IFL Week 16 Recap
July 2, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release
Week 16 has concluded, and now three teams in the Eastern Conference and one in the Western Conference have clinched a playoff berth. Of the remaining teams in the Western Conference, three teams have nine wins, one has eight wins, and the final team has six wins, making the final push in the West one to keep an eye on. Along with teams clinching playoff berths, Green Bay and Frisco clinched home playoff games with their wins this week.
Kicking off the week, the Frisco Fighters (11-3) came away with a narrow victory against the San Antonio Gunslingers (6-7). With 115 points scored combined and 15 lead changes, the Fighters took down the Gunslingers 58-57. This victory earned Frisco a home playoff game, coming in as the first home victory game clinched for the 2024 IFL Playoffs.
The Frisco Fighters put up 50-plus points in back-to-back games, as the Fighters are heating up at the right time with the playoffs just two games away. Facing a Gunslingers defense that allows the most points in the league, TJ Edwards and the Fighters offense accumulated nearly 300 yards. Edwards finished the night 10/18 for 64 yards and two passing touchdowns, adding 63 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Leading the Fighters' rushing game, Martez Carter took 14 carries for 79 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Following behind Carter, Justin Rankin rushed 11 times for 64 yards and another two touchdowns, adding a receiving touchdown to his stat sheet. The winning touchdown pass came with no time left on the clock, as TJ Edwards found Larry Harrington in the corner of the end zone, hauling in the 20-yard pass to secure a home playoff game in the 2024 IFL Playoffs.
Dropping to 6-7 on the season, the Gunslingers dropped another game after scoring 50-plus points on offense. Five of San Antonio's seven losses feature the Gunslingers' defense allowing 50 or more points. San Antonio has three games remaining, leaving a 9-7 record as the best possible record. Four teams in the Western Conference have nine or more wins at the end of Week 16, making it a competitive conference with the season coming to a close. Even with this loss, Sam Castronova continued showcasing his abilities as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Castronova completed 12/17 passes for 169 yards and five touchdowns, rushing for an additional touchdown. TC Stevens also had an incredible performance, successfully converting three deuces on the night, keeping San Antonio in this matchup until the last seconds. The Gunslingers are hanging onto the playoffs by a thread, making their next three games crucial.
In this battle between two teams facing elimination, the Jacksonville Sharks (3-10) faced off against the Sioux Falls Storm (3-10. The Sharks, after a back-and-forth second half, remain alive following their victory.
Three days before their game, Jacksonville signed Kaleb Barker, a former IFL champion, to turn this offense around in the waning few weeks. Barker had a strong debut for the Sharks, completing 15/23 passes for 166 yards and four touchdowns. As a dual-threat quarterback, Barker led the Sharks' rushing attack, taking 15 carries for 61 yards and another touchdown. Following their final touchdown, Kevin Didio-Weber put the final points on the board, hitting a deuce to bring the final score to 36-28. Jacksonville hopes to stack wins as they remain in contention for the 2024 IFL Playoffs.
In this elimination game, the Sioux Falls Storm couldn't bring down Jacksonville. Quarterback Jiya Wright completed 12/18 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns, adding a touchdown on the ground. KeShawn Williams led the Storm's backfield, rushing six times for 25 yards and one touchdown on the night. Defensively, the Storm won the turnover battle one-to-zero following Logan Swanson's fumble recovery. Though the Storm can't make the playoffs this year, they look to build momentum in their last three games before they look to next season.
The Green Bay Blizzard (11-3) defeated the Tulsa Oilers (5-9) 54-20 on Saturday. Green Bay is the second team in Week 16 to secure a home playoff game, following Frisco's victory earlier in the day. The Blizzard looked to bounce back from last week's upset loss, and they did just that, ensuring a playoff game at the Resch Center this postseason.
In the lopsided 54-20 victory over Tulsa, the Blizzard didn't find the end zone once on a pass, rushing for all their touchdowns. Four different Blizzard players rushed for at least one touchdown: EJ Burgess (3), Max Meylor (2), Skyler Perry (1), and Jalyn Cagle (1). Of the 13 scoring plays in this matchup, Green Bay was responsible for 10 of those scores. Aside from the rushing touchdowns, the Blizzard defense forced a safety while the special teams unit added a deuce and a field goal. One of the league's best defensive units had another phenomenal performance this week, holding Tulsa to just three scoring drives of their nine total drives, continuing their dominance this season. Green Bay heads into next week on a bye, leaving two games on their schedule before the playoffs.
