Pirates Welcome Barnstormers to KIA Center Saturday
IFL Orlando Pirates

Pirates Welcome Barnstormers to KIA Center Saturday

Published on June 5, 2026 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Orlando Pirates News Release


ORLANDO, FL - Following last week's shortcoming in Tucson, the Pirates return to the Kia Center to host the Iowa Barnstormers on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Orlando (5-4) sits in third place in the IFL Eastern Conference, playing its first home game since defeating Fishers on May 9th, while Iowa (1-8) stands at last place in the East amidst a three-game slide.

Last Time Out:

The Pirates suffered a 53-37 defeat at the hands of the Tucson Sugar Skulls in Arizona last weekend, recording their fourth loss of the season. It wasn't the sharpest performance for QB Paxton DeLaurent, who finished 11-of-23 for just 105 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The star of the day was RB Pooka Williams, who tallied 214 total scrimmage yards (181 on kick returns) and added a special teams TD. Thomas Owens also found the end zone on his only rush attempt of the night. Teo Redding led all Pirates receivers in the game with 39 yards and hauled in three scores on just five catches. Leon O'Neal led the way for the defense, recording five solo tackles as part of his six total stops and added a pair of pass breakups.

For the Skulls, Ja'Rome Johnson shined with 169 passing yards and four total TDs in the contest (3 pass, 1 rush). Brandon Mackey was the star of the rushing attack, finishing with 23 yards and three TDs on seven attempts. Draylen Ellis led all players with 80 yards and two scores on just three receptions, while Gourney Sloan also landed on the scoresheet with a TD as part of a two-catch, 40-yard evening. Bri'On Murray and Ahmad Lyons recorded INTs, and Chucky Williams was top tackler with five.

Orlando looks to extend its home winning streak to four consecutive victories in the Kia Center, where they are yet to suffer a defeat in 2026.

The Series:

The Pirates lead the all-time series against the Barnstormers 6-3. Orlando won both matchups last year, outscoring Iowa 120-66.

Last Meeting:

The Pirates defeated the Barnstormers 54-31 in Lowell, Massachusetts on July 3, 2025 at the Tsongas Center. Orlando dominated the first half, leading 40-6 at halftime. Iowa rallied for 25 second-half points, but it wasn't enough, as the Pirates notched their seventh win of the season vaulting into a playoff position, while the Barnstormers' ninth straight loss saw their record dip to 1-12.

Pirates QB Kenji Bahar finished 13-of-17 for 201 yards with five TDs and 2 INTs, adding another three scores and 38 yards on five rushing attempts. RB Pooka Williams led all ball carriers with 40 yards on 12 carries. Receivers Teo Redding (2 rec, 55 yds) and Steve McBride (4 rec, 44 yds) each hauled in a score, but the brightest star of the night was Thomas Owens, whose only three catches each went for a TD, eclipsing the 100 career regular season TD mark (95 receiving, 4 rushing, 2 returns). Marcis Floyd's eight tackles and an INT led the Pirates defense, while Destin Mack also recorded two INTs with a pair of tackles.

Barnstormers QB James Cahoon finished 16-of-37 for 170 yards with four TD passes and three INTs. Khaleb Hood led Iowa's rushers with only six yards on his lone carry, while Quian Williams found paydirt, tallying three yards and a score on three carries. Williams added two receiving TDs and 110 yards on eight catches, Hood added a TD reception and 26 yards on three grabs, while Raheem Harvey hauled in five grabs for 34 yards and a score. On defense, Jared Saad recorded six tackles and an INT, and Jacorey Benjamin added four tackles with an INT.

Team Stats (Includes IFL Ranking):

The Pirates are seventh in the league averaging 46.3 points per game and third with 240.8 yards per game. 1,708 of these yards have come through the air, where Orlando ranks fourth in the IFL this season. Defensively, the Pirates allow 52.8 PPG, second-most in the league, while their 234.6 yards allowed per contest is the fifth-most mark.

The Barnstormers average a third-worst 32.5 PPG, and their 218.1 YPG ranks fifth-worst in the IFL. Iowa tallies 76.4 rushing yards per contest, the fifth-most this season. On defense, Iowa allows 53.6 PPG, the most in the league. They also give up the eighth-most YPG (223.5) in the IFL.

Players to Watch (Includes IFL Ranking):

Pirates QB Paxton DeLaurent's 187.9 passing yards per game ranks second in the IFL this season. He stands second in the league with 160 completions and best in the league with 71.1 completion percentage. He also sits third in the league with 1,691 passing yards and fourth with 169.4 pass efficiency rate. Through Orlando's nine games, DeLaurent has completed 160-of-225 passes for 1,691 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ranks second on the Pirates in rushing with 150 yards and four TDs on 57 carries.

