Massachusetts Pirates

2018

At a press conference held in November 2017 Jawad Yatim, Founder, Owner, President, and General Manager of the Massachusetts Pirates announced his organization would begin its initial season in the spring of 2018. On April 7, 2018, the Pirates took the field at the DCU Center in Worcester, and arena football had returned to the city.

After winning its opener against the Maine Mammoths the Pirates hit the road for three straight games. When the team returned to the DCU Center, their record stood at 3-1 and the National Arena League knew it had a force on its hands.

The Pirates would only lose one regular-season home game and earned the top seed in the post-season playoffs with an 11 and 5 record. A late-season injury forced quarterback Sean Brackett to miss the postseason and the Pirates playoff run lasted one game.

Despite missing almost three regular-season games, Brackett was named the league Most Valuable Player. Wide receiver Devonn Brown and offensive lineman Cornelius Lewis earned All-NAL first-team honors while lineman Fred Ruff and Brackett were named to the second team. Defensively, defensive back Kiante Northington, who led the league with 12 interceptions and the Pirates sack leader, defensive end JD Griggs, were All-League first-team honorees while linebacker Nick Haag and DB John Hardy-Tuliau were named to the second team.

Head Coach Ameer Ismail was the NAL Coach of the Year and even the team's mascot, Arthur, was honored as the league's best.
 

2019

In year two, the Pirates got off to a slow 1 and 4 start, but when mid-season arrived, so did the Pirates as they ran off a six-game winning streak. The Pirates made the playoffs for the second consecutive season and lost in the semifinals to Carolina 30-26.

The year was highlighted by the in-season signing of Dexter McCluster, former All-Pro kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs. As the season progressed, so did the accomplishments of several of the players. At season's end, wide receiver Mardy Gilyard had set single-season National Arena League scoring records with 33 touchdowns (29 receiving and four rushing) and 198 points.

Gilyard was named as a First Team All-NAL performer along with defensive end JD Griggs and defensive back Lawrence Austin. Four Pirates earned All-Second Team honors including quarterback Sean Brackett, kicker Mike Weaver, and offensive linemen Thomas Claiborne and Tre Jackson. Wide receiver Thomas Owens was also named the NAL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

As an organization, the Pirates excelled off the field as they were recognized as having the Best Community Relations and Best Media Relations departments in the National Arena League. 
 

2020

The team made a coaching change promoting Patrick Pass to team head coach. The team also overhauled the rest of their coaching staff, hiring arena football greats Reggie Gray and Rayshaun Kizer as offensive and defensive coordinators.

As a result of the canceled season due to COVID-19 pandemic, the front office got to work launching this brand new website and online pro shop widening the gap in terms of online quality with competing teams. The Pirates Cheer Squad also have a new leader with the hiring of Erin Stomski as head coach of the cheer team. Stomski has coached dancers who have gone on to work with the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, NAL and IFL teams.

On August 19, 2020, the Pirates took a big step in their organization's history as owner, founder, president, and general manager Jawad Yatim announced the team's move to the Indoor Football League. The Pirates are the first east coast team in league history. The team also announced the same day that they had signed a three-year extension with the DCU Center to remain in Worcester for the foreseeable future.
 

2021

In 2021 there were many questions that needed to be answered. How would the team fare in a new league where running the football was a big part of the game? Coming from a league that was predicated on throwing the football, the Pirates would need to find a quality running back and assemble an offensive line that could open holes. In turn, the linebacker position would need to stop the run and play more of a role on the defensive side of the ball.

For the third time in three seasons, Massachusetts had a new Head Coach in Patrick Pass. This would be his first time coaching indoor football. The Pirates also had a first-time offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator with just one year of experience.

The Pirates had enjoyed a measure of success in their first two seasons, making the playoffs, but not advancing to a championship game. In order to take that next step, the franchise would have to find quality players, the coaching staff would have to put those players in positions where they could succeed and most importantly, the players needed to make plays.

Two of the three receivers who started the season were no longer with the team, former National Arena League MVP quarterback Sean Brackett had suffered an injury and had been replaced by backup QB Alejandro Bennifield and the team was on its second kicker.

As Bennifield developed, President and General Manager Jawad Yatim continued to bring in receivers who complemented the teams' top wideout Thomas Owens. As the season progressed he made moves to help the defensive front and by the time the playoffs arrived, four different kickers had seen action with the Pirates. Yatim delivered the horses. Now the coaching staff had to ride them.

