Lowell, MA – After a disappointing 38-32 overtime defeat against the Quad City Steamwheelers, the Sioux Falls Storm aimed to secure their first victory of the season. However, the Pirates had alternate plans in mind as Massachusetts entered Week Three with an unblemished 2-0 record, securing consecutive wins over the Green Bay Blizzard and the Jacksonville Sharks. Quarterback
Alejandro Bennifield has begun the season impressively, amassing a total of 252 passing yards and seven touchdowns, alongside three rushing touchdowns in the past two weeks.
Bennifield's red-hot start to the season persisted against Sioux Falls (0-2), with him amassing 173 passing yards and tossing five touchdowns, guiding the Massachusetts Pirates (3-0) to their third win of the season with an eight-point triumph over the Sioux Falls Storm 49-41.
"When
Alejandro Bennifield has an
Alejandro Bennifield game, no defense in this league is able to stop us," offensive coordinator Bones Bagaunte said. "When he hits his check downs, throws the ball away, runs when he needs to, and when he has those types of games, it makes it easy to coach. We are trying to get him in the MVP running. He's my guy, and I have total faith in him."
The Pirates quickly took the lead by marching downfield, focusing solely on
Thomas Owens and
Jimmie Robinson to generate plays. Their drive culminated in Robinson finding an open lane for a 7-yard touchdown, giving the Pirates a 7-0 advantage with 8:48 left in the first quarter.
"Jimmie made me want to run a lot of times tonight," Bagaunte said. "We struggled up front a little bit, but he made the right decisions. If it were there, he'd cut back upfield; he's a great running back. Jimmie is the real deal."
The Storm countered with a three-play series covering 42 yards. During this drive, Storm receiver Carlos Thompson made a 39-yard catch and run, advancing Sioux Falls into the red zone. Moments later, quarterback Billy Hall carried the ball into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown, knotting the game at 7 points each.
"It was blown coverage, and you just can't have that," head coach Rod Miller said. "We had some check calls, but the guys didn't get their check, and unfortunately, that's what happened. We had to tighten that up; a couple of times in that game, we gave up some big plays that shouldn't have happened."
The Pirates retaliated with a kickoff return touchdown courtesy of
Dallas Daniels, yet it was nullified due to offensive holding. Subsequently, a wild snap by the Pirates sailed past quarterback
Alejandro Bennifield, leading to a loss of yards as he was tackled. This turn of events granted the Storm a safety and propelled them to their first lead of the night, 9-7.
"As an offensive guy, of course, we don't want it to be a back-and-forth game, but if it has to be that way, then I'd rather it be on us than the defense," Bagaunte said. "The defense came up clutch and got some stops when they needed to, but we also put some points up when we needed to. Today was an all-out effort from our offense, defense, and special teams. We got that one kickoff return touchdown called back, but when we click on all cylinders, I think we will be extremely dangerous."
The Storm took possession but failed to convert, experiencing a four-and-out situation where
Calvin Bundage made two tackles, with
Kevin Thurman also contributing. This defensive effort led to a turnover on downs for the Storm.
Capitalizing on the turnover on downs, the Pirates orchestrated a drive down the field, culminating in a 33-yard pass to
Thomas Owens, who mossed his defender in the end zone. This score propelled the Pirates back into the lead at 14-9 with one minute left in the first quarter.
"I've seen a lot of catches in my day, and that's in the top ten for best catches I've ever seen in arena football," Bagaunte said. "That was an amazing catch."
Just as the first quarter was winding down, Hall launched a 39-yard pass to wide receiver Kentrez Bell for a touchdown, propelling Sioux Falls to a 16-14 lead as the quarter concluded.
"After that, we were trying to make them keep the ball underneath because the more plays you have to run, the more likely it is for us to get a turnover," Miller said. "So we just couldn't let them keep getting one-hitter quitters, as we like to call them."
The Pirates started the quarter with a pass to
Teo Redding downfield, drawing a defensive pass interference call. They then progressed steadily down the field, reaching a fourth-and-goal scenario where they benefited from another penalty, this time a neutral zone infraction.
