SIOUX FALLS, SD – The Sioux Falls Storm Indoor Football Team returns to action in Week 15 of the Indoor Football League season with a road battle against the Frisco Fighters in Frisco, TX tonight at 7:05 PM CT.

Storm Fans are encouraged to join the Watch Party tonight at Great Shots and help cheer on the Storm.

Fans are also encouraged to register their Watch Party Passport, presented by Acendas Travel and get entered for a chance to win a Trip to Las Vegas for the IFL National Championship in August.

LAST TIME OUT
The Sioux Falls Storm suffered a setback last week with a road loss (55-41) to the Tulsa Oilers. Draysean Hudson had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown and KeShawn Williams added three more rushing touchdowns in the loss.
Tulsa QB Andre Sale put up 216 yards and 7 passing touchdowns in the win over the Sioux Falls Storm.

Kendricks Gladney Jr. and Rome Weber led the Storm defense with seven tackles each in the loss.

OVERTIME WINS/LOSSES
The Storm have played in two overtime games this season. The Storm are 1-1 in overtime matchups this season. Sioux Falls won their week 12 battle with the Vegas Knight Hawks (46-40) at home. The Storm lost their season opening road contest (38-32) against the Quad City Steamwheelers back in late March in Moline, Illinois.

SERIES MATCHUP
The Sioux Falls Storm and the Frisco Fighters face each other for the first time in the 2024 Indoor Football League Season. The Storm picked up a dramatic road win (45-44) in Frisco, TX back on July 29^th, 2023 to claim the IFL Eastern Conference Championship. The win snapped a five game losing streak against Frisco Fighters and punched the Storm's ticket to the IFL Championship Game. The Storm enter the night with a 1-5 record all-time over the Frisco Fighters.

LOOKING AHEAD
Entering tonight's week 15 matchup, the Sioux Falls Storm have five games left on the schedule. Three of the final five games will be against Eastern Conference teams who are below or at a .500 record for the season.
 
The Storm will spend three of the final five weeks on the road against Frisco (9-3), Quad City (5-6), and Iowa (4-7).

Sioux Falls will host two more regular season home games during the 2024 season, with the Jacksonville Sharks (2-9) and Green Bay Blizzard (10-2) both scheduled to make appearances inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.

The Sharks will visit Sioux Falls for the first time in franchise history on Saturday, June 29^th for Military Appreciation Night, presented by the South Dakota Army National Guard.
 
The 1^st place Green Bay Blizzard will come back to Sioux Falls for the final game of the regular season on Saturday, July 20^th for Alumni Night, presented by Orthopedic Institute and Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital.

CARLOS THOMPSON A GAME TIME DECISION TONIGHT IN FRISCO
Sioux Falls Storm wide receiver Carlos Thompson Jr. is a game time decision ahead of tonight's game against the Frisco Fighters in Frisco, TX.

Thompson did not play in last week's road game against the Tulsa Oilers after suffering a minor ankle injury earlier in the week during practice. Thompson was limited in practice this week but is out of the walking boot and hopeful to return tonight in his home state of Texas.
The veteran wide receiver is no stranger to the Indoor Football League. he played for the Sioux Falls Storm during the 2022 season before taking his talents to San Diego Strike Force during the 2023 season. Carlos returned to Sioux Falls this season along with former San Diego teammate Kentrez Bell to solidify a Sioux Falls wide receiver core that had a total overhaul during the off-season.

Bell was the featured receiver, and for good reason. Kentrez Bell was the only IFL wideout to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards during the regular season and finished the 2023 year with 24 touchdowns for San Diego. He also finished the season with a league-best 72.8 receiving yards per game.

Bell went down with an ankle injury on May 3rd that cost him a month of the 2024 season, giving Carlos Thompson Jr. the chance to take on the #1 WR role. Thompson accepted the responsibility and showed up in big moments for the Storm. Over the last five games, Thompson has hauled in 20 catches for 241 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Overall this season, Thompson has 31 catches for 359 yards and 8 touchdowns.

