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Late onside kick return leads Brigade past Kats

Jun 17, 2007 - 7:04 AM KANSAS CITY (Ticker) -- The Kansas City Brigade have no qualms about playing on the road. They just weren't ready to play their last game at Kemper Arena quite yet.

Raymond Philyaw threw for five scores and Denario Smalls returned an onside kick for a touchdown as the Brigade held off a late charge and defeated the Nashville Kats, 66-63, on Saturday.

With the victory, Kansas City (10-5), 6-2 at home this season, ensured they will play the franchise's first playoff game in familiar surroundings. The win also raises the stakes for next week's showdown with the Chicago Rush (10-4) for the Central Division crown as Kansas City owns the tiebreaker over the Rush with its season-opening 54-41 victory over the division leaders.

Entering the fourth quarter leading, 46-41, Charles Frederick scored from a yard out to push the Brigade lead to 53-41, but that double-digit lead was erased less than three minutes later when the Kats' Kenny Higgins caught an 11-yard TD pass to narrow the lead to 53-48.

Philyaw countered with his final TD pass to Anthony Hines at the 5:26 mark to push the lead back out 59-48 after Kansas City kicker Gary Krals' extra-point attempt failed.

Nashville answered less than two minutes later as quarterback Matt Kohn found C.J. Johnson from 24 yards out to trim the Brigade lead to 59-56. However, Smalls took the subsequent onside kickoff attempt from Nashville and returned it 11 yards at the 2:41 mark, squashing the hopes of a Kats comeback.