Post by alecs on Jul 22, 2023 19:35:59 GMT -8
Storm 42, Pirates 39
7/22/23 --
SIOUX FALLS, SD - Saturday evening saw the first round of the 2023 IFL playoffs take place at Denny Sanford Premier Center, as the #2 Sioux Falls Storm hosted the #3 Massachusetts Pirates in a direct re-match of last week's contest. While tonight's edition featured a far different scoring pace, the Storm engineered a second consecutive comeback against the Pirates to win by three once again. Keyed by an 18-point, fourth quarter comeback, the Storm shocked the Pirates 42-39, and will advance to the Eastern Conference Final to play the Frisco Fighters.
Massachusetts began the game with possession of the ball and grinded out a lengthy scoring drive to begin the game. Alejandro Bennifield, starting at QB for Anthony Russo (concussion), opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Owens, playing in his first game since activation off injured reserve. The Storm got the ball on their first possession but could not find a response, with Massachusetts forcing a Lorenzo Brown, Jr. pass incomplete out of the back of the endzone. The Pirates ran their second possession much like their first, killing out the rest of the first quarter clock to keep the score 7-0 after 15 minutes of play.
A couple minutes into the second quarter, Bennifield took home a three yard rush to double the lead to 14 points. Another stop by the Pirates defense would follow, as they forced a short field goal attempt by Austin Neufeld, who missed wide right. The ball once again went to the Pirates, on a drive that would take the game all the way to the one-minute warning. The Storm held Massachusetts out of the endzone, but the Pirates settled for an 18-yard field goal by Josh Gable to make it a three-score game. Sioux Falls got one more shot for points at the end of the half, but a Calvin Bundage sack drained the rest of the clock, and Massachusetts completed the first-half shutout and took a 17-0 lead into the locker room.
Sioux Falls received the second half kickoff, and their offense finally kicked it into gear with a three-play scoring drive to get on the board. Brown breathed new life into the arena with a one-yard rush, and a busted extra point attempt was brilliantly improvised by Sioux Falls, managing two points with a Brown pass to offensive lineman Lawrence Martin IV. On the next possession, Bennifield was injured on a QB sack and forced from the game. Mike Glass III, recently signed by the team this week, was able to keep the momentum going for the Pirates, converting several key plays and concluding the drive with a one-yard rush. The Storm struck back, though, with a Brown pass to Cole Thurness for a 12-yard touchdown. The Pirates quickly responded with a three-play drive, as Mike Glass found Jimmie Robinson on a seven yard catch and run touchdown. Right before the end of the third quarter, Brown hit Xavier Jackson for a big 30-yard touchdown on a wheel route not too dissimilar from the ones he torched the Pirates on last week. A successful extra point brought the Storm back into the game, trailing 33-21 after the third quarter.
Glass would find a big play of his own, with a 31-yard pass to Owens for his second score of the contest. Down 39-21, Sioux Falls needed to continue scoring to stay on pace, and Brown provided just that, tossing a touchdown to Thurness from 11 yards out for the second time in the game. The Storm defense forced a short 4th-and-1 attempt which the Pirates went for, but Glass fumbled what was an attempt at a quick pass, and James Brown recovered for the Storm. Two plays later, Brown hit Donnie Corley, Jr. for a seven-yard touchdown. The Pirates, on a 3rd and 6 inside Sioux Falls territory, turned once more to Glass for a big play. But Glass instead tossed an interception into the hands of Clifton Duck. The next play from scrimmage was another perfectly executed wheel route from Jackson, catching a 30-yard pass from Brown to give Sioux Falls its first lead of the game. A successful two-point conversion boosted that lead to 42-39. Despite letting an 18-point lead slip, the Pirates still got a chance to possess the ball late to try for a potential game-winning score. But the offense was stalled by Sioux Falls, who forced a 29-yard field goal attempt by Josh Gable. His attempt went wide left, effectively ending any hope for the Pirates. The Storm needed just three plays to run out the rest of the clock and complete the comeback for a thrilling 42-39 win.
Brown attempted 18 passes in tonight's win, completing 14 of them for 183 yards, with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed ten times for 34 yards and another score. Xavier Jackson was limited as a rusher (three carries for five yards), but made splash plays as a receiver, with four catches for a team-leading 92 yards and two touchdowns. Thurness also had a pair of touchdowns on five catches for 41 yards, and Corley contributed three catches for 41 yards and a score. On defense, Daryle Banfield recorded the only sack of the evening, and Duck had the lone interception.
Alejandro Bennifield started tonight's game for the Pirates, and prior to his departure in the third quarter went 10-of-13 passing for 68 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions, with seven carries for 38 yards and a touchdown as a rusher. Mike Glass III filled in after Bennifield's injury and strung together 11 completions on 15 attempts for 129 yards, with two touchdowns, one interception, and a lost fumble. Robinson turned 11 carries into 45 yards, while adding seven catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Isaac Zico caught five passes for 58 yards, while Owens had five catches for 52 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Linebacker Bundage had the only sack of the game for Massachusetts.
The 2023 season comes to a close for the Massachusetts Pirates, who will end the season with an overall record of 9-7 after losing tonight's game - their fourth in a row. On the flip side, Sioux Falls will be planning its flight to the heart of Texas for next week's matchup with the Frisco Fighters, who handled the Quad City Steamwheelers 57-29 in the other Eastern semifinal matchup of the evening. Date/Time of the matchup will be determined at a later date.
The Storm take both games from the Pirates this season, and now have evened the all-time series at two games apiece after being swept by the Pirates in 2022.
Click for our complete 2023 IFL Schedule. Next week's conference championship games will be streamed live on the IFL's Official YouTube Channel. SCtoC will present previews of those in the board of the home team in each game.
