Pirates Face Tucson on Saturday
May 7, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release
Massachusetts Pirates line up against the Green Bay Blizzard
(Massachusetts Pirates)
LOWELL, MA - The Massachusetts Pirates travel to the Tucson Convention Center to face the Sugar Skulls on Saturday night at 9:05 Eastern time. Both teams enter the contest with 2-3 records. This will be the first game for Tom Menas as Head Coach of the Pirates. He had a 2-0 career mark vs. the Sugar Skulls during his time as Head Coach of the San Antonio Gunslingers.
The Series:
The Pirates are 1-0 all-time against the Sugar Skulls.
The Last Meeting: June 19, 2021
Josh Gable's 46-yard field goal as time expired gave the Massachusetts Pirates a 37-34 win over the Tucson Sugar Skulls at the Tucson Convention Center. For Gable, it was his third field goal of the game as he connected on kicks from 50, 26, and 46 yards.
Tucson led 14-13 at the half. In the third quarter, Tucson started quickly. On the very first play, quarterback Demry Croft went deep to Ryan Balentine, who pulled in a 30-yard reception. The catch made him the Indoor Football League's all-time leading receiver with 5,617 yards. On the next play, Mike Jones caught a five-yard swing pass to make the score 20 to 13 as Daniel Bowen's PAT attempt was no good.
The Pirates answered with a four-play, 31-yard drive as Alejandro Bennifield teamed up with Thomas Owens on a seven-yard scoring play, and with Gable's PAT, the Pirates tied the game at 20 with 9:41 on the clock.
Croft dominated the next Tucson drive. The QB gained 25 yards on five carries and reached the end zone on a five-yard run, and with Bowen's point after, the Sugar Skulls led by seven. The Pirates came right back with Bennifield scoring on a sneak to tie the game at 27.
Gable contributed to the Pirates once again to start the final quarter. His line drive kickoff hit Braelen Evans, and Massachusetts recovered at their one-yard line. The Pirates drove the length of the field with Bennifield eventually scoring on a one-yard run to take a 34-27 lead with 9:24 remaining. The Sugar Skulls would tie the game at 34 all on their next possession with Croft scoring on a two-yard run with just 18 seconds remaining.
The Pirates had one last chance to win the game, starting their final drive from midfield. Massachusetts could not advance the ball, and two penalties set up a fourth and 20 from the 15. Gable came on to attempt a 46-yard field goal. After back-to-back timeouts attempting to "ice" him, Gable drilled the ball through the uprights as time expired, giving the Pirates a hard-fought 37-34 victory.
The Last Time Out:
Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar threw five touchdown passes, including three to Thomas Owens, but it was not enough as the Green Bay Blizzard prevailed 47-35 on May 27 at the Tsongas Center. Bahar was 20 of 32 passing for 177 yards with one interception. Running Back Pooka Williams Jr. gained 60 yards on 14 carries and had six receptions for 49 yards. Wideout Isaiah Coulter also had six receptions for 51 yards. Teo Redding had three catches for 23 yards with two touchdowns. The Pirates trailed by two points early in the third quarter but could get no closer. Green Bay quarterback Max Meylor was 16 of 26 passing for 155 yards with four touchdowns against no interceptions. He also ran eight times for 45 yards and two more scores.
Last week, the Sugar Skulls defeated the Arizona Rattlers 42-35 at the Tucson Convention Center. Trailing 35-20 after three quarters, Tucson outscored the Rattlers 22-0 in the final quarter to hand Arizona its first loss of the year. Skulls quarterback Jorge Reyna threw touchdown passes of 30 and three yards to Larry Harrington, Kevin Macias added a 26-yard field goal, and Jamyest Williams provided a 38-yard scoop and score on the final play of the game to complete the fourth quarter comeback. Reyna was 15 of 29 passing for 142 yards with four touchdowns. Harrington had 8 receptions for 61 yards and three scores while running back Devonte Sapp-Lynch ran seven times for 35 yards.
Team Stats: (Include IFL Rankings)
The Pirates are scoring 37.5 points per game (9th) while allowing 42.2 (10th). Massachusetts is seventh in both yards gained and given up, with the offense netting 212.2 and the defense 204.4 per outing. The Pirates' defense had been able to turn teams over with six interceptions (5th), three forced fumbles (4th,) and five fumble recoveries (2nd).
Tucson is 12th in scoring with an average of 31.4 points per game and fifth defensively, giving up 37.6. Their offense is last in the IFL, producing 154.4 yards per contest, while the defense ranks 10th at 218.4 yards per game. The Sugar Skulls are tied for the league lead with seven sacks and, like the Pirates, have forced three fumbles and recovered five.
