IFL Indoor Football League

IFL Week 11 Recap

Published on May 28, 2024 under Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release


Week 11 has concluded and as the playoffs inch closer with each week that passes, each game seems to take on more weight. This week of action didn't feature any upsets, but four of the six matchups were decided by a touchdown or less.

Kicking off Week 11, the Green Bay Blizzard (7-2) took on the Iowa Barnstormers (2-7) in their third matchup this year. Green Bay had a 2-0 series lead heading into this game, and the Blizzard completed the sweep with a 54-40 win on Friday night.

Following this win, the Blizzard have won three straight, as their battle with Frisco for first place in the Eastern Conference continues. Quarterback Max Meylor led the Blizzard offense to seven touchdown drives, completing 16/27 passes for 209 yards and four passing touchdowns, adding another touchdown on the ground. Aside from Meylor's 20 rushing yards, Iowa held the Blizzard's rushing attack in check, allowing just 18 rushing yards on the night. Defensively, the Blizzard showcased another strong performance, ending the night with nine tackles for loss, two sacks, and an interception, on top of allowing just 139 total offensive yards to Iowa. After Frisco's win on Sunday night, the Blizzard remain alongside The Fighters at the top of the Eastern Conference.

In their third matchup against the Blizzard, the Barnstormers had a chance of winning the final matchup, but a scoreless fourth quarter ended that. Darius-James Peterson started on Friday night, completing 9/22 passes for 128 yards and four touchdowns. The Barnstormers' offense was held in check in the fourth quarter, scoring no points in the final 15 minutes of this matchup. This is Iowa's second loss in a row, as they look to win on the road next week against the Sioux Falls Storm.

To begin Saturday night's action, the Tulsa Oilers (3-6) faced off against the Massachusetts Pirates (6-3) in a battle between two teams looking to bounce back from losing the week before. This matchup came down to the wire, as the Pirates won by one point, 23-22, with a field goal halfway through the fourth quarter.

Starting the season with four wins, Massachusetts has gone through a mid-season lull the last few weeks. However, the Pirates get the wind back in their sails this weekend following a thrilling win in front of a home crowd. Quarterback Alejandro Bennifield returned to action, ending the night 12/20 for 92 yards and a passing touchdown, adding another touchdown on the ground. Jimmie Robinson found success in the run game, taking 14 attempts for 58 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Pirates ended this battle with a fumble and an interception, winning the turnover battle against Tulsa. Their defense also added a safety early in the game, which played a significant factor in this one-point victory. Following back-to-back upset losses, the Pirates get back in the win column against the Oilers.

Tulsa entered this week amid a three-game losing streak as they looked to inch closer to a .500 record. However, the Oilers were held to seven points in the second half, as they were handed their sixth loss of the season. Quarterback Andre Sale completed 14/20 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, the Oilers held Massachusetts to 23 points, which would be enough to win most weeks. This week, however, the Oilers couldn't overcome the Pirates' defensive efforts. Tulsa looks to get their fourth win of the season against San Diego in front of a home crowd next week, hoping to avoid a fifth straight loss.

Kicking off the night slate of games on Saturday, the Duke City Gladiators (0-8) took on the Arizona Rattlers (5-4) as Duke City looked for their first win of the season. However, for the second time in three weeks, the Gladiators fell by a score of three points, as the Rattlers won 55-53 in a Saturday night thriller.

In one of the highest-scoring games of the week, the Arizona Rattlers offense was led by quarterback Dalton Sneed. The Rattlers started slow, following a three-point first quarter, but the offense found its footing from the second quarter on. Sneed ended the night 18/30 for 191 yards and six touchdowns, as running back Shannon Brooks added another touchdown to the mix. Defensively, Arizona won the turnover battle, forcing one interception from the Gladiators in a matchup that featured two offenses firing on all cylinders. With this win, the Rattlers have won four of their last five games as they face off against Jacksonville next week for the chance to win back-to-back matchups.

Following another single-digit loss for the Gladiators, they remain the only winless team in the IFL through 11 weeks of action. Quarterback Joseph Mancuso had a strong night, completing 11/25 passes for just shy of 100 yards and four passing touchdowns, adding a rushing score to his total. Ernesto Lacayo continued his impressive 2024 campaign, finishing the night with two deuces, two long field goals, and 75% completion on PATs. The Gladiators took this game to the final whistle, as Mancuso found Gregory Dent Jr. for a 14-yard touchdown with 17 seconds remaining. However, an unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt prevented the Gladiators from earning their first win of the 2024 season. Their next chance at victory comes next week, as they hit the road to face off against Mylik Mitchell and the Sugar Skulls.

Continuing Saturday's night slate, the San Antonio Gunslingers (4-5) faced off against the Bay Area Panthers (8-1) in a Western Conference battle. San Antonio's high-powered offense fell flat against one of the least-scored-on defenses in the league, as Bay Area won this matchup 42-31.

