Dorados eliminated from playoffs

BOSSIER CITY, La. — A season that began with a 5-1 start and hopes for a long run through the ArenaCup playoffs ended Saturday night in the first round of the postseason.

Trailing by 10 and trying to keep their season alive, Dorados quarterback Nick Hill was intercepted in the end zone by Pierre Lee with 21 seconds left, sealing a 56-46 win for the BattleWings. The Dorados end the season at 9-8, while the BattleWings (12-5) move on to play Tulsa next week in the second round of the ArenaCup playoffs.

“Everybody was disappointed. Everybody was down,” Dorados coach Marty Hammond said. “They fought hard all night but things didn’t come out their way. They were very disappointed.”

For the game’s first 30 minutes, the Dorados played the BattleWings evenly. RGV managed to tie the game at 20 at halftime when Derrick Harris intercepted an Andrico Hines pass and returned it for a touchdown. But the second half didn’t go nearly as well for RGV, which was eliminated from the playoffs by Bossier-Shreveport for the second time in three seasons.

Mistakes, including three Hill interceptions and a blocked extra point returned by Bossier-Shreveport for a 2-point conversion, made the task of beating the BattleWings even tougher.

“It hurts, and I’m disappointed, but I look at the big picture. When you have those turnovers and you’re playing a good football team, that’s what’s going to happen,” Hammond said. “That’s not a shock. When you do that in the playoffs, especially playing against good teams, that’s what’s going to happen.”

As he had all season, Rod Windsor led the Dorados’ offense. Coming off a record-setting regular season, Windsor caught 18 passes for 211 yards and 4 TDs. Other than that, though, the Dorados offense wasn’t able to make up enough ground, with Hill’s turnovers hurting.

“They got some pressure on (Hill), and he got banged up. He fought through it but he was banged up,” Hammond said. “I have to look at the film but some of them were on him for accurate throws.

“Their D-line got after our O-line too, so he got some pressure.”