Monday, March 31, 2008

Frisco Thunder 66, Fairbanks Grizzlies 56

By Pegasus News wire

FRISCO — Wes Cooper threw for 223 yards and seven touchdowns as the Frisco Thunder downed the Fairbanks Grizzlies 66-56 in an Intense Football League game before 2,014 at the DeJa Blue Arena in the Dr Pepper Star Center Saturday night.

Photo not provided by the Frisco Thunder

The savvy citizens of Frisco know how to handle a Grizzly

Cooper connected with Richard Morris (10 catches for 143 yards) on four touchdowns and Jason Deml (7-80) for three as the Thunder improved to 4-1 by putting up 66 points for the second time this season. Fairbanks fell to 1-3.

The Thunder took its biggest lead at 49-28 on Cooper's 32-yarder to Deml on Frisco's first play of the second half. Fairbanks never got closer than the final score after that.

Dennis Hopovac nailed a franchise-long 45-yard field goal and connected on all nine PAT attempts. Ricky Madison rushed for a season-best 42 yards and one touchdown while Kevin Lenford returned six kickoffs for 142 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The Thunder never trailed after a pair of first-quarter ties.

Fairbanks' Bo Bartik threw for 276 yards and five touchdowns -- three to Solomon Jones (6-116) and one each to Tim Copeland (6-82) and Joshua Sooter. Jeff Flanigan rushed

for three touchdowns.

Cooper was named the Thunder's game offensive MVP, while DB Marcus Stiggers (4 tackles) and DL Lamont Finley (3 QB hurries) shared the Randy White's BBQ ddefensive player honors and Hopovac garnered the Coach Joe's Sports Grille special teams award.

Frisco hosts Odessa next Sunday at 3 p.m.

Source: Frisco Thunder

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