Soul crushed, as Rush spoils Hohensee’s return

ROSEMONT, Ill. - It seemed like old times for Mike Hohensee as he supervised pregame warmups on the Allstate Arena carpet.

But Hohensee's presence was disconcerting for Chicago fans accustomed to his sideline presence for nine seasons in Rush blue and black, not opposition colors.

Now Soul head coach, Hohensee occasionally glanced toward the Rush, now wearing silver and black, smiled at a couple of players and shook hands with his former kicker, Chris Gould.

But when the Arena Football League teams got down to business Friday night, the Rush spoiled Hohensee's return with a 62-28 blowout victory.

The Soul dropped to 1-1, while the Rush improved to 2-0.

Hohensee wasn't introduced before the game, but the estimated 9,000 fans on hand recalled his past success - as exemplified by banners celebrating four division titles and the 2006 Arena Bowl championship.

His other legacy stood only 15 yards away - new Rush coach Bob McMillen, a former Hohensee assistant and star fullback for Chicago.

The Soul took only 75 seconds to seize the early edge, as quarterback Justin Allgood combined with wide receiver Syvelle Newton on a 34-yard touchdown strike and a 7-0 lead.

Chicago replied with a lengthy drive capped by a 4-yard Johnnie Kirton touchdown run the 10:22 mark. On the next possession, Allgood was picked off by linebacker Kelvin Morris. Five plays later, the Rush went up, 14-7, as Russ Michna found Mike Turkovich on a 5-yard touchdown strike.

The Soul's subsequent possession started just steps from its end zone and went awry with a fumble and an end-zone fumble recovery by Chicago linebacker Marcus Waugh for a 21-7 Chicago lead.

A Soul bid to narrow the margin stalled early in the second quarter on a successful Chicago goal-line stand.

A terrific Rush goal-line stand early in the second quarter preserved a 14-point lead and it subsequently marched 47 yards to extend the advantage to 28-7 on Michna's 9-yard toss to wide receiver Micah Rucker.

The Soul misplayed the ensuing kickoff return as the ball bounced off the iron back on the field. An alert Perry Kyles scooped it up at the 5 and ran in for Chicago's fifth touchdown and a 34-7 lead with 10:08 left in the half.

The teams traded touchdowns in the final minute as Chicago opened a 40-14 halftime lead.

The Rush kept the game out of reach in the third quarter, outscoring the Soul, 14-7. Soul backup quarterback Ryan Vena saw time in the second half and scored on a pair of 2-yard runs.

The game was the sixth meeting between the teams and first since 2008, when the Soul claimed a 60-49 decision on the way to its Arena Bowl title. *