IFL Indoor Football League

IFL Recap Week Eight

May 7, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release


Week Eight has concluded, and the IFL has one remaining undefeated team: the Vegas Knight Hawks. Along with one final undefeated team, two teams earned their first win of the season. It was an action-packed week, featuring six games spanning from Friday to Sunday.

In Week Eight's first matchup, the Jacksonville Sharks (1-5) faced off against the Tulsa Oilers (3-3) in an Eastern Conference battle. After five weeks, the Jacksonville Sharks have finally punched through, earning their first-ever win as a team in the Indoor Football League. It was a narrow victory, but the Sharks topped the Oilers by a score of 47-44.

In their first IFL victory, the Jacksonville Sharks offense played their best football all season. Quarterback Fred Payton Jr. had a strong performance, completing 18/24 passes for 179 yards and five touchdown passes. On the ground, Payton Jr. added 53 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, leading the team in both passing and rushing yards. On defense, the Sharks came away with two tackles for loss, adding an interception by Caleb Ham early in the second quarter.

Following their 72-point win a week ago, the Tulsa Oilers fell short at home in Week Eight. The score was close, as Daniel Smith finished the night 12/21 for 128 yards and three touchdowns through the air. On the ground, Smith found the end zone once, while running back Jarrod Ware ended the night with 63 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. While Tulsa was able to cause chaos in the Sharks' backfield with five tackles for loss, their inability to force a turnover was crucial in a game separated by three points.

To conclude Friday night's double-header, the Green Bay Blizzard (4-2) took on the Sioux Falls Storm (1-5). The Blizzard entered the week on a four-game winning streak, while the Storm were looking for their first win of the season. The Storm came out on top, breaking up the winning streak of a conference rival in their 46-38 victory on Friday night.

At quarterback, the Storm made a switch from Billy Hall, putting recently acquired Lorenzo Brown Jr. under center. Brown is the Storm's all-time record holder in multiple quarterback categories. He also led the team to the IFL Championship last year. Brown ended the night 5/8 for 92 yards, adding a hat-trick of touchdowns on the ground. The Storm defense showed up strong, bringing down Blizzard quarterback Max Meylor for three sacks, adding three tackles for loss, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Elijah Reed's interception would seal the game for Sioux Falls late in the fourth quarter.

Coming into the week with a four-game winning streak intact, the Green Bay Blizzard were in this game until a fumble returned for a touchdown by Elijah Reed in the fourth quarter swung momentum to the Sioux Falls sideline. The Blizzard scored a touchdown late in the fourth, followed by a deuce, giving them life. However, after a touchdown drive from the Storm with just over a minute left in the game, Green Bay couldn't complete the comeback. Quarterback Max Meylor ended the game 18/30 with 165 yards and one passing touchdown, adding three more scores on the ground.

Kicking off Saturday night's action, the Frisco Fighters (5-1) and San Antonio Gunslingers (2-4) faced off for the second consecutive week. This time the Gunslingers had home-field advantage and like the Week Seven matchup, the away team came away with the victory. The Fighters head home after defeating the Gunslingers 62-57.

Quarterback TJ Edwards left the game with an injury, as Larry Harrington stepped in as the Fighters' quarterback for the remainder of the matchup. Harrington ended the night going 9/13 for 103 yards and three touchdowns, adding three more scores on the ground. The difference in this game was made on special teams, as Lionell McConnell found the end zone twice against San Antonio. One of the scores was a kick return touchdown, while the other score was a PAT returned for two points. In a game decided by five points, McConnell's two scores were crucial. The Frisco defense sealed the game with an interception from Phazione McClurge, as Sam Castronova was looking for a receiver for a last-second score.

Sam Castronova had another strong performance in Week Eight, completing 18/25 passes for 228 yards, five passing touchdowns, and three extra scores on the ground. However, after an interception late in the fourth quarter on San Antonio's final offensive drive, Castronova threw his second interception of the year, ending the potential game-winning drive. The Gunslingers lost the turnover battle one-to-zero, as both teams played cautiously until Castronova's late interception. As the league's top-scoring offense, San Antonio falls short in Week Eight.

