SIOUX FALLS, SD – The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football Team secured their first road win of the season on Saturday night, defeating the Jacksonville Sharks 52-42 inside VyStar Veteran Arena.
The Storm got off to a slow start offensively, but their defense kept them in the game all night long. Sioux Falls trailed 7-0 early in the 2
nd quarter before
Lorenzo Brown Jr. found running back Keshawn Williams on 36-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.
The Sharks responded with a Fred Payton touchdown pass to Boom Williams to make it a 14-7 Jacksonville lead with 11:35 remaining in the half.
Lorenzo Brown Jr. answered back on the next drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to his other running back,
Bryson Denley, tying the game again at 14-14.
The Storm tied the game again late in the first half on Denley's 2
nd receiving touchdown of the night, pulling in a spectacular 16-yard touchdown in the right-corner of the endzone to tie the game at 21-21 with 0:42 seconds left in the half.
The Storm defense came up with the biggest play of the half on the next Jacksonville drive when Sharks QB Fred Payton tried to connect with a receiver in the middle of the field. The pass was deflected by Storm defensive back
Elijah Reed and intercepted by defensive back Laronji Vason McCoy, who returned it 11 yards to the Jacksonville 21-yard line.
Sioux Falls took their first lead of the night two plays later, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown pass to
Draysean Hudson to make it a 28-21 game at the halftime break.
The Storm offense scored on back-to-back drives to start the third quarter, scoring 28 unanswered points to build the lead to 42-21. Williams scored his second touchdown of the evening on a six-yard run and
Carlos Thompson joined in on the touchdown party, adding a 5-yard score.
Jacksonville would mount a small comeback attempt late in the game with a pair of special teams scores including a kickoff returned for a touchdown and a blocked field goal attempt that was also returned for a score, but the comeback was too little, too late with the Storm holding on for the 52-42 win.
Lorenzo Brown Jr. looked good in his 2
nd start of the season and first road start of the season for Sioux Falls. The veteran QB finished the night 13-for-26 passing for 171 yards and six passing touchdowns.
Keshawn Williams continues to emerge as a go-to player for the Storm, finishing the night with 43 yards to go along with one receiving touchdown and a rushing score.
Bryson Denley played well in the win, finishing with 64 all purpose yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Wide receiver
Lorenzo Thompson finished the night as the teams top receiver, pulling in two catches for 41 yards.
Carlos Thompson finished the night with 37 yards and a receiving touchdown while fellow wideout
Draysean Hudson wrapped up the night with 4 catches for 35 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win.
The Storm were led defensively by Laronji Vason-McCoy who finished the night with seven total tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble. Teammate
Elijah Reed had another strong performance finishing the night with a team-best 10 total tackels (4 solo).
The Storm had one of their best all-around performances of the season on Saturday, forcing turnovers and capitalizing with big plays on offense. The Storm also had a season-low in penalties finishing the game with just 4 total penalties for 46 yards, a marked improvement for a team that came into the contest averaging 10 penalties per game over the first seven games of the season.
Sioux Falls will enjoy their final bye week of the season this week before returning to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center on Saturday, June 1
st at 7:05 PM CT to battle the Iowa Barnstormers. It will be the first meeting of the season between these long-time rivals.
The June 1
st contest will be Small Town Saturday Night, presented by Beef Logic and Air Madness. Fans are encouraged to show their small town spirt by wearing t-shirts and jerseys representing your favorite small town high school athletic teams!
Doors open at 6:00 PM CT with the Storm Pre-Game show festivities getting under way at 6:45 PM. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting the KELOLAND Box Office located inside the main lobby of the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.