Pirates Look for Third Straight Win on Sunday
April 23, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release
LOWELL, MA - The Massachusetts Pirates will look for their third consecutive victory when they face the Green Bay Blizzard on Sunday afternoon at the Tsongas Center at 4:05. The Pirates enter the game with a 2-2 record. Green Bay is 2-1. Both teams come into the contest off victories.
The Series:
The Pirates own an all-time record of 6-3 over the Blizzard, including a playoff victory last season.
The Last Time Out:
Last Saturday night, the Pirates won their first road game of the season by knocking off the previously undefeated Jacksonville Sharks 42-35 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. It was the Pirates' second straight victory while Jacksonville fell to 3-1. There were five lead changes in the first half, but once Massachusetts took a 21- 16 lead with 5:28 to play in the second quarter on running back Pooka Williams' second touchdown of the game, they would never trail again. Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar added two rushing touchdowns, and defensive back Marcis Floyd returned a Kaleb Barker interception eight yards for a touchdown for a 33-22 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Bahar found Thomas Owens for a 34-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 39-29. Floyd secured his second interception in the final quarter, which led to a Josh Gable 21-yard field goal.
Williams was the game's leading rusher with 50 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns, Bahar was 16 of 20 passing for 158 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. His top receivers were Teo Redding with 5 catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, and Owens with four receptions for 70 yards and a score. The Massachusetts defense was led by Marquis Waters, who had 6.5 tackles, and Sal Lupoli Jr., with six.
Green Bay enters the game off a bye week. On April 11, the Blizzard defeated the Tulsa Oilers in overtime 74-68. The Blizzard outscored Tulsa 23-14 in the final quarter as May Meylor's eight-yard touchdown run tied the game with 23 seconds to play. In the extra session, the Blizzard's Tramond Lofton blocked a field goal attempt, and then Kymani Clarke scored from a yard out to win the game.
Clarke had 57 yards on 12 carries and three touchdowns while Meylor added 38 yards on eight attempts with three scores. Meylor was 18 of 23 passing for 184 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. TJ Davis had four catches for 76 yards and one TD. Gurvan Hall Jr. led the defense with 10 tackles.
The Last Meeting: 8/2/2024
The Pirates' defense caused four turnovers, and running back Jimmie Robinson carried 20 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns as Massachusetts won the Eastern Conference Championship over the Blizzard 51-28 at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
Quarterback Alejandro Bennifield was 10 of 14 passing for 124 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. His top targets were Teo Redding, who had three receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown, and Thomas Owens, who had three grabs for 26 yards and a score. Defensive back Paris Ford forced two fumbles that were recovered by Devin Hafford and Israel Antwine. CJ Holmes had an interception, and Matt Elam returned a pick 17 yards for a touchdown.
Green Bay quarterback Max Meylor was 14 of 28 passing for 152 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was also Blizzard's leading rusher with 35 yards and a touchdown. Jalyn Cagle was his leading receiver with seven catches for 97 yards and a score. Ravarius Rivers led the Green Bay defense with 6.5 tackles, with one pass broken up.
Team Stats: (Includes IFL Rankings)
The Pirates are scoring 37.3 points per game (7th) while giving up 41.0, which is eighth in the IFL. Green Bay averages 54 points per game (2nd) and is twelfth in the league, allowing 51.3 points per contest. The Massachusetts defense yields 184.3 yards per game, which is third best, while the Blizzard are last with teams getting 269 yards per game. That said, the Green Bay offense is first, grinding out 239 yards per contest while the Pirates are tenth at 203.5 per game.
When it comes to first downs, Green Bay averages 19 per game (2nd) while the Pirates defense allows the fewest at 12.5 each game. Both teams are very good at converting on third down, as Green Bay is third in the league at 50 percent while Massachusetts is fourth at 48.6 percent. The Pirates' defense is third, allowing a conversion rate of just 30 percent on third down.
Players to Watch: (Includes Top Ten Ranking)
Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar completes 64.7 percent of his passes (6th) for 514 yards (5th) with five touchdowns (10th) and averages 128.5 passing yards per game (8th). Max Meylor of the Blizzard completes 66 percent of his pass attempts (4th) for 408 yards (6th) with eight touchdowns (6th) and has an efficiency rating of 168.8 (4th). His 160 passing yards per game rank him fifth.
Meylor is fourth in total offense with 200.3 yards per game.
The Pirates have two of IFL's leading receivers as Teo Redding has 14 receptions (10th) and Thomas Owens has 157 receiving yards (9th).
This game will feature the top scoring players in the league, as Kenji Bahar of the Pirates and running back Kymani Clarke of the Blazzard both have scored 60 points this season on ten touchdowns.
Max Meylor of Green Bay has six touchdowns (6th), and Pirates running back Pooka Williams has five (10th). Williams is also 5th in all-purpose yards at 95.0 per contest. TJ Davis of the Blizzard averages 82.7 all-purpose yards per game (8th).
Special Teams:
Two of the top kickoff returners will be on the field as Josh Mack of the Blizzard has an average of 23.8 per return (3rd) while Isaac Zico of Massachusetts is fourth at 20.0.
Andrew Mevis of Green Bay has four made field goals this season (1st) while Josh Gable of the Pirates has made three (5th).
Defensive Players to Watch: (Includes Top Ten Ranking)
Pirates defensive lineman Dominic Quewon has four tackles for a loss (6th) and three sacks (2nd). Green Bay's Allen Henry with two sacks (3rd) and Devlin Rice with one (9th) are also ranked with the league leaders.
Pirates defensive back Marcis Floyd ranks first with two fumble recoveries, is third with three interceptions, and is third with six passes defended. Teammate Matt Elam is first in the IFL with two forced fumbles. Nico Washington of Green Bay is seventh with four passes defended.
The Coaches:
This is the second stop for Frederick Griggs as a head coach. Before coming to the Pirates, Griggs was the Head Coach of the Duke City Gladiators. Including a playoff game, his all-time record in Duke City was 6 and 21. His combined record is 8 and 23.
This is his first game facing Green Bay.
Griggs became the interim Head Coach of the Duke City Gladiators in 2022 as the team faced the Arizona Rattlers in the first round of the Indoor Football League playoffs. He served as Head Coach from 2023 until late in the 2024 season.
Griggs spent seven years with the Duke City Gladiators as a player, General Manager, and Head Coach. He helped Duke City to back-to-back Champions Indoor Football titles, earning league Defensive MVP and Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. He later served as General Manager and ultimately as Head Coach.
Griggs started his professional career in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders. He transitioned to the indoor game with four teams before joining Duke City. Griggs played with the Cedar Rapids Titans (IFL), the Bloomington Edge, and the Kansas City Phantoms (both in the CIF).
An All-State high school linebacker in Tallahassee, Florida, Griggs became a two-time All-American while playing safety and cornerback at NAIA William Penn University in Iowa.
The Blizzard is coached by Corey Roberson, the Indoor Football League Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2024, This is his sixth season as Head Coach and his first as General Manager. His all-time record (including a playoff mark of 1-2) is 39 wins and 43 losses. He is 3 and 6 lifetime against the Pirates.
Last season, Roberson's team finished as the first seed in the IFL Eastern Conference and won its first playoff game in over ten years before losing to the Pirates in the Conference Title Game.
Roberson played nine years of indoor professional football as a defensive back. He was an assistant coach with the Blizzard from 2012-2018. A 2003 graduate of Lakeland University, Roberson was a two-time unanimous all-conference selection and a two-year captain. He ranks third all-time in school history in career interceptions.
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