Warriors ‘White’-out the Outlaws

03/25/03 Warriors Press Release

The Utah Warriors indoor football team defeated last year’s National Indoor Football League championship runner-up 55 – 46 Saturday night at the E center in an all ‘White’ effort.

A Billings Outlaw 33-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Albert Higgs to wide-open receiver Bryan Meier opened the game setting the tone for what looked like a rout of Utah’s expansion team. Fortunately the Warrior’s are tone-deaf and ignored the defensive miscue by burning the success from the March 1st exhibition game into expectation with Danny Ragsdale’s ten-yard pass to Emmett White for a touchdown on their first offensive possession.

 The Warrior’s stingy defense took over from there and shut down the Outlaw’s offense through two more Warrior touchdowns.

            With the Outlaws down 21-6 and facing the closing minutes of the first half, they began their next scoring campaign with a seven-play 30-yard effort. The touchdown came from Higgs’ quarterback sneak. The ensuing two-point conversion effort failed and the score remained a dismal 12 points for the Outlaws through the half.

            Another Ragsdale touchdown pass to receiver Jason Quinn began the second half, endearing the 6,000 plus fans in attendance to what looked to be another Warrior crushing.

However, under the burden of a 23-point deficit, the Outlaws lit up the third quarter with a 28-point performance, accentuated with a 27-yard interception returned for a touchdown.

The Outlaws pulled to within 2 points down 46 – 48 with 11:06 left to play in the fourth quarter when the Warriors erased a victory from the Outlaws books with ‘White’ out.

A 22-yard touchdown strike to Emmett White from Ragsdale and an interception by Garrett White on the five-yard line was all she wrote for the first Outlaw visit to the E center.

“Emmett is just talented.  Emmett is so talented he needs a bigger field, he has so many moves.  In here, he's a little confined.  To be in here and have to wiggle around is a little more difficult on him.” Said Coach Lee Leslie of Emmett White’s offensive performance.

Ragsdale finished with six touchdowns on the night for 270 yards passing. Emmett White had seven catches for 108 of those yards and three touchdowns. Garrett White finished with 2 interceptions, and the highlight of the game.