Preview: Fighters vs. Pirates
March 11, 2022 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Frisco Fighters News Release
FRISCO ,TX - The Frisco Fighters will kick off the season Saturday night at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts against the Massachusetts Pirates of the Indoor Football League. Kickoff is at 6:05 PM and is scheduled to be the first contest played in the 2022 IFL season. Prior to kickoff, the Pirates will raise their first ever championship banner in a pregame ceremony.
The Frisco Fighters were a steppingstone to the Massachusetts Pirates' 2021 United Bowl victory. The Fighters fell to the Pirates in the semifinals last season, losing 43-22 at Phoenix Field.
How to watch
Time/Location: 6:05 p.m. CT/Phoenix Field at the DCU Center - Worcester, MA
Live stream
Season Opener history
The inaugural season of the Frisco Fighters was suspended due to COVID-19 in 2020. The Fighters won their first ever game played to open the 2021 season against the Spokane Shock, 36-33.
Past meet-ups - Fighters vs Pirates
The Fighters faced the Pirates three times in the 2021 season, twice in the regular season and once in the postseason. The two teams' first meetup was on June 12, 2021, in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Fighters were triumphant putting up 44 points against the Pirates' 33. The next meeting would be July 3, 2021, in Frisco where the Pirates took the victory by one point (37-38) before the final meetup of the season in the 2021 semifinals.
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 first game as head coach of the Fighters.
Players to watch
Rookie offensive lineman Maea Teuhema has been an anchor on the line for the Fighters in 2021. He proved his durability by starting all 13 regular season games the Fighters played and helped pave the way for Frisco's run game, which finished fourth in the league in rushing yards per game (79.9) and fifth in the league in rushing attempts (261) and rushing touchdowns (37).
Defensive Lineman Charles Williams proved to be one of the league's most dominant pass rushers, finishing the regular season leading the IFL in both sacks (11) and tackles for loss (17 for 89 yards). He averaged 1.42 tackles for loss per game (1st) and nearly averaged a sack per game (0.92). 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.
Both John (JD) Griggs and Laquivonte Gonzalez return to Massachusetts for the first time as an opponent as they play their first game with the Fighters. Griggs and Gonzalez were both named to the All-IFL second team selection last season.
Indoor Football League Stories from March 11, 2022
- Preview: Fighters vs. Pirates - Frisco Fighters
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- Storm 2022 Season Opener March 13 - Sioux Falls Storm
- Pirates vs. Frisco - Game One in 2022 - Massachusetts Pirates
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