Inside Arena Football 55

The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football team launched the 2024 Indoor Football League season from Moline, IL, on Friday night, taking on the Quad City Steamwheelers to begin their 24th season as an organization.

Andre Fields entered his first game as head coach, leading this new-look Storm team into enemy territory for a tremendous overtime battle between two Eastern Conference rivals. The Storm would fall in overtime 38-32, but there were plenty of big moments and plenty to be excited about for Storm fans.

Coach Fields' roots as a defense-minded coach were apparent early on as the Storm stifled the Steamwheelers' offense on their first possession, resulting in a three-and-out and a missed field goal attempt.

Dajon Emory led the first half defensive charge, finishing with three tackles and two TFL, which tied Claude Davis for the team lead.

Despite the strong defensive effort, Quad City was able to sneak a late first quarter field goal to take a 3-0 lead after a successful field goal attempt from kicker Kyle Kaplan.

The Steamwheelers started the second quarter with a rushing touchdown from Running Back Edwards Vander, who finished with 34 yards and two rushing TD's in his first game with Quad City.

The Steamwheelers offense came knocking again late in the second quarter, threatening to take a 17-0 lead when Storm Defensive Back Cam Harrell picked off a screen pass from Quad City QB Judd Erickson, scoring on the first pick-six of the season for Sioux Falls.

New Storm Kicker Dean Sarris connected on a two-point conversion and the Storm were right back into the game.

Quad City would score on another Vander touchdown in the closing seconds of the half to push the lead out to 17-8 at the intermission.

The Storm made big adjustments at halftime, focusing on getting the ball to Kentrez Bell, the former Strike Force wideout who led the IFL in receiving yards during the 2023 season.

Sioux Falls Quarterback Billy Hall threw his first touchdown pass of the season to Bell on the opening drive of the second half. From there on out, the two offenses were off to the races, with both teams going back and forth in the 3rd quarter exchanging touchdowns.

The Storm capped off the wild quarter with a two-point "deuce" on a kickoff for Dean Sarris late in the quarter to give the Storm their first lead of the season at 24-23.

That lead wouldn't last long though. Fifth year IFL veteran Jarrod Harrington scored his second touchdown of the night on a diving catch at midfield. Harrington would get up and go untouched for a 40 yard score and the Quad City lead.

The Steamwheelers connected on a Deuce of their own on the ensuing kickoff to push the lead out ounce again, this time at 32-24.

The Storm answered with a big offensive blow of their own when Hall made an athletic juke to fake out Steamwheelers defenders and used his speed to race into the endzone for his first rushing touchdown.

A successful Sarris two-point conversion tied the game up at 32-32 with only a 4:00 remaining in regulation.

The Steamwheelers tried to salt the clock away late, setting up a potential game-winning field goal with 0:01 left in regulation, but a fumbled snap foiled their plans and sent the game into overtime.

Quad City got the ball to start the overtime period and scored on an Erickson rushing touchdown, but another fumbled snap on special teams kept it a six-point game.

Sioux Falls had an opportunity to win if they could score a touchdown and successful two-point conversion on their overtime drive.The Storm started with a nice midfield catch from Kentrez Bell.

Two Storm tried to run the ball on first and goal, but Running Back Bryson Denley was stopped for a two-yard loss.

Hall would try to connect with Bell again, this time in the endzone, but was picked off by Steamwheelers defensive back Trey Smith, ending the Storm's incredible comeback effort in a back-and-forth game.

Fumbled snaps were a theme in this wild Indoor Football League thriller. The Sioux Falls Storm finished the night with six botched snaps offensively. The Quad City Steamwheelers delt with a pair of botched snaps on special teams in crucial late game situations.

Hall finished the night going 8-of-15 for 88 yards and a touchdown in his Storm debut. He also ran the ball 14 times for 59 yards (26 net yards) and a score in the loss.

Steamwheelers rookie QB Judd Erickson outdueled Hall, finishing his night 13-for-26 for 169 yards and two passing touchdowns.

Storm wide receiver was the top offensive threat on Friday night, providing the lone receiving touchdown in the loss. Carlos Thompson added three catches for 26 yards in his return to the Storm lineup.

Denley provided a nice second half spark for Sioux Falls, finishing the night with four carries and a key touchdown to spark the comeback attempt.

Harrington finished the night with two catches for 65 yards for Quad City in the overtime win. Vander added a pair of rushing touchdowns to lead the Steamwheelers ground attack.

Defensively, the Sioux Falls Storm were led by Laronji Vason-McCoy and Kendricks Gladney Jr. Both defensive backs finished the night with seven tackles in the loss.

