Pirates Battle Blizzard for First Place on Friday

By: Mick Moninghoff

The Series:
The Pirates own an all-time record of 6-5 over the Blizzard, including a playoff victory in 2024.

The Last Meeting:
July 18, 2025, The Resch Center
The Pirates led three times in the first half but could not slow down the Blizzard, losing 56-27. A rushing touchdown by quarterback Kanji Bahar gave the Pirates a 17-14 lead with 3:36 remaining in the first half but the Blizzard offense proved to be too powerful. Max Meylor's 12-yard touchdown pass to Andre Williams gave Green Bay a four-point cushion at the half. The Blizzard defense allowed just ten points in the second half as Kevin Ransom scored on a 28-yard "pick-six" while Meylor finished with six touchdown passes.

The Last Time Out:
April 17, Pirates vs. Jacksonville at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Nyqwan Murray scored three times for the Pirates, but it was not enough as Orlando suffered its first loss of the season 68-40 to the Jacksonville Sharks. The last remaining undefeated team in the Indoor Football League was upstaged by former Pirates running back Jimmie Robinson who ran 13 times for 60 yards and three touchdowns for the Sharks. He also caught two passes for 28 yards and a score. With three kick returns for 78 yards, he totaled 166 yards of total offense.

For Orlando, quarterback Paxton DeLaurent finished 27 or 24 for 247 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. He also ran ten times for 15 yards. The Pirates top rusher was Pooka Williams with 20 yards on seven carries and a touchdown. Williams also had six receptions for 56 yards. Murray had a rushing TD and caught four passes for 64 yards and two scores. Orlando's leading receiver was Thomas Owens with seven receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown. Teo Redding added six catches for 34 yards and a score. The leading tacklers for the Pirates were Mike Mason who had six stops including two tackles for a loss and Ro Torrence who made four tackles with a pass broken up.

April 18, Green Bay vs. Iowa at the Resch Center.
The Blizzard outscored the Iowa Barnstormers 21-0 in the second quarter and dominated in a 55-19 victory. Two rushing touchdowns by Trevon Alexander, and a Liam Thompson to Isaac Ross 25-yard scoring strike helped Green Bay to a 28-6 halftime lead.

The Blizzard outgained the Barnstormers 285 to 159 as Liam Thompson was 9 of 14 passing for 153 yards with three touchdowns. Demilon Brown ran 13 times for 65 yards with two scores and added a 45-yard TD reception.  Wide out Trevon Alexander added ten yards on three rushes with two touchdowns. Alexander was part of a trio of receivers with three receptions as he posted 43 receiving yards with a score. Isaac Ross had three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown and Terrell Carey chipped in with three receptions for 24 yards. The top tacklers were Frank West Jr. with nine and Brian Lee Jr. with seven. Defensive Lineman Allen Henry also recovered a fumble for a touchdown.

Team Stats: (Includes IFL Rankings)
The Pirates average 46.3 points per game (5th) and allow 51.5 (14th). The offense averages 250.5 yards (3rd). Defensively Orlando is giving up 250.0 yards per game (13th). The Blizzard are scoring 45.8 per night (6th) and yield 37.2 (2nd). The offense gains 211.0 yards per outing (10th). On defense Green Bay yields 238.4 yards (10th).

Pirates Players to Watch: (Includes IFL Rankings)
Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent is 77 (1st) of 104 (4th) passing (74.0% 2nd) with 13 touchdowns (T4th) and four interceptions (4th) for 194.8 yards per game (3rd). His passing efficiency is 170.5 (4th). DeLaurent has also rushed 35 times for 125 yards with two touchdowns. 

Running back Pooka Williams has carried 30 times for 81 yards with five scores. He also has 14 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. The top receivers are Thomas Owens with 21 receptions (T3rd) for 221 yards (T4th) and six touchdowns (T3rd). Teo Redding also has caught 21 balls (T3rd) for 221 yards (T4th) with three scores. Redding's 55.3 receiving yards per game ranks fourth in the league. Nyqwan Murray has 16 receptions for 171 yards and three touchdowns. 

On defense, Destin Mack leads Orlando with 15 solo tackles and has 17 overall he also has an interception and four passes broken up. Ro Torrence has 18 total tackles including three for a loss. He has one intersection and four passes broken up. Latavious Brini has made 14 tackles with five and a half for a loss (3rd). He also has 1.5 sacks (T3rd)

Pirates Kicker Axel Perez ranks fifth in PAT percentage at 94% as he is 16 of 17 this season.

