IFL Orlando Pirates

Pirates Look to Remain Perfect at Home vs. Quad City

Published on May 19, 2023 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Orlando Pirates News Release


The Massachusetts Pirates will be looking for its fourth consecutive victory at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center when they face the Quad City Steamwheelers on Saturday night with kickoff set for 6:05 p.m. CT.

The Pirates are 4-3 on the season, tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with Sioux Falls and are just one game back in the loss column of the 6-2 Steamwheelers who hold the second spot behind Frisco. The Pirates 4-3 record is tied for the fourth best in the Indoor Football League.

The Series:

Quad City leads the all-time series two games to one over the Pirates.

The Pirates won the first-ever meeting 36 to 25. Wide receiver Thomas Owens scored three times including a five-yard run and with receptions of 28 and nine yards.

Quad City won the second meeting in overtime, 39-38 in the first round of the 2022 Indoor Football League Playoffs. The Wheelers won the first meeting this season in April.

The Last Meeting: 4/22/2023 - The Vibrant Center, Moline, IL.

Pirates' kicker Josh Gable made a 25-yard field goal with 16 seconds to play to put Massachusetts ahead 44-43, but Keyvan Rudd caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from E.J. Hilliard Jr. with just three seconds remaining and the Quad City Steamwheelers defeated the Pirates 49-44. The largest lead in the contest was six points when the Wheelers scored their first touchdown in the first quarter. The Pirates led 28-24 at halftime, but were outscored 25 to 16 in the second half.

Pirates Quarterback Anthony Russo was 12 of 20 passing for 161 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He also added a seven-yard TD run. Running back Jimmie Robinson rushed nine times for 42 yards with two scores. Isaac Zico was the team's leading receiver with four catches for 65 yards and a touchdown. The Massachusetts defense registered three sacks on the evening with two by Ezekiel Rose. Brendon White led the Pirates with 12 tackles.

For Quad City Hilliard was 13 of 19 passing for 169 yards with four touchdowns with no interceptions. He also ran 12 times for 38 yards and a score. Jerron McGaw was his top target with seven receptions for 73 yards and two scores.

The Last Time Out:

The Iowa Barnstormers jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed, defeating the Pirates 73-43 at the Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, IA. It was the first victory of the year for Iowa. The 73 points were the most-ever allowed by Massanchuetts in a single game. Iowa running back Antonio Wimbush rushed 13 times for 23 yards with four touchdowns and added a fifth with an 18-yard reception. Quarterback Zach Reader was 10 of 20 passing for 137 yards and four touchdowns. His leading receiver was Caleb Smith who caught four balls for 71 yards and three scores.

Linebacker Ian McBorrough led all tacklers with 12 stops and Tyrell Pearson had the game's only interception which he returned 14 yards for a touchdown.

Twice in the first half the Pirates closed to within ten points, but Iowa broke the contest open in the third quarter as they held Massachusetts scoreless, out scoring the Pirates 16-0.

Massachusetts' running back Kelvin Taylor had an impressive debut rushing 19 times for 48 yards with three touchdowns. Quarterback Anthony Russo completed 19 of 36 passes for 191 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Wide receiver Isaac Zico set a Pirates single game record with 14 receptions. That broke the mark of 11 which was held by Marty Gilyard and Lavon Pearson. Zico finished with 157 receiving yards and a touchdown. Harlan Miller led the Pirates defense with seven tackles, including 1.5 tackles for a loss and one pass broken up.

The Steamwheelers had to come from behind in the third quarter enroute to a 47 to 30 win over the Sioux Falls Storm at the Vibrant Center in Moline, IL. Quad City led 21-16 at the half, but trailed 23-21 before taking the game over in the third quarter.

Steamwheelers quarterback E.J. Hilliard Jr. scored on three rushing touchdowns in the second half and the Quad City defense did not allow a point in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. Hilliard was responsible for seven scores on the night as he was 10 of 18 passing for 125 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He was also the games' leading rusher with 86 yards on 13 carries with four rushing touchdowns. Keyvan Rudd was the top receiver with five receptions for 49 yards and two touchdowns. Darreon Jackson led the Quad City defense with seven tackles and an interception.

Team Stats (IFL Rankings Included)

The Pirates are scoring 46.5 points per game (fifth) and are fourth in total offense averaging 241.5 yards per contest. Massachusetts is fifth in the IFL with 160.8 passing yards per game. On special teams the Pirates have the best PAT percentage in the league at .950 making 38 of 40 attempts. They are currently second in field goal percentage at .462 having made 6 of 13 attempts. Massachusetts is second on converting third down attempts (49.2%). Defensively, the Pirates are allowing 48.5 points per game (ninth). The Pirates offensive line has allowed just two sacks which is second in the IFL.

Quad City is second in the IFL in scoring at 51.0 points per game while allowing 43.6 points per outing (sixth). The Steamwheelers average 216.6 yards of total offense (ninth) but are third defensively yielding 210.3 yards per game. Their running attack is third in the IFL gaining 90.3 yards per game and number one with an average of 5.2 yards per carry. The offensive line has given up 12 sacks (11th). They are also number three against the pass with teams throwing for just 134.3 yards per contest.

