Storm Fall to Billings in UBII

The Storm’s season of redemption came up short Saturday night in Billings, as the Outlaws outlasted them 43-34 at Outlaw SportsPlex for their second consecutive Indoor Football League championship.

The Storm were hoping to redeem themselves after being kept out of the playoffs last year due to league rules violations. They had won 14 consecutive playoff games dating back to the 2004 NIFL title game.

The Storm were able to take a 34-31 lead late in the third quarter, but they wouldn’t score again, as Billings answered with a pair of touchdowns that proved to be the difference, the last and clinching score coming on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Chris Dixon, who had two touchdowns rushing and passing in the game.

The Storm drove down the field late with a chance to pull within one score, but on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Lorenzo Brown was stopped short on a dive play. Billings took over and ran out the clock.

It was the Outlaws’ fourth straight win over the Storm in Billings.

“It was tougher to play in here than in Metro Park,” Storm coach Kurtiss Riggs said, referring to the small, makeshift field that the game was played in due to tornado damage to the Outlaws usual field. “It was really loud. We couldn’t hear and we had some difficulties with that. In the second half, they got the stops when they needed to.”

James Walton had five catches for 72 yards and a score for Billings, while Tim Brown caught eight balls for 47 yards and a score.

For the Storm, Terrance Bryant was 16-for-22 for 139 yards and a touchdown. He was not intercepted. James Terry rushed for 39 yards and two scores and caught five balls for 55 yards and another touchdown. James Jones was held to 20 yards rushing on 12 carries.

“It was a great game,” said Riggs, who thought a face mask penalty should’ve been called when Brown tried to go in on fourth down in the final minute. “We had chances to win, we just came up short. It really hurts to lose to these guys. They deserved to win, we just couldn’t get it done.”