Big Plays & Bigger Stakes

June 10, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release

Week 12 in the IFL featured high-scoring battles, major upsets, and clutch performances as teams continued to jockey for playoff positioning. From a dramatic finish in San Jose to dominant wins in Fishers and Quad City, this week's action proved that no lead is safe, and no conference is settled. Several quarterbacks lit up the scoreboard while defenses across the league delivered momentum-swinging plays. Here's how it all went down.

Blizzard Blow Past Barnstormers in Home Rout

Ashwaubenon, WI - June 6, 2025

The Green Bay Blizzard unleashed a relentless offensive attack and added a game-changing special teams score to run away from the Iowa Barnstormers, 52-32, at the Resch Center. Quarterback Maxwell Meylor accounted for six total touchdowns-five through the air and one on the ground-while Green Bay's receiving corps carved up Iowa's secondary with big plays throughout the night.

Despite jumping out to a 19-3 lead in the first quarter, Iowa's momentum quickly faded. Meylor led three second-quarter touchdown drives, including a 30-yard strike to Jazeric Peterson and a 6-yard scoring run, flipping the game in Green Bay's favor before halftime. Peterson also returned a kickoff 48 yards for a touchdown, giving the Blizzard a jolt on special teams. Iowa quarterback James Cahoon threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns, but the Barnstormers failed to score in the fourth quarter and couldn't recover from the defensive lapses.

With the win, Green Bay (7-3) keeps pace in the playoff hunt, riding a balanced offensive performance and timely defensive stops. Iowa (1-8), meanwhile, dropped its fifth straight game and continues to search for answers on both sides of the ball.

Sharks Hold Off Rattlers in Wild Shootout

Jacksonville, FL - June 7, 2025

The Jacksonville Sharks survived a high-octane battle with the Arizona Rattlers, earning a 54-48 victory at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena to improve to 7-3 on the season. Jacksonville scored in all three phases-offense, defense, and special teams-highlighted by Javaris Davis's 40-yard pick-six and a fast start that saw the Sharks jump out to a 23-7 lead in the first quarter.

Quarterback Tyler Huff continued to impress with 72 rushing yards and four total touchdowns, while Jaedon Stoshak led all receivers with 63 yards and a score. Arizona fought back with a relentless ground game, racking up 146 rushing yards and six touchdowns, including two from Ron Brown Jr. and three more from Corey Reed Jr. But Jacksonville's defense came up with key takeaways, including two interceptions off Dalton Sneed and a fumble recovery, helping keep the Rattlers from completing the comeback.

With the win, Jacksonville strengthens its playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference. Arizona, now 7-3, remains a top contender in the West but will look to clean up the turnovers as the regular season enters the final stretch.

Pirates Clamp Down on Freight in Second-Half Surge

Fishers, IN - June 7, 2025

The Massachusetts Pirates rode a smothering defensive effort and four touchdown passes from Kenji Bahar to a convincing 40-23 road win over the Fishers Freight. After a sluggish start, the Pirates took control by outscoring Fishers 26-8 after halftime, pulling away with two key third-quarter touchdown drives and a late score on the ground by Bahar himself.

Bahar was efficient throughout, completing 13 of 17 passes for 92 yards and four scores-three of which went to Thomas Owens, who hauled in four catches for 41 yards. The Pirates' defense was equally impressive, sacking Freight quarterback Carlos Davis twice and limiting Fishers to just 141 total yards. Massachusetts also forced a turnover and held Fishers to 1-of-4 on fourth-down tries.

With the victory, Massachusetts improves to 4-5 on the season-Their second consecutive win, staying alive in the playoff hunt. Fishers drops to 2-8 after starting the season 2-0.

Steamwheelers Sink Gunslingers Behind Big Balanced Day

San Antonio, TX - June 7, 2025

The Quad City Steamwheelers continued their climb atop the Eastern Conference with a 51-37 road win over the San Antonio Gunslingers at Freeman Coliseum. Quarterback Daquan Neal led the charge with three total touchdowns-two through the air, one on the ground, and a two-point conversion pass-while Quad City's defense came away with four interceptions, including a fourth-quarter pick-six to seal the game.

San Antonio opened strong, but Neal's connection with Tamorrion Terry and Dequan Dudley gave Quad City a 30-23 lead heading into the fourth quarter. That's when the Steamwheelers slammed the door, scoring three times in the final frame, including a 42-yard interception return by Nicholas Harris. Jarrod Ware Jr. added two rushing touchdowns as part of a balanced offensive attack.

