By DJ Harding
After losing their final three games of the regular season and falling out of hosting a home playoff game, the Massachusetts Pirates found themselves on the road for round one of the IFL playoffs.
Their opponent the Sioux Falls Storm who the Pirates played in their final regular season game, won 62-59 on the final drive of the game.
The Pirates started the game with a different quarterback as Alejandro Bennefield was given the start.
Massachusetts also got the ball first and with a long 6 minute drive Bennefield threw a touchdown to Thomas Owens along with a Josh Gable PAT attempt to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead.
Sioux Falls then had a turnover on downs giving Massachusetts the ball after their first drive.
Alejandro Bennefield led the Pirates down the field again this time capping off the drive with a rushing touchdown and with another Josh Gable PAT extended the lead to 14-0.
The Storm once again couldn’t respond and ended their drive with a missed field goal.
Josh Gable unlike the Storm hit a field goal to end the Pirates third drive having Massachusetts scoring on all three of their first half drives.
Sioux Falls went zero for three of their first half drives after once again not scoring on the final drive of the half. At halftime the Pirates were up 17-0.
The Storm received the ball to start the second half and quarterback Lorenzo Brown led Sioux Falls to their first scoring drive of the game.
Brown finished the drive with a rushing touchdown and after a two point conversion the Storm were down 17-8 nearly cutting the lead in half.
Massachusetts got the ball back and saw Bennefield go down with an injury. Mike Glass, who was signed a couple days ago, led the Pirates to their third touchdown drive.
Glass finished off his opening drive and the Pirates opening drive of the second half with a rushing touchdown by himself.
Josh Gable hit a PAT attempt and then hit a Deuce on the kickoff giving Massachusetts a 26-8 lead.
Sioux Falls after Gable’s Deuce scored on their second straight possession. Lorenzo Brown finished this drive with a passing touchdown to Cole Thurness.
The Storm shortened the lead to 26-14 going down by 12.
Massachusetts then responded with a three play drive that ended in a Mike Glass touchdown to Jimmie Robinson.
The Storm got the ball back down 33-14. Before the end of the third quarter Sioux Falls got the lead back down to 12 when Lorenzo Brown threw a 30 yard touchdown to Xaiver Jackson.
The Pirates got the ball to begin the fourth quarter up 33-21. Glass threw his second touchdown of the game on a 31 yard pass to Thomas Owens.
Gable had his block kicked and after another Lorenzo Brown passing touchdown to Cole Thurness Sioux Falls was only down by 11 points with 9:30 left to play.
The Storm forced their first turnover of the game when Mike Glass fumbled, giving Sioux Falls the ball back.
Sioux Falls wasted no time to score as Brown threw a passing touchdown to Donnie Corley on their second play of the drive.
The two point conversion was unsuccessful as Massachusetts received the ball up by five points 39-34.
With three minutes left Mike Glass threw an interception giving up back to back turnovers on the Pirates last two drives.
Brown helped the Storm complete their 17 point comeback as he threw a 30 yard touchdown to Xaiver Jackson.
Brown threw again to Jackson for a two point conversion giving the Storm a 42-39 lead. Sioux Falls three point lead was their first lead of the game.
Massachusetts then went scoreless on their third straight possession as Josh Gable missed a field goal wide left giving Sioux Falls the ball back with 40 seconds left.
The Storm would go in victory formation to get the win and a trip to the IFL Eastern Conference Finals in Frisco Texas against the Frisco Fighters.
For the Massachusetts Pirates they end their season on a four game losing streak and a first round exit to the Sioux Fall Storm.