By Tom Waddill
Sports Editor
HUNTSVILLE —
Last week was a pretty good one for former Huntsville High School football star Derrick Ross. This week looks to be even better.
Named Offensive Rookie of the Year in the Indoor Football League last week, Ross scored three touchdowns and rushed for 98 yards Monday, helping the San Angelo Stampede Express to its first-ever playoff victory, 45-35 over the Fairbanks (Alaska) Grizzlies.
“Me and my o-line ate 18 carries, 98 yards and three TDs,” Ross said after the game. “I’m a little sore after this game. Epsom salt here I come.”
In the IFL’s final first-round playoff game Monday, the Fairbanks Grizzlies (9-6) traveled quite a distance to take on San Angelo (11-4).
Ross turned in what the league is calling, “a breakout performance” on Monday night in San Angelo. The powerful running back (6-foot-2, 235 pounds) who played collegiately at Tarleton State and professionally for one season with the Kansas City Chiefs, helped the Stampede build a commanding 35-12 lead with just over two minutes to play in the third quarter.
Over a seven-minute span leading into the fourth quarter, Fairbanks rallied back and cut the advantage to just three points at 35-32 with 11:03 left in the game.
“We had a letdown,” Stampede Express head coach Clint Dolezel said. “There’s no question about it, we just stopped making plays.”
San Angelo was suddenly struggling to move the ball and was facing a fourth-and-long with a chance to turn the ball over to a red-hot Grizzlies offense.
“The huddle is our comfort zone,” receiver Jonathan Ferguson told the San Angelo Standard-Times. “We talked about how somebody needed to make a play, and there wasn’t a guy in that huddle that didn’t think we were going to do it.”
On fourth down, Ferguson laid out in a full stretch to bring in Dustin Almond’s 35-yard pass as he sailed across the goal line.
“Without that, there’s a good chance we don’t win the game,” Dolezel said in a postgame interview. “It was a money catch and a money throw at a perfect time.”
The touchdown was Ferguson’s second of the game and pushed the Stampede advantage back to 42-32.
Fairbanks could not match the Stampede Express’ ground game, having only 5 total rushing yards for the game in comparison to 102 yards by San Angelo.
Grizzlies quarterback Justin Rummell tried to compensate with a tremendous passing game. The Fairbanks quarterback threw for 186 yards and three touchdown. However, Stampede Express quarterback Dustin Almond more than matched him with three touchdowns and 172 yards.
Overall, it was a tight game with the Express capitalizing on a strong ground game to advance. Ross will hope to put another strong showing when San Angelo travels to Billings, Mont., to try and knock off the defending United Bowl champions, the Billings Outlaws.
“I think we can go all the way, of course,” Ross said before the Stampede Express kicked off their playoff season.
Ross said he dreams of playing in the NFL again. He’s trying to make that dream come true by giving his all to the Stampede Express.
“When I felt that I had made rookie of the year I really was just happy. It was like I still can do it,” Ross said. “I work hard and I’m just never going to give up, no matter where I play. I just love playing football and I’ve got to be thankful for the opportunity to play.
“Everyone doesn’t have that chance. I’m going to make the most of it.”
