SIOUX FALLS, SD – The 2023 Indoor Football League season came to an end on August 5th with the Sioux Falls Storm losing to the Bay Area Panthers in the IFL National Championship game.

Losing in the title game is never easy, but this loss carried more weight considering it was the final game in the careers of Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. and Head Coach/General Manager Kurtiss Riggs.

Despite the loss, the Storm still had plenty to be proud of this year, highlighted by a dramatic rise to the top of the Eastern Conference standings in the final weeks of the regular season.

As we look back on this improbable run, we will highlight the players and key moments that helped make the 2023 season one to remember.

2023 SIOUX FALLS STORM – LET'S SEE HOW FAR WE'VE COME
The first month of the 2023 IFL season got off to a rocky start for the Sioux Falls Storm. A season opening two-point road loss to the Quad City Steamwheelers left the team with question marks in the run game. 

Running back Tayvon Ruley won the starting job out of training camp, but suffered a first quarter injury that ultimately ended his season. The coaching staff tried a combination of players in the backfield, including second year running back Bryson Denley.

The speedster hit his stride in the Storm's week-four road win over the Green Bay Blizzard. Denley posted 183 all-purpose yards in the victory and was named the IFL's Special Teams Player of the Week. Unfortunately, Denley suffered an injury in the Green Bay win that landed a Storm running back on the injured list for the second time in four weeks. 


#22 - Bryson Denley returns a kick @ Green Bay Blizzard (4/21/23)

Head coach Kurtiss Riggs reached out to former Central Missouri running back Xavier Jackson who was serving as a graduate assistant in town for the University of Sioux Falls.

Jackson had tried out for the team during training camp and caught the eye of the coaching staff but ended up being cut before the start of the regular season. The Storm's mounting injuries in the backfield provided an opportunity for Jackson, who answered the call and scored two touchdowns in the 59-47 road win over Quad City.

Jackson's hard-hitting style helping stabilize an offense that was still finding its identity with veteran Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. and first year Offensive Coordinator Peyton Riggs calling the shots.


#41 - Xavier Jackson reaches for the goal line vs Quad City Steamwheelers (4/29/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

Sioux Falls won three-straight games to end the month of April but suffered back-to-back losses in mid-May to drop the Storm's season record to 4-4 overall.

The first turning point moment in the season came in the May 26^th road-win over the Iowa Barnstormers. Sioux Falls scored a season-high 77 points in the victory. Lorenzo Brown Jr. threw for 194 yards and five touchdowns. Jackson added 72 yards on the ground to go along with his three rushing scores in the win. Defensive back Eugene Ford and Byron Edwards each had interceptions in the victory, limiting the Barnstormers to just 26 points. It was a season-best performance for the Storm defense that ranked amongst the league's best all season long in both interceptions and points allowed.

Sioux Falls went into the bye-week with a 5-4 record and a challenging second half schedule waiting for them that included matchups against the 1st place Frisco Fighters and 2nd place Massachusetts Pirates.
 
The Storm hosted Frisco on June 10th and took them down to the wire, suffering a 54-51 home loss. Fighters Kicker Bryce Crawford nailed a last-second field goal to close out the game, dropping Sioux Falls back to .500 overall. Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. had one of his best games of the season in the loss, passing for 167 yards and five touchdowns while adding 66 rushing yards and two more TD's on the ground. Wide receiver Donnie Corley Jr. added 66 yards and two TD's, extending his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to eight.


 #8 - Lorenzo Brown Jr. takes the snap vs Frisco Fighters (6/10/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

Despite the loss, the Storm proved they had the offensive firepower to compete with anyone in the league, but it didn't leave the team with much wiggle room in the jam-packed IFL East standings. With only five weeks left in the regular season, The Storm needed to string together a run of wins to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Sioux Falls won a pair of challenging games against the Tulsa Oilers (35-34) and Green Bay Blizzard (47-45) in late June before suffering a 56-15 setback on July 1st in Frisco. Sioux Falls rebounded a week later and clinched a playoff spot after a 54-47 road win over the Iowa Barnstormers. The Storm got some help from the rest of the league and found themselves in a position to host a home game in the first round of the IFL playoffs, if they could secure a win over second place Massachusetts.

The Storm rallied late in the final home game of the regular season to post a dramatic 62-59 win over the Pirates. Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. was named the IFL's offensive player of the week after passing for 183 yards and a season-high seven touchdowns.


#16 - Isaiah Blackmon and the Storm Defense celebrate during the home win vs Massachusetts Pirates (7/15/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

The victory propelled the Storm into the #2 seed in the IFL Eastern Conference Standings and guaranteed a home game in the opening round of the playoffs. The late-season win also guaranteed a rematch against the Pirates at home a week later.

The Storm erased a 17-point halftime deficit and scored 21-unanswered points in the second half to pull off the 42-39 comeback win over Massachusetts.

