OVERTIME THRILLERS FROM EAST TO WEST HIGHLIGHT IFL WEEK 13
The June schedule of the Indoor Football League began with an intense Week 13. This week changed the playoff race in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. With only two months left in the regular season, there is no room for mistakes. The fight for postseason positions is closer than ever. This weekend showed that no lead is secure and no opponent can be ignored. There was a mix of strong defense and two exciting high-scoring overtime games. Each possession had great importance as top teams worked hard to maintain their chances, while rising teams shook up the playoff standings. This sets the stage for a thrilling two-month rush to the finish.
Iowa Barnstormers (1-9) at Orlando Pirates (6-4)
Orlando Pirates 50, Iowa Barnstormers 7
The Orlando Pirates aimed to defend their home field and get back on track against a struggling Iowa Barnstormers team at the Kia Center. With the league's top passing offense, Orlando needed a clear victory and achieved that by dominating every part of the game from the opening kickoff.
By halftime, Orlando had a 33-7 lead and kept Iowa completely scoreless in the second half, breaking their losing streak. Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent had a perfect game for the Pirates, completing all 8 of his passes for 84 yards and 3 touchdowns, plus a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
DeLaurent effectively spread the ball among his receivers, connecting with Teo Redding for a 23-yard touchdown, Pooka Williams Jr. for 90 yards on nine receptions, and Thomas Owens for a touchdown. Quarterback James Blackman also played, completing 6 of 8 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, the Pirates were aggressive by forcing three interceptions, one by defensive back DJ Daniel, along with interceptions by Leon O'Neal Jr. and Corrion Ballard.
The Barnstormers struggled to find their offensive rhythm against Orlando's secondary. Quarterback Dante Aviles-Santos completed 7 of 18 passes for 66 yards but was pressured into throwing 3 interceptions. Running back David Elder provided Iowa's only touchdown, gaining 63 yards on 17 carries.
On the defensive side, Trenton McGhee led the team with six total tackles. Jon Adams Jr had five tackles, while Jahkari Larmond and Steven Thomas combined for two sacks but Iowa's defense could not contain Orlando's effective passing attack.
With the win, Orlando strengthens its postseason chances while ending its recent rough patch. In contrast, Iowa falls further in the standings, searching for solutions as Week 14 approaches. The Pirates' strong performance shows they remain a serious threat in the East as summer heats up.
Tulsa Oilers (5-5) at Fishers Freight (5-6)
Tulsa Oilers 45, Fishers Freight 44 (OT)
Coming into this matchup Fishers Freight were trying to snap a four-game losing streak, while the Tulsa Oilers were looking to return to .500. These two goals collided in a match that lived up to all of its pregame hype and didn't see a winner until overtime.
Tulsa scored first in the opening quarter with a deuce from Axel Perez, followed by a 12-yard touchdown pass from TJ Edwards II to Mike Carrigan.
Fishers relied heavily on its running game, which averaged a league-best 139.6 rushing yards per game. Running back Dominic Roberto led the Freight with 99 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, while quarterback Felix Harper scored twice on the ground and added 37 rushing yards, pushing Fishers ahead 35-29 in the fourth quarter.
The Freight defense secured the lead for much of the first half, anchored by Donald Lewis Jr., who recorded 8 total tackles. Darius Long contributed with two tackles and a sack, maintaining pressure on the Oilers' backfield. Defensive backs Jaiden Roe and Jacory Benjamin each came up with interceptions.
With 35 seconds left in regulation, Tulsa running back Caleb Ramseur finished a late drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.
This push was supported by the Oilers' defensive front, led by linebacker Tre Harvey, who had eight total tackles and an interception, slowing the Freight's interior run game late in the second half. Tenilyas Tatum also stepped up for Tulsa, making nine tackles.
After Ramseur's score, Edwards completed a two-point conversion pass to take a 37-35 lead. Fishers kicker Calum Sutherland responded by making a vital two-point kick on the next kickoff to tie the game at 37, forcing overtime.
