IFL Massachusetts Pirates

Tulsa and Massachusetts Ready to Face Off

Published on June 22, 2023 under Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release


The Massachusetts Pirates will look to close out the home portion of their 2023 Indoor Football League schedule with a perfect 7-0 record when they face the Tulsa Oilers at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m CT. At 8-3, the Pirates sport the second-best overall record in the IFL and currently trail the Frisco Fighters in the Eastern Conference by just one game heading into this weekend's action. Massachusetts enters the game on a four-game winning streak. The Oilers are 1-11 and are in last place in the Easter Conference. Tulsa is on a six-game losing streak with two of its last three losses decided by just one point. Six of The Oilers setbacks this season have been by one score or less.

The Last Time: The Pirates enjoyed a bye week after the defense caused four turnovers in a 49-28 victory over the Vegas Knight Hawks. Massachusetts led 23-21 at halftime but outscored Vegas 26 to seven in the second half. Defensive backs Stephen Roberts and Kiante Northing supplied interceptions while Trevon Young and Navaughn Donaldson recovered fumbles. Pirates quarterback Anthony Russo finished the game eight of 15 passing for 132 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

Pirates' rookie running back Jimmie Robinson carried 13 times for 107 yards and five touchdowns. He added one reception for nine yards and returned three kickoffs for 31 yards for 147 yards of total offense on the night. Wideout Darren Carrnington II had three receptions for 74 yards and a score while Isaac Zico added three catches for 31 yards. Defensive back Leon O'Neal Jr. and Roberts each made nine tackles. The defense also added five tackles for a loss with linebacker Terrence Smith and lineman Lorenzo Hernandez adding sacks.

The Oilers are coming off a one-point loss last Saturday night at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK to the Sioux Falls Storm, 35-34. The Oilers trailed 21-20 at halftime and tied the game in the third quarter when running back Dalton James scored on a one-yard run. Xavier Jackson found the end zone for the Storm with 2:19 remaining in the third quarter. Sioux Falls executed a two-point conversion and led 35-27 heading into the final quarter. James notched his second touchdown of the night with 7:23 to play, putting his team down by one, but there would be no scoring the rest of the way.

Oilers quarterback Andre Sale was 17 of 32 passing for 147 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. His top target was Alexis Rosario who had five receptions for 56 yards. Sale was the top rusher for Tulsa with four carries for 14 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive end Jordan Jones recorded 12.5 tackles including .5 tackles for a loss, broke up one pass, recovered a fumble and forced another.

The Last Meeting: 5/27/2023

In the first-ever meeting between the two teams, the Pirates defeated the Tulsa Oilers 54-48 at the BOK Center in Oklahoma. Massachusetts trailed 33-32 in the third quarter but came back as quarterback Anthony Russo threw this third touchdown pass of the game to Isaac Zico to put the Pirates out front with 2:24 left in the third quarter. With the score tied at 40 in the final quarter, Russo connected with Jimmie Robinson with an eight-yard strike for a 46-40 advantage. Defensive back Chris Ingram intercepted a halfback option pass by Jo-El Shaw with 4:18 remaining in the game which set up the Pirates final touchdown drive which culminated with Russo rushing four-yards for a score with 1:03 left on the clock.

Russo finished the night 21 of 27 passing for 235 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Robinson was the game's top rusher with 11 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown. Isaac Zico led all receivers with nine receptions for 111 yards and three touchdowns. Defensive back Harlan Miller led the defense with seven tackles with an interception and a pass broken up.

Tulsa quarterback Vince Espinoza was 20 of 34 for 200 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Running back Jo-El Shaw rushed four times for 36 yards with a touchdown and wide receiver Joshua Crockett caught seven balls for 65 yards with two touchdowns for the Oilers.

Team Stats (Includes IFL Rankings)

The Pirates are third in the IFL averaging 52.6 points per game on offense while the defense has been allowing 48.5 per contest (ninth). The offense has been gaining 253.9 yards per game (fourth) with the passing game contributing 176.0 yards per night (fourth). The Massachusetts offense is the second most efficient in the IFL with a rating of 178.1. The offensive line has allowed just four sacks which is second best in the IFL. The Pirates Special Teams rank second in field goal percentage (.467) connecting on 7 of 15 this season and PAT percentage of .873 ranks third, (55 of 63). Also the Pirates conversion percentage on third down is 52.9 which is third in the league.

