Post by DiamondThief on Jun 24, 2017 19:14:28 GMT -8
6/24/17 --
SIOUX FALLS, SD - The Sioux Falls Storm scored 35 straight points in the first and second quarters to take control of the Iowa Barnstormers and punch their ticket to the 2017 United Bowl.
The 66-32 win in the United Conference Championship game opens the door for the Storm to compete for their seventh straight Indoor Football League championship. Sioux Falls will face the Arizona Rattlers, who dispatched the Nebraska Danger, 62-36, in the Intense Conference Championship game on Saturday.
The United Bowl will be held in Sioux Falls on July 8 with a 3:05 p.m. (PDT) kickoff. The game will be streamed live on the IFL's YouTube Channel.
A week earlier, the Storm beat the Barnstormers, 45-24, to close out the regular season.
Iowa scored on the game's first play on Dee Maggitt Jr.'s 50-yard kickoff return. Then, the Storm took over as Korey Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 48 yards for a score. Quarterback Lorenzo Brown's one-yard touchdown run put the Storm up 14-7 at the six-minute mark of the opening quarter.
Sioux Falls added to its lead in the second quarter on Judd Harold's 15-yard pass from Brown, and on Williams' 12-yard pass from Brown. Jermai Robinson's 25-yard interception return increased the Storm's lead to 35-7 with 4:40 left in the first half. The Barnstormers got back on the board with 22 seconds left in the first half on a six-yard run from Rasheed Williams. The Storm added a 28-yard field goal from Justin Syrovatka on the final play of the half to take a 38-14 lead into the break.
The third quarter began as the Robbie Rouse show, as the Sioux Falls running back opened the quarter with touchdown runs of seven and nine yards. Ryan Balentine's 14-yard pass from Travis Partridge for the Barnstormers cut the Storm's lead to 52-26 with 3:01 left in the third.
Iowa further cut into the lead when Partridge found Brady Roland from three yards out. The Storm went up 59-26 on Harold's five-yard pass from Brown. Partridge then ran it in from nine yards out. Sioux Falls accounted for the final margin on a 46-yard pass from Brown to Mike Tatum with 1:16 left in the game.
The game was fairly statistically even, with the Storm amassing 238 yards of total offense to the Barnstormers' 214. The Barnstormers had 180 passing yards to the Storm's 175. Iowa turned the ball over five times while Sioux Falls did not commit a turnover. The Storm also did not commit a penalty, while the Barnstormers were flagged nine times for 54 yards.
Brown went 12 of 17 for 175 yards with four touchdowns, and rushed for another score. Rouse finished with 29 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns. Tatum had five receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. Korey Williams had three catches for 40 yards and a score, while Harold caught three balls for 30 yards and two touchdowns. Rashard Smith had two interceptions for the Storm. Elijah Fields finished with eight total tackles and an interception, and Jermaine Robinson recorded an interception.
Partridge completed 20 of 34 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions, while running for another score. Keshaudas Spence had five catches for 66 yards. Roland caught eight passes for 53 yards and a touchdown, and Balentine finished with three receptions for 34 yards and a score. Javicz Jones led the Barnstormers with 7.5 total tackles.
The Storm finished the regular season with a 14-2 record. Brown has been their starting quarterback in their six previous United Bowl wins. The Barnstormers finished their regular season 13-3 and earned their first trip to the post season since 2009 when they played in af2.
SCtoC will post a preview of the United Bowl within the next week.
- ANM
(Graphic courtesy SCtoC)
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