Maine Mammoths quarterback Jonathan Bane tossed four first half touchdowns and the defense forced five turnovers from visiting Lehigh Valley Saturday night, as the host Mammoths routed the Steelhawks 50-14 at Cross Insurance Arena for their third straight National Arena League win.
Maine (5-8) got off to a slow start in the first 15 minutes, but a pair of Bane touchdown throws of 4 and 30 yards to Devin Wilson and Robert Brown wedged around a touchdown run from Steelhawks receiver Yusef Reddick made it 14-7 after one quarter. The Mammoths picked up their intensity in the second, as Bane hit Brown for a 12 yard pass and catch score, and then Wilson on a 36 yarder with less than a minute left in the half. Martay Maddox picked off Lehigh Valley quarterback Caleb Walton and took it to the house with 38 seconds left giving Maine a 37-7 halftime bulge. Kicker Henry Nell converted a deuce on a kickoff in the quarter as well.
In the third the Mammoths got a fumble recovery taken into the end zone by linebacker Niko Sierra, and Nell converted two field goals in the final stanza for the end of the scoring for the hosts. Reddick caught a late score in garbage time for the Steelhawks, who fall to 0-13. Lehigh quarterback Walton threw for a lone score to Reddick, but was intercepted four times in the contest, three by Mammoths defensive back Keiron Jones as Maine won the turnover battle 5-0.
Maine, who started the season 1-7, has now also won four in a row at home to go along with the three straight wins. Although they won’t be playoff eligible, Maine could finish the season 6-1 and with a final record of 7-8. The Mammoths will try to keep it going next Saturday when they visit the Columbus Lions at 7 pm. In the previous two meetings this season, the Lions pummeled the Mammoths 55-34 June 9th in Georgia, before Maine returned the favor by topping Columbus last weekend in Portland 42-41 in overtime.