Seizing the opportunity, the Pirates capitalized on the renewed set of downs as Robinson evaded two defenders and scored his second rushing touchdown of the evening, reclaiming the lead at 20-16 with 9:30 left in the second quarter.
The Storm advanced down the field and ultimately reached the end zone on a rushing touchdown by Billy Hall, giving them a 23-20 lead with 3:24 left in the second quarter.
With time winding down, the Pirates looked to Robinson again on a drive that culminated in his seven-yard touchdown reception. Subsequently, they attempted a 2-point conversion, in which Robinson scooped the ball off the legs of Sioux Falls defender Amin Black before diving into the end zone. This play propelled the Pirates to a 28-23 lead as they headed into halftime.
"I can't take credit for any of that, including the TO catch or Jimmie's amazing feat of awareness," Bagaunte said. "That is what being all in looks like, being around the ball and making good things happen."
On the first drive of the second half, the Storm steadily drove downfield but eventually were met with a brick wall of defense.
Eugene Ford broke up a pass, and
Kevin Thurman put pressure on the quarterback to force a long fourth-down field goal attempt, which Storm kicker Dean Sarris missed wide left.
On the very next play,
Isaac Zico caught his fourth touchdown of the season on a 45-yard throw, which put the Pirates up 34-23 with 9:28 in the third quarter. The Storm quickly responded as Hall threw a cross-body pass to Xavier Jackson for a touchdown. Sioux Falls tried clawing its way back into the game, now trailing 34-29.
"Our jacket linebacker was supposed to take their running back man to man but tried to jump in a crossing route instead, which left the running back wide open for that touchdown," Miller said. "That's one thing we must clean up to understand the communication."
However, the Pirates were determined not to allow the Storm to stage a comeback easily. Bennifield launched a deep pass to
Teo Redding, resulting in a 30-yard touchdown connection. Following that, they attempted a 2-point conversion, with
Thomas Owens making the catch on a slant route across the middle of the field. With this successful play, Massachusetts extended its lead to 42-29.
In the first possession of the fourth quarter, the Storm marched downfield, and Xavier Jackson secured a wide-open touchdown catch, reducing the Pirates' lead to 42-35.
The Pirates fumbled on their next drive, which Amin Black recovered. On the ensuing Storm drive, the Pirates forced a fourth-and-six, and on it, three Pirate defensive linemen swarmed Billy Hall. Hall was still able to get rid of the ball, but
Matt Elam made a huge play, breaking up a pass, resulting in a turnover on downs for Sioux Falls.
"We said we had to come out and make plays, and that drive was crucial," Miller said. "That was our focus point, to come out and get a stop so that the offense could increase our lead, and we were able to do exactly that."
Buoyed by the momentum from the significant defensive stop, Massachusetts embarked on a deliberate drive downfield, aiming to consume as much clock as possible. Following a nearly five-minute drive,
Thomas Owens secured an 11-yard touchdown pass, extending the Pirates' lead to two scores at 49-35.
Sioux Falls countered with a 24-yard kickoff return, and shortly after, Hall notched his third rushing touchdown of the game, narrowing the deficit to 49-41.
Following a stagnant drive where Massachusetts struggled to gain traction, the Pirates now leaned on their defense to secure the victory with just a minute left in the game. Sioux Falls found themselves in excellent field position at the Pirates' 15-yard line. Hall aimed for the endzone narrowly avoiding an interception as
Eugene Ford managed to break up the pass. With only 17 seconds remaining, Hall attempted another pass for a touchdown, but once more, it was nearly intercepted by
Eugene Ford.
The pair of pass breakups led to a turnover on downs, allowing the Pirates to kneel for the remainder of the game. In an electrifying offensive contest, the Pirates secured a 49-41 victory over the Sioux Falls Storm. With this win, the Pirates advance to a 3-0 record, while the Storm remain winless at 0-2 to start the season.
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.
