Pirates vs. Frisco - Game One in 2022
March 11, 2022 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release
Massachusetts Pirates quarterback Alejandro Bennifield
(Massachusetts Pirates)
WORCESTER, MA - The Massachusetts Pirates, Champions of the Indoor Football League will kick off its season on Saturday night at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center vs. the Frisco Fighters at 7:05. The curtain will go up on the IFL season as it will be the first game to be played in the league in 2022. The Pirates will also raise their first ever championship banner in a pre-game ceremony.
Massachusetts will take the field riding an 11 game winning streak that dates back to last year. This will also be the head coaching debut of Rayshaun Kizer. Kizer was Massachusetts' Defensive Coordinator last season and was promoted as former Head Coach Patrick Pass has moved to a front office position as Director of Football Personnel Development.
This is a rematch of an IFL semifinal from a season ago, which was the last game to be played on Phoenix Field in 2021 that was won by the Pirates.
Season Opener
The Pirates are 2-1 all-time in season opening games. Massachusetts won its first ever game in the IFL when they defeated the Louisville Xtreme 49-18 to open their championship season of 2021.
This will also be the first season opening start for Pirates quarterback Alejandro Bennifield. Sean Brackett had the honors the last three seasons for Massachusetts.
Rayshaun Kizer becomes the fourth consecutive head coach to lead Massachusetts in a season opening game. Ameer Ismail was on the sidelines in 2018, Anthony Payton in 2019 and Patrick Pass did so last season for the Pirates.
Home Opener
After winning its first ever home opener in 2018, the Pirates have come up short in their last two home opening contests. Oddly enough, the coach who was the victor in those games will be opposing the Pirates once again. Billy Back led the Carolina Cobras to a win on Phoenix Field in 2019 and repeated the task last season with the Spokane Shock.
Instant Rivalry
The Pirates and the Fighters met three times last season and established a rivalry that has kept fans on the edge of their seats.
The first meeting took place on June 12 at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center. Fighters' quarterback Jerrod Heard ran the ball 13 times for 58 yards and two touchdowns to lead Frisco to a 40-33 victory. Pirates QB Alejandro Bennifield threw for three scores and ran for another in the defeat. Frisco remained undefeated at 4-0 while the Pirates slipped to 3 and 3. It would be the last loss that Massachusetts would suffer as it went on to win its next 11 games to claim the IFL Championship.
On July 3, the Comerica Center in Frisco, TX was the stage for the rematch. The Fighters entered the game undefeated at 5-0, but a 27-yard field goal by Josh Gable as time expired gave the Pirates a 38-37 upset win. Massachusetts amassed 169 total yards of offense to the Fighters 130 as Thomas Owens pulled in six passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Bennifield was nine of 19 passing for 105 yards and four scores.
The third meeting was in the semifinals of the IFL playoffs on September 4. The Pirates defense dominated, holding the Fighters to just 23 yards rushing in a 43-22 victory at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center to advance to the United Bowl. Bennifield threw three touchdown passes and running back Justin Stockton carried 14 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns.
The Coaches
Saturday marks the first time Rayshaun Kizer will be on the sidelines as a Head Coach. As Defensive Coordinator and Secondary Coach last season with the Pirates, the former five-time All-Arena League defensive back built a defense that led the league in nine defensive categories. The most impressive stat was that over 17 games, Massachusetts allowed an IFL best 31.6 points per game. During the Pirates playoff run that number dropped to just 25 points per contest. Five times the Pirates held opponents under 20 points in 2021. Kizer, now the fourth Head Coach in the history of the franchise, will continue as Defensive Coordinator for the 2022 campaign.
A native of Euclid, Ohio, Kizer played his college ball at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio. In 2007 he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets. He went on to have two stints in the Canadian Football League and a stellar career in arena ball in the AF2 and AFL. Playing for Orlando in 2011, Kizer set an Arena Football League single-season record with 16 interceptions.
This will also be the first game for the Frisco Fighters with Billy Back as Head Coach. Back joins Frisco after coaching the Spokane Shock into the playoffs last season. Back is 6-2 lifetime against the Pirates having coached against Massachusetts with Spokane and with the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League. He has an overall record of 112-45 in 10 seasons and is a five-time indoor football champion as a head coach.