First year Offensive Coordinator Bones Bagaunte developed an offense that was the third highest scoring unit in the IFL, averaging 43.8 points per game. The offensive line provided protection for Bennifield and made holes for running back Justin Stockton. Stockton was fifth in rushing with 528 yards and ranked fourth with 40.6 yards per game. Bennifield finished second in touchdowns 43 and yards with 1,972. Owens emerged as the only receiver in the IFL with over 1,000 receiving yards (1,014) and was second with 27 touchdown receptions.

Defensive Coordinator Rayshaun Kizer engineered a defense that allowed the fewest points per game in the IFL at 31.6 and five times held opponents under 20 points in a game. Against the run, the Pirates were the best allowing 3.1 yards per carry and were the only team to keep opposing quarterbacks under a 50 percent completion percentage at 48.6.

Special Teams did their part with the best kickoff return average at 18.6 and kicker Josh Gable's 8.1 points per game was number one in the IFL.

Great teams learn overcome adversity and after a .500 start to the season, the Pirates went on an 11 game winning streak to finish with an overall record of 14-3; winning the United Bowl over the Arizona Rattlers in overtime 37-34.

It so happened that the players did make the plays throughout the year. Josh Gable helped the Pirates with back-to-back game winning field goals to defeat Tucson and Frisco. The offense scored 50 or more points in the final five regular season games and during the playoffs, the defense was at its best allowing just 25 points per contest.

Bennifield was named the Most Valuable Player in the United Bowl and nine Pirates received  All-IFL postseason honors. Wide receiver Thomas Owens, center Jordan McCray, defensive lineman Toby Johnson and defensive back Harlan Miller were named First Team All-IFL. Offensive lineman Jared Thomas, defensive lineman JD Griggs, linebacker Martrell Spaight, defensive back Chucky Williams and kick returner Laquvionte Gonzalez were named to the second team. Owens was a unanimous first-team selection and Thomas and Gonzalez were also named to the league's All-Rookie team.

The City of Worcester recognized the Pirates in a City Hall celebration where team founder, co-owner, president and general manager Jawad Yatim received the key to the city. In tribute to the champions, the Pirates banner now hangs at Boston's Logan Airport alongside all of the other title teams from the Bay State. In 2021 the Massachusetts Pirates had all the answers
 

2022

There are countless examples in professional sports where a team wins a championship and the following season they miss the playoffs entirely. Pirates Founder, Co-Owner and General Manager Jawad Yatim was not going to let that happen. Yatim went right to work and by the end of January had re-signed 14 players who were on the Massachusetts 2021 roster as they were looking to defend the United Bowl Crown. 

Yatim also made a coaching change as Patrick Pass, the Head Coach of the 2021 champions, was promoted to Director of Football Development and Rayshaun Kizer, who was the Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator, was elevated to Head Coach. Kizer saw an additional 18 players join the Pirates crew before the home opener. It was a great collection of talent that also gained the attention of the United States Football League and the Canadian Football League.

The season began with a thrilling 30-27 victory over the Frisco Fighters as kicker Josh Gable booted a 33-yard field goal as time expired. Just days after the win, offensive lineman Marquis Lucas, defensive lineman Toby Johnson and wide receiver Teo Redding would be playing in the USFL. They would soon be joined by defensive back Corrion Ballard and defensive lineman Vantrel McMillan.

The CFL had already picked up Pirates wide receiver Jalin Marshall before the start of the season. Before the ink had dried on the press release naming Gable as the IFL's Special Team's Player of the Week, he was in Edmonton with the Elks. Not long after,wideout Johnathon Johnson would be making the move up north to Saskatchewan.

That prompted Yatim to make at least 30 more in-season moves as he assembled a roster that would eventually help the Pirates to a playoff berth in its fourth consecutive season. The journey to the postseason was not easy.

Massachusetts won its first three games and against Bismarck, United Bowl MVP quarterback Alejandro Bennifield earned IFL Offensive Player of the Week honors having a career day with 19 completions for 262 passing yards with six touchdown passes in a 54-43 victory. The following week the Pirates saw their 14-game winning streak dating back to last season come to an end in a 38-31 overtime loss in Green Bay. From that point forward the team battled through injuries and covid related issues and yet never lost back to back games.

