IFL Recap Week Four

April 9, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release

Week Four has come to a close, and the league standings are beginning to take shape. Competition was stiff Saturday night, as four of the five games in Week Four were decided by a single possession with two games combining for over 100 points.

In the first of Saturday's two early games, the Northern Arizona Wranglers faced off against the San Antonio Gunslingers in a back-and-forth matchup between Western Conference foes.

Northern Arizona was led by quarterback Joshua Jones, who had a near-perfect night against San Antonio. Jones completed 11/13 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding two scores on the ground. Dillon Sterling-Cole came in late in the third quarter to relieve the injured Joshua Jones. The Wranglers offense also saw scores from David Elder and Arsiah McCorker, as the Northern Arizona Wranglers combined for almost 300 yards of offense in the high-scoring victory Saturday night.

On the opposing side, the San Antonio Gunslingers continue to score at a high rate, though ultimately fell short in their second-ever IFL appearance. Quarterback Sam Castronova continued playing like an IFL veteran, throwing for just shy of 200 yards and scoring six touchdowns: five passing and one on the ground. The lack of a rushing game for the Gunslingers continued in Week Four. Outside of Castronova, San Antonio has rushed for a total of five yards on the season. Though their passing offense is among the league's best, their lack of rushing attack plays a crucial part in their 0-2 record.

Defensively, Northern Arizona won the turnover battle two-to-one, which might've been a deciding factor in this game given the difference in score of only seven points. The Wranglers advance to 2-1 following their 57-50 win on the road in Week Four, as San Antonio searches for that first IFL victory.

In the second game of the first slate on Saturday night, the Bay Area Panthers took on the Jacksonville Sharks in the Sharks' first-ever home-opener as a member of the IFL. For most of the first half, Jacksonville went score-for-score with Bay Area, however, the second half was a different story.

For the Panthers, quarterback Daquan Neal had a strong performance, completing 13/18 passes for 148 yards and four touchdowns. Backup quarterback Felix Harper also saw the field at the end of the game, adding another touchdown to the Panthers' total. Another main contributor of offense for Bay Area was running back Shane Simpson, who combined for 87 yards and four touchdowns on the night.

Offensively, the Jacksonville Sharks couldn't get much to work against Bay Area. Jacksonville couldn't convert to keep drives alive, going 1-6 on third down and 1-4 on fourth down. Quarterback Conor Blount left the game due to injury after throwing a pair of touchdowns, bringing Eddie Brill Jr. in for relief. Brill Jr. went 7/22, throwing for 62 yards and two touchdowns, though the lack of success on the ground was an issue for Jacksonville once again. The Bay Area Panthers held Jacksonville to 25 rushing yards all night, bringing the Sharks to 103 rushing yards through three games.

The Bay Area Panthers shine on the road, beating the Jacksonville Sharks 48-24 to advance to 2-0 on the season.

Kicking off the second slate of games on Saturday night, the Tucson Sugar Skulls took on the Duke City Gladiators, as both teams entered the week looking for their first win of the season. It was a battle that combined for over 100 points.

Tucson was led by another stellar performance from IFL-rookie quarterback Mylik Mitchell. He completed 15/18 passes for 153 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 58 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. After two games under his belt, Mitchell is tied for the lead in points scored across the league. On top of that, Mylik Mitchell averages 24 points per game himself, which also leads the league. On top of Tucson's offensive performance, the Sugar Skulls won the turnover battle two-to-zero with interceptions from Chris Jefferson and Rob Sheffield, as Sheffield's interception wrapped up the game for Tucson late in the fourth quarter.

For the Gladiators, key performances from Greg Thomas and Ernesto Lacayo gave Duke City a boost on the scoreboard, however, it wasn't enough to secure the victory in front of their home crowd. Thomas returned six kicks for 122 yards and a touchdown, while Lacayo nailed three deuces and two field goals to give the Gladiators an extra 12 points. In a game decided by eight points all-together, special teams played a key part in keeping this game close.

Mylik Mitchell and the Sugar Skulls leave Rio Rancho, NM, with the victory 56-49 over Duke City.

The Green Bay Blizzard visited the Quad City Steamwheelers in a Week Four Eastern Conference battle. Both teams entered Week Four off bye weeks the week prior, giving both teams an extra week to prepare.

The Green Bay Blizzard switched things up at quarterback, giving IFL-rookie Skyler Perry the start under center. Perry provides a strong boost to the rushing attack, which is an area of Perry's game that shined in Week Four. Green Bay kept the ball on the ground most of this game, as the Blizzard offense dialed up 28 rushing plays and only nine through the air. Of Green Bay's nine pass attempts, Perry completed five of them for 58 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Perry rushed 15 times for 67 yards and two scores- the second touchdown securing the victory for Green Bay. Running back Jalyn Cagle also added two scores on the ground, efficiently finding the end zone on 50% of his carries. Defensively, Scean Mustin was crucial for the Blizzard, finishing the night with two sacks and four-and-a-half tackles for loss against the Steamwheelers.

For the Quad City Steamwheelers, Judd Erickson found success through the air, completing 14/25 passes for 101 yards and two scores, while running back Edward Vander added a touchdown of his own. It took a bit for Quad City to get their offense in the end zone, as their first touchdown of the night came with a couple of minutes left in the first half. Their offense would find more rhythm in the second half, but it wasn't enough to win in front of a home crowd.

Both teams stood in and battled for the entirety of 60 minutes, though with just over a minute left, the Green Bay Blizzard dealt the final blow, as Skyler Perry ran in his second touchdown of the night on a one-yard run. The Steamwheelers couldn't come up with late-game heroics of their own, as they fell to 1-1 after a 32-24 loss at home to Green Bay.

In the third and final game of the second slate on Saturday night, the Iowa Barnstormers returned from their Week Three bye and visited the Tulsa Oilers for a Week Four matchup that came down to the wire.

In Tulsa's home-opener, quarterback Daniel Smith showed out for the home fans, completing 19/26 passes for 128 yards, while adding an additional 57 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. At half, the Oilers possessed a 22-3 lead, looking to win by a large margin.

Darius-James Peterson and the Iowa Barnstormers found their footing in the second half, as Peterson ended with three touchdowns in the last 30 minutes, pulling Iowa closer to victory. The Barnstormers quarterback was 13/25 for 198 yards and three touchdowns, however, a late-game interception ended a 15-3 run for Iowa in the final quarter of play.

The Tulsa Oilers dug deep, coming away with the victory in their home-opener against the Iowa Barnstormers 39-31.

Indoor Football League Stories from April 9, 2024

• IFL Head Coaches Poll - Week Four - IFL
• IFL Recap Week Four - IFL

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