His last touchdown was potentially his biggest of the season. Thompson pulled in the eventual game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Vegas Knight Hawks two weeks ago in Sioux Falls.

STORM EXCITED ABOUT THE RETURN OF KG
The Sioux Falls Storm got some good news last week with the return of defensive back Kendricks Gladney Jr. The team captain was sidelined for six weeks after knee surgery.
 
Gladney was the leading tackler last week for the Storm against the Tulsa Oilers. He and Rome Weber each had 7 tackles in the road loss.
Gladney rejoined a Storm defense that has been hitting its stride lately with timely interceptions, fumble recoveries and big hits. The Storm Defense enters tonight's matchup against the Frisco Fighters ranked 5th in the IFL in points allowed per game (46.5), 6th in the IFL in interceptions (9), and 4th in the league in fumbles recovered (6). 


"KING" CLAUDE DAVIS CLIMBS THE STORM RECORD BOOKS
 Sioux Falls Storm Defensive Lineman Claude Davis returned to Sioux Falls in the 2024 season after spending parts of the past three seasons playing for the Sioux City Bandits in the CIF and the Duke City Gladiators in the IFL. Davis won a pair of IFL Championships (2016 & 2019) with the Sioux Falls Storm and brought a veteran presence to a Storm team that entered the year as the youngest team in the IFL.

Davis is having a respectable season with 20 tackles and three sacks to go along with his seven tackles for loss on the year. 

The veteran from Lakeland, FL has put together a terrific career in a Storm uniform and has moved into the top 10 in several career categories, placing his name with some of the all-time greats in Storm history.

Here is where he ranks entering the Storm's June 22nd road game against the Frisco Fighters.

TACKLES – (233.5 total tackles) - Needs 16.5 tackles to move into the top-10 all-time in Storm history

1. Mark Blackburn (715.5)
2. Tyler Knight (657)
6. Andre Fields (289.5)
7. Donny Hilsenroth (278)
10. Nate Fluit (249.5)
 
TACKLES FOR LOSS – (66.5)- Davis enters the game in Tulsa tied for 2^nd all-time in Storm history. His next tackle for loss will move Davis ahead of his current defensive line coach, and Storm Hall of Famer Cory Johnsen.

1. Rachman Crable (73)
2. Cory Johnsen (66.5)
2. Nate Fluit (66.5)
2. Claude Davis (66.5)


SACKS – (28 total sacks) – Davis recently passed IFL Hall of Famer Tyler Knight for 6^th place on the Storm Single season list. Davis needs one sack to pass current Storm Linebacker coach and Storm Hall of Famer Mark Blackburn for 5th place in franchise history. Cory Johnsen and Nate Fluit are in 1st and 2nd place respectevly, and might never see their record broken.


1. Cory Johnsen (64.5)
2. Nate Fluit (62.5)
3. Rachman Crable (48.5)
4. Leif Muphy (34)
5. Mark Blackburn (28.5)
6. Claude Davis (28)


FORCED FUMBLES – (5) –His next forced fumble would put Claude Davis into a tie for 6th place all-time in franchise history. with Storm Hall of Famers Mark Blackburn and Nate Fluit. Davis has recovered a pair of fumbles this season, including one that he returned 35 yards for a touchdown, but he has not forced a fumble yet in 2024. Claude currently sits in 8^th place all-time in franchise history.

1. Rachman Crable (10)
1. Cory Johnsen (10)
1. Tyler Knight (10)
4. Mark Blackburn (9)
5. Leif Murphy (8)
6. Mark Blackburn (6)
6. Nate Fluit (6)
8. Claude Davis (5)


BLOCKED KICKS – (6) – Davis does not have a blocked kick yet this season. His next block would put him into a tie for 4th place with Corey Johnsen. Davis currently sits in 5^th place all-time.

1. Tyler Knight (24)
2. Nate Fluit (23)
3. Rachman Crable (14)
4. Cory Johnsen (7)
5. Claude Davis (6)