Players to Watch (Includes IFL Ranking)

Despite not playing against Iowa, Pirates running back Jimmie Robinson still leads the IFL in rushing yards with 418 and in yards per game with 69.7. He is second with 15 rushing touchdowns. He has carried the ball 73 times (seventh) and gains 5.7 yards per attempt (ninth). Robinson leads the IFL sccoring at 17.0 points per game, has scored 102 points (second) with 17 total touchdowns (second).

As a kick returner, Robinson has an average of 22.0 per return (fifth). He has 14 returns for 308 yards (10th) with two touchdowns (first). Robinson leads the IFL with 136.7 all-purpose yards per game. His 820 all-purpose yards leads the league.

Steamwheelers quarterback E.J. Hilliard Jr. is second with 391 rushing yards. He has rushed 80 times (fourth) for 4.9 yards per carry, has 14 rushing touchdowns (fourth) and an average of 48.9 yards per contest (ninth). Hilliard is number one in the league with 1.491 yards of total offense and ranks eighth with 186.4 yards of total offense per game.

Pirates' quarterback Anthony Russo has completed 86 (fifth) of 148 passes (third), 58.1% for 970 yards (fifth) with 17 touchdowns (eighth) and three interceptions. He throws for 161.7 yards per game (fifth) with an efficiency rating of 147.0

Hilliard Jr. of Quad City is 92 (second) of 151(second) 60.9% (10th) with 30 touchdowns (first) and five interceptions for 1100 yards (first). He averages 137.5 yards per game with an efficiency rating of 181.1 (fourth).

Massachusetts' Thomas Owens is second in the IFL with 447 receiving yards with 30 receptions (ninth) and eight touchdowns. He averages 3.8 receptions per game, 14.9 yards per catch (sixth) and 55.9 yards per contest (10th). Teammate Isaac Zico leads the league with 40 receptions and is seventh with five receptions per game. He is seventh with 403 receiving yards, and is averaging 10.1 per catch and 50.4 yards per game.

Josh Gable of the Pirates is fifth in scoring for kickers with 7.0 points per game. His 56 points ranks him third in the IFL. He is 38 (first) of 40 (fourth) on extra points and has made 6 (fifth) of 13 (sixth) field goals with a made field goal percentage of 46.2 (third).

Chase Allbaugh of Quad City is third with an average of 7.4 kicking points per game. He is 38 (first) of 52 (first) on PATs and made 7 (third) of 17 (third) field goals for a total of 59 points (2nd). His made field goal percentage is 41.2 (fifth).

Quad City has a trio of kick returners who rank in the top ten. Jarrod Harrington has 16 returns (ninth) for 393 yards (fourth) with an average of 24.6 (third). Mike Carrigan has 8 returns for 71 yards for a 21.4 average (seventh) and Jerron McGaw has run back14 for 295 yards, for a 21.1 average (ninth). Harrington averages 114.4 all-purpose yards per game (third). Harrington has 572 all-purpose yards this season (10th) while Carrigan has 601 (sixth).

Defensively, Brendon White of the Pirates has missed the last two contests, but is still fourth in the league averaging seven tackles per game. His total of 35 tackles ranks fifth in the IFL. Newcomer Lorenzo Hernandez has played in just two games for Massachusetts but ranks tenth with 1.25 tackles for a loss in each contest. Malik Harris is tenth with .5 sacks per game. Defensive back Chucky Williams has two interceptions in two games which places him tenth in the league. Williams also has forced a fumble.

Darreon Jackson of the Steamwheelers has 42.5 tackles this season (second) while Marquis Hendrix has posted 32.5 (seventh). Jackson has defended 13 passes (third) and is tied for first in the IFL with six interceptions. Kendricks Gladney Jr. has ten passes defended to his credit (fifth).

The Coaches:

Mark Stoute is now 4-3 as the Head Coach of the Pirates. Stoute joined the organization in June of 2021 as a senior advisor. He served as Offensive Coordinator last season.

Stoute is the fifth head coach in Pirates history and has 27 years of coaching experience in the indoor game. He had his most success as a head coach from 2012 to 2016 with the Cedar Rapids Titans leading them to four-straight playoff appearances. After an impressive 2013 season, Stoute was named the IFL Coach of the Year.

Cory Ross has been the Head Coach of the Steamwheelers since the franchise returned to Quad City in 2018. During that time, he has helped lead the team to the postseason in the IFL and in Champions Indoor Football. In 2022, Ross guided his team to the IFL's National Championship game.

In 2021, when the Steamwheelers entered a state of dormancy due to the pandemic, Coach Ross joined the Bismarck Bucks as the team's Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, helping them to their first IFL postseason berth in franchise history.

From 2015-2017, Ross served as the Head Coach of the Omaha Beef, recording back-to-back 7-5 seasons and earning a berth in the 2017 CIF League Championship Game.

Ross played running back and ended his NCAA career at the University of Nebraska ranked fourth in school history with 3,472 total yards. In his final college football game, Nebraska defeated Michigan 32-28 and Ross was named the 2005 Alamo Bowl MVP.

Ross played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2006-2008, recording multiple 100-yard games, including 154 total return yards vs. the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

Ross also played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions from 2009-2011, winning the United Football League Offensive MVP honors in 2010.

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Indoor Football League Stories from May 19, 2023


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