Byline: PHILLIP RAMATI Special to The Times Union
Conquest 54
Knights 24
MACON, Ga. - It might only be the season's second game, but the Albany Conquest will have a hard time playing as good a half as it did Saturday night.
The Conquest came through with a shutout over the final two quarters of its 54-24 victory over the Macon Knights in front of 2,614 at the Macon Coliseum. Albany improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2003.
'I was real upset the way we had played the first half,' Conquest coach Pete Costanza said. 'We turned the ball over four times. We didn't finish plays. Macon is too talented a team to give them that many chances. In the second half, we finished plays; the guys did a great job.'
Down 19-13 early in the second quarter, Albany went ahead on a 5-yard scoring toss from Ryan Vena to Jim Jones. Vinny Cirrincione's PAT put the Conquest up 20-19 with 8:49 left in the half.
On the ensuing possession, Macon (0-1) drove to the Albany 4-yard line, but Pete McBride stepped in front of Macon quarterback Chad Elliott's pass in the end zone to end the Knights' threat with 7:08 to go.
Albany immediately capitalized when Vena threw a 45-yard strike to a streaking Jones that put the Conquest up 27-19 with six minutes to go.
Macon again drove down deep into Albany territory, only to be stopped by another interception, this time by defensive specialist Shawn Murray.
He coughed up the football at the 17 while attempting to return it, however, and the Knights recovered with 1:07 to go in the half, which ended with Albany leading 27-25.
The Conquest pulled away in the third quarter, mainly on the strength of the defense.
After stuffing Macon's opening drive of the second half, the Conquest took two plays to score on Vena's 8-yard pass to Jones.
The Knights mounted a long drive that lasted nearly six minutes, but Murray again came up big for Albany with his second interception of Elliott in the end zone.
The Conquest put the game out of reach on a four-play series that was capped by Melvin Parris' 4-yard scoring plunge that extended the lead to 41-25 near the end of the third quarter.
Albany sacked Elliott with 8:06 to play. Two plays later, Vena threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game, a 24-yard bullet to Chris Brewer.
The Conquest defense ended up with four interceptions, four sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Phillip Ramati is a free-lance writer.
