
Storm Defeat Fighters to Advance to National Championship
July 30, 2023 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Sioux Falls Storm News Release
The Sioux Falls Storm erased a 20-point first half deficit to pull off an improbable comeback win (45-44) over the #1 seed Frisco Fighters on Saturday night and have advanced to the 2023 Indoor Football League National Championship Game next weekend in Las Vegas.
Storm Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. finished the night 13-of-30 for 178 yards and three passing touchdowns. Brown also ran the ball 15 times for 37 yards and three scores.
Running Back Xavier Jackson only ran the ball two times for 13 yards but finished the night as the team's leading receiver, hauling in four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Wide Receiver Drayseason Hudson had four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown and Cole Thurness snagged two catches and a touchdown for the Storm.
Donnie Corley Jr. didn't record a touchdown on Saturday night, but had arguably the biggest catch of the game, pulling in the two-point conversion to give Sioux Falls the one-point lead with 0:12 left in regulation.
Fighters QB TJ Edwards played well in the loss. The league MVP candidate connected on 11-of-17 pass attempts for 131 yards and two touchdowns while adding 88 yards and four rushing touchdowns to his stat line. Edwards faced constant pressure from the Storm defense that recorded three interceptions and two sacks while limiting the Frisco offense to 17 points after the halftime break.
Linebacker James Brown led the Storm with 12 tackles (five solo) and a sack. Defensive Back Laronji Vason-McCoy added 10 tackles (six solo) and an interception. Undraez Lilly also recorded a sack while Clifton Duck and Eugene Ford each had an interception in the win.
The Storm will now turn their attention to the Western Conference Champion Bay Area Panthers who are led by former Storm Quarterback Dalton Sneed. The Panthers finished the 2023 regular season with a 10-5 record and the #2 seed in the West. The Sioux Falls Storm finished the regular season with a 9-6 record and a #2 seed in the East. The two teams will meet for the first time this season in the IFL National Championship Game on August 5thin Las Vegas.
Indoor Football League Stories from July 30, 2023
- Fighters Fall Short, End Year with 1-Point Loss to Sioux Falls - Frisco Fighters
- Storm Defeat Fighters to Advance to National Championship - Sioux Falls Storm
- Panthers IFL Western Conference Champions - Bay Area Panthers
- Northern Arizona Wranglers Fall Short, Lose to Bay Area Panthers, 68-46 - Northern Arizona Wranglers
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