Sports stats



IFL Sioux Falls Storm

Sioux Falls Hosts Massachusetts in Round One of Playoffs

July 22, 2023 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Sioux Falls Storm News Release


The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football Team finished the 2023 Indoor Football League season with a 9-6 record and a second place finish in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Storm leapfrogged the Quad City Steamwheelers and Massachusetts Pirates on the final day of the regular season to land their first home playoff game since the 2019 season.

The Sioux Falls Storm found their winning stride in the second half of the 2023 season, posting a 5-2 record since May 26th, with their two losses coming against the #1 Frisco Fighters (13-2).

A Sioux Falls win on Saturday night and a Frisco win means the Storm would travel to Texas next weekend for the Eastern Conference Championship game.

A Sioux Falls win and a Frisco loss on Saturday night would guarantee another home game for the Storm next weekend against the Quad City Steamwheelers.

The Indoor Football League Championship Game, presented by Dollar Loan Center will be played in Las Vegas, NV on Saturday August 5th and will air live on CBS Sports.

THE MATCHUP

The Sioux Falls Storm will host the Massachusetts Pirates for the second time in as many weeks on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. CT inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.

The Storm picked up their first win in franchise history over the Pirates last Saturday night with the 62-59 home victory.

Massachusetts swept the Storm during 2022 season and hold a 2-1 record over the Sioux Falls all-time.

SCOUTING THE MASSACHUSETTS PIRATES

The Massachusetts Pirates finished the 2023 Indoor Football League season with a 9-6 record and a third place finish in the Eastern Conference Standings.

The Pirates offense was efficient this season, ranking fourth in the IFL averaging 50.3 points per game.

Quarterback Anthony Russo appeared in 14 games for the Pirates this season, throwing for 2,243 yards and a league best 49 touchdowns.

Russo suffered an injury at the end of last week's game against the Sioux Falls Storm and is questionable for Saturday night's game in Sioux Falls. Russo threw for 210 yards, adding three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the road loss last week against the Storm.

The Pirates announced the re-signing of veteran QB Mike Glass earlier this week and still have Alejandro Bennifield on the roster.

Glass appeared in six games for the Pirates during the 2022 season before signing a Canadian Football League contract with the Montreal Alouettes earlier this spring.

Bennifield was the starter week one for the Pirates before suffering an early season injury. Bennifield has served as the backup for most of the 2023 season.

Running back Jimmi Robinson led the league in rushing yards (915) this season while finishing third in the league in rushing touchdowns (28).

Robinson racked up 95 yards of offense and added three rushing touchdowns in last weeks matchup against the Sioux Falls Storm.

Defensively the Pirates finished the 2023 Indoor Football League Season ranked ninth in points allowed per game (47.4).

Defensive Back Momodou Mbaye is the top defensive threat, finishing the regular season with 54 tackles (40 solo) and three interceptions.

SCOUTING THE SIOUX FALLS STORM

The Sioux Falls Storm finished the 2023 Indoor Football League season with a 9-6 record and a second place finish in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Storm offense ranked 6th in the IFL this season in touchdowns (103) and in points per game (47.1).

Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. has been the top offensive threat this season, finishing fifth in the IFL in rushing touchdowns (26) and seventh in passing touchdowns (38).

Brown Jr. was named the Indoor Football League Offensive Player of the Week this week after throwing for 183 yards and seven touchdowns in the final regular season home game of his hall-of-fame career.

Wide Receiver Donnie Corley Jr. had a terrific season, ranking seven in the IFL in receiving touchdowns (20) and sixth in league in yards per catch (14.5).

Corley Jr. hauled in four catches for 68 yards and three touchdowns last weekend against the Pirates, including the game winning touchdown with 0:11 seconds remaining in regulation.

Running back Xavier Jackson appeared in just seven games for the Storm this season, but finished the year tied for 14th in the league in rushing touchdowns (13) while adding 315 rushing yards on the ground and 140 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Jackson provided a big spark in his return from the injured list last weekend, racking up 71 yards of offense and four total touchdowns in the win.

The Storm defense ranked 4th in the IFL this season in points allowed per game (43.7) while finishing tied for the league lead in interceptions (19).

Defensive back Eugene Ford finished the regular season tied for third in the IFL in interceptions (7) which is tied for seventh most in a single season in Storm franchise history.

The Storm are the only team in the Indoor Football League this season with more than one player in the IFL's list of Top 5 tacklers.

Linebacker James Brown is second in the league with 85.5 total tackles (64 solo).

Defensive back Laronji Vason-McCoy is third in the IFL with 81.5 total tackles (71 solo).

Defensive back Clifton Duck is fifth in the league with 72.5 total tackles (60 solo).

WORTH MENTIONING

QB Lorenzo Brown Jr. finished the season with a career-high 169 rush attempts, good enough for sixth most in a single season in Storm history. Running back Sean Treasure set the single season record with 201 carries during the 2009 season.

Brown also set a career high in rushing touchdown's (26) during the 2023 season, third most in a single season in franchise history. Marquise Smith (32) set the Storm's single season mark during the 2007 campaign.

Earlier this season, Brown passed wide receiver James Terry (163) as the Storm's all-time leader in total touchdowns (173).

Wide Receiver Donnie Corley Jr. finished the 2023 regular season with 20 receiving touchdowns, good enough for fifth place on the Storm's single season list. The single season record still belongs to Clinton Solomon (27) who set the mark during the 2012 season.

Corley is now in the top-10 in franchise history with 30 receiving touchdowns. James Terry holds the Storm record with 145 receiving touchdowns during his hall-of-fame career.

Defensive lineman Undraez Lilly has cracked the top-10 in franchise history with 14 career sacks. Storm Hall-of Famer Cory Johnsen is the all-time leader with 64.5 sacks.

• Discuss this story on the Indoor Football League message board...

Indoor Football League Stories from July 22, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central