IFL Massachusetts Pirates

Steamwheelers Face Pirates in Eastern Conference Battle

April 21, 2023 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release


The Massachusetts Pirates will travel to Moline, Illinois for the first time to face the Quad City Steamwheelers on Saturday with kickoff set for 7:05 p.m. CT at Vibrant Arena. The 2-1 Pirates are coming off their first loss of the season while the Steamwheelers are 3-1 having won three straight games.

The Last Time Out:

Pirates wide receiver Isaac Zico led all receivers with nine receptions and returner Jimmie Robinson had a 51-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but it was not enough as the Frisco Fighters defeated Massachusetts 56-39 at the Comerica Center in Texas. Zico had 59 receiving yards and a touchdown while Robinson had 116 all-purpose yards with 16 yards rushing (including a touchdown) and 96 yards on four kick returns.

The Pirates never led in the contest. Robinson's 51-yard touchdown did put the Pirates down by eight in the third quarter, but Massachusetts would get no closer. Quarterback Anthony Russo was 17 of 33 passing in his second start for 169 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Quad City jumped out to a 40-21 halftime lead and never trailed in a 68-42 win over the Tulsa Oilers at the BOK Center in Oklahoma. Quarterback E.J. Hilliard Jr. was 12 of 17 for 96 yards with five touchdowns against no interceptions. His top target was Mike Carrigan who caught three passes, all touchdowns, for a total of 42 yards. Jarrod Harrington had five receptions for 30 yards and a score.

Hilliard also ran the ball eight times for 27 yards and a score. Harrington carried five times for 29 yards and a touchdown. Harrington had a total of 206 all-purpose yards adding in a 30-yard missed field goal return and five kickoff returns for 117 yards.

The Steamwheelers also received a 50-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Jerron McGraw and a 49-yard "pick-six" from Darreon Jackson.

The Series:

This will be the third meeting between the Pirates and the Steamwheelers. Each team has a victory as the Pirates won the first-ever meeting 36 to 25. Wide receiver Thomas Owens scored three times including a five-yard run and receptions of 28 and nine yards.

Quad City won the second meeting in overtime, 39-38 in the first round of the Indoor Football League Playoffs. Both games were played at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center.

The Last Meeting: July 22, 2022

The Steamwheelers knocked the defending champion Pirates out of the IFL playoffs with a 39-38 overtime opening round victory at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center.

The Pirates jumped out to a 15-6 first quarter lead as quarterback Alejandro Bennifield scored on touchdown runs of seven and two yards and with the help of a rare one-point "Uno" as the Steamwheelers could not return a kickoff out of their own endzone.

Quad City Quarterback E.J. Hilliard Jr. ran for a pair of short second quarter touchdowns and a Kimo Naehu 46-yard field goal, coupled with a "Deuce," gave the Steamwheelers a 25-15 halftime advantage.

In the final quarter trailing 32-25, Bennifield drove the team to the 21-yard line but left the game with an injury with 3:26 to play. Backup QB Mike Glass III completed the scoring drive, handing off to Deddrick Thomas on first and goal from the ten. Thomas took it the rest of the way to tie the game.

The Pirates then rolled the dice as kicker Josh Gable executed an onside kick which he recovered. As time wound down, Gable attempted a 47-yard field goal to win the game but it was blocked by Darreon Jackson and the contest headed to overtime.

On the first possession, Thomas scored from two-yards out giving the Pirates a 38-32 lead. The extra point by Gable was no good, leaving the door open for Quad City.

Hilliard's one-yard touchdown plunge tied the game. Naehu then came on to nail the point after, giving Quad City a 39-38 overtime victory.

For the Pirates Bennifield was the leading rusher with 32 yards on nine carries with two scores. Thomas added 22 yards on five carries with two rushing touchdowns. Bennifield was 10 of 17 passing for 112 yards and a touchdown. Glass finished four of six for 16 yards. Owens had four catches for 37 and a touchdown. The leading tackler for the Pirates was Naashon Hughes who had ten stops including a sack, 1.5 tackles for a loss and an interception.

For the Steamwheelers, Hilliard was the leading rusher with 16 carries for 43 yards and three scores. He finished 10 of 17 passing for 146 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Kerrion Moore was his top target with four catches and 46 receiving yards. Keyvan Rudd added 50 yards on three receptions and a touchdown.

Team Stats: (Includes IFL Ranking)

The Pirates offense is third in the IFL averaging 51 points per game and fifth with an average of 223.3 yards per contest. Their passing game ranks fifth with 160.7 yards per game. Massachusetts can also move the chains with 18 first downs per contest (5th) and the Pirates lead the IFL converting on third down 61;6 percent of the time.

The Pirates Special Teams have performed well, ranking in second in field goals and extra points and third kickoff return average at 20.7.

The Steamwheelers are second in the lead in scoring, just .5 points per game ahead of the Pirates (51.5). Their offense is ninth, averaging 212.5 points per game, but they do boast the best rushing total in the IFL at 93.3 yards per contest. Quad City is tied with Massachusetts averaging 20.7 yards per kick return.

