Pirates Fall Short in IFL Cup Debut
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - Competing in their inaugural Indoor Football League Cup game on Monday night, the Orlando Pirates suffered their third defeat of the 2026 season at the hands of the Vegas Night Hawks, 73-33 at the American Dream. Orlando’s (4-3) three touchdowns in the first quarter weren’t enough, as both sides of the ball struggled the remainder of the game, while Vegas (6-1) erupted for 45 points in the second half to reach the championship game of the IFL’s first-ever in-season tournament.
By: Michael Muela
The Pirates needed just two plays to reach the end zone on their opening drive, as quarterback Paxton DeLaurent fired a 19-yard rifle to receiver Thomas Owens to open the scoring, followed by an Axel Perez extra point. And just like that, Orlando led 7-0 after only 1:17 into the contest. Looking to respond, Vegas turned to quarterback Jayden DeLaura, whose first pass was intercepted by defensive back DJ Daniel, giving the ball back to Orlando's offense. Another two plays later, DeLaurent found paydirt again, this time hitting receiver Nyqwan Murray for a 32-yard burst. After the successful point-after-try from Perez, Orlando held a 14-0 lead in the blink of an eye.
The Knight Hawks, desperate for a momentum-swinging score, turned to running back Josh Tomas, who carried the ball all three plays of Vegas' possession, resulting in an 11-yard touchdown run. The Pirates' third offensive series saw them reach the end zone yet again, this time it was running back Pooka Williams' one-yard rush that capped off a seven-play, 51-yard drive, ballooning the Orlando lead to 20-7. On the ensuing drive, DeLaura got the Knight Hawks back into the game with a 35-yard rushing touchdown, and the first quarter closed with the Pirates leading 20-14.
The second quarter began with a 20-yard completion from DeLaurent to Owens. Looking to continue his stellar start, DeLaurent's next pass was picked off by Vegas' top defender, Clifton Duck. DeLaura then led his offense down the field and found John Erby for a four-yard score, giving Vegas its first lead of the game, 21-20 with eight minutes remaining in the first half. On the ensuing kickoff, Williams ran it all the way back for a 50-yard "kick-six", and promptly celebrated by leaping over the wall and ran over to a concession stand to enjoy a smoothie. Orlando regained a 26-21 lead, only to be followed by another Tomas rushing score seven plays later, and Vegas took a 28-26 halftime lead.
It was all Vegas after that.
Orlando would completely shut down over the remaining two quarters. The third opened with DeLaura going deep to receiver Senika McKie for a 30-yard touchdown pass, expanding the Vegas lead to 35-26. After a Pirates turnover on downs, DeLaura scored his second rushing touchdown, and it was quickly a 42-26 deficit. On the very next play, Murray fumbled, and Vegas recovered. The ensuing possession resulted in another Knight Hawks touchdown, courtesy of DeLaura's third rushing score. The 22-0 outburst had the Knight Hawks in front, 50-26 heading to the fourth quarter.
Orlando's implosion would continue in the final stanza, getting outscored 23-7. The Pirates' only score of the second half was the result of DeLaurent's second end zone connection with Murray. Over the final 11 minutes, Vegas scored on both sides of the football, with Tomas finding paydirt twice, and defensive lineman Billy Martin III sacking DeLaurent in the end zone for a safety. Backup QB Avaun Rucker would take over for the Knight Hawks, and with the game well in hand, found receiver Jaylon Tillman deep in the end zone with 1:24 remaining, and the blowout was complete.
Vegas would finish the game leading almost every major statistical category, including first downs (10-8), third down efficiency (93%-60%), total offensive yards (294-226), and time of possession (36:25-22:36). It was a dominating performance by the defending IFL National Champions, who earned their sixth victory of the season, while Orlando suffered its third consecutive loss away from home.
Jayden DeLaura finished the contest 12-of-14 (85.7%) passing for 107 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, and also tallied three rushing scores and 56 yards on just seven carries. Vegas' leading rusher was Josh Tomas, finishing with 100 yards and four touchdowns on 23 carries. Three different receivers found the end zone for the Knight Hawks, including Senika McKie (6 rec, 63 yds), Jaylon Tillman (1 rec, 22 yds) and John Erby (2 rec, 15 yds). The defensive leaders were Irshaad Davis with six total tackles (five solo), Billy Martin III with a sack that resulted in the safety, and Clifton Duck with a forced fumble and an interception.
For Orlando, Paxton DeLaurent ended his night 19-of-27 (70.4%) passing for 206 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, while backup QB James Blackman's only pass was intercepted. Pooka Williams led the way on the ground, tallying only 16 yards and a touchdown on just four carries. Nyqwan Murray found paydirt twice to go along with 92 yards on seven catches, and Thomas Owens also scored once with 55 yards on his four receptions.
The Pirates will face the New Mexico Chupacabras in the third place game of the IFL Cup on Sunday, May 24th at 1:00 p.m. They will then travel to Tucson Arena to face the Sugar Skulls on Saturday, May 30th.
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