Thank You Brent Holmes
08 June 2008
The Soul picked up their eleventh win and second sweep of the season Saturday night. The win moves them back into first place with the best record in the league.
And they owe it all to wide receiver Brent Holmes. Sure Holmes had half the receiving yardage Chris Jackson (Offensive Player of the Game) did. Sure Larry Brackins also had some clutch catches. And of course the man behind the wheel for most of it was QB Matt D'Orazio. But Homes was the unlikely hero of Saturday's win over the Dallas Desperados.
Let's take a quick look back at the roller coaster season Holmes has had so far...
One day after placing starting wide receiver Kenny Henderson on injured reserve, the Philadelphia Soul signed Holmes. Holmes started the season on the roster in Georgia. After posting a game high of eight catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns during the season opener he was waived by the Force.
Later picked up by the Tampa Bay Storm where he played in four regular season games. Holmes then joined the Grand Rapids Rampage where he appeared in no games before being signed off the practice squad by the Soul. He is cuurently third on the team with 490 yards receiving and 8 touchdown catches.
On Saturday the well traveled WR had a solid if unspectacular game until the final minute of the fourth quarter. The Soul had just taken a ahem "tight out" after Matt D'Orazio's twp point conversion put the Soul up by seven.
On the ensuing Connor hughes kickoff Dallas return specialist Josh Bush was heading for what looked like at least excellent field position for his team. As he crossed the 16 yard line Holmes, taking a beautiful angle, swatted the ball from Bush's grasp. Soul FB Clifton Smith recovered the ball on the 20 with 49 seconds left.
Smith then rushed for two to the Dallas 18; second and eight and the Soul call timeout. An incomplete pass to Jackson and it's third and eight. The Soul take their final time out with 39.3 left on the clock. A seeming eternity in the indoor game.
Holmes then stepped up for his second difference making play. On a quick out Brent nabbed a 9 yard pass at the sideline marker to preserve the possession and the victory. Rushes by Smith and D'Orazio with no Dallas timeouts remaining killed the remainder of the clock.
After losing three out of four the Soul needed this win badly. As much for themselves as for their standing. Up next is the team that started ths slide by handing the Soul their first loss.
The 8-6 Cleveland Gladiators.
