Post by DiamondThief on Jul 13, 2019 20:18:50 GMT -8
UNITED BOWL FINAL - Storm 56, Rattlers 53
Storm WR Brandon Sheperd hauls in a pass during the first half of the United Bowl.
(SCtoC photo by Gary Royall).
7/13/19 --
GLENDALE, AZ - For the second straight season, the Sioux Falls Storm have ended the Arizona Rattlers' season with a loss.
However, unlike last season, this win by the Storm gave them their first United Bowl championship since 2016. Sioux Falls clawed their way back from a three-point halftime deficit to defeat the Rattlers 56-53 and claim their seventh Indoor Football League title tonight at Gila River Arena. Arizona was attempting to finish a perfect season. That has only been accomplished twice -- both times by the Storm -- in 2012 and 2015.
Arizona beat Sioux Falls in the 2017 United Bowl, 50-41. The Storm bested the Rattlers in last season's Intense Conference Championship Game, 69-68, in overtime. The Rattlers swept the season series between the teams this year, 2-0. The Rattlers advanced to the United Bowl with a 62-45 win over the Nebraska Danger in the Intense Conference Championship game on June 29.
The Storm were making their 10th straight United Bowl appearance. The only United Bowl in which they did not participate was in 2009. They won six straight from 2011 to 2016. Sioux Falls was defeated by the Barnstormers in last year's United Bowl, 42-38. The Storm advanced to the conference championship after having defeated the Tucson Sugar Skulls in the first round, 50-47.
Sioux Falls quarterback Lorenzo Brown, Jr. was named Most Valuable Player for his 200 yards passing with five touchdowns and one rushing score.
During United Bowl weekend, the IFL inducted three new members into its Hall of Fame. Former Texas Revolution/Iowa Barnstormers' linebacker Javicz Jones, former eight-year veteran wide receiver Bryan Pray and former Billings Outlaws/Sioux Falls Storm offensive lineman Myniya Smith joined the previous 15 inductees.
The Storm received the opening kickoff and drove down to the seven yard line. The finished the drive with a Brown strike to Damien Ford in the middle of the end zone. Parker Douglass' extra point gave the Storm an early 7-0 lead. The Rattlers came back on their first drive, scoring on a three-yard sweep around the left side from wide receiver Jarrod Harrington. On the ensuing kickoff, Storm returner Damond Powell fumbled the ball while being tackled and was recovered by Dez Stewart of the Rattlers. Two plays later, Jamal Miles rushed it in from two yards out. Jimmy Camacho's point after put the Rattlers up 14-7 with 3:35 remaining in the opening quarter. The Storm responded with a 40-yard bomb from Brown to Brandon Sheperd. The game was knotted at 14-14 at the end of the quarter.
Arizona took a 21-14 lead with 10:10 left in the second quarter with a one-yard run from quarterback Drew Powell. Sioux Falls once again tied the game on Sheperd's 11-yard sweep around the right sideline. The score was 21-21 midway through the quarter. The Rattlers came right back, scoring on a 29-yard touchdown strike from Powell to veteran receiver Anthony Amos. Brown scored on a quarterback draw of six yards and the score was 28-28 with 56 seconds remaining in the half. The Rattlers took a 31-28 lead on Camacho's 31-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
The Rattlers received the opening kickoff of the second half. After a 29-yard rush from Harrington, Powell found Miles around the right side for an eight-yard touchdown. Camacho's kick gave the Rattlers a 38-28 lead with 12:33 left in the third quarter. It took the Storm just three plays to respond as Brown hit Kent Shelby for a three-yard touchdown across the middle. Douglass' point after pulled the Storm to within 38-35 with just over 10 minutes left in the quarter.
After the Storm defense stopped the Rattlers on downs, the Storm drive five plays to the Arizona two yard line where Calen Campbell took it in for the touchdown. Douglass' extra point gave Sioux Falls its first lead since early in the first quarter at 42-38. The lead was short-lived, however, as Harrington returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards. The Rattlers led 45-42 heading into the final quarter.
The Storm scored on Brown's 26-yard touchdown to Campbell just two minutes into the fourth quarter. On the following Rattlers possession, Powell fumbled and the ball was recovered by Sioux Falls. They responded with a nine-yard touchdown strike from Brown to Shelby. Powell rushed in from 11 yards, and Jabre Lolley ran in the two-point conversion to pull the Rattlers to within a field goal at 56-53 with 53 seconds remaining. The Rattlers attempted an onside kick, and recovered, but they were called for offside, giving the Storm the ball at the Rattlers 12. Arizona had all three of its time outs. Sioux Falls was able to run out the clock to preserve the win.
Brown led the Storm to United Bowl championships in 2015 and 2016. Powell, who was last season's IFL Most Valuable Player, led the Iowa Barnstormers to their first-ever championship last season, a 42-38 victory over the Storm in that game.
Sioux Falls amassed 293 yards of total offense to 26 for the Rattlers. They had a 57-yard edge in the passing game and a 12-yard advantage in the rushing game. The Storm were penalized seven times for 47 yards, while the Rattlers were flagged six times for 59 yards. Each team turned the ball over once.
Brown completed 15 of 19 passes to go with his 200 yards and five touchdown tosses. Campbell rushed for a touchdown and caught another. Sheperd had six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for a score. Shelby had a pair of touchdown grabs, and Ford caught four passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. T.J. Neal led the way for the Storm defense with eight tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss.
Powell went 16 of 21 for 166 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed 11 ties for 27 yards and two cores. Harrington, who rushed for a score, caught six balls for 57 yards. Amos had seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Miles rushed for one touchdown and caught another. Dillon Winfrey's 14 tackles led the Rattlers' defense.
