Post by Gene on Jul 18, 2010 4:58:09 GMT -5
07/17/2010 10:52 PM
For a span of fourteen regular season games and three rounds of playoff action, two teams fought to make their way to the IFL championship game. The United Bowl is the premier championship game in indoor football and two teams showcased why on Saturday night. The city of Billings in Montana was the backdrop for what proved to be a memorable night between the United and Intense Conference champions.
The Billings Outlaws (14-4) have endured quite a bit in their efforts to reach post-season glory. Their home arena was damaged by a tornado and all efforts were made to make a suitable replacement facility in a short amount of time. Battling through the playoffs on location at a converted practice facility, the Outlaws never once quit on themselves or their fans. They made their way to the United Bowl where a different storm looked to cause havoc.
The Sioux Falls Storm (16-2) held up their end of the playoff bargain. Lead by QB Terrance Bryant, the Storm had an offensive downpour on opponents throughout the regular season and playoffs. They rolled into Billings as serious contenders for the United Bowl crown.
The Storm would get on the board first as the game began. Terrance Bryant threw a strike to WR James Terry in the first quarter. The Outlaws would battle from there. KR Tim Brown of the Outlaws tied the game when he returned a kick 45-yards for the score. Brown would impress many on the night by being all over the field. On returns, Brown managed 65 yards and a touchdown. As always, his game would go well beyond that. Brown had 47 yards on eight receptions with a touchdown and picked up 14 yards and a touchdown on six rushes. Many might have picked Brown for a possible MVP of the game.
The second quarter saw more along the lines of what was expected. The two teams had a back and fourth affair with Billings leading 28-27 at halftime. While the Storm would strike back, their ability to keep the Outlaws down eventually blew over. The Outlaws roped themselves a 43-34 finish and for the second year in a row, became United Bowl Champions.
The MVP of the game proved to be the man who best kept his team in the game. Outlaws QB Chris Dixon made every effort count in his team’s momentous victory. Despite being picked off twice, Dixon never faltered. He went 17 for 25 on his passing attempts for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment was within the final minutes of the game. Deep in their own territory, Dixon broke off a run that got the Outlaws a first down and wiped away any chances of the Storm getting the ball back for late game heroics.
While Sioux Falls QB Terrance Bryant performed admirably with 139 yards and a touchdown, he could not match the versatile Dixon. The Outlaws quarterback also proved to be a force on the running game. Dixon brought in two touchdowns himself and 50 yards rushing on 13 carries. His mobility and ability to drive his team down the field when they needed him most proved to be the biggest asset of the game.
Sioux Falls came close several times during the game to put it away. James Terry had several big scoring moments to put up points for Sioux Falls. Terry had 55 yards and a touchdown on five receptions as well as 39 yards and two touchdowns on twelve rushes. Despite the big effort, he and the rest of the Sioux Falls team had to watch on, as the Outlaws were the team that got to hoist the United Bowl trophy in celebratory fashion.
The Outlaws will now go into the offseason looking forward to defending their championship in 2011. While repairs will be done to their home arena, they can take solace knowing that when things looked bleak, they and their fans rallied to become champions. For Sioux Falls, the Storm performed admirably. They will go into 2011 still heavy favorites to return to the United Bowl next year. With a league that is ever expanding and providing constant competition, nothing is ever a given. So until next season, the Billings Outlaws will savor tonight, knowing they will be defending their title sooner rather than later.
Source: iflfans.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=billingsoutlaws&thread=20
For a span of fourteen regular season games and three rounds of playoff action, two teams fought to make their way to the IFL championship game. The United Bowl is the premier championship game in indoor football and two teams showcased why on Saturday night. The city of Billings in Montana was the backdrop for what proved to be a memorable night between the United and Intense Conference champions.
The Billings Outlaws (14-4) have endured quite a bit in their efforts to reach post-season glory. Their home arena was damaged by a tornado and all efforts were made to make a suitable replacement facility in a short amount of time. Battling through the playoffs on location at a converted practice facility, the Outlaws never once quit on themselves or their fans. They made their way to the United Bowl where a different storm looked to cause havoc.
The Sioux Falls Storm (16-2) held up their end of the playoff bargain. Lead by QB Terrance Bryant, the Storm had an offensive downpour on opponents throughout the regular season and playoffs. They rolled into Billings as serious contenders for the United Bowl crown.
The Storm would get on the board first as the game began. Terrance Bryant threw a strike to WR James Terry in the first quarter. The Outlaws would battle from there. KR Tim Brown of the Outlaws tied the game when he returned a kick 45-yards for the score. Brown would impress many on the night by being all over the field. On returns, Brown managed 65 yards and a touchdown. As always, his game would go well beyond that. Brown had 47 yards on eight receptions with a touchdown and picked up 14 yards and a touchdown on six rushes. Many might have picked Brown for a possible MVP of the game.
The second quarter saw more along the lines of what was expected. The two teams had a back and fourth affair with Billings leading 28-27 at halftime. While the Storm would strike back, their ability to keep the Outlaws down eventually blew over. The Outlaws roped themselves a 43-34 finish and for the second year in a row, became United Bowl Champions.
The MVP of the game proved to be the man who best kept his team in the game. Outlaws QB Chris Dixon made every effort count in his team’s momentous victory. Despite being picked off twice, Dixon never faltered. He went 17 for 25 on his passing attempts for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment was within the final minutes of the game. Deep in their own territory, Dixon broke off a run that got the Outlaws a first down and wiped away any chances of the Storm getting the ball back for late game heroics.
While Sioux Falls QB Terrance Bryant performed admirably with 139 yards and a touchdown, he could not match the versatile Dixon. The Outlaws quarterback also proved to be a force on the running game. Dixon brought in two touchdowns himself and 50 yards rushing on 13 carries. His mobility and ability to drive his team down the field when they needed him most proved to be the biggest asset of the game.
Sioux Falls came close several times during the game to put it away. James Terry had several big scoring moments to put up points for Sioux Falls. Terry had 55 yards and a touchdown on five receptions as well as 39 yards and two touchdowns on twelve rushes. Despite the big effort, he and the rest of the Sioux Falls team had to watch on, as the Outlaws were the team that got to hoist the United Bowl trophy in celebratory fashion.
The Outlaws will now go into the offseason looking forward to defending their championship in 2011. While repairs will be done to their home arena, they can take solace knowing that when things looked bleak, they and their fans rallied to become champions. For Sioux Falls, the Storm performed admirably. They will go into 2011 still heavy favorites to return to the United Bowl next year. With a league that is ever expanding and providing constant competition, nothing is ever a given. So until next season, the Billings Outlaws will savor tonight, knowing they will be defending their title sooner rather than later.
Source: iflfans.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=billingsoutlaws&thread=20
