By The Numbers

Of all the ways to account for seven points in the game of indoor football, two safeties, a defensive two-point conversion and a blocked extra point is fairly low on the list of probable combinations. But it is exactly that combination that let the Sioux Falls Storm escape the Omaha Civic Auditorium with a win in the season opener Saturday night.
The Storm defense, led by eight year veteran Mark Blackburn, came up with a classic Storm defensive stop, tackling Beef quarterback Ben Sankey in the endzone to extend the Storm’s lead to the eventual final score, 54-47 with 1:06 to play. The game wasn’t the prettiest display of football I’ve ever witnessed, but it thrilled and frustrated everyone in the building, and for that both sides deserve kudos.
In order to save myself time and effort, and in an attempt to not to sound too much like a journalist, I’ll skip the stats and the rest of the game review and skip to the nuts and bolts. I’m borrowing a segment from local sports talk radio called “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down”.
Thumbs Down:
- To the Beef fans that headed for the exits with :59 left down by 7 with two timeouts left. This is indoor football, crazier things have happened.
- To Mother Nature, for the crazy dense fog on the way home!
Thumbs Up:
- To the Beef fans, I might just detect the slightest bit of ringing in my ears, well done.
- To Storm owner Todd Tryon, without all your hard work and dedication, this season wouldn’t have been possible.
- To the Storm veterans, for coming back and giving us one more year.
- To the Storm fans that made the road trip, for being loud and proud!
A Win, is a Win. But this game left the Storm bench looking like a MASH Triage, with several players suffering injuries. Early in the game, Leif Murphy was assisted off the field by team medical staff and local paramedics with some sort of upper arm or elbow type of injury. Our thoughts and prayers go out to ‘ya Murph and here’s hoping for a speedy and successful recovery.
This week, the Storm travel to Wichita to take on a Wild team that thoroughly dismantled La Crosse in their season opener on February 26th. The Storm defense will be tasked with stopping the dangerous duo of Dixie Wooten and Clinton Solomon, a challenge that will certainly be a test for new defensive coordinator Andre Fields.
Lastly Storm fans, don’t forget the home opener is Monday, March 22nd when the reigning and defending IFL Champion Billings Outlaws come to town. Be Loud, Be Proud, GO STORM!