Oilers Punch First Franchise Playoff Berth with Complete Victory Over Jacksonville
IFL Tulsa Oilers

Oilers Punch First Franchise Playoff Berth with Complete Victory Over Jacksonville

July 19, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


Tulsa, Okla. - Tulsa Oilers Football, a proud member of the IFL and powered by Community Care, defeated the Jacksonville Sharks 47-38, executing on both sides of the ball to secure one of four Eastern Conference playoff spots on Saturday night at the BOK Center. The win set the Oilers' home record at a franchise-best 6-2.

Tyler Huff put Jacksonville up 7-0 with a quarterback keeper on the opening drive after working his team down the field. Tulsa answered with a quick passing attack, culminating in a touchdown dart from Sam Castronova to Isiah Scott for a 7-7 tie midway through the opening quarter.

Jacksonville began the second quarter with a fourth and goal, but the Oilers' clamped down on all passing options, causing Huff to panic and lose the ball. The play resulted in a turnover on downs, as the Oilers' defense piled on the scrambling quarterback as he landed on the bouncing ball. Castronova executed the opposite experience on his own fourth down, hammering his way to a new set of downs on Tulsa's second drive of the game. The new duo of Castronova and Scott linked up again, placing the Oilers on top 14-7. Demontre Tuggle executed an electric return, placing the Sharks in prime position for their third drive. Huff redeemed his earlier mistake, spearing his way into the endzone for his second rushing touchdown of the half and a tie game, 14-14. Dylan Barnas flipped the script, crushing a deuce through the Oilers' uprights to put Jacksonville up 16-14 halfway through the second frame. Castronova answered Jacksonville's special teams' dominance, leading the Oilers 45 yards down the field and to another six points, dotting Jerminic Smith for a third passing touchdown of the half. Jonah Edwards nailed his third PAT of the night, restoring Tulsa's lead to 21-16. Larry McCammon knifed his way to a third Sharks touchdown, but a fumbled hold on the PAT placed the Sharks'new lead at 22-21. Another fantastic special-teams play pinned the Oilers at the two-yard line, but Castronova showed his moxie once again, leading his squad down the field for a JuJu Augustine touchdown, a fourth Edwards conversion, and a 28-22 lead with six seconds remaining in the high-scoring frame. A banked 15-yard penalty set Barnas in a spot to grab seven points on the night, but the ruckus BOK Center hooked the kick wide. The half ended with Tulsa's 28-22 lead intact, however, the Oilers received a fifth unsportsmanlike penalty.

Barnas launched a surprise onside kick to start the opening half, Jacksonville couldn't recover, but enforced its banked penalty to place the Oilers are their own 22-yard line. Juwan Johnson was saddled with a heavy workload to start the drive, slashing a downhill run and snagging an option screen to pick up a first down. The rushing attack continued, with Johnson toting a pitch and Casanova getting Tulsa down to the goal line. A deadlock of penalties and goal line stands eventually ended with Castronova flinging his fifth touchdown of the game, his second connection with Smith. Edwards clanked the upright to end his streak at four PAT conversions and setting the score 34-22 in Tulsa's favor. Tulsa's defense matched the offense in second-half intensity, hauling Huff down on a sack before tripping the former Gamecock short of the line to gain for a turnover on downs. Juju Augustine picked up Tulsa's first rushing score of the game, scampering untouched into the end zone to extend his squad's lead by another six points and a 40-22 score line.

Huff squeezed a fourth-and-goal pass to Ka'ron Ashley, contorting his body to just cross the plane to cut the Tulsa lead to 40-28. Despite missing the PAT Barnas nailed his second deuce of the game, bringing the Sharks within 10 points, 40-30. Johnson stamped his underrated performance with a final-frame touchdown, hauling in Castronova's sixth scoring pass for a 47-30 lead with less than 10 minutes remaining. Huff spun a touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal for the second consecutive drive, hitting Marcus Rogers in the numbers and picking up a controversial two-point conversion to cut the Oilers' lead to 47-38 with 5:15 remaining. Barnas launched his third deuce attempt on the kickoff, ending his perfect night on the play to put the Oilers at the 20-yard line. Smith dropped a drive-continuing pass, being bailed out on a defensive holding. More bizarre penalties placed the Oilers with an eight-point lead and third-and-22 task at the one-minute warning. Castronova ripped off a 17-yard dash on the down, setting up a fourth-down conversion pass to Max Novak and keeping the Oilers' drive alive, despite Jacksonville challenging the play. Two rushes closed out the high-octane battle 47-38, securing a first-ever playoff appearance for the Oilers.

The Oilers started the second half of the game from the five-yard line, gaining three yards on a

The Oilers host the Jacksonville Sharks for the final regular season home game of 2025 at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, July 12.

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