By Steven J. Hinton 
Photo By Don Bok

[STATS] [AUDIO ARCHIVE]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. --The Daytona Beach Thunder wanted revenge Sunday on an Osceola Ghostriders team that has beaten them by an average of 32.5 points each game. The result was no different from the first two meetings. 

Rob Harding threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Ghostriders registered their first World Indoor Football League road victory over the season with a 40-19 decision over the Daytona Beach Thunder before 1,763 at DBCC Public Broadcasting 15 Field.

Five different Ghostriders scored as Osceola (4-3) defeated the Thunder (1-6) for the third time this season.

Within the first eight minutes of the game, Cory Mckinney took control of the game, catching two touchdown passes from Bo Bartik as the Thunder claimed a quick 12-0 game.

Osceola got a momentum changing play when Charles Jones stripped McKinney of the ball when the Thunder receiver was going in for his third touchdown of the period. 

The Ghostriders owned the rest of the half, scoring 23 unanswered points.

The Thunder closed to 23-19 on Bartik’s 9-yarder to former arena league great Barry Wagner with 10:45 remaining in the third quarter, but couldn’t score again. Jones intercepted Bartik in the end zone to end one threat. 

Bartik went 11 for 27 with 149 yards and three touchdown passes. McKinney had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Allison's all-around play was a bright spot -- Allison had 118 all-purose yards and led the defense with 7.5 tackles and a forced fumble. 

Playing against six former Bethune-Cookman teammates on the Thunder, Lamont Finnie led the Ghostrider offense with 10 catches for 118 yards. 

It was the Thunder's third straight loss while Osceola remained tied for second with Augusta.

Daytona Beach ’s next game is at home game against the Augusta Spartans on Saturday, April 28.