Preview: Fighters vs. Gladiators
Published on March 24, 2022 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Frisco Fighters News Release
FRISCO ,TX - Coming off a bye week and a loss to the Massachusetts Pirates, its season opener, the Frisco Fighters will rally this Saturday night at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico against the Duke City Gladiators of the Indoor Football League. Like the Fighters, the Gladiators are looking to rally back after a loss (50-28) to the Arizona Rattlers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
How to watch
Time/Location: 7:05 p.m. CT/Tingley Coliseum - Albuquerque, NM
Live stream
Past meet-ups - Fighters vs Pirates
The Fighters faced the Gladiators twice during the 2021 season, one at home and the other in Albuquerque. The two teams' first meetup was on June 5, 2021, in Frisco, Texas. In a close game, the Fighters were able to come up on top putting up 58 points against the Gladiators' 57. The next meeting would be about two weeks after on June 26, 2021, in Albuquerque where the Fighters took another victory by five points (53-48) after being down by 13 points in the first quarter.
Coaching
Head Coach Billy Back brings an impressive indoor football pedigree to the state of Texas. Sporting an impressive overall record of 112-45 in 10 seasons and a five-time Indoor Football champion as a head coach. Back comes to the Fighters after coaching the 2021 season up in Spokane before losing to this same Frisco Fighters team in the first round of playoffs. This game will be coach Back's second game as head coach of the Fighters. In the season opener, the offense and defense coaches helped prepare the team to score 27 points with 97 passing yards while keeping the Pirates under 40 rushing yards.
Players to watch
Running back Justin Rankin was a key player in the Fighters 2022 season opener. He proved his durability by rushing and gaining 45 yards while receiving a total of 26 yards, resulting in a touchdown. He had the highest yardage, both rushing (45 yards) and receiving of the Fighters during the game against the Pirates. Rankin tallied about 14 points during the season opener. With this opener, Rankin is ranked 4th in the league for rushing.
Defensive Lineman Charles Williams continues to prove to be one of the league's most dominant pass rushers, with a total of 7 tackles (3 solo) and 2.5 sacks. Williams tackles tallied 2.5 tackles for a loss of 5 yards. During the 2021 season, Frisco's defensive line finished with the most sacks as a team (25), and Williams collected nearly half of those. He also finished the regular season with 29 solo tackles, 48 total tackles, five pass breakups, and three blocked kicks.
Defensive back, Cedric Poole, was a key player in the season opener against Massachusetts Pirates with an interception resulting in a six-yard gain resulting in the Frisco Fighters receiving the ball back. Poole also assisted in one tackle against the Pirates.
The Frisco Fighters were able to take the lead in each quarter until a last second 33-yard field goal made by the Massachusetts Pirates kicker Josh Gable.
Indoor Football League Stories from March 24, 2022
- Ifl Announces Two Rattlers as Players of the Week - Arizona Rattlers
- Preview: Fighters vs. Gladiators - Frisco Fighters
- IFL Announces Week Two Players of the Week - IFL
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