NWA Battle Defeat Kansas City 19-0

Improved Offense, Big Plays Key To Win Over Panthers

LINCOLN — The NWA Battle returned to the Lincoln High School field and won their second home game of the season Saturday against the Kansas City Panthers, 19-0.

The Battle compete in the Alliance Football League and was coming off a 40-6 loss June 23 to the Sugar Creek Shockers but broke into the win column Saturday.

Stacey Rubin, head coach for the Battle, said the coaching staff worked on a new game plan coming into the contest.

“The original offense didn’t fit the personality of this team. Me and the other coaches changed it,” Rubin said. “We spent all week trying to get the players to buy into it.”

They were largely successful as the team showed considerable improvement when it came to executing offensive plays from their turnover- plagued seasonopener, a 32-12 loss to the Arkansas Sabers from Little Rock on June 16. Quarterbacks Dontavious McDowell and Brian Adair combined for 255 passing yards with 15 completions on 22 attempts with no interceptions.

Still, it was special teams and defense that gave the Battle a shot in the arm and put points on the board. An electrifying punt return of 89 yards by T.J. Jordan put the Battle on the scoreboard with 8:58 to go in the opening quarter. In the second quarter, Antwan Dyer intercepted a pass from the linebacker slot to set up the Battle offense at the Kansas City 25.

“I read his eyes,” Dyer said, telling his teammates he anticipated the throw by keying in on the quarterback.

The Battle stalled on offense and couldn’t convert. A fourth- down catch appeared to have enough yardage for a first, but the ball was marked two yards back where a defender first made contact. An official measurement came up short and the ball turned over on downs.

“That’s not a good spot,” Rubin said.

Dyer again picked off a pass, this time returning it 53 yards to the house for a touchdown and a 13- 0 advantage for Northwest Arkansas after the extrapoint kick was blocked. The score came at the 10:05 mark of the second period. Seven

“The original offense didn’t fit the personality of this team. Me and the other coaches changed it. We spent all week trying to get the players to buy into it.”

Stacey Rubin

NWA Battle coach

minutes and 10 seconds later, the Battle offense produced another touchdown. Again the point-after was no good and the Battle had to settle for a 19-0 cushion.

The defense made the lead hold up and the Battle prevailed, 19-0.

The teams will have a rematch at Kansas City on July 14.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE-LEADER Off to the races. Antwan Dyer, a 6-foot-2, 245 pound linebacker, out of Missouri Southern, takes off with an interception. Dyer had two picks and ran one back for a touchdown as the NWA Battle defeated the Kansas City Panthers, 19-0, on Saturday in an...