#16 ASA Brooklyn Turns Mesa Blunders Into Points, T-Birds Fall in Valley of the Sun Bowl, 28-23

Mesa, AZ - The Mesa Thunderbirds fell just short of victory Saturday night in the Valley of the Sun Bowl as #16 ASA Brooklyn defeated the T-Birds, 28-23.

Not the prettiest games by any means, especially for Mesa, as it was the special teams unit that was the weak spot on the day.

ASA Brooklyn connected on the first points of the game on a 37 yard field goal early in the second quarter.  It was a missed 48 yard field goal by Mesa that helped set up good field position for the Avengers to get those three points.

After Mesa's first touchdown, a Christian Lopez strike to Deyton Jackson, the Avengers blocked the extra point and returned it for a two point conversion.  Mesa still held to a 6-5 lead.

It was then a Lopez rushing touchdown that pushed Mesa's lead to 12-5, but once again, ASA Brooklyn blocked the extra point and returned it again for another two points, making a 12-7 T-Birds advantage.

After halftime, Lopez scored his second rushing touchdown of the game and then connected with Terrance Roberts Jr for the two point conversion.  ASA answered right back with a 94 yard kickoff return for touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, kicker Aaron Aros redeemed himself as he connected a 24 yard field goal to give Mesa a 24-21 lead.

But it was the Avengers who had the final say in the scoring as they went ahead 28-23 and never looked back.

Mesa finishes the season with a 6-5 overall record.