The Sioux Falls Storm wrapped up their 2024 Indoor Football League season on Saturday night as they welcomed the Green Bay Blizzard into the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
 
In what has been a season to forget for the Storm, their 3-12 record going into this game represents the worst record in team history for the historically dominant franchise. This game acted as both a chance to spoil their inter-conference rivals and an audition for Storm players to earn a role for 2025.
 
The 12-3 Blizzard needed a win in this one to clinch the first seed in the Eastern Conference with the Frisco Fighters right on their heels, but the Storm were wanting to close out the season strong as they finish this rebuilding year and shift their focus to next season.
 
The defense was prominent for both teams early, as only three points were scored in the first quarter. The Blizzard forced the Storm to stall on the 10-yard line on their first drive, resulting in a missed field goal. Then, the Blizzard kicked their own field goal from midfield, going up 3-0 before forcing a turnover on downs on a long Storm drive that had scoring potential.
 
A 23-yard catch and run by star Blizzard RB E.J. Burgess opened up the offenses for both teams in the second quarter as the Blizzard capitalized on that play with a quick touchdown followed by a big Storm touchdown on a colossal effort from WR Draysean Hudson to find the endzone.
 
E.J. Burgess continued his excellence on the very next play with a 34-yard run to finish a one-play drive with a touchdown to give the Blizzard a 17-7 lead on the Storm.
 
The Blizzard clamped down on the Storm for the rest of the half and scored another touchdown to give themselves a 24-7 lead to go into halftime.
 
Green Bay continued to pull away after halftime with a touchdown that gave them a 30-7 lead over Sioux Falls. Still, the Storm were not deterred as they locked in a fed off of a crowd that was all energized following the induction of former Storm Coach Brian Hermanson during halftime.
 
With former players and coaches in attendance for alumni night at the Denny, the Storm put together a three-play sequence that saw them go from down by 23 points to only one score.
 
A three-yard TD rush by Jiya Wright, followed by a forced fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and a Bryson Denly TD and 2-point run gave the Storm some hope in this one as they chipped away at the Blizzard's lead to just 30-22.
 
Despite the clear momentum shift, Blizzard QB Max Meylor was still playing lights out and quickly moved his team down the field and scored his 5th TD of the game.]
 
The Storm were looking to respond to that touchdown in order to get back in the game, and they had driven all the way down the field to the one-yard line when their QB, Jiya Wright, went down with a knee injury. Lorenzo Brown Jr. had to come in for at least one play as they tried to push the ball into the endzone, but a mishandled snap by the backup led to a turnover as the Storm squandered a critical drive.
 
The Blizzard capitalized on the miscue by the Storm, and Meylor scored his sixth touchdown of the night and put the nail in the coffin of the Storm in this one.
 
Jiya Wright threw a TD pass to Draysean Hudson late, but it proved to be too little too late as the Storm ended up losing 51-30 to end their season on a low note.
 
If you were looking for some bright spots for the Storm, look no further than Jiya Wright's legs. Wright ran for 90 yards and a touchdown on 20 rushing attempts, with his running ability leading the way for a Storm offense. He only went 7-15, 72 yards, and two TDs passing as the Storm relied on their ground game in this one. Wright also threw a late-game interception.
 
For his QB opponent, it was another marvelous game for Max Meylor, who has been squarely in the MVP conversation all season. Meylor went 23-28, 265 yards, and five TDs passing, as well as 17 yards and two TDs rushing on eight attempts.
 
The other star for the Blizzard offense was E.J. Burgess, who only got 10 yards on seven rushes but was a difference-maker in the receiving game, catching nine passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns. Jaylin Cagle also played a great game for the Blizzard, catching five passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns. Patron and Moore also each had four catches, the former with 37 yards and the latter with 33 yards and a touchdown.
 
The Storm struggled to get their offensive playmakers going, but Draysean Hudson had a solid night, scoring two touchdowns on four catches and 55 yards receiving. He also ran for 15 yards on three rushes.
 
The other Storm players who caught a pass were Lorenzo Thompson, Kentrez Bell, and Keshaun Williams, who combined for three catches and 17 yards.
 
In terms of running, it was mostly Jiya Wright who powered the ground game, but Bryson Denly did come in for a run for four yards and a touchdown.
 
On defense, Dylan Pettway led the way for Sioux Falls with eight tackles, followed by Elijah Reed, who had six tackles and a pass breakup. Jalen Abdul Karim had three tackles, including two for loss and a forced fumble.
 
The Storm wrap up the 2024 season with a 3-13 record and will finish in last place in the IFL's Eastern Conference.

The Green Bay Blizzard clinched the top seed in the IFL East and will host a home playoff game against the Quad City Steamwheelers next week in Wisconsin.
 
Follow the Sioux Falls Storm during the offseason on social media (@siouxfallsstorm) or by visiting siouxfallsstorm.com.