Defensive Linemen Dajon Emory and Claude Davis each had two TFL and Cam Harrell had the lone pick of the night for the Sioux Falls.

The Storm will be back on the road next weekend with a 6:05 PM CT kickoff on March 29th against the Massachusetts Pirates.

Alejandro Bennifield got to savor some home cooking.

The Massachusetts quarterback threw four touchdown passes, as the Pirates defeated the Jacksonville Sharks, 26-21, Saturday night in their Tsongas Center debut in front of an enthusiastic opening night crowd of 2,536.

The 2021 United Bowl champions, the Massachusetts Pirates (2-0) are members of the Indoor Football League. After five seasons in Worcester, the team moved to Lowell during the offseason, signing a multi-year agreement at the Tsongas.

“It felt great,” said Bennifield. “First game in the city of Lowell, and we felt great energy. Every touchdown the fans were standing up. They supported us, even when weren’t as great. But we persevered and got that win.”

“Any time you can get that first win at home, first game, it’s history in the building,” said Pirates coach Rod Miller. “It feels great. We made some mistakes we have to clean up, but it still feels great to get the win.”

For fans like Chelmsford’s Ryan Tatara, who showed up dressed in an old school Lowell Lock Monster’s hockey jersey, heading in to see Lowell’s newest pro sports team in his backyard was a no-brainer.

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The Green Bay Blizzard claimed victory over the Iowa Barnstormers in a thrilling game in the second week of the IFL season. This win was more than just a triumph for Green Bay; it was also a declaration of intent as they secured the first of three matchups this season against their rivals, the Barnstormers.

The scoring began in the first quarter when Iowa's quarterback, Darius-James Peterson, scored his first touchdown of the year with 6:06 remaining on the clock. However, Green Bay quickly responded with quarterback Max Meylor finding wide receiver Lowell Patron, Jr. for a 20-yard touchdown, tying the score with 4:35 left in the quarter.

By the second quarter, with the score at 7-7, Peterson scored a remarkable 19-yard touchdown, giving the Barnstormers a 14-7 lead. But the Blizzard quickly equalized when Meylor executed a Read Option to perfection, fooling the defense for an 18-yard touchdown run, leveling the score again at 14 apiece. Just before halftime, Iowa's kicker, Gabriel Rui, secured a 25-yard field goal, giving the Barnstormers a 17-14 edge.

In the third quarter, Iowa initially maintained momentum with Peterson scoring another rushing touchdown, bringing his total to three for the day and making the score 24-14. However, the Blizzard responded quickly with Jalyn Cagle returning the ensuing kickoff for a 42-yard score, narrowing the gap once again.

The fourth quarter signaled a turning point as Green Bay seized control. With 14:56 left in the game, Harry Ballard III caught a crucial touchdown pass, propelling the Blizzard to a 28-24 lead they would not relinquish. Subsequently, a fumbled handoff by Iowa was recovered by Blizzard defensive lineman Rafiq Abdul-Wahid. Although Green Bay didn't capitalize on this turnover with points, their next defensive stand forced Iowa into a turnover on downs. The Blizzard sealed their 35-24 victory with a rushing touchdown from Jalyn Cagle, improving their season record to 1-1.

Looking ahead, Green Bay (1-1) enters their first bye week with momentum. They will return to action on April 6th against the Quad City Steamwheelers (1-0) in an exciting road game, marking their first of the season.

Iowa (0-1), also heading into their bye week, will look to regroup before their next game on April 12th when they travel to Massachusetts to take on the Pirates (2-0), aiming to bounce back from this setback.

In a riveting showdown that resonated throughout the arena, the Green Bay Blizzard triumphed over the Iowa Barnstormers in the second week of the IFL season. This game was more than just a victory; it was a bold declaration from Green Bay as they clinched the first of three matchups this season against their rivals, the Barnstormers.

The scoring commenced in the first quarter when Iowa's quarterback, Darius-James Peterson, dashed into the end zone for his first touchdown of the year with 6:06 remaining on the clock. However, Green Bay quickly countered, as quarterback Max Meylor found wide receiver Lowell Patron, Jr. for a 20-yard touchdown, bringing the score to a tie with 4:35 left in the quarter.

By the second quarter, with the scoreboard reading 7-7, Peterson weaved through the Blizzard defense for a remarkable 19-yard touchdown, giving the Barnstormers a 14-7 lead. Yet, the Blizzard's resilience shone brightly once more when Meylor executed a Read Option to perfection, fooling the defense for an 18-yard touchdown run, leveling the score at 14 apiece. Then, just before Halftime, Iowa's kicker, Gabriel Rui, secured a 25-yard field goal, giving the Barnstormers a 17-14 edge.

