by Ben Gottschalk

Lowell – The Massachusetts Pirates secured the Eastern Conference Championship with a commanding 51-28 win over the top-seeded Green Bay Blizzard at the Resch Center. This triumph marks their return to the IFL National Championship for the first time since their United Bowl win in 2021. Now, the Pirates will have to wait until Monday to find out their opponent as the San Diego Strike Force and the Arizona Rattlers battle it out to see who makes it out of the Western Conference.

Bennifield showcased his exceptional passing skills, completing 10 of 15 passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns while also adding 11 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. However, Robinson was the standout performer, racking up 108 rushing yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns, plus 64 yards on kickoff returns. On defense, Jaiden Woodbey led with nine tackles, and the Massachusetts secondary excelled with Cyrus Fagan breaking up a pass, while CJ Holmes and Matt Elam each snagged an interception.

The Massachusetts Pirates (10-8) kicked off the game with Jimmie Robinson making a 23-yard kickoff return. The initial drive quickly hit a snag as they faced a third-and-seven despite Robinson’s three-yard effort over two carries. Alejandro Bennifield connected with Teo Redding on the crucial third down, securing a ten-yard gain and a new set of downs. With Robinson adding a five-yard rush and Redding contributing another four yards through the air, the Pirates charged into the red zone. A few plays later, Bennifield took matters into his own hands, sprinting in for a three-yard touchdown run. With that score, the Pirates took an early lead, 7-0, with 8:06 left in the first quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Cyrus Fagan’s tackle pinned TJ Davis at the nine-yard line, leaving Green Bay with a tough start deep in their own territory. Jaiden Woodbey swiftly contained EJ Burgess, limiting his gain to just two yards. Max Meylor aimed for a big play with a pass to Lowell Patron, but it fell short, bringing up a third-and-eight. But a pass interference call against Fagan extended the Blizzard’s (14-4) drive with an automatic first down. Green Bay surged into the red zone, but the Massachusetts defense stood strong. They halted Meylor’s one-yard rush, and Devin Hafford tackled Burgess for a three-yard loss. Two plays later, Jaylin Cagle broke through for a four-yard touchdown run, leveling the score at 7-7 with just 1:44 left in the first quarter.

In a flash, the Pirates stormed back into the end zone. The drive ignited with Jimmie Robinson bulldozing his way through several tackles for an eight-yard gain. Moments later, Alejandro Bennifield unleashed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Teo Redding, who effortlessly burned his defender en route to the end zone. With that score, Massachusetts reclaimed the lead, 14-7, just as the first quarter wrapped up.

The Blizzard’s drive started with a five-yard burst from Burgess and a six-yard completion from Meylor to Cagle. Burgess then broke free for a ten-yard gain, but Israel Antwine swooped in to force a fumble and promptly recovered the ball at midfield. Seizing the opportunity, Bennifield connected with Thomas Owens for a four-yard gain, then Robinson charged ahead for a 14-yard rush, positioning the Pirates inside the ten-yard line. Robinson powered through for a seven-yard touchdown run, extending the Massachusetts lead to 20-7, although Henry Nell’s extra point attempt veered wide right.

Meylor kickstarted the Blizzard’s drive with a five-yard rush, followed by a two-yard gain from Cagle. However, after two incomplete passes, the Blizzard were forced to turn the ball over on downs. The Blizzard defense responded with determination, stuffing Robinson on a two-yard rush and again stopping on the subsequent play for no gain. On third down, Bennifield connected with Owens for a 17-yard gain. Just a few plays later, Bennifield delivered a five-yard touchdown pass to Owens, pushing the Pirates lead to 26-7, though the extra point attempt was marred by a botched snap.

On the very first play of Green Bay’s next drive, Matt Elam intercepted Meylor’s pass and raced 17 yards to the end zone for a pick-six. The pick-six pushed the Massachusetts lead to 34-7, with Henry Nell converting the extra point with a two-point drop kick. The score came with 48 seconds left in the second quarter, adding to the Pirates commanding performance.

In just three plays, the Blizzard marched into the end zone. Meylor first found Demetrius Moore for a five-yard gain, then connected with Cagle for 12 yards. On the next play, Meylor unleashed a deep pass to Cagle, who made a spectacular 21-yard catch for a touchdown. This score trimmed the Pirates lead to 34-14 as the first half drew to a close.

Green Bay kicked off the second half with Meylor’s four-yard rush. He then connected with Moore for a 19-yard gain, and Burgess added three more yards on a rushing attempt. However, two penalties on Massachusetts moved the Blizzard to the five-yard line. Woodbey tackled Burgess in the backfield for no gain, and an incomplete pass from Meylor followed. Cagle then faced a crushing blow from Paris Ford, who forced a fumble that Devin Hafford pounced on. Seizing the opportunity, Bennifield rolled left and launched a deep pass to Isaac Zico for a 38-yard touchdown. This quick strike stretched the Pirates lead to 41-14, capping the drive in just one play.

Davis sparked the Blizzard’s drive with a 22-yard kickoff return, positioning the offense at midfield. On the very first play, Meylor connected with Moore for a nine-yard gain, then hit Cagle for six more yards. Meylor added a seven-yard rush before finding Burgess in the end zone with a two-yard touchdown pass, marking Green Bay’s first score of the second half. Andrew Mevis followed up with a successful two-point drop kick, narrowing the gap to 41-22 with 3:42 left in the third quarter.

Massachusetts began to focus on clock management, aiming to eat up time. Robinson churned out ten yards with two consecutive runs, followed by an eight-yard rush from Bennifield. However, after two missed passes, the Pirates lined up for a 34-yard field goal attempt. Unfortunately, Henry Nell’s kick veered wide right, leaving the score unchanged.

Meylor kicked off the Blizzard’s drive with a six-yard rush and then connected with Cagle for a 13-yard catch. Despite two incomplete passes, Meylor managed an eight-yard rush. However, on fourth-and-two, Antwine and Guy Thomas converged to tackle Meylor for a 12-yard loss, resulting in a turnover on downs.

The next drive for Massachusetts was driven entirely by Robinson. He burst onto the scene with a 17-yard rush, followed by a nine-yard gain, setting the Pirates up at the four-yard line. After two fruitless attempts from Robinson that saw no gain, the Pirates faced a fourth-and-one. They opted for a field goal, and Henry Nell delivered from 19 yards out, extending the lead to 44-22 with 6:05 left in the game.

Green Bay launched their drive with a pair of deep strikes: a 22-yard catch and run by Cagle, followed by another 17-yard reception from Cagle again. Meylor then took matters into his own hands, rushing two yards into the end zone to trim the deficit to 44-28. Andrew Mevis capped off the drive with a successful drop kick on the extra point with 2:21 left in the game.

Green Bay’s attempt at an onside kick was quickly thwarted when Teo Redding pounced on the ball for Massachusetts. On the very next play, Robinson breezed into the end zone with a 12-yard rushing touchdown, pushing the score to 51-28 with 1:51 left on the clock. As the game wound down, Meylor’s deep pass was intercepted by CJ Holmes. Bennifield then took a knee to run out the clock, sealing a 51-28 victory and securing the 2024 Eastern Conference Championship for the Pirates.