IFL Indoor Football League

Teams Vie For Potential Playoff Spots

May 24, 2010 - Indoor Football League (IFL) News Release


Week Thirteen continued the hunt for the playoffs. Several teams immerged closer for potential postseason appearances. Ten tight contests played out in Week Thirteen. Richmond earned another victory as their route for home field in the playoffs is all but clinched. Corpus Christi and Austin battled it out on a national platform in Week Thirteen's IFL Game of the Week.

Friday night was prime to open Week Thirteen's IFL action. For the third time this season, the La Crosse Spartans would lose a game by a deficit less than ten. The Bloomington Extreme (6-5) defeated the Spartans (1-9) by a close score of 40-37. This would be the Spartans first home game since April 30th. The tone for the game began on La Crosse's first offensive series. Bloomington defensive back James Temple recovered a fumble by Spartan's wide receiver Aaron Straiten on the Bloomington one yard line. Temple would continue disrupting the La Crosse offense by picking off Spartans Quarterback Buddy Rivera on La Crosse's very next possession. This was not to say that the Spartans did not keep a close contest. Bloomington only led 10-7 heading into half time after Extreme Kicker Pete Christofilakos drilled a field goal. The Spartans had their chances in the game, and with time winding down in the fourth quarter, Spartans Kicker Jared Keating had the opportunity to tie the game. Keating missed his chance, pulling a 32-yard field goal wide right as the game clock expired.

Central Division rivals, the Omaha Beef (6-4) and Sioux City (4-6) Bandits battled it out on the gridiron on Saturday. The game started out with an early Omaha advantage. The Beef were able to score 16 unanswered points to open the game. The second half of the game did not fare much better for the Bandits. Omaha's lucky number seemed to be four. They forced four Sioux City turnovers in the second half and secured their fourth straight victory. A Bandits win would have kept things in the Central North a bit closer as both teams would have been sitting at 5-5. However, the 67-48 win keeps the Beef hot in the Central West. The Beef will move onto Central West rivals, the Sioux Falls Storm for Week Fourteen. Sioux City will travel to Colorado to take on the Ice.

The Wichita Wild (8-3) returned home for the first time in a month to host the San Angelo Stampede Express (7-4). The first quarter did not start the homecoming off well for the Wild. Quarterback Dixie Wooten fumbled the ball and was intercepted twice. This led to an early 14-0 lead for the Express. However, it would be late game heroics that would take the Wild to a 42-35 victory. Kick returner Randy Kelly was able to set up the game winning touchdown with a big kick return late in the game. Darius Fudge, who had been contained for the vast majority of the game, found the end zone with a minute and a half left in play. San Angelo kept things close to end the game, stalling on the Wild's 15 yard line. The Stampede Express Quarterback Dustin Almond had five touchdown passes for the game, over threw his receivers in the end zone to end the game. Both teams will have a BYE week in Week Fourteen.

The West Texas Roughnecks (4-7) played their final road game of the season against the Abilene Ruff Riders (2-9) on Saturday. The Ruff Riders were able to get on the board early against their Lonestar West rivals. Quarterback Robert Kent would scramble for a 25 yard touchdown run. Kent would again score later in the second quarter on a short one yard run which brought the Abilene lead to 14-6 at that point in the game. However, West Texas quarterback Tommy Jones would be locked in during the contest to keep West Texas in the ball game. Jones completed 21 of 34 passes on the day for 235 yards and five touchdowns. Jones had three touchdown strikes to receiver Steve Bergeski in the second half that put the Ruff Riders down for the eventual 54-51 West Texas victory. Bergeski had six receptions for 93 yards and three touchdowns. West Texas will return home in Week Fourteen to square off with the Corpus Christi Hammerheads. Abilene will stay within the Lonestar West at home next week to try and upset the Lonestar West champion Amarillo Venom.

Maryland would once again be in search of their first victory of the season as the Maniacs (0-10) traveled to take on the West Michigan ThunderHakws (5-5) in an Atlantic East match up. Despite throwing 5 touchdown passes and 187 passing yards, Maniacs QB Brian Harris could not bring his team a victory as Maryland fell to the ThunderHawks 59-33. While Harris was picked off twice in the game. West Michigan's Quarterback Brad Iciek fared a bit better, Iciek did not throw an interception on the day and completed 17 of his 30 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. His favorite target, receiver Nathan Fricke, had 80 yards and two touchdowns on six receptions. Maryland receiver Roderick Bryant also had an impressive day going for 127 yards and three touchdowns on five receptions. Maryland will try again for win one next week against another Atlantic East opponent, the Rochester Raiders. West Michigan will travel to Chicago to take on the Slaughter.