In the extra period, Roberto scored on a 6-yard run, putting Fishers up by seven. Tulsa quickly answered with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Edwards to Carrigan. Instead of settling for a second overtime, the Oilers went for the win, and Carrigan successfully completed a walk-off two-point conversion run.
The heartbreaking overtime loss extends Fishers' losing streak to five games, leaving them searching for answers late in the season. Meanwhile, Tulsa celebrates a monumental road victory that resuscitates their postseason positioning.
San Antonio Gunslingers (3-7) at Jacksonville Sharks (9-1)
Jacksonville Sharks 54, San Antonio Gunslingers 20
The Jacksonville Sharks faced the San Antonio Gunslingers at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, eager to continue their winning streak. San Antonio aimed for an upset to salvage their season, creating a tense matchup.
However, Jacksonville's defense made sure the home crowd left pleased. San Antonio briefly led 12-6 in the first quarter, thanks to two short touchdown runs by quarterback Fred Payton Jr.
Jacksonville seized control in the second quarter when defensive back Rudy Silvera intercepted Payton and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. Silvera has brought a jolt to an already strong Jacksonville defense, grabbing an interception in his first two games with the Sharks. Linebacker Isaiah Major, who leads the league in total tackles, anchored the Sharks' defense with 10 tackles and a half-sack. Chris Rice contributed with 8 tackles and a sack. The Jacksonville defense recorded 3 interceptions, forced a fumble, and secured a safety in the fourth quarter, holding the Gunslingers to -12 net rushing yards.
Sharks quarterback James Cahoon directed the offense, throwing two touchdown passes to Jaedon Stoshak, who had 21 receiving yards. Cahoon also added a 1-yard touchdown run. Running back Jimmie Robinson Jr. carried the ball 15 times for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Redd Douglas added 36 receiving yards and a score.
San Antonio's Fred Payton Jr. completed 18 of 26 passes for 146 yards alongside two rushing touchdowns, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Rose, but he also threw 3 interceptions. Glen Gibbons led all receivers with 8 catches for 72 yards.
Defensively for the Gunslingers, Larry Brooks III was all over the place, providing six tackles and a forced fumble. Ravarius Rivers and Xavier Toliver also had strong outings with five tackles each.
A strong 24-point explosion in the fourth quarter allowed Jacksonville to turn a close game into a comfortable blowout. The Sharks extended their winning streak to eight games and moved up to first in the Eastern Conference. San Antonio's failure to establish a running game ended any hopes of a road upset.
Green Bay Blizzard (9-2) at Quad City Steamwheelers (4-7)
Quad City Steamwheelers 43, Green Bay Blizzard 37
On paper, it looked like an extremely one-sided affair with the conference-leading Green Bay Blizzard visiting the Quad City Steamwheelers at Vibrant Arena. The issue is, indoor football cannot be defined on paper, and Quad City showed up to pull off what may have been the biggest upset of the season so far.
The line of scrimmage was where the game was won by Quad City, who had 130 net yards on the ground against the Blizzard defense. Quarterback Daquan Neal stuck to the game plan, rushing for 72 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. Neal also completed 12 of 16 passes for 103 yards and a 9-yard score to Quian Williams.
Running back Jarrod Ware had a solid game running all over the Blizzard second-level, running for 54 yards and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries, and Jazeric Peterson tacked on a 2-yard run into the end zone.
Defensive lineman KeShaun Moore had another great game, leading Quad City with seven tackles, including two sacks and three TFL's.
Steven Adair pulled in a fourth-quarter interception to turn the ball over on downs in the fourth quarter to kill a comeback attempt.
Special teams and red-zone numbers are how Green Bay stayed in the game, as Andrew Mevis was good on two field goals and two deuces.
Quarterback Liam Thompson opened the scoring with a 10‑yard touchdown pass to Trevon Alexander before giving way to backup quarterback Cole Stenstrom. Alexander later hauled in a 10‑yard touchdown from Stenstrom and added a 1‑yard rushing score. Draysean Hudson led all Blizzard receivers with 63 yards on four catches.
Defensively for the Blizzard Franky West Jr. And Brian Horn each ended the night with double digit tackles.