For Green Bay, quarterback Liam Thompson is 47 of 84 (56.0%) with 15 touchdowns (3rd) and one interception. His passing efficiency is 176.9 (2nd). He has also rushed 48 times (2nd) for 176 yards (3rd) with seven touchdowns (3rd) . Thompson averages 3.7 yards per carry (5th). Running back Demilon Brown has rushed 21 times for 106 yards with three scores.

The top receivers for the Blizzard are Draysean Hudson with 13 receptions for 227 yards (3rd) and four Touchdowns. Isaac Ross has 11 catches for 126 yards and two scores. Terrell Carey has caught eight balls for 116 yards and two touchdowns and Trevon Alexander has seven receptions for 90 yards and four touchdowns.

Kicker Andrew Mevis has made four (T3rd) of nine (2nd) field goals (44%) and connected on 25 (2nd) of 31 (1st) extra points (81%).

The top tacklers for the Blizzard are Juwan Mitchell who has 17 solo tackles (T4th) and 22 total. He also has 1.5 tackles for a loss and one pass broken up. Jonathan Ross has 27 tackles including eight for a loss (1st) with .5 sacks. His 17 solo tackles tie him four fourth in the IFL with teammate Juwan Mitchell. Ross also has two fumble recoveries. Giovanni Waller leads Green Bay with 29 tackles (4th). He has .5 tackles for a loss along with one interception, three passes broken up and one forced fumble.

The Coaches:
On April 11, 2026 Rod Windsor became the tenth Head Coach in the history of the Pirates. He was elevated to that position after serving as Offensive Coordinator. His record stands at 1-1. The former Bay Area Panthers OC and Associate Head Coach helped the Panthers to the Indoor Football League playoffs last season. Bay Area ranked sixth in the league scoring 45.1 points per game and averaged 233.2 yards per contest. They were third in the IFL in rushing with 99.5 yards per game and ninth in passing with 133.8 yards each night.

From 2022 through 2024 Windsor worked with the Northern Arizona Wranglers as offensive coordinator, winning the league's National Championship in 2022. In 2024 he guided quarterback Josh Jones to become the IFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year.

A three-time first-team All-Arena receiver, Windsor is no stranger when it comes to championships as he has four championship rings: three as a player and one as a coach.

Windsor began his professional career in 2009 in the af2 with the Rio Grande Valley Dorados catching 184 passes for 2,364 yards and 59 TDs in 15 games. He was named the Offensive Player of the Year and the Rookie of the Year

In 2010, Windsor played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions under Head Coach Dennis Green and with quarterback Dante Culpepper. Windsor then joined the Arizona Rattlers where he caught a league-record 197 passes for 2,372 yards and 47 touchdowns. He was the Rookie of the Year and an all-league first-team selection.

Then the NFL came calling. Windsor signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad for one week in December. He then joined the Buffalo Bills practice squad on December 30, 2010, where he finished the season.

In 2013 Windsor returned to the Arizona Rattlers and earned Second Team - All-Arena honors as the Rattlers defeated Philadelphia in ArenaBowl XXVI. Windsor had 10 receptions for 145 yards and was the game's MVP. Windsor captured his second ring in 2014 and remained with the Rattlers through 2016. He later won his third championship with the Washington Valor in 2018 and finished his career with the Baltimore Brigade in 2019. Windsor ended his professional career with 898 catches for over 11,000 receiving yards and 263 touchdowns.

The Blizzard is coached by Corey Roberson, the Indoor Football League Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2024. This is his seventh season as Head Coach and his second as General Manager. His all-time record (including a playoff mark of 3-3) is 53 wins and 49 losses. He is 5 and 6 lifetime against the Pirates.

Last season Roberson guided the Blizzard to an overall record of 12-7. Green Bay won the Eastern Conference with a dramatic 71-64 win over Quad City and 64-61 to Vegas in the IFL National Championship Game.

In 2024 Roberson's team finished as the first seed in the IFL Eastern Conference and won its first playoff game in over ten years before losing to the Pirates in the Conference Title Game.

Roberson played nine years of indoor professional football as a defensive back. He was an assistant coach with the Blizzard from 2012-2018. A 2003 graduate of Lakeland University, Roberson was a two-time unanimous all-conference selection and a two-year captain. He ranks third all-time in school history in career interceptions.

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