Pirates Fall to Quad City 56-35
June 29, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release
Massachusetts Pirates wide receiver Isaac Zico returns a kick
(Massachusetts Pirates)
MOLINE, IL - Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar threw for 265 yards with three touchdown passes and ran for 139 yards with two more scores, but it was not enough to slow down Quad City. The Steamwheelers (10-3) clinched a playoff spot and became the first team in the IFL to win ten games with a 56-29 victory at XUSD Field at Vibrant Arena at The MARK. Massachusetts (6-6) saw its four-game win streak come to an end.
The Pirates won the opening toss and elected to receive the ball. Kyle Kaplan of the Steamwheelers promptly drilled the kickoff through the uprights for a "deuce" for a 2-nothing lead.
Massachusetts was unfazed as quarterback Kenji Bahar engineered a six-play, 45-yard drive to retake the lead. Pooka Williams Jr. ran twice for 11 yards and finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown reception. Josh Gable added the point after for the 7-2 lead.
On the next play, Steamwheelers quarterback Daquan Neal went down the middle of the field, 30 yards to Jordan Vesey for a score to put Quad City back out front 9-7. The Pirates responded with Gable kicking a 49-yard field goal for the third lead change of the quarter, with the Pirates on top 10-9 with 7:10 on the clock.
Neal then used his second one-play drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Tamorrion Terry. A missed dropkick left the score with Quad City up 15 to 10 to end the first quarter.
Kaplan began the second 15 minutes with an 18-yard field goal to up the QC lead to 18-10, but Massachusetts was resilient as Bahar put together a seven-play, 25-yard march. On third and three from the seven, Bahar scrambled and extended the play, which allowed him to find Teo Redding, who pulled in his tenth touchdown reception of the season as the Pirates trailed 18-16.
A four-yard touchdown run by Neal extended the Quad City lead to 25-16 with 7:02 remaining in the half. The Pirates then took six minutes off the clock with a nine-play,
31-yard drive with Bahar running it in from three yards out to put Massachusetts down by two at 25-23.
The Steamwheelers were poised to widen their lead, but on second and goal from the eight, Neal tried to force a pass in the end zone to Terry, who was covered by Marcis Floyd. Terry tipped the ball, and DJ Daniel intercepted the deflection in the end zone for a touchback. Gable attempted a 46-yard field goal to give the Pirates the lead as the first half came to a close, but the kick was wide left.
The third quarter began with Kaplan making a 45-yard field goal to give Quad City a 28-23 lead. The next three possessions saw both teams unable to produce points. That changed with 3:10 left in the quarter, as on second and seven from their own 23, it was Neal connecting with Terry for the second time in the contest. The 27-yard strike made the score 35-23 Steamwheelers.
The final quarter saw the Pirates' offensive struggles continue as their third consecutive possession of the half failed to put points on the scoreboard. After a turnover on downs, Neal threw deep to Vesey for his second 30-yard TD reception for a 42-23 lead. It was the third one-play drive of the night for the Steamwheelers.
Bahar got the Pirates back on track with a 13-yard touchdown run with 8:54 remaining to make the score 42-20, but the home team had all of the answers as Jarrod Ware Jr. scored on a 13-yard run to push the score to 49-29. The ensuing kickoff by Kaplan hit the top of the wall and bounced into the end zone. The Pirates were unable to secure the live ball, and Camron Harrell recovered it for a touchdown and a 56-29 lead.
Bahar teamed up with Redding for his second touchdown of the game from ten yards out to close the scoring, making the final score 56-35.
Bahar was 21 of 31 passing for 265 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for the Pirates. He also ran nine times for 139 yards with two touchdowns. Williams rushed 14 times for 50 yards. Williams was the leading receiver for Massachusetts with nine receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Redding had two touchdown catches with 73 receiving yards, while Thomas Owens added three catches for 54 yards.
The Massachusetts defense was led by Matt Elam with four tackles, while DJ Daniel added an interception and a tackle for a loss.
For Quad City, Neal was six of 13 passing for 121 yards with four touchdowns. He also ran seven times for 28 yards and a score. Jarrod Ware had seven carries for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Steamwheelers' leading receiver was Vesey with four catches for 68 yards and two scores. Terry had two receptions for 53 yards, and both were touchdowns.
Bubba Arslanian recorded 10.5 tackles for Quad City with one tackle for a loss. Chima Dunga had eight stops, including a tackle for a loss.
The Pirates will return to action on Thursday, July 3, at the Tsongas Center when they face the Iowa Barnstormers at 7:05 pm.
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