Lowell, MA - The Massachusetts Pirates delivered an authentic homecoming experience to the city of Lowell during their inaugural game at the Tsongas Center, cruising past the Jacksonville Sharks with a decisive 26-21 victory, improving their record to 2-0.
 
Quarterback Alejandro Bennifield's impressive display of 141 passing yards and four touchdowns proved decisive in overcoming the Sharks. Jimmie Robinson's contributions of 70 rushing yards and 25 receiving yards further bolstered the team's success.
 
However, the Pirates found themselves trailing early in the game, as the Jacksonville Sharks surged ahead with running back Logan Wright's 22-yard touchdown run. "We have to figure out a way to get a stop," Pirates head coach Rod Miller said.  "We didn't really know what to expect in this game, in particular, because we had no film on them, and they are a new team in the league. But once we figured out what they were doing, we were able to catch a rhythm."
 
Despite the Sharks' attempt to dampen the celebrations, Jimmie Robinson quickly countered. Immediately after, Robinson returned the kickoff 33 yards, positioning the Pirates favorably for their next offensive series. However, despite the promising start, the drive stalled, leading to a turnover on downs for the Pirates.
 
The Sharks embarked on a nearly 5-minute time-consuming drive, only to be halted at the Massachusetts 7-yard line. Opting to go for it on fourth down, the Pirates' defense denied the Sharks, forcing Massachusetts to start their offensive possession deep within their own territory.
 
In the following series, Jimmie Robinson took matters into his own hands by running for 15 yards on two rushing attempts, transforming a faltering offense from what seemed like a likely three-and-out into a fresh set of downs. He spearheaded the Pirates' advancement from the 7-yard line to the 22-yard line. Despite losing yardage due to an offensive pass interference penalty, on 3rd and 18, Alejandro Bennifield launched a 35-yard pass to Isaac Zico, resulting in a game-tying touchdown at 7-7 with 11:50 remaining in the second quarter.
 
"It always feels good to get your first touchdown at home, but it feels even better to get your first win at home," Miller said.
 
The lengthy touchdown energized the defense, prompting Eugene Ford to intercept a pass from Shark's quarterback Conor Blount. Blount, under pressure from Kevin Thurman and on the verge of being sacked, got the throw-off in time only for Ford to make the interception.
 
At this point, the Pirates' offense was firing on all cylinders, placing a special emphasis on rushing the ball, as four of the first five plays of the drive were a run. Despite a 15-yard setback due to a personal foul penalty, pushing the Pirates back from the Sharks' 20 to their own 20-yard line, on 3rd and 20, Bennifield launched another deep pass, this time connecting with Thomas Owens. This pivotal play secured the Pirates' first-ever lead in the Tsongas Center and propelled them ahead 14-7 with 5:34 remaining in the second quarter.
 
"He's an amazing quarterback," Miller said. "He knows how to read defenses. He had some amazing passes, but we also dropped a couple of catches. He did really well tonight. His only mistake was throwing the ball at the end of the half on that interception. But that's what you need in this league: a solid quarterback."
 
On third and 7, the Sharks attempted a deep pass in an effort to equalize the score, but the throw veered wide left, resulting in an interception by Darius Williams.
 
With just over two minutes remaining before halftime, the Pirates had an opportunity to extend their lead over the Sharks. Bennifield launched another long pass to Zico, positioning the Pirates on the Sharks' 17-yard line. However, with only 11 seconds left in the second quarter, the Pirates sent a pass to Teo Redding, only to have the touchdown nullified by an offensive holding penalty.
 
In a final attempt, Bennifield aimed for the endzone, but his pass was intercepted by the Sharks and returned for a touchdown by Sharks defensive back Brion Murray, leveling the score at 14-14 as the clocks hit double zeros just before halftime.
 
The Pirates began the second half with possession and swiftly regained the lead. Following several impressive rushes by Jimmie Robinson, Bennifield delivered another deep pass to Teo Redding, resulting in a 25-yard touchdown. However, Ulric Jones managed to block the extra point attempt, leaving the Pirates with a 6-point lead, 20-14.
 
"The game plan coming in was just to take what they give us; we didn't know what kind of defense they were going to play," Miller said. "But we figured out pretty early that they were trying to take away a lot of stuff short, and they weren't helping out over the top. When that happens, you've got to take a shot over the top and that's exactly what happened."
 
The Pirates had an opportunity to halt the Sharks' progress on the ensuing drive, but Blount evaded pressure on 4th and 5, scrambling for a 14-yard gain and securing a fresh set of downs. However, their momentum was stalled by a false start penalty and a subsequent sack by Calvin Bundage on first and goal, pushing the Sharks back to the Massachusetts 17-yard line.
 
Despite two successful plays, the Sharks faced a critical fourth and goal situation from the Pirate's 2-yard line. As Blount rolled out to the right, he encountered a three-man rush led by Calvin Bundage, with Kevin Thurman and Julius Turner in close pursuit, effectively halting the Shark's drive.
 
"We knew that they were holding onto the ball for a long time with their quarterback, so we just tried to send pressure from the frontside and the backside and tried to catch Blount holding the ball, and that's what we were able to do," Miller said.
 
Subsequently, the Pirates focused on running down the clock and relied on Jimmie Robinson's prowess. Robinson made a 12-yard catch, followed by a nine-yard rush, culminating in a six-yard touchdown reception, marking his first receiving touchdown of the season and extending the Pirates' lead to 26-14.
 
Jacksonville countered with a ten-play, 43-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes and culminated in a 4-yard touchdown by Marquis McClain. This narrowed the Pirates' lead to 5, with the score standing at 26-21.
 
Yet, throughout the night, the Sharks struggled to contain Jimmie Robinson. The Pirates continuously relied on him during their final drive, with Robinson carrying the ball on nearly every play. Robinson amassed 41 rushing yards in that decisive drive alone, advancing the Pirates to the Jacksonville eight-yard line.
 
"He's an all-around player; that's why we like Jimmie," Miller said. "He won the offensive player of the league last year for a reason."
 
With only a minute remaining in the game, the Pirates chose to kneel for the remainder of the match, securing their second victory of the season and prevailing over the Sharks with a score of 26-21.

About the Massachusetts Pirates
The 2021 United Bowl Champions; Massachusetts Pirates are members of the Indoor Football League (IFL) and play their home games at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. For more information on the Massachusetts Pirates please call (508)452-MASS (6277), email contact@masspiratesfootball.com or visit http://www.masspiratesfootball.com. Follow the Pirates on Facebook via Facebook.com/MAPirates, Instagram @mass.pirates, and Twitter @mass_pirates.