Pirates Look for Sweep vs. Tulsa Oilers on the Road
July 10, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release
Massachusetts Pirates wide receiver Isaac Zico makes a move against the Tulsa Oilers
(Massachusetts Pirates)
LOWELL, MA - The Massachusetts Pirates look to distance themselves from Tulsa for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference of the Indoor Football League on Saturday night when they face the Oilers on the road at the BOK Center at 8:05 Eastern time. The Pirates and the Oilers have identical 7-6 records, but a Pirates win would give Massachusetts a tie-breaker with a 2-0 season series sweep should that be called into play at the end of the season.
The Series:
The Pirates are 4-1 all-time against Tulsa.
The Last Meeting: June 21 - The Tsongas Center, Lowell, MA
Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar was 14 of 18 passing for 156 yards and four touchdowns as Massachusetts defeated the Tulsa Oilers 58-37. The Pirates led 21-14 at halftime and pulled away in the second half as wide receiver Teo Redding finished with five receptions for 100 yards and three touchdowns. Pooka Williams Jr. was the game's leading rusher with 14 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown, and Bahar added two rushing scores. Defensively, Michael Mason had two tackles for a loss for the winners.
Tulsa quarterback TJ Edwards threw four touchdowns in a losing effort, as he was 17 of 29 passing for 161 yards. He also rushed eight times for 26 yards and a score. His top target was Cole Blackman, who had five receptions for 39 yards and three touchdowns. Tre Harvey had six tackles for Tulsa, including a tackle for a loss. Edwards suffered a serious leg injury and left the game on a stretcher with 1:17 to play. Both teams joined the Oilers quarterback as he was taken from the field.
The Last Time Out:
On Thursday, July 3, at the Tsongas Center, Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar was 14 of 18 passing for 205 yards and five touchdowns as Massachusetts defeated the Iowa Barnstormers 54-31. Bahar also rushed for 38 yards on five carries with three rushing touchdowns. For his efforts, Bahar was named the IFL's Offensive Player of the Week for Week 16. Wide receiver Thomas Owens caught three passes for 69 yards and three scores as the Pirates' all-time leading receiver now has 101 regular-season touchdowns in his career. Running back Pooka Williams Jr. rushed 11 times for 36 yards.
Pirates defensive back Marcis Floyd led the way with six tackles and an interception, while Destin Mack picked off two passes.
Jerminic Smith scored the only touchdown for Tulsa in a 33-7 loss to the Fishers Freight on June 28th at home. It was the second consecutive loss by the Oilers and their fourth in their last five games.
Team Stats:
The Pirates are scoring 40.8 points per game while allowing 38.6. The Oilers average 41.8 points per contest and yield 39.2.
Pirates Players to Watch:
In 13 games, quarterback Kenji Bahar has completed 178 of 244 passes for a completion percentage of 72.9 percent. He has thrown for 1,811 yards with 33 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Bahar is averaging 139.3 passing yards per game. He has also rushed 30 times for 311 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Running back Pooka Williams Jr. has played in 10 games and rushed for 631 yards on 158 carries for an average of 63.1 yards per contest with ten rushing touchdowns. He also has 42 receptions for 309 yards and two TD receptions.
Wideout Teo Redding is the leading receiver with 42 receptions for 521 yards and 11 touchdowns. Thomas Owens has 35 catches for 454 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Defensively, Marquis Waters leads the team with 56.5 tackles. He also has 11.5 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks. DJ Dale has six tackles for a loss and four sacks, and Mike Mason has recorded 5.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks in just six games.
For the Oilers, running back Hassan Rogers has carried 117 times for 402 yards and six touchdowns. Wide receiver Cole Blackman has 35 catches for 383 yards and 17 touchdowns. Tre Harvey has made 68.5 tackles to lead Tulsa, while Tre Smalls has notched 16 tackles for a loss and four sacks. Taylor Hawkins has defended 12 passes and has five interceptions. Harvey has also picked off five passes this season.
The Coaches:
Tom Menas (5-3), 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 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 to 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.
Marvin Jones is in his third season as Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator, and now the Director of Operations of the Tulsa Oilers. Before the Oilers, he was the Head Coach of the Omaha Beef of Champions Indoor Football from 2019 through 2022, winning a title in 2021 and making the championship game the next season. In 2017, Jones was the Defensive Coordinator and eventual Interim Head Coach for the Colorado Crush. 2018 saw Jones move to the Cedar Rapids Titans of the IFL as Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.
As a player, Jones was an All-American linebacker at Florida State from 1990-1992. In 1992, He was inducted into the FSU Football Hall of Fame in 2000, Jones was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame 2022. Following his collegiate career, Jones was selected fourth overall in the 1993 NFL draft by the New York Jets. Jones played 11 seasons for the Jets from 1993-2003, excluding the 1998 season. He appeared in 142 NFL games, compiling more than 1,200 tackles, with over 700 of those being solo.
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