Post by Kasey on Jun 14, 2024 19:09:15 GMT -8
Blizzard 63, Sharks 35
6/14/24 --
GREEN BAY, WI - The Green Bay Blizzard became the first team in the IFL to clinch a playoff spot as they recorded a 63-35 win over the Jacksonville Sharks tonight at the Resch Center.
Green Bay is 10-2 with four games remaining in their regular season. The Blizzard will make their first playoff appearance since 2019 when they finished their regular season 9-5. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, 45-40, by the now-defunct Nebraska Danger. The Blizzard finish the night a game and a half in front of the Frisco Fighters in the Eastern Conference standings. The Fighters will visit the 2-8 Tucson Sugar Skulls tomorrow night. Green Bay's win streak is now at six games which hasn't happened for the franchise since 2011. That streak is a franchise high which could be broken next week should the Blizzard win at the Quad City Steamwheelers next week.
Jacksonville falls to 2-9 and is in last place in the conference. This was the first-ever meeting between the teams after the Sharks made the move from the National Arena League to the IFL over the off season. The Blizzard will visit the Sharks on July 13.
The Sharks took the first bite out of the scoreboard when, on fourth-and-two, Fred Payton, Jr. lofted the ball down the left side of the sideline to D.J. Stubbs who bobbled the ball a couple times before securing the catch in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. The Blizzard came right back, scoring on a 11-yard touchdown toss from Max Meylor to Harry Ballard III in the shallow right corner of the end zone. On the next Sharks drive, Nick Williams lined up for a 47-yard field goal, but the kick was partially blocked by Green Bay to give the Blizzard the ball back at the Jacksonville 19 after the return from Jaylin Cagle. E.J. Burgess scored on a run around the left side for seven yards. Green Bay led 14-7 at the end of the first.
Jacksonville had to settle for a 58-yard field goal try from Williams, but the kick was well short and returned into Sharks territory by Cagle. The Sharks defense forced a turnover on downs by the Blizzard and took over just inside their own five. Green Bay's defense returned the favor, stopping the Sharks on fourth down at the 10-yard line. It took just a single play for the Blizzard to extend their lead when Max Meylor found the end zone on a quarterback draw to the left side. Jacksonville cut into the Blizzard lead on Payton's one-yard push into the end zone with about two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the half. Green Bay extended its lead when Meylor hit Lowell Patron, Jr. for a six-yard scoring strike with eight seconds remaining. Williams' 45-yard field goal try went wide left as time expired in the half. The Blizzard took a 28-14 lead into the break.
Green Bay extended its lead on the first possession of the third quarter when Meylor reached the end zone from three yards out. Jacksonville answered on a two-yard run from Isaiah Johnson midway through the third. Meylor hit Demetrius Moore across the middle for eight yards to put the Blizzard back up by three scores. The Blizzard led 42-21 after three quarters of play.
Ravarius Rivers intercepted Payton on the Sharks' following drive. Rivers' one-handed catch was his third pick in the last two games. The Blizzard capitalized with another eight-yard touchdown toss from Meylor to Moore across the middle. With the Sharks pinned deep in their own territory, they fumbled the ball on the snap and it was recovered by Scean Mustin of the Blizzard just over the goal line for another Blizzard score. Payton found Stubbs across the middle of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown with 6:37 left in the fourth. Cagle's four-yard run up the middle gave the Blizzard a 63-28 lead with 4:14 remaining. The Sharks didn't give up. Payton scrambled, bought some time in the backfield and lofted a pass into the end zone. The ball was tipped by the Sharks' Johnson before being caught by his teammate Jaedon Stoshak in the end zone for a 14-yard score. From there, the Blizzard was able to run out the clock.
Meylor completed 15 of 19 passes for 157 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for a pair of touchdowns. E.J. Burgess carried the ball nine times for 52 yards and a touchdown. Moore had five catches for 56 yards and two scores, while Patron and Ballard each caught four balls for 43 and 40 yards, respectively. Each also hauled in a touchdown pass. Julius Wilkerson led the defense with eight tackles, and Rivers had 6.5 tackles and an interception.
Burgess' father, Evan Burgess, Sr., was honored prior to the game for his 20 years of service to the United States Coast Guard. The elder Burgess appeared with his grandson at the arena shortly prior to kickoff.
Payton finished 11 of 17 for 124 yards with three touchdowns and a pick. He also rushed for 51 yards and another score. Stubbs hauled in four passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Jabari Gorman had eight tackles to pace the Sharks' defense.
Green Bay tallied 235 yards to 201 for Jacksonville. The Blizzard held a 157-to-124 edge in the passing game, while the Sharks had a 91-to-78 advantage on the ground. The Sharks were cited 11 times for 81 yards, while the Blizzard were flagged seven times for 75 yards. Jacksonville led in time of possession by over 10 minutes of game time.
The Sharks will host the Massachusetts Pirates on June 22 for a 4:05 p.m. kickoff. The Blizzard will visit the Quad City Steamwheelers on June 22 with kickoff set for 5:05 p.m. Times listed are pacific daylight time.
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel and Caffeine TV IFL. SCtoC will present previews of those, and all, games this season. Those previews will be posted on the board of the home team in each game. Click for our complete IFL 2024 Schedule.