Quad City improves to 8-2 and remains in first place in the East, while San Antonio falls to 3-7 and is now in danger of falling out of the playoff picture entirely. The Steamwheelers' opportunistic defense and efficient red-zone execution continue to make them a serious championship contender.

Vegas Knight Hawks 63, Northern Arizona Wranglers 43

Prescott Valley, AZ - Saturday, June 7

The Vegas Knight Hawks (6-4) rode an unstoppable offense to a 63-43 road win over the Northern Arizona Wranglers (3-7), seizing control early and never looking back.

Quarterback Jayden De Laura was masterful, completing 11 of 14 passes for 140 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding a rushing score. Antonio Wimbush continued his impressive campaign with 4 total touchdowns-2 rushing and 2 receiving-while racking up 51 yards from scrimmage. CJ Windham Jr. hauled in 5 catches for 62 yards and a touchdown, while kicker Ben Derby went 8-for-9 on PATs.

Despite trailing 43-13 midway through the third, Northern Arizona made a late push behind QB Ramone Atkins (23/42, 195 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT), who also added a rushing touchdown and a successful two-point conversion. Marvin Kinsey rushed for 33 yards and 2 scores, and Arland Bruce returned a kickoff for a touchdown and caught another in the closing seconds. But Vegas' early dominance and three interceptions by the defense-including picks by James Ceasar, Rome Weber, and Lorenzo Hernandez-sealed the deal.

Vegas stays firmly in the Western Conference playoff hunt, while Northern Arizona drops its third straight.

Panthers Survive Oilers in Wild Finish at Home

San Jose, CA - June 7, 2025

In one of Week 12's most dramatic finishes, the Bay Area Panthers held off the Tulsa Oilers 44-41 at SAP Center to move to 7-2 on the year and climb to the top of the Western Conference. A late touchdown run by quarterback Josh Jones with just over three minutes left proved to be the difference, capping a back-and-forth battle filled with momentum swings and lead changes.

Bay Area struck early behind two first-quarter scores from Joshua Tomas, who finished with three rushing touchdowns and 105 total yards. Tulsa rallied behind dual-threat quarterback TJ Edwards, who accounted for five total touchdowns-three on the ground and two through the air-while Cole Blackman hauled in two touchdown receptions. A costly third-quarter fumble by Edwards, returned for a score by Bay Area's Franky West Jr., flipped the game once more. Despite multiple late pushes by the Oilers, the Panthers' defense stood tall in the final minutes.

Tulsa falls to 6-4 with the tough road loss, still in the playoff hunt in the East but with less margin for error. Bay Area, meanwhile, remains undefeated at home and shows they can win close, gritty games when it matters most.

Strike Force Outgun Sugar Skulls in Offensive Showcase

Tucson, AZ - June 7, 2025

San Diego quarterback Nate Davis threw five touchdown passes and the Strike Force defense returned an interception for a score as they powered past the Tucson Sugar Skulls, 58-42, at Tucson Arena. It was a complete team effort for San Diego, which improves to 6-4 and remains firmly in the playoff mix in the Western Conference.

Davis completed 16 of 24 passes for 192 yards, spreading touchdowns to four different receivers including Dallas Daniels, who finished with six catches for 75 yards and two scores. The Strike Force jumped out to a 28-14 first-half lead, helped by a 22-yard pick-six from Tareke Lewis. Tucson tried to claw back in the second half behind Jorge Reyna's five-touchdown performance and Larry Harrington's 10-catch, 95-yard, 4-TD night, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

Now 6-4, San Diego continues to build momentum heading into a crucial late-season stretch. Tucson drops to 3-6 and faces an uphill battle in the West, needing to string together wins quickly to stay in postseason contention.

Closing Thoughts

Week 12 tightened the race across both conferences as teams like Quad City, Jacksonville, Bay Area, and Vegas all notched key wins to stay in strong playoff position. Meanwhile, crucial losses by Tucson, Fishers, and San Antonio have them sliding toward must-win territory. With seven weeks remaining in the regular season, every possession matters-and momentum is becoming just as important as matchups.

Indoor Football League Stories from June 10, 2025

• Step into the Spotlight at the Panthers Youth Dance Clinic - Bay Area Panthers
• Week 13 IFL Coaches Poll - IFL
• Freight Face Quad City on Saturday Night - Fishers Freight
• Big Plays & Bigger Stakes - IFL
• Thomas Owens' Three Touchdowns Ignite Pirates Offense to Much-Needed Win over Freight - Massachusetts Pirates

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