In another game featuring a team looking for their first win of the season, the Iowa Barnstormers (1-5) came out victorious against the Quad City Steamwheelers (2-4) by a score of 55-53 in The Battle of I-80.

Coming into this game, Iowa averaged 32.8 points per game. In Week Eight, the Barnstormers surpassed that amount by almost double, scoring 38 points in the first half alone. Quarterback Kyle King finished the night 8/18 for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Alongside King, running back Rob Washington found the end zone twice on 10 carries. Iowa's defense came into Week Eight strong, scoring on two turnovers. To end the first half, defensive back Jefferson Fritz took an interception 49 yards for a touchdown. Then, early in the second half, Ty Tate took a fumble recovery 24 yards to the end zone, giving Iowa a 14-point lead. The major difference maker in this game, however, was kicker Gabriel Rui, as he was all over the scoreboard. Rui was a perfect 6/6 on PATs and 3/3 on field goals, adding four more points with a pair of deuces.

As road favorites, the Quad City Steamwheelers overcame a 28-point deficit, dropping Week Eight by two points. Quarterback duo Judd Erickson and Mike Irwin finished the night a combined 23/37 for 253 yards and seven touchdowns. The rushing attack wasn't as effective, as the Steamwheelers combined for a total of 28 rushing yards between five different ball carriers. The Quad City defense had a strong performance, forcing four turnovers. Kevin Moore and Trey Smith hauled in one interception each, while Darreon Jackson and Keshaun Moore came up with fumble recoveries.

In the most anticipated game of the week, the Vegas Knight Hawks (6-0) faced off against the Bay Area Panthers (5-1), as both teams entered the week undefeated.

As the final remaining undefeated team in the Indoor Football League, the Vegas Knight Hawks took care of business Saturday night. Ja'Rome Johnson continued his exceptional 2024 campaign, rushing for five touchdowns and passing for three against a strong Bay Area defense. Along with Johnson, kick returner Jericho Flowers continued his touchdown streak, returning a kickoff for a touchdown in back-to-back games for the Knight Hawks. Defensively, Bryce Hampton stood out, nabbing another interception to give him three on the season. After their sixth straight win this season, the Knight Hawks surpass last year's win total of five games.

Entering the week on a 10-game win streak dating back to last year, the Bay Area Panthers were handed their first loss since June 24, 2023. The Panthers started the game with Felix Harper, and after a pair of touchdown passes followed by two interceptions, Harper was relieved by Daquan Neal. With the Panthers having two starting-quality quarterbacks in Harper and Neal, Neal stepped right in, leading Bay Area on a valiant comeback effort with two touchdown drives of his own. After a strong start, the Knight Hawks outlasted the Panthers' second-half comeback efforts, as Vegas won 62-43.

Wrapping up Week Eight, the Northern Arizona Wranglers (4-2) took on the San Diego Strike Force (4-2). The Wranglers were coming in with a four-game win streak alive, while the Strike Force was looking to get back in the win column after back-to-back losses to Bay Area. In front of a home crowd, the Strike Force took down the Wranglers 54-45.

Following two losses in back-to-back weeks, the San Diego Strike Force came into the week with winning on their mind, and that result followed. Nate Davis put together a winning performance, completing 18/31 passes for 224 yards and five touchdowns, also getting in the end zone for a rare Nate Davis rushing touchdown. Running back Chance Bell joined Davis, rushing for a touchdown himself. Jordan Kress added to the offensive fireworks, earning himself a spot on ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 with a touchdown reception that nearly sent him over the dasher boards.

The Northern Arizona Wranglers entered Week Eight having won their last four matchups. This week yielded different results, however, as the Wranglers lost their first game since being defeated by Arizona in Week One. Quarterback Joshua Jones kept Northern Arizona in this game, ending the night 16/24 for 224 yards and four touchdowns, adding another touchdown on the ground. Arsiah McCorker continued being an offensive weapon for the Wranglers, finishing the night with 70 offensive yards and two touchdowns. With a loss in Week Eight, the Wranglers are tied with the Strike Force for third place in the Eastern Conference.



Indoor Football League Stories from May 7, 2024


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