Houston Roughnecks hold onto #1 XFL spot after beating the Tampa Bay Vipers
TAMPA, Florida (KTRK) -- The Houston Roughnecks won their first-ever road game against the Tampa Bay Vipers on Saturday.
The Roughnecks remain undefeated leaving the score at 34-27 as they triumphed against the Vipers.
The Vipers got an early three-point lead over the Roughnecks at the start of the game, but Houston quickly scored the first touchdown of the game.
After a brief lull, things started to heat up in the second quarter, and both teams scored additional touchdowns.
They headed into halftime tied up with a last minute play from the Vipers, bringing the score to 18-18.
The Roughnecks were able to pull out some key moments that led them to victory.
Some players began the celebration as soon as they stepped foot in the locker room.
There's a lot that goes into an away game for a professional sports team. For the Roughnecks, the game in Tampa was their first taste.
Thursday night, equipment managers worked late into the night loading gear.
On Friday, ABC13 was the only TV station there when the team arrived.
"To play this game, to get to play football another week, everybody is excited," said Roughnecks wide receiver Sammie Coates. "You could tell by the way they're walking around with the smiles and the excitement they have on their voice. Everybody is just excited to get it going."
The Roughnecks enter Tampa as one of the best teams in the league. At 2-0, the team leads its division.
Plus, the league's first two stars of the week are quarterback P.J. Walker and wide receiver Cam Phillips.
Saturday was the team's first road game, but there were plenty of veterans, including former Texans player Coates who has done this before.
"You always got to be a little different," Coates explained. "How's the noise going to be? How are the fans going to be? How's the atmosphere going to be? There's no really preparing for that."
After arriving at the hotel, the team held meetings. After those were over, the players now prepare themselves for the big day.
"I'll sleep a lot," Coates said. "I love to sleep. I'll probably go to sleep at like 9:30 p.m."
A good call.
