Ex-Estancia Standout Passes for 330 Yards in WLAF Loss

Former Estancia High School quarterback Jeff Graham threw for a game-high 330 yards and ran for a touchdown in his first professional start, but two interceptions in the final three minutes, 31 seconds stymied a comeback bid in the New York/New Jersey Knights’ 22-18 loss to the London Monarchs in a World League of American Football game Sunday in London.

Graham (20 of 35, three interceptions), hit four consecutive passes to move the Knights from their 15-yard line to London’s 25-yard line with 30 seconds remaining. After an illegal procedure penalty set New York/New Jersey back to the 30-yard line, Dedrick Dodge intercepted Graham’s pass at the eight-yard line. Dodge had also intercepted Graham at the Knights’ 48-yard line with 3:31 left. Dan Crossman’s second-quarter interception in the end zone stopped a drive which had put the Knights on London’s one-yard line.

Graham ran one yard for a score on the game’s fifth play, two plays after running back Eric Wilkerson’s 74-yard run. The Monarchs (2-0) followed with 22 unanswered points on Phil Alexander’s 40-yard field goal, David Smith’s three-yard run, a 61-yard pass from Stan Gelbaugh to Andre Riley, and Crossman’s end zone recovery of his block of a Barry Belli punt.

The Knights (0-2) rallied in the fourth quarter on Wilkerson’s eight-yard run, Graham’s two-point conversion pass to Kip Lewis and Belli’s 30-yard field goal.

The Monarchs home opener at Wembley Stadium attracted 46,952 fans, a larger crowd than any soccer or rugby match in England over the Easter weekend. The nation’s second-biggest weekend crowd was 37,251 for a Liverpool soccer match.