In addition to coaching the Shock last season, Back led the Carolina Cobras to a pair of appearances in the NAL Championship game, winning it all in 2018. Prior he led the Wichita Falls Nighthawks in 2016 and was the IFL Coach of the Year. Other head coaching stops included the Nashville Venom in 2014 & 2015, 2013 with the Texas Revolution and the Cincinnati Commandos (2009-2012). 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 in the NIFL. 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.
Players to Watch
For the Pirates, one of the IFL's most prolific passing combinations, returns this season in Alejandro Bennifled to Thomas Owens. Bennifield was the Most Valuable Player in the United Bowl against the Arizona Rattlers in Phoenix in the 37-34 overtime victory that gave the Pirates their first ever championship. In that game he was 10 of 23 passing for 83 yards and a touchdown against two interceptions. He also ran ten times for 56 yards and scored two touchdowns. In 16 games Bennifield was third in the IFL completing 169 passes. His 309 attempts were second most in the league. He ranked fourth completing 55 percent of his throws, finished second with 43 touchdowns, 1,972 yards, ten interceptions and ranked third with an efficiency rating of 147.8. Bennifield's 19 rushing touchdowns set a Massachusetts record and ranked him fifth in the IFL. His 116 points saw him finish ninth in the league in scoring. He was also fourth in total offense with 2,258 yards for an average of 141.1 yards per game.
Owens led the Indoor Football League in receptions and receiving yards with 77 catches last season and was the only IFL receiver to surpass 1,000 receiving yards as he amassed 1,014.
The 6'1" 207 lb. Owens was a unanimous selection to the All-IFL First Team Offense as he pulled in the longest TD reception of the season (45 yards), ranked second with 27 touchdown receptions and averaged 59.6 receiving yards per game. The Florida International alum ranked third in the IFL with 176 points and receptions per game with 4.5. He finished fifth averaging 13.2 yards per catch and was sixth averaging 10.4 points per game.
Defensively the Pirates return three All-IFL performers in defensive backs Harlan Miller and Chucky Williams along with defensive lineman Toby Johnson.
Miller was an All-IFL First Team defensive selection last season. In 16 total games Miller, 6'2" 200 lbs., from Kentwood, LA, had 72 tackles (47 solo), 3.5 tackles for a loss and two fumble recoveries. Miller finished fifth in the league with 16 passes defended, eighth with nine passes broken up and was third with six interceptions. In the Pirates Championship playoff run, Miller starred in the Pirates semi-final win over the Frisco Fighters when he registered six tackles, including one for a loss, and added a seven-yard "pick six" in Massachusetts' 43-22 victory, leading the team to the United Bowl.
Williams was a Second Team All-IFL defensive selection last season. In 12 total games he tied for the league lead in fumble recoveries with three. His signature games for the United Bowl Champions were eight tackle performances in victories over the Arizona Rattlers and the Northern Arizona Wranglers. In the 68-44 win over the Rattlers on Phoenix Field at the DCU Center, Williams recovered a fumble by Arizona quarterback Drew Powell in the first quarter that set the tone for the game. In the 51-16 triumph over the Wranglers, the 6"2" 210 lb. DB had one tackle for a loss and an interception. The former Louisville Cardinal was the Pirates fourth leading tackler with 58 stops (37 solo) and was fourth with eight passes broken up.
Toby Johnson was a First-Team All-IFL Defensive selection and one of the premier run stoppers in the league, playing a major role in helping the IFL's number one defense to allow the fewest points per game at 31.6. The 6'4" 325 lb. University of Georgia alum, finished the season with 57 tackles. His 10.5 tackles for a loss tied him for sixth in the IFL and his 3.5 sacks ranked him tenth. Johnson also has one pass broken up and one quarterback hurry.