The Oilers average 39.1 points per game (13th) on offense while yielding 49.1 on defense (12th). They also average 193.6 yards of total offense per night (13th). Tulsa is just behind the Pirates when it comes to passing yards with an average of 162.3, which is fifth in the IFL. The Oilers Special Teams are solid with a field goal percentage of 36.4 (12 of 33) which is fourth in the league. Their offensive line is fifth in sacks allowed with eight.

Players to Watch (Includes IFL Rankings)

Running back Jimmie Robinson of the Pirates continues to lead the IFL with 700 rushing yards. He has carried 119 times (fifth) and averages 5.9 yards per carry (sixth). His 22 rushing touchdowns are tied for fourth and his average of 70 rushing yards per game is second best in the league.

Robinson is fourth in the IFL in scoring, averaging 17.0 points per game. His total of 28 touchdowns ranks third. Robinson is eighth in kickoff return average with 21.2 yards per return. His three touchdown returns place him second in the league. Robinson is also first in the Indoor Football League averaging 144.2 All-Purpose yards per game.

Joshua Crockett of the Oilers is ninth in the league with an average of 21.1 yards per kickoff return. Teammate Jonathan Nance is currently third in the IFL with an average of 129.3 All-Purpose yards per contest.

Kicker Josh Gable of the Pirates averages 9.6 points per contest which is third best in the league. He is 55 (fourth) of 63 (fourth) on extra-points and 7 (fifth) of 15 (eighth) on field goals for 46.7 percent (fourth).

Jeremy Reynolds of the Oilers is sixth in scoring for kickers with 6.4 points per game. Reynolds has converted 34 (10th) of 49 (seventh) PAT's and 12 (first) of 32 (first) field goals for 37.5 percent (8th).

Massachusetts quarterback Anthony Russo has thrown 38 touchdowns this season which is third in the league. Russo is 144 (fifth) of 228 (fourth) for a percentage of 63.2. His 1,766 passing yards is fourth best in the IFL. Russo averages 176.6 passing yards per outing (sixth) with an efficiency rating of 177.1. He has been intercepted seven times. His 180.2 Total Yards of offense per game is tenth in the league.

Oilers quarterback Andre Sale has played in three games and is 62 of 100 (.62%) for 649 yards with ten touchdowns and four interceptions. He is averaging 216.3 passing yards per game. Sale is currently averaging 221.7 yards of Total Offense per night which is fourth best in the IFL.

Massachusetts wideout Isaac Zico has 61 receptions (third) for 700 yards (fifth) with 14 touchdowns (eighth). He averages 63.6 yards per game (fifth), 11.5 yards per catch and 5.5 receptions per contest (second).

Tulsa's Alexis Rosario has 48 receptions for 529 yards and eight touchdowns this season. Teammate Joshua Crockett leads the team with 14 touchdown receptions.

On Defense, linebacker/defensive end Jordan Jones of Tulsa leads the IFL with 88 total tackles. His average of 8.0 stops per game leads the league. Jones also has recovered four fumbles which is tops in the IFL. Oilers defensive lineman Gibson Ziah has nine tackles for a loss which is eighth best in the IFL. He is also among the league leaders with a pair of forced fumbles.

Defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose of the Pirates has 3.5 sacks this season which ties him for seventh in the league.

The Coaches:

Mark Stoute is now 8-3 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.

Marvin Jones is the Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator of the Tulsa Oilers.

Prior to the Oilers he was the Head Coach of the Omaha Beef of Champions Indoor Football from 2019 through 2022, winning a title in 2021 and making the championship game the next season. In 2017 Jones was the Defensive Coordinator and eventual Interim Head Coach for the Colorado Crush. 2018 saw Jones move to the Cedar Rapids Titans of the IFL as Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.

As a player, Jones was an All-American linebacker at Florida State from 1990-1992. In1992, Jones earned both the Butkus Award, as the nation's top linebacker and the Lombardi Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the character and discipline of Vince Lombardi. He earned Sporting News "College Football Player of the Year" in 1992, and a spot in the Florida State Football Hall of Fame in 2000, Jones was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Following his collegiate career, Jones was selected fourth overall in the 1993 NFL draft by the New York Jets. Jones played 11 seasons for the Jets from 1993-2003, excluding the 1998 season. He appeared in 142 NFL games, compiling more than 1,200 tackles, with over 700 of those being solo.

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