Following back-to-back wins, scoring 50-plus points in both, the Tulsa Oilers didn't match up well against the Eastern Conference leaders on Saturday. Unlike the Blizzard, Tulsa threw three passing touchdowns, being held scoreless on the ground. Quarterback Andre Sale completed 14/24 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns. Green Bay held the Oilers to negative yardage on the ground, as Tulsa relied solely on their air attack to score on the Blizzard. Sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, the Oilers must end the season strong to keep their playoff hopes alive.
In a continuation of a loaded Saturday slate, the Tucson Sugar (2-11) Skulls took on the Duke City Gladiators (2-11). Both teams came into this week having been eliminated from the playoffs already. Looking to end the season on a high note, Duke City rang the victory bell for a second time this season, defeating the Sugar Skulls in Week 16.
The Gladiators haven't had the season they went into the year hoping for, but with a few games remaining on their schedule, Duke City isn't giving up on the season. Quarterback Hasan Rogers showcased his dual-threat abilities once again in this matchup. Rogers completed 6/13 passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for 96 yards and two more touchdowns. Kicker Ernesto Lacayo added to the Gladiators' offensive attack, kicking two kickoffs through the uprights, resulting in a pair of deuces on the night. Duke City returns to the field next week, facing off against the Frisco Fighters, as they look to hand Frisco a loss with few games remaining in the regular season.
Losing their sixth game in a row, the Sugar Skulls couldn't break their losing streak on Saturday evening. Two quarterbacks were featured in this matchup, starting with Kenyatta Allen and closing with Quincy Patterson. Both quarterbacks combined for a stat line of 8/20 for 66 yards, one touchdown pass, and a rushing touchdown. With the passing game being held in check by Duke City, Devonte Sapp-Lynch led the Sugar Skull's scoring efforts, taking 15 rushes for 64 yards and three touchdowns. Tucson, while eliminated from the playoffs, looks to end this season on a high note. They take the field next week on the road against the Arizona Rattlers, looking to play spoiler.
Kicking off the later slate of Saturday night games, the Bay Area Panthers (11-2) took on the Vegas Knight Hawks (9-4) in a big-time battle at the top of the Western Conference. Both teams looked to clinch a playoff berth in this matchup. Following their 37-35 victory, Bay Area was the first team in the Western Conference to punch their ticket to the playoffs, looking to turn this playoff run into another Championship for the Panthers.
At one point, early in this game, Bay Area led by 15 points, looking to win this game convincingly. However, the Knight Hawks fought back, ending the game with just a two-point difference. The results of this game were crucial for the Western Conference playoff picture, as Vegas must wait at least another week to punch their ticket. Running with a different starting quarterback, Bay Area was led by Felix Harper. Harper ended the night an impressive 15/20 for 169 yards and three touchdowns. Harper also led Bay Area in rushing with 14 rushes for 67 yards and another touchdown. Shane Simpson trailed closely, rushing eight times for 58 yards and a touchdown rush. Losing the turnover battle two-to-zero, the Panthers found a way to win anyway, keeping the Knight Hawks from punching their playoff ticket for at least another week.
The Vegas Knight Hawks entered this week favored by two-and-a-half points, looking to be the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff spot. However, due to a slow start offensively, Vegas' playoff berth remains unclaimed. Quarterback Ja'Rome Johnson had another strong performance, completing 13/20 passes for 145 yards and four touchdown passes, adding 62 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Defensively, the Knight Hawks forced two turnovers, forcing and recovering a fumble and hauling in an interception from Felix Harper. Las Vegas native Bryce Hampton was the defensive star in this game, forcing the fumble and intercepting his league-leading eighth pass of the season. With a fourth loss added to their record, Vegas remains in second place for now, but with three nine-win teams heading into Week 17, clinching a playoff berth in the Western Conference will likely be a challenge fought for until the final week of the regular season.
Continuing the night slate, the San Diego Strike Force (9-5) faced off against the Northern Arizona Wranglers (8-5) in a Western Conference battle. Aside from the first spot clinched by Bay Area this weekend, the remaining three spots for the playoffs are making for a contentious finale to the regular season. This week, the Strike Force climbed the standings, joining the nine-win club heading into Week 17, making for a better chance to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
Climbing to the third spot in the Western Conference, the Strike Force took down Northern Arizona, extending their current winning streak. Quarterback Nate Davis showcased his top-of-the-line passing skills this weekend, completing 19/28 passes for 231 yards and seven touchdowns. Of those seven touchdown passes, Arthur Jackson III hauled in six, bringing his season total to a league-leading 23 touchdown receptions through just 11 games. Jackson III scores a touchdown on almost every other catch, totaling 50 receptions and 23 touchdown receptions. Defensively, San Diego continues displaying top-notch play in the secondary, remaining in the lead with 23 interceptions on the season. Kishawn Walker nabbed an interception and recovered one of the game's two fumbles. Next week, the Strike Force looks to overtake the second spot in the Western Conference, facing the Vegas Knight Hawks at home in their second-to-last matchup of the season.