In game number nine with the Pirates trailing Sioux Falls 42-36, Bennifield was injured on the team's final drive. Pirates back-up quarterback Mike Glass III came on with 33 seconds remaining and threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Thomas Owens with six seconds to play leading the Pirates to a 43-42 victory.

The following week Glass IIi worked his magic again, this time finding wide receiver Darren Carrington II in the left corner of the end zone with nine seconds to play to lead the Pirates to a 28-25 win over the Bismarck Bucks at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center. With a 7-3 record things were looking good. Then an injury to Glass III left Massachusetts scrambling.

Yatim found a new quarterback in Tasleem Wilson. Wilson would start the next five games for the Pirates which included a June 25 win over the Storm in Sioux Falls that clinched a playoff berth for Massachusetts. In the 69-55 victory Wilson established a Pirates single game record for touchdown responsibility as he passed for seven scores and added two more rushing. For his efforts he was the IFL's Co-Offensive Player of the Week. 

The Pirates finished the regular season with an 11-5 record as Bennifield returned to the lineup in a 60-17 win over San Diego. Massachusetts appeared ready for the playoffs as all three phases of the team put points on the board. Defensive back Aarion Maxey-Penton returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown. It was his 12th in a regular season game which tied a Pirates' record and his seventh of the season earning him IFL Defensive Player of the Week honors. The game also featured two kickoff returns for touchdowns by Jovon Durante of 52 yards and a 48-yarder by Isaac Zico.

The season would come to an end the same way it started with a game going to overtime at Phoenix Field at the DCU Center as The Quad City Steamwheelers defeated the Pirates 39-38 in the first round of the playoffs.

The Pirates saw four players earn All-IFL honors. Wide receiver Thomas Owens was a First-Team Offense selection. Owens finished the regular season leading the IFL with 899 receiving yards. He was second in touchdown receptions with 21 and ranked third with 63 receptions, 14.3 yards per catch and 59.9 receiving yards per game. He was also fifth with 4.2 receptions per game.  Owens finished seventh in scoring averaging 9.3 points per game.

Aarion Maxey-Penton was a member of the All-IFL First Team Defense. The Defensive back led the IFL with seven interceptions during the regular season. He also finished second with 24 passes defended and in passes broken up with 17. 

Defensive lineman Da'Sean Downey only appeared in ten games due to injury but his 30 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks, three passes broken up and a 15-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Green Bay earned him All-IFL Second Team defensive honors.

Offensive lineman Roubbens Joseph was selected to the IFL's Second Team Offense. Joseph's steady play helped the Pirates to average 41.8 points per game as the team ranked fourth averaging 21.7 yards per game and 146.7 passing yards per contest. He was part of an offensive line that allowed just 15 sacks which was tied for third best in the league.
 

2023

The 2023 season marked the fifth year for the Massachusetts Pirates and the first order of business for President and General Manager Jawad Yatim was to name Mark Stoute as Head Coach. Stoute, who joined the team in 2021 as a Senior Advisor, served as the Offensive Coordinator in 2022.

The Pirates opened what would be their final season in Worcester with a 55-41 victory over the Green Bay Blizzard at the DCU Center. In that game quarterback Alejandro Bennifield suffered an injury and from that point forward the tone for the season was set. It seemed that the franchise would search all year long for players who could step in and keep the organization's streak of making the playoffs in every season alive. Yatim and his staff were able to do just that.

The Pirates would go on to post a perfect 7-0 home record. Those wins included victories over playoff teams including Quad City, the Eastern Conference Champion Frisco Fighters and the IFL Champion Bay Area Panthers. The team finished with a 9-6 regular season record which placed them third in the Eastern Conference. The playoff run ended with a three-point loss on the road to the Sioux Falls Storm.

At the end of the season several players earned All-IFL honors. Running back Jimmie Robinson was selected as the IFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He was also a First-Team Offensive selection, an All-Second Team kick returner and a member of the league's All-Rookie Team. Including playoff totals, Robinson led the IFL with 959 rushing yards, was third with 35 total touchdowns and led the league with 2,019 all-purpose yards averaging 134.6 yards per game.

Jimmie Robinson set Pirates single-game records with six touchdowns and 36 points vs. the Iowa Barnstormers on April 28 as well as 163 yards rushing and a 45 yard run.

