KISS Keep Playoff Hopes Alive in 37-27 Win Over Outlaws

July 19,2015
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The LA KISS (4-11) defeated the Las Vegas Outlaws (5-10), 37-27, to record their franchise record fourth win of the year and stay alive in the playoff hunt Saturday night at Honda Center.
After beginning the season 0-9, the KISS have won four of their last six games, including back-to-back contests over the last two weeks. LA quarterback Danny Southwick completed 18-of-31 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns with one interception on the night, spreading his scoring strikes out to Donovan Morgan, DeMarco Sampson, and Tyrone Goard. The KISS defensive effort was spearheaded by defensive back Rayshaun Kizer, who led the team with seven tackles and his franchise record fifth interception, along with nose guard Darryl Cato-Bishop, who tallied a team-high two sacks in the win.
The Outlaws were led by wide receiver Tysson Poots, who hauled in 10 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. The team suffered a big loss on the perimeter when Jomo Wilson went down with an injury following a 15-yard reception early in the game. Quarterback J.J. Raterink passed for 90 yards and a touchdown before being relieved by Dennis Havrilla, who finished the night 6-of-16 for 68 yards and a score.
LA jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter thanks to a three-yard touchdown run by fullback Miles Mason, who ended up with 25 yards on five carries in the game. The Outlaws answered back in the second quarter with a 10-play drive, capped off by a four-yard touchdown pass from Raterink to Jason Willis, evening the score at seven apiece. LA responded with 10-play drive of its own, cuminating in a three-yard touchdown pass from Southwick to Goard. After an eight-play drive, Raterink plunged into the end zone from two yards out to bring the game back to an even 14-14 with 44 seconds left in the half; however, the KISS would score twice more before heading to the locker room, first on a 20-yard pass from Southwick to Sampson, then on a safety with five seconds left on the clock.
Backup quarterback Dennis Havrilla began the second half scoring for the Outlaws, running in a touchdown from seven yards out to bring Las Vegas within two points of the KISS. The narrowed gap would be short-lived, as DeMarco Sampson returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards for a touchdown. A 19-yard touchdown pass from Havrilla to Poots opened the fourth quarter; however, Ernesto Lacayo could not connect on the extra point, bringing the LA advantage to 30-27. An 18-yard touchdown pass from Southwick to Donovan Morgan with just more than six minutes to play would prove to be the final score of the game, propelling the KISS to a 37-27 victory over Las Vegas.