Players to Watch: (Includes IFL Ranking)
Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar is 774 (2nd) of 117 (4th) passing - 64.1% (7th) for 693 yards (4th) with ten touchdowns (7th) with six interceptions (T2nd). He throws for 140.6 yards per game (8th) with an efficiency rating of 134.2. He also has ten rushing touchdowns, which is tied for first in the league. Bahar is fourth in scoring with an average of 12 points per game and seventh with 161.6 yards of total offense per contest.
Running back Pooka Williams Jr. had rushed 60 times (3rd) for 193 yards (8th) with five touchdowns (T5th) with an average of 48.3 yards per game (3rd) and fourth with 101.5 all-purpose yards per night. Williams also ranks seventh with 4.3 receptions per game.
Wide receiver Thomas Owens had 16 receptions for 201 yards (10th) with five touchdowns (T8th) with 40.2 yards per game. Teo Redding is tied for tenth with four touchdown receptions.
Kicker Josh Gable is three (5th) of four (10th) at 75 percent (4th).
Defensive back Marcis Floyd is tied for second in the IFL with three interceptions and seven passes defended.
The Coaches:
This will be the first game for Tom Menas as Head Coach of the Pirates. Menas, who began this year as the Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator of the San Antonio Gunslingers, became the eighth head coach in the history of the Pirates on April 30th of 2025. Menas, who coached the Gunslingers to an eight-and-eight record last season, began this year with an eight-point loss to Tulsa and then defeated Bay Area 28-21 on the road before his release.
As a Head Coach, Menas has enjoyed success at the professional and collegiate levels. Before joining San Antonio, Menas was the Head Coach and General Manager of the Albany Empire of the National Arena League and led the franchise to back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2022.
Menas has worked as an assistant coach in a few leagues. From 2020-2021, he was an Assistant Head Coach with the New Jersey Flight in the NAL. His first experience in the IFL was with the Green Bay Blizzard in 2019 as an offensive and defensive line coach. He also served as a Head Coach in the Rivals Professional Football League.
A native of Lapeer, MI, Menas won a NCFA National Championship as the Head Coach of Oakland University, as he led the Golden Grizzlies to a record of 23-1 from 2015 through 2017.
Other professional stops included working as a defensive line coach with the Toronto Argonauts from 2003 through 2005, with the team winning the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup Championship in 2004, and with the Detroit Fury of the Arena Football League from 2000-2002 as a running backs and linebackers coach.
A former guard at Kansas State University (1978-1983), Menas helped the Wildcats to their first-ever Bowl appearance. He then joined the Detroit Lions in 1983, but an injury cut short his NFL career. After his release by the Lions he signed with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the USFL where he played with the franchise through 1985.
The Sugar Skills are coached by Pirates former Co-Offensive Coordinator Billy Back, who worked with the team in the 2023 season. Last season, Back guided Tucson to a 2-15 record.
Before joining the Pirates, Back coached the Frisco Fighters in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, he guided Frisco to the Conference Championship game as his team posted the best regular season record in the IFL at 15 and 3. In 2021, he led the Spokane Shock into the playoffs. Back has a 7-4 lifetime record against Massachusetts during his time with Frisco, Spokane, and the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League. In eleven seasons as a head coach, his teams won five championships.
Back led the Carolina Cobras to a pair of appearances in the NAL Championship game, winning it all in 2018. He coached the Wichita Falls Nighthawks in 2016 and was the IFL Coach of the Year. Other head coaching stops included the Nashville Venom of the Professional Indoor Football League in 2014, winning a league title, and in 2015, 2013 with the IFL's Texas Revolution and with the Cincinnati Commandos of the Continental Indoor Football League/United Football League from 2009 through 2012. Back won three championships in Cincinnati and had a perfect 12-0 season in 2011. He was named Co-Coach of the Year in 2010.
Back enjoyed a six-year career playing in various indoor leagues. He attended Miami University of Ohio and was inducted into the Miami University Athletic Hall of Fame for his time there as a student athlete.
His Defensive Coordinator is former Pirates Head Coach Rayshaun Kizer, who led Massachusetts in 2022. He was the Defensive Coordinator for the Pirates' IFL Championship team in 2021.
Images from this story
 Massachusetts Pirates receiver Isaiah Coulter makes a grab |
 Massachusetts Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar |
 Massachusetts Pirates line up against the Green Bay Blizzard |
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