The Las Vegas Ace celebrated a milestone in their inaugural season, securing their first franchise victory in a hard-fought battle against the New Orleans Brass. Despite being underdogs, Las Vegas capitalized on key moments, including three touchdown passes from Jerry Golsteyn. The game began with Golsteyn connecting on a short touchdown to Jeff Smith, putting Las Vegas up 7-0. New Orleans countered in the second quarter with a stunning 75-yard interception return by Reggie Phillips, but they missed the extra point. Golsteyn then led a late first-half drive, finding Tom Wheeler for a 9-yard touchdown to extend the Ace’s lead to 14-6.
The second half saw both defenses tighten up, with neither team scoring in the third quarter. New Orleans finally drew level in the fourth quarter when Steve Pisarkiewicz hit Richard Crump with a 7-yard touchdown pass, followed by a successful two-point conversion. However, Las Vegas showed resilience and answered back with Golsteyn throwing his second touchdown to Smith, a 19-yard strike, to put the Ace ahead 21-14 with under five minutes remaining.
New Orleans had opportunities to respond, but turnovers and missed chances plagued their comeback efforts. The Brass fumbled deep in Las Vegas territory late in the game, sealing their fate. Jeff Smith, with 13 catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns, earned MVP honors, helping the Ace achieve their long-awaited first win.
