Memo to the Rush: The party’s over.
Nine months after winning ArenaBowl XX, the Rush didn’t look much like a championship team Sunday, absorbing a 54-41 loss to the Kansas City Brigade in the season opener for both teams.
Rush quarterback Matt D’Orazio completed 20 of 27 passes for 250 yards and five touchdowns but was under pressure all afternoon, getting sacked three times, throwing two interceptions and costing his team a safety with an intentional-grounding penalty in the end zone.
“We played hard to the end, but other than that we didn’t do much well,” Rush coach Mike Hohensee said. “We struggled to protect our quarterback and we really didn’t tackle very well.”
Bobby Sippio had eight catches for 122 yards and five touchdowns for the Rush.
Brigade quarterback Raymond Philyaw, who played two seasons for the Rush but left a year before the championship, helped spoil the day for his former team. Philyaw finished 23 of 33 for 225 yards and four touchdowns–two rushing and two passing.
After falling behind by as many as 15 points early in the fourth quarter, the Rush battled back to cut the lead to 41-35 with nine minutes remaining.
However, Kansas City converted a fourth down on its next series, leading to a 6-yard touchdown run by Philyaw and a 48-35 lead.
D’Orazio’s second interception led to a Kansas City touchdown with 30 seconds remaining.