6/14/24 --
GREEN BAY, WI - The Green Bay Blizzard became the first team in the IFL to clinch a playoff spot as they recorded a 63-35 win over the Jacksonville Sharks tonight at the Resch Center.
Green Bay is 10-2 with four games remaining in their regular season. The Blizzard will make their first playoff appearance since 2019 when they finished their regular season 9-5. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, 45-40, by the now-defunct Nebraska Danger. The Blizzard finish the night a game and a half in front of the Frisco Fighters in the Eastern Conference standings. The Fighters will visit the 2-8 Tucson Sugar Skulls tomorrow night. Green Bay's win streak is now at six games which hasn't happened for the franchise since 2011. That streak is a franchise high which could be broken next week should the Blizzard win at the Quad City Steamwheelers next week.
Jacksonville falls to 2-9 and is in last place in the conference. This was the first-ever meeting between the teams after the Sharks made the move from the National Arena League to the IFL over the off season. The Blizzard will visit the Sharks on July 13.
The Sharks took the first bite out of the scoreboard when, on fourth-and-two, Fred Payton, Jr. lofted the ball down the left side of the sideline to D.J. Stubbs who bobbled the ball a couple times before securing the catch in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. The Blizzard came right back, scoring on a 11-yard touchdown toss from Max Meylor to Harry Ballard III in the shallow right corner of the end zone. On the next Sharks drive, Nick Williams lined up for a 47-yard field goal, but the kick was partially blocked by Green Bay to give the Blizzard the ball back at the Jacksonville 19 after the return from Jaylin Cagle. E.J. Burgess scored on a run around the left side for seven yards. Green Bay led 14-7 at the end of the first.
Jacksonville had to settle for a 58-yard field goal try from Williams, but the kick was well short and returned into Sharks territory by Cagle. The Sharks defense forced a turnover on downs by the Blizzard and took over just inside their own five. Green Bay's defense returned the favor, stopping the Sharks on fourth down at the 10-yard line. It took just a single play for the Blizzard to extend their lead when Max Meylor found the end zone on a quarterback draw to the left side. Jacksonville cut into the Blizzard lead on Payton's one-yard push into the end zone with about two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the half. Green Bay extended its lead when Meylor hit Lowell Patron, Jr. for a six-yard scoring strike with eight seconds remaining. Williams' 45-yard field goal try went wide left as time expired in the half. The Blizzard took a 28-14 lead into the break.
Green Bay extended its lead on the first possession of the third quarter when Meylor reached the end zone from three yards out. Jacksonville answered on a two-yard run from Isaiah Johnson midway through the third. Meylor hit Demetrius Moore across the middle for eight yards to put the Blizzard back up by three scores. The Blizzard led 42-21 after three quarters of play.
Ravarius Rivers intercepted Payton on the Sharks' following drive. Rivers' one-handed catch was his third pick in the last two games. The Blizzard capitalized with another eight-yard touchdown toss from Meylor to Moore across the middle. With the Sharks pinned deep in their own territory, they fumbled the ball on the snap and it was recovered by Scean Mustin of the Blizzard just over the goal line for another Blizzard score. Payton found Stubbs across the middle of the end zone for an eight-yard touchdown with 6:37 left in the fourth. Cagle's four-yard run up the middle gave the Blizzard a 63-28 lead with 4:14 remaining. The Sharks didn't give up. Payton scrambled, bought some time in the backfield and lofted a pass into the end zone. The ball was tipped by the Sharks' Johnson before being caught by his teammate Jaedon Stoshak in the end zone for a 14-yard score. From there, the Blizzard was able to run out the clock.
Meylor completed 15 of 19 passes for 157 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for a pair of touchdowns. E.J. Burgess carried the ball nine times for 52 yards and a touchdown. Moore had five catches for 56 yards and two scores, while Patron and Ballard each caught four balls for 43 and 40 yards, respectively. Each also hauled in a touchdown pass. Julius Wilkerson led the defense with eight tackles, and Rivers had 6.5 tackles and an interception.
Burgess' father, Evan Burgess, Sr., was honored prior to the game for his 20 years of service to the United States Coast Guard. The elder Burgess appeared with his grandson at the arena shortly prior to kickoff.
Payton finished 11 of 17 for 124 yards with three touchdowns and a pick. He also rushed for 51 yards and another score. Stubbs hauled in four passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Jabari Gorman had eight tackles to pace the Sharks' defense.
Green Bay tallied 235 yards to 201 for Jacksonville. The Blizzard held a 157-to-124 edge in the passing game, while the Sharks had a 91-to-78 advantage on the ground. The Sharks were cited 11 times for 81 yards, while the Blizzard were flagged seven times for 75 yards. Jacksonville led in time of possession by over 10 minutes of game time.
The Sharks will host the Massachusetts Pirates on June 22 for a 4:05 p.m. kickoff. The Blizzard will visit the Quad City Steamwheelers on June 22 with kickoff set for 5:05 p.m. Times listed are pacific daylight time.
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel and Caffeine TV IFL. SCtoC will present previews of those, and all, games this season. Those previews will be posted on the board of the home team in each game. Click for our complete IFL 2024 Schedule.
-MKM