Robinson established 14 single-season records and set the Pirates all-time regular season marks with 915 net yards rushing, 65.3 rushing yards per game, 138 all-purpose yards per contest and 14.8 points per game.

Joining Robinson on the IFL's All-Rookie Team were quarterback Anthony Russo, center Hunter Kelly and offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson. Russo tied a Pirates record with eight passing touchdowns against the Frisco Fighters on June 3. In that same game he also set Massachusetts records with passing yards per attempt with 12.5 and yards per completion with 16.75. In that same game kicker Josh Gable set team records with 16 points kicking including five rogue kickoffs that produced ten points. Gable is now the Pirates all-time leader with 26 field goals, 113 PAT's and 207 points kicking.

Also named to the IFL All-First Team Offense were wide receiver Isaac Zico and offensive lineman Wilson Bell.

Zico played in all 15 regular season games and led the IFL with 83 receptions. He was second in the league with 959 receiving yards and second with 23 touchdown receptions. Zico averaged 5.5 catches per game (2nd), and 63.9 yards per game (3rd) along with 11.5 yards per reception. Zico set a team record for receptions in a game with 14 at Iowa against the Barnstormers on May 13.

With Bell, Kelly and Donaldson on the offensive line, the Pirates were fourth in scoring (49.5 points per game), third in total yards (250.1 per game) and fourth in passing yards with 173.5 yards per contest.

Defensively, linebacker Brendon White set a Pirates single-game record for most tackles in a game with 13 vs. the Bay Area Panthers on April 2. White also averaged 9.8 tackles per game which set a single-season mark.
 

2024

The Pirates made a significant change for their 2024 season, moving their base of operations to the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. The previous year’s Head Coach Mark Stoute took on a new role as Assistant Director of Football Operations, making room for new head coach Rod Miller.

The 2024 season started off in full force with a game winning touchdown against the Green Bay Blizzard to win 44-40. Isaac Zico caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Alejandro Bennifield with 15 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. This game was the first cog in a four-game winning streak to begin the season en route to a 10-9 record.

To end the regular season, three Massachusetts Pirates players made All-IFL teams alongside two All-Rookie team entries. Jimmie Robinson led the charge with All-IFL First Team honors, leading the league in rushing yards (1,148) and attempts (248) while placing fourth in rushing touchdowns (32) and third in total touchdowns (37).

Offensive Lineman Johari Branch was named to the All-IFL Second Team and IFL All-Rookie Team while fronting the line for Robinson’s successful season. His rookie counterpart, Defensive Lineman Guy Thomas, also found himself on the IFL All-Rookie team racking up 5.5 sacks and 17.5 TFLs.

Despite ranking third in the Eastern Conference with an 8-8 regular season record, the Massachusetts Pirates made a historic playoff run. In the first round the, Pirates matched up against the Eastern Conference second seed Friso Fighters (13-3). Down 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Pirates would outscore the Fighters 17-0 in order to win with a final score of 53-50. The win was fueled by two Thomas Owens receiving touchdowns followed by two straight rouges by Henry Nell.

The Eastern Conference Championship was played against the Green Bay Blizzard, who ranked first in the conference with a 13-3 record. The Pirates were not put in a deficit for the entirety of the game, and held the lead for the entirety of the last three quarters of the game. This blowout victory brought them to their first IFL Championship appearance since winning it in 2021. Despite their best efforts, they fell to the Arizona Rattlers in the final game.

At the end of the season, the Pirates ranked 6th in the league in touchdowns scored (108) and 3rd in points allowed per game (40.4). Quarterback Bennifield ranked 6th in the league in passing yards (2183) and touchdowns (43) while completing 63.4% of his passes. The receiving room saw widespread success, led by Teo Redding and Thomas Owens. Redding led the team in yards (729) while Owens led the team in scores (20). 

Kicker Henry Nell broke an IFL record of dropkicks in a season (four in the regular season and two in the playoffs). Jimmie Robinson broke two Pirates playoff records with rushing attempts (20) and yards (108) while tying the record for rushing touchdowns (2). All of these were against the Green Bay Blizzard on August 2nd 2024. Alejandro Bennifield threw five touchdowns against Frisco to break the Pirate’s playoff passing touchdown record.