss was their inability to control the Knights’ Vince Courville.

Courville, who played for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL, finished with 150 yards total offense on 3 catches and 4 kickoff returns, including a 54-yard return for a touchdown in the first half.

A victory would have clinched a playoff spot for the Cobras (4-6). They still control their own destiny but now face consecutive games against the undefeated first-place Chicago Bruisers.