Pirates Battle Chupacabras in IFL Cup Second Round on Sunday

By: Michael Muela

Last Time Out:

The Pirates are overcoming a crushing defeat at the hands of the Vegas Knight Hawks, 73-33 on May 18th in the first round of the IFL Cup. Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent tallied three touchdowns and running back Pooka Williams added a rushing touchdown. It was a fairly even game in the first half, until a 45-7 scoring outburst in the second half sent Vegas to the IFL Cup title game.

Orlando held a six-point lead after the first quarter of last week's contest, by way of scoring a touchdown on each of its first three offensive drives. The second quarter was back-and-forth and Orlando trailed by only two at the halftime break. But it wouldn't be enough, as critical turnovers as well as offensive and defensive struggles got the better of the Pirates, and a 30-minute domination from Vegas saw the Pirates suffer their largest defeat of the season.

DeLaurent finished 19-of-27 passing for 206 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions on the night. Williams ran four times, totaling just 16 yards and a touchdown. Two different receivers landed on the score sheet for the Pirates, Nyqwan Murray found paydirt twice on seven catches with 92 yards, leading all players, and Thomas Owens reeled in 55 yards on four grabs with a touchdown.

Orlando's leading tackler was defensive lineman Mike Mason with 10 total tackles, while linebacker Jay Pearson added eight. Mason was also the leading solo tackler with seven.

For the Knight Hawks, Jayden DeLaura finished 12-of-14 passing for 107 yards with two touchdowns and an interception to go along with 100 rush yards and four scores on the ground. His top receiver was Senika McKie, making six catches for 63 yards and a score. Receivers Jaylon Tillman (1 rec, 22 yds) and John Erby (2 rec, 15 yds) also added a touchdown reception. Josh Tomas led the rushing attack, running the ball 23 times for 100 yards, adding four scores. On defense, Irshaad Davis starred with six total tackles and was also the top solo tackler with five.

Orlando was handed their third consecutive loss away from the Kia Center, while Vegas will play for its first trophy since winning the 2025 IFL National Championship back on August 23rd. 

The Series:

The Pirates are 1-0 all-time against the Chupacabras. Their only meeting came in the 2026 season opener in March.

Last Meeting: 

The Pirates defeated the Chupacabras 41-38 on March 22, 2026 at the Tingley Coliseum. Orlando's defense thwarted New Mexico's chances at a late-game comeback, clinging to a three point victory to begin the 2026 IFL campaign. 

The Pirates led 21-17 at halftime, but found themselves down 31-27 entering the fourth quarter. A pair of late touchdowns from Pooka Williams countered two late scores from New Mexico to earn the win. Defensive backs Latavious Brini and Destin Mack led the Orlando defense by taking down eight and four Chupacabra ball carriers, respectively. Along with Mack, DJ Daniel and Ro Torrence also added pass breakups. Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent finished 18-of-22 passing for 150 yards with a touchdown in the contest. 

Williams ran 11 times for 51 yards and four touchdowns, and added three receptions for 16 yards. Teo Redding paced the Pirates in receiving with 47 yards on just four catches, but the lone receiving score came from Thomas Owens, who tallied 46 yards on his four receptions. DL Jacques Bristol added a sack and Mason made 0.5 tackles for loss, while Brini added 1.5 sacks as part of the Pirates' six total TFL.

Team Stats (Includes IFL Ranking):

The Pirates are sixth in the league averaging 48.4 points per game and second averaging 253.4 yards per game. 1,439 of these yards have come through the passing attack, where Orlando ranks third in the IFL this season. Defensively, the Pirates allow 58.4 points per game, the most in the league, while their 257 yards given up per contest is the second-most mark.

The Chupacabras average a second-worst 30 points per game, and their 184.3 yards per game also ranks second-fewest in the IFL. New Mexico tallies just 49.4 rushing yards per contest, the 11th-most this season. On defense, New Mexico allows 44.4 points per game, the sixth-most in the league. They also give up the eighth-most yards per game (220.4) in the IFL.

