Rush shutout Venom in preseason opener
By Paul T. Zeien Jr.BooneCountySports.com
May 19, 2008
In 2007 the Roscoe Rush finished the season at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex against the Milwaukee Venom in a narrow 17-14 victory. In 2008 the Rush would begin their season with a decisive 27-0 victory at the same venue.
The air was crisp and a perfect night for a football game both teams were pumped at starting the season. The Rush would receive the opening kickoff from the Venom and the excitement would begin. #10, Justin Opengo was back to receive the kick the Venom placed the ball right in Opengo’s hands. Next stop was the Venom end zone. Opengo in his normal exciting fashion takes the opening kick-off and sprints 75 yards for a touchdown. With only a few seconds off the clock the Rush draws first blood. #26, KC Goad attempts the PAT and it is good giving the Rush a 7-0 lead. The Venom would not be as fortunate as the Rush and would see their first series of the game end in a punting situation.
The Rush would control the game until 6:07 remaining in the 1st quarter when they would turn the ball over to the Venom on downs. This gave the Venom 1st and 10 on their own 49 yard line. The Venom would begin to push the ball down the field and chew up the clock. As the 1st quarter ticks to an end the Venom had strongly pushed into the red zone. The score at the end of one was Rush 7, Venom 0.
The 2nd quarter would begin with the Rush defense holding the Venom from scoring a touchdown and attempting one of several missed field goals of the night. The kick would be way short and picked up by #20, Deejay Spencer of the Rush and banged out to the 29 yard line for a 1st and 10 Rush. The Rush would march the ball down to the 13 yard line and attempt their first field goal of the night. At 4:52 left in the 2nd, Goad attempts a field goal from the 13 and is just wide right. The Venom takes over on downs on the 13 yard line.
There was 1:52 left in the first half of play when #23, Mike Goodwin of the Rush picks of the Venom pass and runs the ball to the Venom 25 yard line. The Rush would capitalize on this turnover at 1:05 when #14, Jason Hufford connects with Opengo on a 20 yard pass play for the touchdown. Opengo heading for the right corner of the end zone battles a defender catches the ball and dives in for the score. Goad in for the PAT it was good but there was a flag on the play. The flag forced a re-kick which would go wide but the score was now Rush 13, Venom 0.
The excitement continued when outstanding lineman #91, Wendell McClain for the Rush intercepts another Venom pass and crashes his way to the Venom 2 yard line. The Venom then gets called for a pass interference that puts the ball on their own 1 yard line. The Rush gets a flag for holding dropping them back to the Venom 11 yard line. Goad attempts a field goal and just misses. The first half of play comes to an end with the score Rush 13, Venom 0.
The halftime crowd was treated to dance routines from the Venom and the Rush. The Rush is pleased to announce their dance team for the 2008 season and look forward to many exciting routines throughout the season.
The 3rd quarter would see the Venom back to receive the kick-off. They would return the ball to their own 38 yard line. Two plays later #23, Goodwin of the Rush does it again by scooping up the ball from a Venom fumble and sprints 30 yards to the end zone. Goad was right on with the PAT and the score was Rush 20, Venom 0.
The Venom seemed to pick up the intensity in the 3rd quarter and pushed the Rush back to their own 30 yard line. They forced the Rush to punt giving the Venom 1st and 10 at mid field. The Venom would pound the ball down to the Rush 35 yard line and attempt another field goal. It would be way short and Roscoe’s Spencer would catch the ball and force his way to the Venom 46 yard line. A holding penalty would drop the Rush back 10 yards.
With :08 seconds on the clock for the 3rd, #19 Melvin Lipscomb of the Rush intercepts another Venom pass and his brought down on the Venom 35 yard line. This would end the 3rd quarter with the Rush leading the Venom 20-0.
With the Rush in good field position on the Venom 35 yard line #16, Joe Cotton connects with Opengo with a 35 yard touchdown pass. Cotton replaced Hufford at QB for the Rush. Goad would be good with the PAT and the score would now be Rush 27, Venom 0.
The Venom fielded the kick-off and ran the ball almost to the end zone on the Rush kick-off team. However, an illegal block in the back penalty on the Venom squashes that opportunity. They are backed up and 1st and 10 on the 45 yard line. The Venom pound onward trying to get their first score of the game but the Rush defense holds tough. The Venom is forced to try another field goal this time from the 25 yard line. The kick was short again and Spencer was there to take the ball out to the 11 yard line before being tackled.
At the 6:13 mark it looked like the Rush gave the Venom an opportunity when a fumble on a QB exchange was recovered by the Venom on the 11 yard line. Again they could not penetrate the Rush defense and was forced to attempt a field goal. They would miss this attempt as well as the one with :06 remaining in the game.
The final score would be Rush 27, Venom 0. Brian Kelly had this to say to his team following the game: “good game guys just some little things to work on, things that championship teams do not do lets keep it up” Coach Kalas said “yes, we do have a lot of little things to work on and we must never be satisfied we need to push each week.”