Attendance was reported at 14,635 persons.
Storm WR Brandon Sheperd hauls in a pass during the first half of the United Bowl.
(SCtoC photo by Gary Royall).
7/13/19 --
GLENDALE, AZ - For the second straight season, the Sioux Falls Storm have ended the Arizona Rattlers' season with a loss.
However, unlike last season, this win by the Storm gave them their first United Bowl championship since 2016. Sioux Falls clawed their way back from a three-point halftime deficit to defeat the Rattlers 56-53 and claim their seventh Indoor Football League title tonight at Gila River Arena. Arizona was attempting to finish a perfect season. That has only been accomplished twice -- both times by the Storm -- in 2012 and 2015.
Arizona beat Sioux Falls in the 2017 United Bowl, 50-41. The Storm bested the Rattlers in last season's Intense Conference Championship Game, 69-68, in overtime. The Rattlers swept the season series between the teams this year, 2-0. The Rattlers advanced to the United Bowl with a 62-45 win over the Nebraska Danger in the Intense Conference Championship game on June 29.
The Storm were making their 10th straight United Bowl appearance. The only United Bowl in which they did not participate was in 2009. They won six straight from 2011 to 2016. Sioux Falls was defeated by the Barnstormers in last year's United Bowl, 42-38. The Storm advanced to the conference championship after having defeated the Tucson Sugar Skulls in the first round, 50-47.
Sioux Falls quarterback Lorenzo Brown, Jr. was named Most Valuable Player for his 200 yards passing with five touchdowns and one rushing score.
During United Bowl weekend, the IFL inducted three new members into its Hall of Fame. Former Texas Revolution/Iowa Barnstormers' linebacker Javicz Jones, former eight-year veteran wide receiver Bryan Pray and former Billings Outlaws/Sioux Falls Storm offensive lineman Myniya Smith joined the previous 15 inductees.
The Storm received the opening kickoff and drove down to the seven yard line. The finished the drive with a Brown strike to Damien Ford in the middle of the end zone. Parker Douglass' extra point gave the Storm an early 7-0 lead. The Rattlers came back on their first drive, scoring on a three-yard sweep around the left side from wide receiver Jarrod Harrington. On the ensuing kickoff, Storm returner Damond Powell fumbled the ball while being tackled and was recovered by Dez Stewart of the Rattlers. Two plays later, Jamal Miles rushed it in from two yards out. Jimmy Camacho's point after put the Rattlers up 14-7 with 3:35 remaining in the opening quarter. The Storm responded with a 40-yard bomb from Brown to Brandon Sheperd. The game was knotted at 14-14 at the end of the quarter.
Arizona took a 21-14 lead with 10:10 left in the second quarter with a one-yard run from quarterback Drew Powell. Sioux Falls once again tied the game on Sheperd's 11-yard sweep around the right sideline. The score was 21-21 midway through the quarter. The Rattlers came right back, scoring on a 29-yard touchdown strike from Powell to veteran receiver Anthony Amos. Brown scored on a quarterback draw of six yards and the score was 28-28 with 56 seconds remaining in the half. The Rattlers took a 31-28 lead on Camacho's 31-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.
The Rattlers received the opening kickoff of the second half. After a 29-yard rush from Harrington, Powell found Miles around the right side for an eight-yard touchdown. Camacho's kick gave the Rattlers a 38-28 lead with 12:33 left in the third quarter. It took the Storm just three plays to respond as Brown hit Kent Shelby for a three-yard touchdown across the middle. Douglass' point after pulled the Storm to within 38-35 with just over 10 minutes left in the quarter.
After the Storm defense stopped the Rattlers on downs, the Storm drive five plays to the Arizona two yard line where Calen Campbell took it in for the touchdown. Douglass' extra point gave Sioux Falls its first lead since early in the first quarter at 42-38. The lead was short-lived, however, as Harrington returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards. The Rattlers led 45-42 heading into the final quarter.
The Storm scored on Brown's 26-yard touchdown to Campbell just two minutes into the fourth quarter. On the following Rattlers possession, Powell fumbled and the ball was recovered by Sioux Falls. They responded with a nine-yard touchdown strike from Brown to Shelby. Powell rushed in from 11 yards, and Jabre Lolley ran in the two-point conversion to pull the Rattlers to within a field goal at 56-53 with 53 seconds remaining. The Rattlers attempted an onside kick, and recovered, but they were called for offside, giving the Storm the ball at the Rattlers 12. Arizona had all three of its time outs. Sioux Falls was able to run out the clock to preserve the win.
Brown led the Storm to United Bowl championships in 2015 and 2016. Powell, who was last season's IFL Most Valuable Player, led the Iowa Barnstormers to their first-ever championship last season, a 42-38 victory over the Storm in that game.
Sioux Falls amassed 293 yards of total offense to 26 for the Rattlers. They had a 57-yard edge in the passing game and a 12-yard advantage in the rushing game. The Storm were penalized seven times for 47 yards, while the Rattlers were flagged six times for 59 yards. Each team turned the ball over once.
Brown completed 15 of 19 passes to go with his 200 yards and five touchdown tosses. Campbell rushed for a touchdown and caught another. Sheperd had six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for a score. Shelby had a pair of touchdown grabs, and Ford caught four passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. T.J. Neal led the way for the Storm defense with eight tackles, two sacks and three tackles for loss.
Powell went 16 of 21 for 166 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed 11 ties for 27 yards and two cores. Harrington, who rushed for a score, caught six balls for 57 yards. Amos had seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, while Miles rushed for one touchdown and caught another. Dillon Winfrey's 14 tackles led the Rattlers' defense.
Attendance was reported at 14,635 persons.
- ANM
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