There have been many upsets this season in the IFL, perhaps none bigger than the first ever victory for the Fairbanks Grizzlies (6-4) against the Billings Outlaws (8-2).The Grizzlies would come out of the gates firing on the arm of Quarterback Justin Rummell. Rummell completed 18 of his 34 attempts for 161 yards and six touchdowns. The game was a back and forth affair that left many in awe in the final sequences. Billings had just broken a 47-47 tie on a run from running back Tim Brown from a touchdown. The extra point following would bring the contest to 54-47 in favor of Billings. The ensuing kickoff was met with a penalty by Billings after the return that put the Grizzlies on the Billings twenty three. After yet another penalty, Fairbanks would find themselves on the Billings eleven yard line with six seconds on the clock. The next play would make things look fairly bleak for Fairbanks as a Rummell pass found an Outlaw defender. Another penalty would give the Grizzlies one last hope. With a touchdown and two point conversion later, the Grizzlies would find themselves winning the game 55-54. Fairbanks will look to keep their momentum rolling as they travel next week to Tri-Cities against the Fever. Billings will not be able to dwell on this upset for too long, as they continue their road trip in Week Fourteen against Kent.

The Rochester Raiders (7-4) travelled to Richmond in Week Thirteen to take on the Atlantic East leading Richmond Revolution (10-1). Rochester had been the only team to defeat Richmond this season and attempted to repeat history. Rochester kept things close as the game dwindled down in the fourth quarter. There was Ninety seconds left in the game. Richmond was fourth and goal on the four yard line. A field goal would have only given them a six point lead, and a possible chance for Rochester to win on a touchdown. Revolution quarterback Bryan Randall wouldn't give Rochester that chance. He hooked up with Rodney Landers for a touchdown and a 57-48 victory over Atlantic East rivals, Rochester. The win would avenge the week six lost to the Raiders and push Richmond to their seventh straight victory. Randall would end up with five touchdown passes and 171 yards for the game. Richmond will play host to Green Bay in Week Fourteen while Rochester returns home to take on Maryland.

The Amarillo Venom (9-1) outlasted the Arkansas Diamonds (8-3) in the anticipated Week Thirteen game. Arkansas came into the game with the top defense in the league. However it would be the Venom defense on showcase during the game, holding the Diamonds to 111 total yards. Amarillo would break through on the Diamonds for 257 yards. The Venom struggled to score during parts of the defensive slugfest. However, they pulled out two scores during the fourth quarter. Amarillo's defense shined through against the Diamonds as defensive lineman Brandon Jenkins had three sacks and defensive back Kevin Patterson accounted for five tackles. Arkansas will continue their road trip in Week Fourteen heading to Austin to take on the Turfcats. The Venom will also head out on the road against Lonestar West rivals, the Abilene Ruff Riders.

Lightning typically does not strike twice. However, it did Saturday in Chicago. In the second of their three games for the 2010 season, the Chicago Slaughter (5-5) have defeated the Green Bay Blizzard (7-3). Chicago Kicker Chris Nendick set an IFL record by launching a 60 yard field goal through the uprights during Chicago's 50-47 over Central North leaders, the Green Bay Blizzard. With twenty seconds left in the fourth quarter, Blizzard Quarterback Jake Phillips had a chance to secure the game for Green Bay. He was pressured by the Slaughter defense and fumbled the ball. Chicago LB Lenny Radtke recovered, and sealed Chicago's victory. Slaughter running back Jarrett Payton led the Slaughter offense by scoring three times, twice via the run and once with a reception. Green Bay will attempt to rebound in Week Fourteen when they travel to Richmond to face the Revolution. Chicago will also see action from an Atlantic East opponent as they host West Michigan.

The IFL Game of the Week was Sunday's nationally broadcasted ballgame that saw the Austin Turfcats (2-8) take on the Hammerheads (5-5) in Corpus Christi. The Hammerheads were searching for their fourth straight home victory. They not only secured the home victory, their third straight overall victory, but also swept the season series against Austin in a 27-17 victory. Austin was unable to get their offense flowing under the direction of backup QB Cedrick Welch. Welch is listed on the Austin roster as a linebacker, who was just filling in for Derron Ellis who was injured. The victory keeps Corpus Christi's playoff hopes alive as it moves them to 1.5 games behind the second place San Angelo Stampede Express in the Lonestar East. Austin will host Arkansas in Week Fourteen as Corpus Christi travels to West Texas.

Week Thirteen Vidswap.com IFL Players of the Week will be announced on Wednesday. The IFL season will continue with Week Fourteen on May 28th when the West Michigan ThunderHawks faceoff against the Slaughter in Chicago.

The Indoor Football League was created in 2008 from a merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football Association. It consists of 25 teams located across the United States from Alaska to Washington D.C. For more information about all things IFL log on to www.GoIFL.com



Indoor Football League Stories from May 24, 2010


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