Green Bay Clinches First Playoff Spot with Win over Jacksonville
June 20, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Green Bay Blizzard News Release
GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- In this Week 14 matchup, the Green Bay Blizzard squared off against the Jacksonville Sharks for the first time. This game held significant importance for Green Bay, as a win would make them the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the IFL.
The game began with Green Bay kicking off to the Sharks, who quickly found themselves in a tough spot, facing a fourth-and-3 on their first drive. Under pressure, quarterback Fred Payton Jr. delivered a 35-yard strike to wide receiver DJ Stubbs for the first score of the game, putting Jacksonville up 7-0. Green Bay quickly responded as quarterback Max Meylor connected with wide receiver Harry Ballard III to tie the game at 7-7. On their next possession, Jacksonville attempted a field goal, but K Nick Williams, newly signed that day, came up short. Jalyn Cagle capitalized on the missed kick with a 34-yard return, setting up E.J. Burgess, who found the end zone three plays later, giving the Blizzard a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Jacksonville began the second quarter with possession, but their drive ended in another missed field goal attempt. Cagle returned the miss for 29 yards, giving Green Bay good field position. Despite this, the Blizzard turned the ball over on downs. The Sharks, starting deep in their own territory, also failed to convert and turned the ball over on downs back to Green Bay. This time, the Blizzard capitalized on the short field, with quarterback Max Meylor rushing in for a touchdown to extend their lead to 21-7. Jacksonville responded with a determined four-minute drive, capped by a rushing touchdown from Payton Jr., narrowing the gap to 21-14. Green Bay, known for their efficient clock management, seized the opportunity to score before halftime. Meylor connected with wide receiver Lowell Patron Jr. for a touchdown, ending the half with the Blizzard leading 28-14.
The Blizzard extended their lead right out of the break with another rushing touchdown by Max Meylor, making the score 35-14. Jacksonville, determined to stay in the game, responded with a rushing touchdown by Isaiah Johnson, narrowing the margin to 35-21. However, Green Bay quickly shut down the Sharks' hopes of a comeback. Wide receiver Demetrius Moore caught a Meylor pass for a touchdown, restoring the Blizzard's lead and ending the third quarter with a commanding 42-21 advantage.
The Sharks had the ball to start the fourth quarter, but it did not take long for Green Bay to get the football back as defensive back Ravarius Rivers had an impressive one-handed interception to add to Green Bay's momentum. The wheels kept turning for the Blizzard as Moore caught his second touchdown pass of the night, marking Max Meylor's fourth passing touchdown and sixth overall, extending Green Bay's lead to 49-21. On the Sharks' next drive, a mishap at the goal line saw Payton Jr. botch the snap, leading to a touchdown recovery by defensive tackle Scean Mustin, pushing the score to 56-21. Jacksonville managed to stop the bleeding on their next possession with a touchdown reception by DJ Stubbs, making it 56-28. The game concluded with an exchange of touchdowns: a rushing touchdown by Green Bay's running back Jalyn Cagle and a receiving touchdown by Jacksonville's wide receiver Jaedon Stoshak. The final score was 63-35, with the Green Bay Blizzard clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2019 and positioning themselves to host a postseason game.
Green Bay (10-2) will be traveling to Quad City (5-5) to take on the Steamwheelers for the third and final time this season as they try to get the season series sweep. For Jacksonville (2-9), they will be back at home to regroup and take on the Massachusetts Pirates (6-5) as the Pirates look to add to their win total and try to sneak into a top seed in the Eastern Conference.
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