SIOUX FALLS — The Storm are 0-2 under new coach Andre Fields and have lost two games by one score as they enter the first season under Curtis Riggs.
The team-wide reaction to these results can go in two different directions. One is the frustration and anxiety of not allowing a goal in two winnable games, and the other is the positivity and confidence that comes from playing well enough to win two games even though we haven't played a home game yet.
When asked, Fields didn't hesitate to comment on where his team is headed heading into Sunday's Indoor Football League home opener (3:05 p.m., Denny Sanford Premier Center). I made it clear.
“We're upbeat and positive,” said the longtime Storm defensive back, assistant coach and now head coach. “We know we're young and you're always just trying to see what you have in the first game. Even if you think you know, you have to actually see it. Yes, we're still figuring out what we're good at.'' “There are areas where we're solid and areas where we could potentially upgrade, but we feel like if we just do more reps, we'll be fine.'' We knew there were going to be some growing pains, but I think we're all relieved to know that we're growing and have a chance to win both games.''
Even with Riggs gone, most of the coaching staff has been with the team for a long time. That means the locker room and team culture is coach-driven, Fields said. Normally this series doesn't have that kind of vibe, but it's essential at this point.
Defensive linemen Claude Davis and Isaiah Blackmon, former Augustana Viking Logan Swanson, linebacker Undraeth Lilly, running backs Isaiah Jackson and Bryson Denley, defensive back LaRonzi Bason-McCoy, Veterans and returning players like wide receiver Drayshawn Hudson will provide leadership. This is especially important for the 8-a-side indoor version of the sport. Fields noted that several players who took the field in Sioux Falls' season-opening loss to Quad-City, 38-32 in overtime, were making their indoor debuts.
Wide receiver Kentrez Bell was the team's big offseason acquisition, and the IFL All-Star already has eight catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns. The Storm are tasked with running backs and receivers, but after years of running the offense under Lorenzo Brown (who is 36 and still playing for the rival Arizona Rattlers), this time around Billy・It became a highlight of the hall.
matt zimmer
The Reinhard (NAIA) native played for the IFL's Vegas Knight Hawks and Canada's Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he has thrown four touchdown passes and rushed for four more. are doing.
“I think there are a lot of positives about Billy Hall,” Fields said. “He's very athletic, very smart, very positive. He's also been a backup in Las Vegas, so the more reps he gets, the more he's going to be a star in this league eventually. We feel it has the potential to bloom into the future, it's just a matter of protecting it.”
Bringing in an entirely new offensive line isn't easy, but coaches are counting on 6-foot-8, 340-pound tackle McLean Juha, center De'Zion Carroll and former Bemidji State star Ty Cobb. It's coming.
Defensively, Fields is still calling the plays and understandably doesn't seem happy with the unit's play thus far. In their last game, a 49-41 loss to Massachusetts, they allowed the Pirates to complete 15 of 16 passes for five touchdowns.
“There are some areas we can improve on,” Fields said. “We have a solid edge at linebacker and are in really good shape. But everywhere else we're just fine.”
Josh Jurgens/Courtesy of Sioux Falls Storm
Jaylen James and especially Villanova product Amine Black looked good at linebacker, and Coastal Carolina product Kendricks Gladney also played well. Former USD Coyote Elijah Reed will also be a key contributor in the secondary.
An early schedule would not be in Sioux Falls' favor. After Sunday's home opener, they will be back on the road for two more games. In other words, they will enter May with five games played, with only one home match. That makes Sunday's game against the Tulsa Oilers an important one.
“For many of our players, this will be their first experience at a Storm home game,” Fields said. “Given the crowd and the attention and everything I know, they're going to be even more fired up and given how close the first two games were, they're hungry for a win. There's no question about it. If we play as well as we can, people will realize we're a real team.”
Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sportswriter. He graduated from Washington High School, where he played football, Legion baseball and developed his lifelong love for the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls and began his long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com.