Defensively, the Steamwheelers are third in the IFL with five interceptions. They also allow 191.8 yards per game (4th) and are fourth against the pass giving up 127.5 yards per game

Players to Watch (Includes IFL Ranking)

Pirates' running back Jimmie Robinson has rushed 29 times (9th) for 142 yards (5th) with six touchdowns (4th) and averages 47.3 yards per game (5th). Robinson is averaging 16 points per game which is fourth in the IFL. As a returner he is tied for first with two touchdowns. With ten attempts (6th), Robinson averages 23.5 yards per kick return (3rd). Robinson leads the IFL with an average of 148.0 all-purpose yards per contest. Teammate Jovon Durante is 6th in the league averaging 109 all-purpose yards per game.

The Steamwheelers have two kick returners in the IFL's top ten. Jarrod Harrington has 14 attempts (1st), 331 yards (1st) and an average of 23.6 (2nd). Harrington is second in the IFL with 135.0 all-purpose yards per game. Teammate Jerron McGraw has run back nine kickoffs for 183 yards (8th) with a touchdown and an average of 20.3 (8th).

E.J. Hilliard Jr. of Quad City has carried 37 times (4th) for 183 yards (3rd) with six touchdowns (4th) and averages 45.8 yards per game (8th). Hilliard is also tenth in total offense with an average of 169.5 yards per game.

Massachusetts quarterback Anthony Russo is 28 of 51, 54.9%, for 293 yards with seven touchdowns (10th) and one interception. Russo averages 146.5 passing yards per game (7th) and has an efficiency rating of 144.5.

Hillard of Quad City has completed 45 passes (3rd) in 75 attempts (3rd), 60.0% (9th) for 495 yards (4th) with 15 touchdowns (2nd) and two interceptions. He averages 123.8 passing yards per game with an efficiency rating of 176.1 (3rd).

Pirates' wide receiver Thomas Owens and Steamwheelers' wideout C.J. Windham each have four touchdown receptions on the season (9th). Owens ranks tenth averaging 13.7 yards per catch. With his next catch, Owens will have 200 regular season receptions in his career.

Pirates' kicker Josh Gable has made three field goals (4th) in five tries (8th) for a percentage of 60 percent (2nd). Gable has made 16 (4th) of 17 (6th) extra points this season. His total of 25 kicking points is fifth in the IFL and his average of 8.3 points per contest is third best in the league.

Chase Allbaugh of the Steamwheelers has also made three field goals in nine attempts (3rd) connecting 33.3 percent of the time (9th). On extra points Allbaugh is 21 (2nd) of 28 (2nd). His total of 30 points is second in the league and his average of 7.5 points per game ranks fifth.

Defensively, Defensive end Brendon White of Massachusetts has 20 tackles (4th) and averages 6.7 stops per game (8th). Defensive back Harlan Miller of the Pirates has defended five passes (9th) and 1.67 per game (9th).

Defensive back Darreon Jackson of Quad City has 18.5 tackles this year (10th). He also has defended six passes (6th). Teammate linebacker Marquis Hendrix is fifth in the league averaging seven tackles per game. DB Kendricks Gladney Jr. had defended seven passes (4th) for an average of 1.75 per game (7th). Jackson and Gladney both have two interceptions, placing them in the league's top ten.

The Coaches:

Mark Stoute is now 2-1 as the Head Coach of the Pirates. Stoute joined the organization in June of 2021 as a senior advisor. He served as Offensive Coordinator last season.

Stoute is the fifth head coach in Pirates history and has 27 years of coaching experience in the indoor game. He had his most success as a head coach from 2012 to 2016 with the Cedar Rapids Titans leading them to four-straight playoff appearances. After an impressive 2013 season, Stoute was named the IFL Coach of the Year.

Cory Ross has been the Head Coach of the Steamwheelers since the franchise returned to Quad City in 2018. During that time, he has helped lead the team to the postseason in the IFL and in Champions Indoor Football. In 2022 Ross guided his team to the IFL's National Championship game. In 2021, when the Steamwheelers entered a state of dormancy due to the pandemic, Coach Ross joined the Bismarck Bucks as the team's Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, helping them to their first IFL postseason berth in franchise history.

From 2015-2017, Ross served as the Head Coach of the Omaha Beef, recording back-to-back 7 and 5 seasons and earning a berth in the 2017 CIF League Championship Game.

Ross played running back and ended his NCAA career at the University of Nebraska ranked fourth in school history with 3,472 total yards. In his final college football game, Nebraska defeated Michigan 32-28 and Ross was named the 2005 Alamo Bowl MVP.

Ross played for the Baltimore Ravens from 2006-2008, recording multiple 100-yard games, including 154 total return yards vs. the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 AFC Divisional Playoff Game.

Ross also played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions from 2009-2011, winning the United Football League Offensive MVP honors in 2010.



Indoor Football League Stories from April 21, 2023


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