Running back Xavier Jackson led the team with 92 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Cole Thurness also had 42 yards and two TD's in the win. Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. continued his impressive late season play, finishing the game 14-of-18 for 183 passing yards and six total touchdowns.


The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football Team raise the IFL Eastern Conference Trophy in Frisco, TX (7/29/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

The Storm advanced to the IFL Eastern Conference Championship Game and a road matchup against the Frisco Fighters on July 29th having won six of their last eight games.

The Storm's only two losses during that stretch were against the same Frisco team that entered the matchup riding a six-game winning streak and a perfect 8-0 home record on the season.

Sioux Falls erased a 20-point first half deficit to pull off another improbable comeback win (45-44) over the #1 seed Frisco Fighters.  Storm Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. finished the night 13-of-30 for 178 yards and three passing touchdowns. Brown also ran the ball 15 times for 37 yards and three scores.

Running Back Xavier Jackson finished the night as the team's leading receiver hauling in four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

Wide Receiver Draysean Hudson had four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown while Cole Thurness snagged two catches and a TD in the victory.

Donnie Corley Jr. didn't record a touchdown in the win, but had arguably the biggest catch of the game, pulling in the two-point conversion to give Sioux Falls the one-point lead with 0:12 left in regulation.


#8 - Lorenzo Brown Jr. reaches for the goal line in IFL National Championship Game vs Bay Area Panthers (4/29/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)
 
The Storm carried that late-season momentum into Las Vegas for the 2023 Dollar Loan Center IFL National Championship Game on August 5^th against the Bay Area Panthers who were led by former Storm QB Dalton Sneed.

The Storm faced another double-digit deficit at halftime, but battled back again, this time cutting the Bay Area lead to 37-34 early in the 4^th Quarter.

It looked like the Storm were poised for another magical comeback win, but a late-game touchdown pass from Dalton Sneed to JT Stokes followed by a Marquise Bridges interception TD, tipped the scale to give the Panthers the eventual 51-41 win.
 
Dalton Sneed was named the game MVP after finishing 10-of-11 for 106 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding three rushing scores to his stat line.

Storm Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. ran for a season-high 120 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Brown Jr. also added two passing TD's while throwing a season-high three interceptions in the loss. Lorenzo's 120 rushing yards are the most by a Storm player in a post season game in franchise history.

Wide receiver's Dwight Blakey and Cole Thurness each had receiving touchdowns while Xavier Jackson had 33 yards and a rushing score on the final drive of the year.
 
AFTER THE DUST SETTLES
The Sioux Falls Storm finished the 2023 Indoor Football League season with an 11-7 record and an Eastern Conference Championship title. The Storm were 6-2 at home inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center while posting a respectable 5-4 record in road games.


Sioux Falls Storm Head Coach Kurtiss Riggs signs autographs with fans after his final home game in Sioux Falls, SD (7/22/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)
 
Head Coach Kurtiss Riggs finished his 20-year career with the Sioux Falls Storm holding a 268-67 overall record (.800 winning percentage).

Riggs finished his Hall of Fame career with a 37-7 postseason record (.841 winning percentage) that included 11 Indoor Football Championships.

Riggs leaves the Storm as the winningest head coach in the history of the game and still holds the record for most consecutive wins (40). The Storm posted back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2006 and 2007.
 
Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. has cemented himself as one of the greatest players in the organization's history. The University of Sioux Falls alum won United Bowl Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2019 with the Sioux Falls Storm.


#8 Lorenzo Brown Jr. exits after the final moments of the 2023 IFL National Championship (7/29/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

LORENZO BROWN JR. ALL-TIME RECORDS IN STORM HISTORY

• 2nd All-Time in Pass attempts – 1,736 (Terrance Bryant – 2,268)
• 2nd All-Time in Pass completions – 1,067 (Terrance Bryant – 1,491)
• 2nd All-Time in Pass yards – 13,287 (Terrance Bryant – 15,011)
• 2nd All-Time in Pass TD – 268 (Terrance Bryant – 280)
   
• 1st All-Time in Rush attempts – 1,036
• 1st All-Time in Rush yards – 4,118
• 1st All-Time in Rush TD – 154
• 2nd All-Time in All-Purpose Yards – 5,579

LORENZO BROWN JR. POSTSEASON RECORDS IN STORM HISTORY

• Most rushing yards in a postseason game – 120 yards (8/5/23 vs Bay Area)
• 1st All-Time in Postseason Rush TD - 32
• 1st All-Time in Postseason Pass TD – 44
• 1st All-Time in Postseason Rush attempts – 195
• 1st All-Time in Postseason Rush yards – 716
   

THE 2023 SIOUX FALLS STORM DEFENSE


#44 James Brown celebrates with his teammates after a missed FG attempt (7/15/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

The Storm Defense finished the 2023 season ranked 5^th in the Indoor Football League in points allowed per game (43.8 ppg) while boasting a league-best 23 team interceptions. 

Defensive back Byron Edwards was named the Indoor Football League's Defensive Player of the Week for the week of June 19th.