The Quad City Steamwheelers relied on controlling the line of scrimmage and a critical turnover on the Blizzard final possession, which derailed the conference leaders. The statement win gives the Steamwheelers a big boost of confidence in playing spoiler for the remainder of the season, while the Green Bay Blizzard will have to fine tune some areas of their game after this road trip.
New Mexico Chupacabras (1-9) at Tucson Sugar Skulls (4-6)
Tucson Sugar Skulls 48, New Mexico Chupacabras 22
The Tucson Sugar Skulls kept the momentum flowing as they faced a struggling New Mexico Chupacabras at Tucson Arena. Against a one-win team, Tucson had the chance to showcase their explosive offense, and they capitalized at full force, scoring on a multitude of fronts.
Quarterback Ja'Rome Johnson carved up sweet revenge against the New Mexico secondary, completing 167 yards and three touchdowns through the air along with rushing for sixty four yards and a score on the ground.
Tucson continued on with their league leading special teams as Aaron Jackson ran a kickoff back for a 43 yard touchdown. The defense was also a force for Tucson, with Malik Sonnier tallying six tackles on the back end. Aaron Jackson led the way with seven tackles while Rafiq Abdul-Wahid returned a fumble 14 yards for a touchdown to go along with his two solo tackles.
The air attack was present for the Chupacabras, with quarterback Donovan Porterie throwing for 145 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground though, New Mexico could not move, finishing the night with only six rushing yards.
The defense tried to battle for as long as it could, linebacker Cam Bright made his presence felt with six solo tackles to lead the unit, Wesley Bowers recorded three tackles in an attempt to stall the Sugar Skulls offense.
The 26-point margin is enough for Tucson to stay in the thick of the chase for a postseason spot, showing they have explosive special teams play, while still having one of the most dangerous offenses in the league. The inability for New Mexico to generate any ground game doomed them on the road, and the Chupacabras will need to recover quickly in this recent losing skid.
Vegas Knight Hawks (9-1) at NAZ Wranglers (1-9)
Vegas Knight Hawks 71, Northern Arizona Wranglers 70 (OT)
A surprising shootout and highest scoring contest of the IFL season closed out the week between IFL Cup champion Knight Hawks and the Wranglers. With the championship roster rolling into town and one of the most explosive lineups in the league, Northern Arizona attempted to take down the Vegas Knights in a massive upset at home. What followed would turn into an offensive war that would be decided in overtime.
Vegas Quarterback Jayden DeLaura lit up the skies, he completed 20 of 23 passes for 296 yard performance with 6 touchdown passes. Josh Tomas rushed for 3 touchdowns for the Vegas offense.
The Vegas defense was able to hold off a shocking offensive barrage from Northern Arizona. Maurice Jackson was a presence in the passing game recording 6 tackles and a sack while Bryce Hampton was a huge contributor as he was able to record six tackles to keep the Vegas Knights in the game.
The Wranglers were able to hold pace with the top passing offense in the league, quarterback Anthony Garrett accounted for 8 touchdowns for Northern Arizona, and the Wranglers defense had a tough task against DeLaura. Their leading tackler Maurice Jackson had six tackles and a sack, while Bryce Hampton contributed six tackles to help the Wranglers defense contain the Vegas offense.
At the conclusion of regulation, both offenses headed into overtime tied 64-64. Vegas scored with a short touchdown run by Josh Tomas.
Northern Arizona was able to tie up the score, but on a walk off two point try a huge pass breakup by the Vegas secondary sent the Knight Hawks home returning back to Sin City with a one point victory. The Vegas Knights Hawks escaped with their 9th win of the season.
Week 13 proved that no lead is safe and any team can be defeated. With many of the contenders successfully following the keys to playoff contention the losses some teams suffered remind you even the best team in this league has its flaws. Coupled with two overtime games with exorbitant amounts of points scored on both ends, it paints a picture of how many of these high caliber teams are extremely close to one another. With two months left of regular season football, the hierarchy of this conference could look completely different in a short amount of time. In the end these matchups will prove which of these franchises have the deepest rosters and can come through in clutch situations once the postseason arrives.