In front of the largest crowd for a Fleet home game 20,986, the fans were treated to a shootout that ended similarly to last week's game, except with a different outcome.
Iron quarterback Keith Price started the game, but after a taking a hit after a pass, head coach Tim Lewis had seen enough and put in Luis Perez, who was benched in the first quarter of last week's game versus the Apollos. Price was cleared to return, according to the broadcast team, but Iron coach Tim Lewis stuck with Perez, who had the hot hand.
Luis Perez got tested early with pressure and just a split second before getting smashed by a blitzing Travis Feeney, Perez found L'Damian Washington on a slant route, and two Fleet defenders collided, setting Washington free for an 83-yard touchdown to give the Iron a 12-3 lead.
You bet @MizzouMonstar2 is living up to his name!TO THE --#BIRvsSD #ForgeOn⚒-- pic.twitter.com/41YkjGvlCx
— Birmingham Iron (@aafiron)
March 18, 2019 On the next Fleet possession, Mike Bercovici hit Dontez Ford for a 72-yard catch and run down to the Iron 3 yard line. The Fleet cashed in the huge Ford play with a two-yard touchdown pass to Ben Johnson. The two-point conversion failed, but the Fleet were right back in it, down 12-9 with 7:27 left in the half.
.@MikeBerco hits Ben Johnson for the #SDFleet TD! -- pic.twitter.com/oSDfN2Jtrg
— San Diego Fleet (@AAFFleet)
March 18, 2019 Travis Feeney got robbed on the near-sack of Perez that led to the Iron TD. He made up for it by picking off Perez at the Iron 34, but Donny Hageman missed a 47 yard field goal, and the score remained 12-9 at halftime.
The Iron took the opening drive 75 yards in 9 plays and finished it off with a Trent Richardson rushing touchdown, which was his second touchdown of the game, giving the Iron a 21-9 lead. This was the first time the Fleet have trailed in a game by double-digits all season.
The touchdown. --#BIRvsSD #ForgeOn⚒-- pic.twitter.com/g9HrVQIqbM
— Birmingham Iron (@aafiron)
March 18, 2019 Dontez Ford only had 3 catches on the night, but none bigger than a 70-yard reception down to the Iron 2-yard line. He landed really awkwardly and had to be helped off the field.
.@D12Ford was putting on a show, but injured his ankle on this 70 yard catch and run. #AllHandsOnDeck pic.twitter.com/xOJCNNLroZ
— San Diego Fleet (@AAFFleet)
March 18, 2019 Ford's teammates would cash in on his heroics with a 2-yard TD run by Terrell Watson, and Brian Brown converted the two-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 21-17 with 8:56 left.
Following a Demetrius Wright interception, Mike Bercovici and the offense capitalized on the turnover when he found Terrell Watson for a 12-yard go-ahead TD. It was Watson's second TD and the Fleet led 23-21 with 4:57 left in the 3rd.
Terrell Watson gives the #SDFleet the lead with his second TD of the night! -- pic.twitter.com/dGCcbH3V9u
— San Diego Fleet (@AAFFleet)
March 18, 2019 The Fleet appeared to have a defensive stop, getting an incompletion on third down from midfield. But the Fleet got hit with a 15-yard illegal defense penalty to keep the drive alive, and Luis Perez ended it with a 23-yard TD pass to Washington, and the Iron led 29-23 to end the 3rd quarter.
This is fun, y'all. @PerezLuisQB ✖ @MizzouMonstar2 #BIRvsSD #ForgeOn⚒-- pic.twitter.com/zqI8UrfWxD
— Birmingham Iron (@aafiron)
March 18, 2019 After back and forth punts, the Fleet flipped the field of play and ended it with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Francis Owusu in the corner of the end zone, and the game was tied 29-29 after the two-point conversion failed.
.@MikeBerco finds Francis Owusu in the corner for the TD!Tie game, 29-29.@AAFFleet | #BIRvsSD pic.twitter.com/qr1O7CDJPh
— The Alliance (@TheAAF)
March 18, 2019 But former San Diego Chargers kicker Nick Novak drilled a 44-yard field goal as time expired, and the Iron out-dueled the Fleet in a shootout to end their two-game losing skid 32-29. It was the Iron’s first walk-off victory of the season.
.@8nicknovak nails the 44 yd. FG to put @aafiron ahead as time expires‼️#BIRvsSD pic.twitter.com/yne3ghZ6ab
— The Alliance (@TheAAF)
March 18, 2019 Perez, a native of San Diego, had himself a day throwing for 359 yards and 3 touchdowns. He said it felt like a homecoming game in a way, “To be able to do it in front of all my family and friends who have really supported me through everything, through thick and thin,” Perez said. “I obviously didn’t do too well last week. I wasn’t playing well. For them to come out and still support me when I wasn’t supposed to play is really big.”
Fun fact from this game: the two longest pass plays in AAF history came on consecutive snaps. The Iron hit for 83 yards from Luis Perez to L’Damian Washington, then Mike Bercovici to Dontez Ford for 72 the other way. The previous longest catch was Arizona Hotshots Josh Huff (64) in Week 2.
Defensively, the Iron pushed their team total to 12 takeaways on the year after picking up two interceptions. Iron cornerback Bradley Sylve intercepted an errant pass from Fleet quarterback Mike Bercovici. Iron cornerback Jamar Summers also intercepted a pass from Bercovici.
“Typically when we win the turnover margin, we have a good chance to win,” Coach Lewis said.
The Fleet will start a 3-week road stretch as they travel to Arizona to take on the (3-3) Hotshots.