Players to Watch (Includes IFL Ranking):

 Pirates QB Paxton DeLaurent's 206.6 passing yards per game leads the IFL this season. He stands second in the league with 138 completions and best in the league with a 75.4 completion percentage. He also sits second with 1,446 passing yards and fourth with a 177.4 pass efficiency rate. Through Orlando's first seven games, DeLaurent has completed 138-of-183 passes for 1,446 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also leads the Pirates in rushing with 151 yards and four scores on 48 carries.

Running back Pooka Williams has rushed for 140 yards and 11 touchdowns on 47 carries through the first seven games of the season, which places him 20th among the league leaders. Receiver Thomas Owens places fifth in the league with 422 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 37 catches (4th in IFL). He also ranks third in receiving yards per game (60.3), three spots ahead of fellow Pirates wideout Teo Redding (57.1). 

The defensive leaders for the Pirates are Latavious Brini with 29 total tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss with 1.5 sacks, Destin Mack also with 29 tackles, an interception and forced fumble, and Mike Mason with 27 tackles and five tackles for loss. 

For New Mexico, Harrison Roubidoux is nine-of-21 (42.9%) passing with 128 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions through seven games. He's also rushed for two carries (73rd) with -12 yards (98th). His -6 rush yards per contest stands as one of the worst marks in the IFL. Running back La'james White is 21st this season with 137 yards and three scores on 48 total carries through the Chupacabras' first seven contests. He also ranks 19th in the IFL averaging 19.6 yards per game. 

The top three receiving leaders for New Mexico are Damon Street with 24 catches for 346 yards and five touchdowns, CJ Jefferson with 335 yards and nine scores on 33 grabs, and Isaah Crocker with 109 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 catches. 

Defensive back Gleson Sprewell is the top tackling machine for New Mexico, leading the way with 42 total tackles (10th) and one TFL. DB Jacious Clark is 20th in the IFL with 37 tackles, and defensive lineman Maurice Jackson is third on the Chupacabras with 19 tackles (69th) and his 6.5 TFL (7th) leads the team. 

The Coaches:

On April 11, 2026, Rod Windsor was named the tenth Head Coach in Pirates history. He was elevated to that position after previously serving as Offensive Coordinator. 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 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. Windsor later 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. As Orlando's shot-caller this season, he's led the Pirates to a 2-3 record. He looks to earn his third win as the Pirates' lead man with victory over New Mexico on Sunday afternoon.

Kyle Moore-Brown, a Kansas Jayhawk and 2014 Arena Football Hall of Fame Inductee, is known for toughness, leadership, and consistency. After a standout college career at the University of Kansas, he played 15 seasons in the Arena Football League, earning All-Arena and All-Ironman honors, two ArenaBowl championships, and a record 236 consecutive games played.  Now a coach, Moore-Brown has developed athletes across the Indoor and Arena leagues, including roles with the La Crosse Spartans, leading the Cedar Rapids Titans as their Head Coach, Iowa Barnstormers, Pittsburgh Power, and most recently the Vegas Knight Hawks as their Offensive Line and Associate Head Coach. His philosophy emphasizes fundamentals, discipline, and building character on and off the field.

This press release is the property of the Orlando Pirates and may not be republished in full without attribution.

About the Orlando Pirates: The 2021 United Bowl National Champions and 2-time Eastern Conference Champions, Orlando Pirates, are members of the Indoor Football League (IFL) and play their home games at the KIA Center in Orlando, Florida. For 2026 ticket information for Orlando Pirates, please email contact@orlandopirates.com, or visit www.orlandopirates.com

Follow the Pirates on social media with the following official links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goOrlandoPirates

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mass.pirates/

X: https://x.com/OrlPirates

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orlandopirates/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@go_orlandopirates

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrlandoPiratesFootball

About the Indoor Football League (IFL): The IFL is the longest-running indoor football league with 14 teams based in cities across the country. For additional information, please email info@goifl.com or visit the league website at https://goifl.com

Follow the IFL on social media with the following official links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IFLIndoorFootballLeague/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indoorfootballleague/
X: https://x.com/IndoorFL