7/22/23 --
SIOUX FALLS, SD - Saturday evening saw the first round of the 2023 IFL playoffs take place at Denny Sanford Premier Center, as the #2 Sioux Falls Storm hosted the #3 Massachusetts Pirates in a direct re-match of last week's contest. While tonight's edition featured a far different scoring pace, the Storm engineered a second consecutive comeback against the Pirates to win by three once again. Keyed by an 18-point, fourth quarter comeback, the Storm shocked the Pirates 42-39, and will advance to the Eastern Conference Final to play the Frisco Fighters.
Massachusetts began the game with possession of the ball and grinded out a lengthy scoring drive to begin the game. Alejandro Bennifield, starting at QB for Anthony Russo (concussion), opened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Owens, playing in his first game since activation off injured reserve. The Storm got the ball on their first possession but could not find a response, with Massachusetts forcing a Lorenzo Brown, Jr. pass incomplete out of the back of the endzone. The Pirates ran their second possession much like their first, killing out the rest of the first quarter clock to keep the score 7-0 after 15 minutes of play.
A couple minutes into the second quarter, Bennifield took home a three yard rush to double the lead to 14 points. Another stop by the Pirates defense would follow, as they forced a short field goal attempt by Austin Neufeld, who missed wide right. The ball once again went to the Pirates, on a drive that would take the game all the way to the one-minute warning. The Storm held Massachusetts out of the endzone, but the Pirates settled for an 18-yard field goal by Josh Gable to make it a three-score game. Sioux Falls got one more shot for points at the end of the half, but a Calvin Bundage sack drained the rest of the clock, and Massachusetts completed the first-half shutout and took a 17-0 lead into the locker room.
Sioux Falls received the second half kickoff, and their offense finally kicked it into gear with a three-play scoring drive to get on the board. Brown breathed new life into the arena with a one-yard rush, and a busted extra point attempt was brilliantly improvised by Sioux Falls, managing two points with a Brown pass to offensive lineman Lawrence Martin IV. On the next possession, Bennifield was injured on a QB sack and forced from the game. Mike Glass III, recently signed by the team this week, was able to keep the momentum going for the Pirates, converting several key plays and concluding the drive with a one-yard rush. The Storm struck back, though, with a Brown pass to Cole Thurness for a 12-yard touchdown. The Pirates quickly responded with a three-play drive, as Mike Glass found Jimmie Robinson on a seven yard catch and run touchdown. Right before the end of the third quarter, Brown hit Xavier Jackson for a big 30-yard touchdown on a wheel route not too dissimilar from the ones he torched the Pirates on last week. A successful extra point brought the Storm back into the game, trailing 33-21 after the third quarter.
Glass would find a big play of his own, with a 31-yard pass to Owens for his second score of the contest. Down 39-21, Sioux Falls needed to continue scoring to stay on pace, and Brown provided just that, tossing a touchdown to Thurness from 11 yards out for the second time in the game. The Storm defense forced a short 4th-and-1 attempt which the Pirates went for, but Glass fumbled what was an attempt at a quick pass, and James Brown recovered for the Storm. Two plays later, Brown hit Donnie Corley, Jr. for a seven-yard touchdown. The Pirates, on a 3rd and 6 inside Sioux Falls territory, turned once more to Glass for a big play. But Glass instead tossed an interception into the hands of Clifton Duck. The next play from scrimmage was another perfectly executed wheel route from Jackson, catching a 30-yard pass from Brown to give Sioux Falls its first lead of the game. A successful two-point conversion boosted that lead to 42-39. Despite letting an 18-point lead slip, the Pirates still got a chance to possess the ball late to try for a potential game-winning score. But the offense was stalled by Sioux Falls, who forced a 29-yard field goal attempt by Josh Gable. His attempt went wide left, effectively ending any hope for the Pirates. The Storm needed just three plays to run out the rest of the clock and complete the comeback for a thrilling 42-39 win.
Brown attempted 18 passes in tonight's win, completing 14 of them for 183 yards, with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed ten times for 34 yards and another score. Xavier Jackson was limited as a rusher (three carries for five yards), but made splash plays as a receiver, with four catches for a team-leading 92 yards and two touchdowns. Thurness also had a pair of touchdowns on five catches for 41 yards, and Corley contributed three catches for 41 yards and a score. On defense, Daryle Banfield recorded the only sack of the evening, and Duck had the lone interception.
Alejandro Bennifield started tonight's game for the Pirates, and prior to his departure in the third quarter went 10-of-13 passing for 68 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions, with seven carries for 38 yards and a touchdown as a rusher. Mike Glass III filled in after Bennifield's injury and strung together 11 completions on 15 attempts for 129 yards, with two touchdowns, one interception, and a lost fumble. Robinson turned 11 carries into 45 yards, while adding seven catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Isaac Zico caught five passes for 58 yards, while Owens had five catches for 52 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Linebacker Bundage had the only sack of the game for Massachusetts.
The 2023 season comes to a close for the Massachusetts Pirates, who will end the season with an overall record of 9-7 after losing tonight's game - their fourth in a row. On the flip side, Sioux Falls will be planning its flight to the heart of Texas for next week's matchup with the Frisco Fighters, who handled the Quad City Steamwheelers 57-29 in the other Eastern semifinal matchup of the evening. Date/Time of the matchup will be determined at a later date.
The Storm take both games from the Pirates this season, and now have evened the all-time series at two games apiece after being swept by the Pirates in 2022.
Click for our complete 2023 IFL Schedule. Next week's conference championship games will be streamed live on the IFL's Official YouTube Channel. SCtoC will present previews of those in the board of the home team in each game.
- AS
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