Following their 74-point performance a week ago, the Wranglers came into this week with one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. Against the best secondary in the league, Northern Arizona couldn't replicate last week's historic performance. Joshua Jones ended the night 19/29 for 207 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, San Diego stood taller, allowing 82 yards and two touchdowns rushing. Defensively, Northern Arizona got to Nate Davis twice, forcing two errant throws to be hauled in by the Wranglers' secondary. With three games remaining, Northern Arizona sits in fifth place, narrowly outside of the playoff picture.
Wrapping up the seven-game Saturday slate, the Iowa Barnstormers (4-9) took on the Arizona Rattlers (9-5) at the Desert Diamond Arena. Iowa took an early lead in this game, but once the Rattlers went up 14-11, the Barnstormers never regained the lead. In a contentious Western Conference, the Rattlers climb to the fourth spot, currently sitting in playoff contention with two games remaining.
The Rattlers entered this week just outside of the playoff bubble, needing a win to jump in the standings. Quarterback Dalton Sneed finished the night 12/16 for 116 yards and one touchdown. Rushing the ball, the Rattlers were a two-headed monster featuring Dalton Sneed and Shannon Brooks leading the charge. Sneed rushed six times for 43 yards and three touchdowns, with Brooks coming right behind with 42 yards and four touchdowns. Along with their offensive firepower, Arizona's secondary hauled in three interceptions. Next week, the Rattlers head back to their home barn, taking on the Tucson Sugar Skulls.
Coming in this week with just four wins, the best record Iowa could have by the end of the regular season is 7-9, which makes their path to the 2024 IFL Playoffs full of obstacles. This week, Brandon Alt got the start after getting some reps a week ago. In his first start for the Barnstormers, Alt completed 14/34 passes for 218 yards and three interceptions. Iowa couldn't get the run game started, rushing for just 15 yards on the night. In their last three weeks, the Barnstormers close their season on the road, looking to punch a ticket to the playoffs.
On a rare Monday night matchup, the Quad City Steamwheelers (6-7) fell short against the Massachusetts Pirates (8-6), with Massachusetts clinching a playoff berth for their sixth straight time. With Quad City failing to come away with the victory this week, Jacksonville stays alive, narrowly escaping elimination. As things currently stand, the Steamwheelers remain in fourth place, retaining their playoff position for now.
Winning their third game in a row, quarterback Alejandro Bennifield returned to his early-season form, having a near-perfect performance on Monday night. Bennifield was 13/15 for 132 yards and five touchdown passes. Four of Bennifield's touchdown passes found Thomas Owens, with Owens going a perfect 4/4 on catches for touchdowns. On the ground, Jimmie Robinson was a force, rushing 13 times for 65 yards and four touchdowns. He also added a receiving touchdown to his total. As one of the toughest defensive units to face, the Pirates held Quad City to just 121 yards all game, holding them to fewer than three yards per play. Massachusetts takes the field one last time this season following their Week 17 bye.
Coming into this game following their win against Green Bay, the Steamwheelers looked to hand out another upset on Monday night. Sitting in fourth place currently, the Steamwheelers would make the playoffs if they started in Week 17. However, Quad City has three more games to earn that final Eastern Conference playoff spot. This week, the Steamwheelers struggled against the Pirates' defense, with Judd Erickson passing for just 66 yards and two touchdowns in this matchup. Their entire rushing attack accumulated just 62 yards, making for a quiet night offensively. Early into the second quarter, Jarrod Harrington brought this game to within one score with a 56-yard kick return for a touchdown. However, allowing points on four of five drives in the second half created a hole too deep to get out of, ultimately resulting in a loss on Monday night. Next week, the Steamwheelers look to remain in the hunt, taking on the Storm at home.
Next week, two teams get a bye, featuring a seven-game slate spanning from Saturday to Sunday. The first game kicks off on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. CT as the Massachusetts Pirates take on the San Antonio Gunslingers at the Freeman Coliseum. Be sure to catch all of Week 17 streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel.
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