Those That Don’t Learn From History…

Storm versus Bandits. There are few, if any, rivalries in the annals of indoor football that even come close. Two teams separated by 77 miles, with rosters that sport at least one player that has spent significant time on the other team. Two of the most passionate fan bases the sport has ever had. Two cities that are routinely punch lines for each other’s jokes. To quote an Old Milwaukee beer slogan “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

The Sioux Falls Storm have had some heart stopping games in the Tyson Event center against the Bandits over the years; this past Saturday I swore I heard MLB hall-of fame broadcaster, Jack Buck. Trailing 38-28 in the 4th quarter, the Storm marched 34 yards in 6 plays concluding with a Terrance Bryant touchdown pass to a wide open James Terry. Kicker Rob Zarilli continued an off night by missing the PAT, leaving the Storm down 4. After Sioux City missed a field goal on their next possession, the Storm promptly drove 30 yards where Zarilli connected on a 30 yard field goal to pull the Storm within one point.

Then things got crazy. Great Storm kickoff coverage forced the Bandits to take over at their own 4, and on their second play from scrimmage Mark Blackburn tipped a Scott Jensen pass right into the waiting arms of Rachman Crable, who walked into the end zone to give the Storm their first lead of the game. Former Storm all purpose back Leon Hall Jr. then muffed the ensuing kickoff giving the Storm the ball back on the Bandit 21.


Zarilli’s struggles continued however, as he missed a short field goal, but precious time had been taken off the clock and the Bandits were now out of timeouts with 45 ticks left on the 4th quarter clock. The Bandits needed just one play to make things interesting again, as Jensen completed a 44 yard bomb to T.J. Williams who was downed at the Storm 1 yard line with 35 seconds left in the game. Inexplicably, Jensen managed to fumble the snap on the following play and when Blackburn emerged from the bottom of the pile with the ball, the Storm had capped an improbable, impossible 43-38 victory. Queue Jack Buck… “I don’t believe… what I just saw.”

If you’re thinking to yourself, like I was, that somehow this all seems oddly familiar, you’d be correct. A chance sighting of former Storm kicker Adam Hicks made it all come back to me, and if history repeats itself, someday Scott Jensen will be in the NFL. Current Buffalo Bill’s running back Fred Jackson once fumbled at the Storm 1. That fumble cost the Bandits United Bowl 1, which was the first of 16 straight wins by the Storm over their I-29 rivals.

Up next for the Storm is a pair of home games against the Omaha Beef and their band of cowbell wielding fans. The Beef, all but left for dead at an uninspiring 3-4 this season, took themselves off life support by blowing out the Arkansas Diamonds, one of the Intense divisions best teams, 71-33. Game time is 7:05 at the Sioux Falls Arena.