by Mick Moninghoff
LOWELL – The Massachusetts Pirates (0-2) will face the Fishers Freight for the first time ever on Saturday night at the Tsongas Center with kickoff set for 7:05. The Freight (2-0) is an expansion franchise in its first season in the Indoor Football League.
The Last Time Out: Quad City 37 – Pirates 33
The Pirates collected themselves during a bye week after losing a hard-fought 37-33 game to the Quad City Steamwheelers at the Tsongas Center on March 28. Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar scored three times and threw his first touchdown pass of the season, but Massachusetts could not hold on to a 20-17 third-quarter lead.
For the second consecutive week, the Pirates’ defense forced multiple turnovers. Defensive back Matt Elam forced two fumbles, and fellow defensive back Marquis Waters forced another.
The Steamwheelers held a 17-13 advantage, but in the third quarter, Elam forced his second fumble of the game as Waters recovered. The Pirates then drove 26 yards in six plays with Dominic Roberto getting a two-yard touchdown run to give Massachusetts a 20-17 lead. Roberto carried 12 times for 40 yards in his first game with the Pirates.
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In the final quarter, trailing 30-20, Massachusetts staged a seven-play, 40-yard drive that ended with Bahar scoring on a two-yard plunge, and Massachusetts trailed 30-27 with 3:38 remaining.
The game took a dramatic turn as Camron Harrell returned the ensuing kickoff 32 yards for a touchdown, giving Quad City a 37-27 lead.
Bahar drove the Pirates to the final points of the game with 16 seconds left as he scored on a one-yard run for the 37-33 final. The Pirates’ quarterback was the team’s leading rusher with 43 yards on 12 rushing attempts. He was also 13 of 29 passing for 92 yards. Thomas Owens was his leading receiver with five catches for 29 yards.
Defensively for Massachusetts, Marquis Waters, Jeblonksi Green Jr., and Dominic Quewon each had four tackles. Quewon added a sack.
Fishers 40 – Tulsa 29
After opening the season with a road victory in Northern Arizona, the Fishers Freight won its first-ever home game at the Fishers Event Center 40-29 over the Tulsa Oilers last Friday night. The Freight held a commanding 26-7 lead at the half. QB Jiya Wright ran for a touchdown and passed for two more, and JT Stokes scored twice with a 3-yard reception and on a five-yard run. Tulsa did come within four points in the final quarter but could get no closer. Wright ran for two second-half touchdowns to finish with 54 yards on 16 carries with three scores. He was also 16 of 23 passing for 127 yards with two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Players to Watch: The Pirates are hopeful running back Pooka Williams can return after missing the Quad City game with an injury. Williams ran for 46 yards and three touchdowns against Jacksonville in week one. Quarterback Kenji Bahar has rushed for four touchdowns this season on 18 carries for 64 yards. He is also 23 of 43 passing for 179 yards with a touchdown. The top receiver is Isaac Zico, who has six receptions for 62 yards.
Defensively, Dominic Quewon has eight tackles with two tackles for a loss, a sack, and has recovered a fumble. Defensive back Matt Elam has 7.5 tackles and has forced two fumbles.
For Fishers, quarterback Jiya Wright has five rushing touchdowns on 34 carries with 181 yards. He is 20 of 32 passing for 174 yards with two touchdowns with no interceptions. Wide receiver JT Stokes has five receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown, while running back Jon Lewis has rushed 24 times for 52 yards and two scores. Defensively, former Pirates defensive back Devin Hafford has nine tackles, recovered two fumbles, blocked a kick, and returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown. Defensive back Kareem Gaulden has 11 tackles in two games.
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 6 – 23.
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.
Dixie Wooten is the Head Coach of the Fishers Freight. Wooten returns to the role of Head Coach after serving as the Offensive Coordinator for the last two seasons with the Bay Area Panthers.
Wooten, who has a regular season lifetime record of 59-33, was the Head Coach and General Manager of the Tucson Sugar Skulls in 2021 and 2022.
Wooten is a two-time IFL Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2017 and 2018 with the Iowa Barnstormers. In 2018, the Barnstormers won the United Bowl with a victory over the Sioux Falls Storm for the Barnstormers’ first-ever championship. Wooten has a playoff record of 2-3. Wooten was also a Head Coach with the Allen Wranglers in 2021 and the Bemidji Axemen in 2015. As a player, Wooten enjoyed an eight-year IFL career.
