The Gunslingers early season woes continue as they experienced a crushing defeat at the hands of the Carolina Cobras, losing by a score of 35-72. Pulling ahead in the second half, the Cobras looked near unstoppable on both sides of the ball as they left the Gunslingers in the dust, outscoring them 38-14. Heading out of the fray, the Cobras remain undefeated, while the Gunslingers continue to hunt for their elusive first win of the season.
A deep drive to the goal line quickly turned south for the Gunslingers as a clutch 4th down conversion was negated by a fumble the very next play. Carolina recovered the ball, and scored a mere two plays later to make the score 0-6. A converted extra point brought the game to 0-7.
The Gunslingers in response were able to piece together a solid drive and swiftly answer the Cobras’ touchdown with one of their own on a pass by quarterback Robert Kent. A missed extra point however maintained the deficit at one and the score remained 6-7.
Carolina promptly responded with their second touchdown, the extra point making the score 6-14. Looking for a quick riposte, Kent threw the ball deep across the field, but instead of finding the endzone, found the hands of an opposing defenseman and turned the ball over on the first play of the drive.
The Cobra’s punished Kent’s mistake with another successful drive to bring the score to 6-21.
Trading touchdowns over the next four drives, the Gunslingers were able to put a slight dent in Carolina’s lead, but still found themselves down by two scores heading into the second half. The score was 21-35.
On a drive that would set the course for the remainder of the game, the Cobras barely squeezed by the Gunslingers defense on 4th down, leading to yet another successful touchdown drive. A kick through the uprights brought the deficit to three touchdowns; a significantly more difficult hurdle to overcome.
Any hopes for a Gunslingers comeback were dashed when Kent threw his second interception of the night, subsequently leading to another Cobras touchdown. From that point on, it was all Carolina’s game.
Drive after drive, the Cobras piled on touchdown after touchdown, and after all was said and done, Carolina emerged victorious by a score of 35-72.
As the only team to remain undefeated in the 2022 season, the Cobras seek to take their momentum into Week 6 as they square off against the Jacksonville Sharks for their second matchup of the year. The Gunslingers on the other hand, will face off against their Week 1 rival, the Orlando Predators, as they look for their first win of their inaugural NAL season.