SIOUX FALLS, SD – The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football team erased a 17-point halftime deficit to defeat the Massachusetts Pirates 42-39 on Saturday night inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. was 2-for-3 with 8 passing yards through the first two quarters and the Storm had just 26-yards of total offense at the halftime break.
The Massachusetts offense orchestrated two lengthy drives that ate up nearly 19:00 of game clock in the first half, while the Pirates defense limited the Storm to a pair of empty offensive possessions before the intermission.
Sioux Falls received the football to start the 2nd half and scored their first points of the game 2:00 into the 3rd quarter on a Brown Jr. rushing touchdown from 1-yard out.
Pirates quarterback Mike Glass III answered with a 1-yard rushing touchdown of his own to push the lead back to double-digits at 23-8. Kicker Josh Gable connected on the extra-point and then dropped a deuce on the ensuing kickoff to give Massachusetts a 19-point lead with 7:58 remaining in the quarter.
From then on, the Sioux Falls Storm would outscore the Massachusetts Pirates 34-13, scoring 21-unanswered points over the final 12:35 in regulation.
Wide receiver Cole Thurness scored on a pair of 2nd half touchdowns and running back Xavier Jackson added two more, including a 30-yard catch and run that gave the Storm their first lead of the night with 2:36 remaining in the contest.
Massachusetts had one last chance to get back in the game, but Gable missed wide left on a field goal attempt at the end of regulation.
The Storm defense played a big role in the comeback effort on Saturday night.
Defensive lineman
Isaiah Blackmon's blocked kick on Gable's extra-point attempt with 12:35 remaining kept it an 18-point game, and was the momentum shifting play that sparked a run of 21-unanswered points in the comeback effort.
Linebacker
James Brown picked up a fumble recovery on a 4
th & 1 play with 6:19 remaining in the game that led to a
Donnie Corley Jr. touchdown grab moments later.
Defensive back
Clifton Duck snagged an interception with 3:04 remaining to keep the Storm's season alive, setting up the eventual game winning drive.
Defensive back
Byron Edwards led all defenders with 13 tackles (7 solo).
James Brown had 12 tackles (8 solo) while defensive back Laronji Vason-McCoy finished the night with 11 tackles (5 solo).
Storm quarterback
Lorenzo Brown Jr. was 14-for-18 for 183 yards and 5 passing touchdowns in his final home game in a Storm uniform. The veteran signal caller also added 34-yards and a rushing touchdown in the win.
Jackson did most of his damage through the air, hauling in 4 catches for a team-best 91-yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Thurness had a team-high 5 catches to go along with 41 yards and two touchdowns, while
Donnie Corley Jr. added 3 catches for 41-yards and a score in the win.
The win was the first home playoff victory for the Storm since defeating the Tucson Sugar Skulls 50-47 in the opening round of the 2019 Indoor Football League playoffs. It was also the first postseason win for the Sioux Falls Storm since winning the United Bowl over the Arizona Rattlers (56-53) in 2019.
Saturday night was also the final home game in the 20-year career of head coach Kurtiss Riggs, who improved to 36-6 (.857) all-time in postseason play.
The #1 Frisco Fighters ousted the #4 Quad City Steamwheelers (57-29) on Saturday night, setting up a road-game for the Sioux Falls Storm next weekend in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Sioux Falls Storm will have more information regarding plans for fans and the Eastern Conference Finals in Frisco, TX in the next few days. Follow the Storm on social media @siouxfallsstorm for more information.
