The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football team hits the road over the 4^th of July weekend with a Saturday night showdown with the 1^st place Frisco Fighters. It will be the second meeting of the season for the two Eastern Conference opponents. The Fighters snuck away with a 54-51 road win in Sioux Falls back on June 10^th after kicker Bryce Crawford nailed a 21-yard field goal as time expired.

HOW ITS GOING SO FAR

• The Storm currently sit in 4^th place in the Indoor Football League's Eastern Conference Standing with a 7-5 overall record and a 7-4 conference record. The Storm have won three of their last four games, including back to back wins over the Tulsa Oilers and Green Bay Blizzard.
   
• The Frisco Fighters hold the top spot in the East and have won three of their last four games. The fighters are currently on a three-game win streak with wins against Sioux Falls, Northern Arizona, and Bay Area.
   

SERIES HISTORY
 
The Sioux Falls Storm enter the weekend with an 0-4 record all-time against the Frisco Fighters. Three of the Storm's four losses against Frisco have been by seven points or less. The Storm lost their only regular season appearance in Frisco (7/16/22) by the final score of 35-28.
 
ALL-TIME RECORD vs FRISCO: 0-4
ALL-TIME RECORD @ FRISCO: 0-1
AT HOME RECORD vs FRISCO: 0-3


STORM BRING BACK VETERAN WR BRANDON SHEPERD
 
SIOUX FALLS, SD – The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football Team announced on Friday afternoon that they have signed wide receiver Brandon Sheperd to a contract for the remainder of the 2023 Indoor Football League Season.

Sheperd is no stranger to the Storm Organization. The veteran wideout appeared in 25 games with the Storm over two seasons, hauling in 87 catches for 1,314 yards and 17 touchdowns.

The former Oklahoma State Wide Receiver posted 744 yards and 12 touchdowns during the Storm's 2019 run at the Indoor Football League Championship.

He joined current Storm Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. in Sioux City during the 2022 season, appearing in eight games for the CIF's Sioux City Bandits where he snagged 20 catches for 334 yards and 9 touchdowns on the way to a semi-final finish in the CIF playoffs.

Sheperd returned to the Bandits for the 2023 season, finishing with 223 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Storm have placed wide receiver Dwight Blakey on short-term IR to make room for Sheperd on the active roster. The veteran wideout will travel with the team ahead of the Storm's Saturday night showdown with the 1^st place Frisco Fighters.
 
 
SCOUTING THE FRISCO FIGHTERS
 
The Frisco Fighters sit in 1^st place in the eastern conference standings with a 11-2 record and have secured a spot in the 2023 Indoor Football League Playoffs. Earlier this week, Frisco announced they would be making a late season coaching change, with Andre Coles set to make his Interim Head Coaching debut tonight against the Sioux Falls Storm.

• The Frisco offense ranks 2^nd in the IFL, averaging 53.6 points per game
• QB TJ Edwards leads the IFL in rushing TD's (42) and is second in the league in rushing yards (701)
• QB TJ Edwards leads the IFL in pass completions (179) and is second overall in pass yards (1,925)
• RB Martez Carter is averaging an IFL best 70 yards per game this season
• WR Jerminic Smith is second in the IFL in receptions (69) and receiving yards (792)
  
   
• The Fighters defense ranks 3^rd in the IFL, holding opponents to 40.8 points per game
• DB Kordell Jackson leads the Fighters with 44.5 total tackles (37 solo)
• DL Charles Williams leads the Fighters with 4 sacks, tied for 7^th in the IFL
• DB Michael LoVett leads the Fighters with 6 interceptions, tied for 2^nd in the IFL
  
   

SCOUTING THE SIOUX FALLS STORM
 
The Sioux Falls Storm sit in 4^th place in the IFL's eastern conference standings with a 7-5 record. The Storm have won back-to-back games and have secured victories in three of their last four contests overall. A road win in Frisco would give the Storm their second three-game winning streak of the 2023 season. The Storm will be on the road again next week against the Iowa Barnstormers before returning home to face the Massachusetts Pirates in the regular season finale.
 

• The Storm Offense ranks 6^th in the IFL, averaging 48.0 points per game
• QB Lorenzo Brown Jr. ranks 3^rd in the IFL in rush attempts (144) and is 8^th in the IFL in rushing yards (463)
• QB Lorenz Brown ranks 6^th in the IFL in rushing TD's (22) and 9^th in the IFL in passing TD's (29)
• RB Bryson Denley ranks 2^nd in the IFL, averaging 25.4 yards per kick return
• WR Donnie Corley Jr. is tied for 7^th in the IFL in receiving TD's (16)

 

• The Storm Defense ranks 4^th in the IFL, holding opponents to 41.3 points per game
• The Storm are the only IFL team with more than one player in the top 10 in total tackles
• DB Laronji Vason-McCoy is 2^nd in the IFL in total tackles (66.5)
• LB James Brown is 3^rd in the IFL in total tackles (62.5)
• DB Clifton Duck is 9^th in the IFL in total tackles (58)
• DB Eugene Ford is tied for 2^nd in the IFL with 6 interceptions and is tied for 3^rd in the IFL in fumble recoveries
• DL Jaylon Abdul-Karim leads the IFL with 3 fumbles forced

 
 
LAST MEETING – JUNE 10^th FRISCO FIGHTERS @ SIOUX FALLS STORM
The Frisco Fighters held a 14-point lead early in the 4^th quarter before the Storm battled back to tie the game at 51-51 with 0:39 seconds remaining in regulation. Frisco kicker Bryce Crawford nailed a 21-yard field goal as time expired to hand the Sioux Falls Storm a 54-51 loss in front of the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center crowd.
 

• Frisco QB TJ Edwards scored 3 rushing touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per carry vs Sioux Falls
• Frisco QB TJ Edwards was 18-for-27 for 213 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception vs Sioux Falls
• Frisco WR Jordan Jolly had 7 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown vs Sioux Falls
• Frisco WR Jerminic Smith had 5 catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns vs Sioux Falls

 

• Storm QB Lorenzo Brown Jr. had 5 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns in the loss
• Storm WR Donnie Corley Jr. had 3 catches for 61 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Storm WR Dwight Blakey had 2 catches for 28 yards and 2 touchdowns
• Storm WR Draysean Hudson had 2 catches for 31 yards and 1 touchdown
• Storm DB Byron Edwards returned an interception 25-yards out of the back of the endzone

ON LAST THING

• The Storm currently sit in 4^th place in a jam-packed Eastern Conference. Sioux Falls will have an opportunity to gain ground in the standings this weekend with the 3^rd place Quad City Steamwheelers sitting idle with a week 16 bye.
   
• A Sioux Falls win would give the Storm a half game lead over the Quad City Steamwheelers for 3^rd place in the standings. The Storm will be on the road against the Iowa Barnstormers next week while Quad City will be at home hosting the Green Bay Blizzard in what will likely be a must-win game for both teams.
   
• A Sioux Falls win AND a Geen Bay loss at Tulsa this weekend would clinch a playoff spot for the Storm based on conference record and head-to-head matchup tie breaker scenarios. The Tulsa Oilers are looking for their first home win in franchise history and have played tough at home against some of the league's top teams. Green Bay will finish the 2023 IFL season playing road games in five of their final six regular season games.