As the third quarter unfolded, Iowa initially maintained momentum with Peterson sneaking another rushing touchdown, marking his third of the day to make the score 24-14. The Blizzard, undeterred and quick to respond, saw Jalyn Cagle return the ensuing kickoff for a 42-yard score, narrowing the gap once again.

The fourth quarter signaled a turning tide as Green Bay seized control early on. With 14:56 left in the game, Harry Ballard III caught a pivotal touchdown pass, propelling the Blizzard to a 28-24 lead they would not relinquish. Subsequently, a fumbled handoff by Iowa was recovered by Blizzard defensive lineman Rafiq Abdul-Wahid. Although Green Bay didn't capitalize on this turnover with points, their next defensive stand forced Iowa into a turnover on downs. The Blizzard cemented their 35-24 victory with a rushing touchdown from Jalyn Cagle, elevating their season record to 1-1.

Looking ahead, Green Bay (1-1) enters their first bye week with momentum. They will return to action on April 6th against the Quad City Steamwheelers (1-0) in what promises to be an exciting road game, marking their first of the season.

Iowa (0-1), also heading into their bye week, will look to regroup before their next game on April 12th, when they travel to Massachusetts to take on the Pirates (2-0), aiming to bounce back from this setback.

In the only TRUE National Arena League game, the Carolina Cobras hosted the Omaha Beef for Military Appreciation Night on Sunday afternoon, but unfortunately fell short to the Omaha Beef 54-43. The Cobras started off strong by receiving an early advantage when kick returner Adam Smith made a massive return and got the offense within 17-yards of a score. Cobra Nation fans were on their feet early, but Omaha's Jordan Barton had his own big return as he made a quick return at their 14-yard line.

In the Cobras home opener, Omaha's Tommy Armstrong was the first to score. However, Cobras quarterback Greg Myers threw a complete pass to Smith for a touchdown, and the Cobras league leading kicker Kevin Didio-Weber knocked down the extra point to put the Cobras in the lead. With 7:49 left in the quarter, Omaha gained a passing touchdown, but another missed extra point put the Beef up 12-7.

Smith, proving to be the Carolina workhorse, gave the Cobras more field advantage from special teams and slid to the 25-yard line. After a tough attempt and failing the 4th down, the ball returned to the Omaha who scored on another drive, but this time kept their kicker on the bench while converting on the 2-point conversion, making up for some missed PATs. Cobras Adam Smith had a quick score, but Carolina still trailed Omaha by a touchdown.

In the second quarter, Carolina quarterback Myers took matters into his own hands and scored a rushing touchdown to tie the game. The Beef attempted to regain the lead, but it backfired with a pick-six giving the Cobras the lead instead. Omaha, looking to bounce back, struggled to punch in a score from the goal line. The Cobras stopped them twice, but Omaha eventually scored with a rushing touchdown from receiver Jordan Barton. With time ticking down, the Cobras tried for one more score but a potential touchdown turned into an interception by Omaha's defensive back Trey Dudley-Giles.

Going into the second half, the Cobras were up by two with a roaring Carolina crowd that proved that they missed Arena Football and were ready for another great season. The first seven minutes were a stalemate with defensives on both sides shutting down any chance of scoring. Out of scoring range, Coach Negron called on his All-NAL Kicker Kevin Didio-Weber who attempted a field goal that was close but no good.

Finally, points started to come in on both sides. The Beef with a score on a turnover, and Cobras receiver James Summers scoring on a somersault touchdown to give the team a 3-point lead proved how hard it was for both teams to manage to score. The Beef answered with another touchdown to put Omaha up by four.

In the fourth quarter, Myers led the Cobras down the field and scored a much-needed score, but the Beef recovered and scored quickly. In an arena football game that began to turn into a heavyweight boxing match, the teams stood in a break the scoreboard 46-35 with the clock at 4:56 left in the game. The hard-fighting Carolina Cobras home team had one last blow to deliver, with a heavy blow delivered by Cobras quarterback Greg Myers with a touchdown pass followed by a two-point conversion. However, the Omaha Beef got the final blow, not as strong with another missed PAT, but strong enough to hold the lead and win the game. The Omaha Beef takes the first win in this heavyweight rivalry 54-43. The Cobras return to the snake pit next week to host the Idaho Horsemen on April 1 at 7:30 pm at Greensboro Coliseum.

In a game that didn't matter to either team the AIF Cedar Rapids River Kings hosted the NAL Colorado Spartans and the Spartans defeated the River Kings 35-26