Lining up at nose tackle, Johnson helped to shut down the run as opposing backs were held to just 3.1 yards per carry, fewest in the IFL and a league low of 4.1 yards per play. During the season the Morehead, MS native forced three fumbles (tying him with former teammate Santos Ramirez and one other for the most in the league) on a defense that caused 33 turnovers and was second in the IFL with 22 sacks.
The Fighters return two All-IFL players from a year ago.
Offensive Lineman Maea Teuhema was an All-IFL First Team selection and a member of the league's All-Rookie Team. Teuhema helped the Fighters rushing attack that finished fifth in the league in rushing attempts (261) and touchdowns (37). Frisco also ended the season fourth in rushing yards per game (79.9) and sixth in yards per carry (4.0).
Defensive lineman Charles Williams was All-IFL First Team selection in 2021. Williams led the league with 11 sacks and tackles for loss with 17.0. He averaged 1.42 tackles for loss per game (1st) and nearly averaged a sack per game (0.92). Williams led the Fighters' defensive line that finished first with 25 sacks.
Making his Mark
When Pirates defensive back Defensive Back Khalid Wooten takes the field on Saturday night he will become the first player in Pirates history to play in every season.
This past year, the 5"11" 200 lb. DB from San Bernardino, CA, was a key member of the Massachusetts defense that was number one against the pass. Opposing quarterbacks completed a league low of 48.6 percent of their passes while gaining just 117.3 yards per game and 4.8 yards per reception.
Wooten was a starter for the Pirates in the 37-34 overtime victory over the Arizona Rattlers in the United Bowl, making one of the biggest plays in Pirates' history. On the Rattlers first possession in OT, on second and goal from the two yard line, Wooten forced Arizona quarterback Drew Powell to fumble into the endzone where it was recovered by Aarion Maxey-Penton to set up the Pirates game winning drive.
Familiar Faces
This season wide receiver and kick returner Laquivonte Gonzalez and defensive lineman JD Griggs will be returning to Worcester as members of the Fighters.
Griggs was a member of the Massachusetts Pirates during its first three years of existence and holds several team All-Time records including games played with 39, 20.5 sacks, 27.5 tackles for a loss and 15 quarterback hurries. Last season he was an All-IFL second team selection. In 13 regular season games Griggs recorded 45 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss. 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries, six passes broken up, two blocked kicks, a safety and a 12-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. Griggs, 6'5," 250 lbs. from Piscataway, NJ, became the most decorated player in Pirates' history as the University of Akron alum was named to a post-season all-league team three times.
Gonzalez, a 5'10,",185 lb. return specialist, was an All-IFL Second Team selection as a kick returner and was named to the league's All-Rookie Team. A two-time IFL player of the week, Gonzalez led the league with three kickoff returns for touchdowns and had the best average of 21.3 yards per return. The Cedar Hill, TX native was second in the league 957 return yards in 45 chances; fourth most in the IFL. He was fourth in the league with 1,386 all-purpose yards while averaging 106.6 all-purpose yards per game. Aside from kick return average, all of his totals established single season and all-time records for the Pirates. His 57-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the week 13 68-44 victory against Arizona was the second longest in the IFL last season.
Gonzalez, who played collegiately at Texas A&M, Kansas and Southeastern, was also the Pirates second leading receiver as he had 35 receptions for 353 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 10.1 yards per catch and 27.2 yards per game. He also ran the ball nine times for 52 yards with two scores and averaged 5.8 yards per carry.
The 2021 United Bowl Champions; Massachusetts Pirates are members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Pirates play all home games at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center located at 50 Foster St. Worcester, MA, 01608. For more information on the Massachusetts Pirates please call (508)452-MASS (6277), email contact@masspiratesfootball.com or visit http://www.masspiratesfootball.com. For 2022 season, half-season, luxury, or group ticket packages please call 508-452-MASS (6277) or visit http://www.masspiratesfootball.com/tickets. Follow the Pirates on Facebook via Facebook.com/MAPirates, Instagram @mass.pirates, and Twitter @mass_pirates.
Images from this story
 Massachusetts Pirates Head Coach Rayshaun Kizer |
 Massachusetts Pirates battle the Frisco Fighters |
 Massachusetts Pirates quarterback Alejandro Bennifield |
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