Empire Suffer Second Loss, Fall to Storm 50-63
Published on May 15, 2016 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Spokane Empire News Release
SPOKANE, Wash. -The Empire (8-2, 6-1) went go on the road in Week 13 of the 2016 Indoor Football League season and fell to the Sioux Falls Storm (10-1, 6-1) by a final score of 50-63 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
The first half of play showcased exactly why the two teams are ranked first and second overall in average points per game as scoring drives were traded back and forth to the tune of seven lead changes before the end of the second quarter.
Spokane jumped out to 14-7 lead in the first quarter before Sioux Falls would fire back with an eight-point swing to retake the lead. Storm quarterback Lorenzo Brown connected with receiver Caleb Holley on what would be the first of four touchdown receptions on the night from 28-yards out to bring the game to 14 all. On the ensuing kickoff the Spokane return team had some miscommunication on who was to field the squib kick, which resulted in a rouge point for the Storm and a 15-14 lead.
Late in the second quarter after the third touchdown pass from Brown to Holley, the Storm were able to hold Spokane to on fourth down on the Empire's own 14-yd line. Three plays later, Sioux Falls extended their lead to 36-28 via a 16-yard touchdown pass to Mike Tatum. Spokane had an opportunity at the end zone before the end of the half, but Storm linebacker Tyler Knight would record his first interception of the night to maintain Sioux Falls' one score lead.
After a first half that was dominated by each teams' offense, it was the defensive units for each team that took over in the third quarter. Neither offense was able to find the end zone as Sioux Falls failed to convert on a 50-yard field goal on their opening possession of the half. Spokane would go on to throw two interceptions in the quarter while Empire rookie defensive back Adrian James, in his first game of the season, would record a pick on his second play from scrimmage.
The fourth quarter brought about a resurgence of points as the two teams combined for 49 points. After trading scores and finding the end zone via a 2-yard run by running back Trevor Kennedy, Spokane found themselves trailing 50-56 with 1:20 left on the clock. On the ensuing kickoff, the Empire performed a perfect middle dribble onside kick and recovered the ball on their own 14-yard line. While the momentum felt as though it had been stolen by Spokane, it took Sioux Falls only one play to correct their mistake as a deflected pass in the secondary would lead to their fourth interception on the night. The final dagger would then come again in only one play as Mike Tatum found the end zone via a 30-yard run, allowing the Storm to record the 63-50 home victory.
Spokane quarterback Charles Dowdell completed 24-of-42 pass attempts for 291 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions. Trevor Kennedy recorded 15 rush attempts for 30 yards and one score on the ground while adding seven receptions for 50 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Carl Sims had another big night as he led the Empire receiving effort with seven receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Beyond one errant pass that was intercepted, Sioux Falls quarterback Lorenzo Brown put on a near perfect performance as he completed 10-of-14 passes for 140 yards and five touchdowns. He also led the Storm with eight rush attempts for 49 yards and one score. Caleb Holley led the Sioux Falls receivers with six receptions for 110 yards and four touchdowns. Linebacker Tyler Knight also had a huge night, recording 15.5 total tackles (13 solo), two tackles for loss, and two interceptions.
The Sioux Falls defense held Spokane four times on fourth down during the contest. The Empire visited the red zone ten times on the night, but were only able to convert on half of their opportunities.
Spokane ran 65 total plays in the contest for 327 total yards of offense, while the efficient Storm offense ran a total of 35 plays and gained 293 yards on the night (137 passing, 156 rushing).
Next week, the Empire will return to Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena to face off against the Tri-Cities Fever for the final time during the 2016 regular season on Friday, May 20th with a 7:00 p.m. PT kickoff. The Week 14 game is Hometown Heroes Night presented by Barton Boys Heating & Air Conditioning and AM 700 ESPN radio Spokane. The first 5,000 fans receive fan clappers courtesy of Barton Boys, plus its Happy Hour with $1.50 OFF select drinks at arena concessions from doors (6:00 p.m.) to kickoff. There will also be a ticket special for next Friday's game with a B.O.G.O deal on single game tickets for community members to celebrate the men and women that assist in our local communities each and every day. Use promo code "HERO" via www.TicketsWest.com, at the arena box office, or by phone at 1-800-325-SEAT (7328) to receive the ticket discount.
Indoor Football League Stories from May 15, 2016
- Empire Suffer Second Loss, Fall to Storm 50-63 - Spokane Empire
- Fever Loses Ground in Playoff Chance with Loss to Wolves - Tri-Cities Fever
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