Edwards recorded two interceptions in the 35-34 win over the Tulsa Oilers, including a 42-yard pick-6 interception in the 3rd quarter.

Edwards also finished the night as the team leader in tackles with 9 total (6 solo). Edwards had a great year for the Storm finishing 10^th in the IFL with 72 total tackles (55 solo) and tied for 5^th in the league in interceptions (4).
 
Defensive back Eugene Ford was named to the IFL All-Rookie Team after finishing the season ranking 5^th on the team in tackles (72) and tied for the league lead in interceptions (8).

Linebacker James Brown joined Ford on the All-IFL Second Team Defense list after accumulating 95.5 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery and one interception touchdown.

Brown led the Storm in total tackles this season (110) and finished 2^nd in the Indoor Football League overall.  The Sioux Falls Storm were the only team in the IFL to have four players crack the top-10 in tackles this year.

  2. LB James Brown (110)
  3. DB Laronji Vason-McCoy (99.5)
  4. DB Clifton Duck (86.5)
10. DB Byron Edwards (72)
 
THE 2023 SIOUX FALLS STORM OFFENSE


Sioux Falls Storm WR Donnie Corley Jr., Cole Thurness, and Dwight Blakey celebrate with QB Lorenzo Brown Jr after a touchdown in the 2023 IFL National Championship Game (8/5/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

The Storm offense finished the 2023 season ranked 7^th in the Indoor Football League in points scored per game (46.4 ppg) and 4^th in the IFL in offensive touchdowns (121).

Quarterback Lorenzo Brown Jr. finished the season ranked 4^th in the IFL in rushing yards (726) and 3^rd in the league in rushing touchdowns (33). The veteran signal caller finished the year ranked 4^th in the league in passing completions (191) and tied for 2^nd in the league in passing TD's (48). Brown also finished the season ranked 2^nd in the IFL in interceptions (14).
 
Wide receiver Donnie Corely Jr. was one of the top receivers in the Indoor Football League this season. Corley Jr. finished the year tied for 3^rd in the IFL in receiving touchdowns (21), 9^th in receiving yards (855), and 10^th in receptions (60).
 
2023 SIOUX FALLS STORM - TOP PERFORMERS


#81 Cole Thurness gets ready to run a route for the Sioux Falls Storm (-  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

• Wide receiver Cole Thurness finished the season ranked 2^nd on the team in receptions (40), receiving yards (505), and receiving touchdowns (10). Thurness had a terrific postseason for the Storm, hauling in nine catches for 79 yards and four scores.
  
  
  #41 Xavier Jackson celebrates after a touchdown in the IFL Playoffs vs Massachusetts (7/15/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)
• Running back Xavier Jackson played in 10 games for the Storm this season, finishing 2^nd on the team in rushing yards (354), rushing attempts (91), and rushing touchdowns (14). Jackson provided an offensive spark after his return from the injured list on July 15^th scoring two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns in the Storm's 62-59 win over the Massachusetts Pirates. Jackson was one of the top offensive performers for the Storm in the postseason, racking up four total touchdowns and 189 yards of offense.
  
  
  #4 Clifton Duck celebrates after an interception vs Massachusetts (7/15/23 -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)
•  Defensive Back Clifton Duck finished the season ranked 4^th in the IFL in total tackles (86.5) and tied for 3^rd in the league in interceptions (6). Duck racked up four interceptions over the final six games of the season, including back-to-back postseason games with an interception July 22^nd and July 29^th.
  
  
  #12 Laronji Vason-McCoy runs back to the bench after a defensive stop vs Iowa ( -  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)
• Defensive Back Laronji Vason-McCoy finished the year ranked 3^rd in the IFL in total tackles (99.5) and added a fumble recovery and an interception to his stat line this season. Vason-McCoy had 23 total tackles in the postseason, ranking 2^nd on the team behind linebacker James Brown.

 
STORM ON THE HORIZON


Storm Nation gets ready for a kickoff inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center (-  Image credit: Jurgens Photography)

The Sioux Falls Storm will now turn their attention to the 2024 season and work towards another championship run in the Indoor Football League.

The Storm will have decisions to make regarding their coaching staff as well as several key positions on the roster heading into next season.The first step will be to announce a new head coach.

The front office is expected to make an official announcement soon. Roster decisions will take some time.

The current coaching staff will spend the next few days and weeks performing exit evaluations and discuss opportunities about players returning to the roster for the 2024 Indoor Football League season.

Fans can follow the Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football team on social media (@siouxfallsstorm) for up-to-date information regarding roster moves and other announcements during the offseason.

ABOUT THE SIOUX FALLS STORM
The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team based in Sioux Falls, SD. The Storm have won 11 indoor football championships over 23 seasons and are participants in the Indoor Football league. The Denny Sanford PREMIER Center has been the home of Storm Indoor Football since construction of the site was completed prior to the 2015 season.