Entering the week against the highest scoring offense in the league, the Panthers had one of their best defensive performances of the year. Bay Area broke up 17 passes on defense, intercepting a pass late in the first quarter. Offensively, On offense, Daquan Neal was held to just 10 pass attempts, completing six for 76 yards and a passing touchdown for the Panthers. Neal would also rush 13 times for 58 yards and an additional score on the ground. Bay Area's top source of offense came from running back Shane Simpson, as he rushed 14 times for 84 yards and four touchdowns. With Vegas having a bye week, Bay Area holds sole ownership of the top spot in the Western Conference following this Week 11 win against San Antonio. The Panthers head into a bye next week with a win, as they get a week off before taking on the Sugar Skulls at home in Week 13.

For a San Antonio offense that averaged nearly 55 points on offense per game, this was their lowest offensive output of the season. Quarterback Sam Castronova had an uncharacteristic performance, completing 16/38 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, defensive back Clifton Duck hauled in two interceptions. While the Gunslingers scored off both turnovers, their lack of production in the third quarter played a significant part in this loss for San Antonio. The Gunslingers head into a bye following a loss, as they get an extra week to prepare for their Week 13 matchup against the Duke City Gladiators.

Wrapping up the Saturday night action, the Tucson Sugar Skulls (2-6) made a short trip to the Findlay Toyota Center to take on the Northern Arizona Wranglers (6-3) for their third meeting of the season. This game ended as the highest-scoring game of the week, as the Wranglers came out on top, defeating the Sugar Skulls 60-53 and coming away with the series sweep over Tucson.

In a game that featured plenty of offense, Wranglers quarterback Joshua Jones shined bright. Jones finished the night 14/25 for 248 yards and seven touchdown passes, adding a touchdown with his legs. The Northern Arizona quarterback spread the ball, finding five different players for touchdowns on the night. Defensively, Travion Banks came up clutch once again. Banks ended the night with two interceptions, one of which was to seal the game for his second game-sealing interception in two games. The Wranglers' defense also forced and recovered a fumble, winning the turnover battle in this matchup against Tucson. Following this win, the Wranglers hit the road, taking on the dangerous Vegas Knight Hawks for what should be a competitive battle between two strong Western Conference foes.

Entering the week off a thrilling upset victory against Vegas the week prior, Tucson came up just short in their efforts to take down two Western Conference giants in back-to-back weeks. Quarterback Mylik Mitchell completed 16/23 passes for 206 yards and two passing touchdowns, adding 54 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. However, after allowing a rushing touchdown from Joshua Jones in the final minute of regulation, Tucson couldn't respond in time, falling to 2-6 on the season. Next week, the Sugar Skulls face the Gladiators as they look to bounce back from this Week 11 loss.

Closing out Week 11 on Sunday night, the Frisco Fighters (7-2) took on the San Diego Strike Force (5-4). This battle came down to the wire, but Frisco regained their top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 44-41 defeat, while San Diego slid down to fourth place in the West.

Backup quarterback Larry Harrington started again, finishing the night 11/20 for 110 yards and a touchdown pass while leading the Fighters on the ground with 63 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Defensively, the Fighters made it hard for San Diego, forcing three turnovers on the night with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. After San Diego scored a touchdown with 18 seconds left in the game, it looked like Frisco would lose their second game in a row. However, on the ensuing kickoff, Lionell McConnell returned Bryce Crawford's kickoff 56 yards for the game's final touchdown, as Frisco would hold San Diego scoreless for the remaining eight seconds of the game. Frisco remains at the top of the Eastern Conference with their win Sunday night, as they head back home next week to face off against Massachusetts.

For the fourth time this season, the Strike Force faced defeat by a score of less than a touchdown. Trailing for most of this game, San Diego took their first lead of the night with 18 seconds following a two-yard rushing touchdown by Rudy Johnson. However, after allowing a kick return touchdown on the following kickoff, the Strike Force couldn't cook up any late-game magic to earn the win in Week 11. Quarterback Nate Davis finished the night 21/36 for 202 yards and three touchdowns, while Rudy Johnson was the team's leading rusher with 23 yards and two touchdowns. Adding to the Strike Force's scoring, Elijah Lilly found the end zone on a 57-yard kickoff return, as he now leads the IFL in kick return touchdowns with three on the season. San Diego's defense had a strong performance, forcing two interceptions and adding a sack to the mix. With four tough losses on their record through 11 weeks, San Diego looks to bounce back from this week's loss as they hit the road to take on Tulsa next week at the BOK Center.

The IFL season continues with Week 12 kicking off on Friday night, as the Quad City Steamwheelers face off against the Green Bay Blizzard at 7:05 p.m. CT. This week features seven games, spanning from Friday to Saturday, as two teams get the week off for their bye. Be sure to catch all seven games streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel and Caffeine TV.

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Indoor Football League Stories from May 28, 2024


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