RB Pooka Williams leads the team with 193 yards and 11 TDs on 51 carries through eight games, placing him 16th among the league leaders. Nyqwan Murray, Thomas Owens, and Teo Redding are all inside the top 10 of reception yards this season, with Murray sitting at 502 yards (5th) and 10 TDs, Owens at 469 yards (6th) and 10 TDs, and Redding at 446 yards (8th) and nine TDs.

Orlando's defensive leaders are Destin Mack with 37 tackles, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and an interception with six pass breakups, Mike Mason with 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks and five TFLs, and DJ Daniel with 28 tackles, three PBUs and two INTs.

For Iowa, Dante Aviles-Santos leads the team with 326 yards (15th) and six TDs on 24-of-40 passing (60.0%), while Clifton McDowell has tallied 298 yards (17th) and four TDs on 23-of-40 passing (57.5%) this season. RB David Elder paces the Barnstormers with 231 yards (12th) and three TDs on 46 carries through his five games played. Donald McKinney leads the receiving corps with 364 yards (16th) and eight TDs on 29 catches. Defensively, JK Smith ranks 38th with 36 tackles and 7.5 TFL with a sack. Trevon Pope is 41st with 35 tackles, two TFL and a pair of INTs.

The Coaches:

On April 11, 2026, Rod Windsor was named the tenth Head Coach in Pirates history. He was elevated to that position after previously serving as Offensive Coordinator. The former Bay Area Panthers OC and Associate Head Coach helped the Panthers to the Indoor Football League playoffs last season. Bay Area ranked sixth in the league scoring 45.1 points per game and averaged 233.2 yards per contest. They were third in the IFL in rushing with 99.5 yards per game and ninth in passing with 133.8 yards each night. From 2022 through 2024, Windsor worked with the Northern Arizona Wranglers as offensive coordinator, winning the league's National Championship in 2022. In 2024, he guided quarterback Josh Jones to become the IFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. A three-time first-team All-Arena receiver, Windsor is no stranger when it comes to championships as he has four rings: three as a player and one as a coach. Windsor began his professional career in 2009 in the af2 with the Rio Grande Valley Dorados catching 184 passes for 2,364 yards and 59 TDs in 15 games. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year and the Rookie of the Year. In 2010, Windsor played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions under Head Coach Dennis Green and with quarterback Dante Culpepper. Windsor then joined the Arizona Rattlers where he caught a league-record 197 passes for 2,372 yards and 47 touchdowns. He was the Rookie of the Year and an all-league first-team selection. Windsor later signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad for one week in December. He then joined the Buffalo Bills practice squad on December 30, 2010, where he finished the season. In 2013, Windsor returned to the Arizona Rattlers and earned Second Team All-Arena honors as the Rattlers defeated Philadelphia in ArenaBowl XXVI. Windsor had 10 receptions for 145 yards and was the game's MVP. Windsor captured his second ring in 2014 and remained with the Rattlers through 2016. He later won his third championship with the Washington Valor in 2018 and finished his career with the Baltimore Brigade in 2019. Windsor ended his professional career with 898 catches for over 11,000 receiving yards and 263 touchdowns. As Orlando's shot-caller this season, he's led the Pirates to a 3-4 record. He looks to earn his fourth win as the Pirates' lead man with a victory over Iowa on Saturday afternoon.

Andre Coles enters his first season as Head Coach of the Barnstormers. Officially named to the position on September 3, 2025, Coles brings extensive coaching experience to the Iowa Barnstormers organization. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator of the Tulsa Oilers. In 2024, Coles took over as the Head Coach of the Frisco Fighters, leading the top offense in the IFL averaging 52.8 points per game and finishing the season with a 13-4 record, having served as the organization's Offensive Assistant and Special Teams Coordinator in 2022 and 2023. Before becoming a coach, Coles saw much success on the field as a player. He began his playing career with the Reading Express in 2008, where he went on to win a Championship Title in 2009. During the 2010 season, he played with the Harrisburg Stampeders of the SIFL before moving on to the Johnstown Generals and Abilene Bombers of the PIFL and the Amarillo Venom before concluding his season with the York Capitals. He then launched his coaching career with the York Capitals before moving to the Jacksonville Sharks (NAL) before ultimately finding a home in the IFL. He seeks his second victory leading the Barnstormers in 2026 with an upset win over Orlando on Saturday afternoon.

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Indoor Football League Stories from June 5, 2026


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