Pirates Look for 3-0 Start vs. Tulsa

By: Mick Moninghoff

Team Stats:
The Pirates are tied for fifth in the league averaging 45 points per game while allowing 42, which is tied for ninth. Tulsa gave up just 22 points in its first game which is a league low. Their 29 points allowed ranks 13th in the IFL.

Orlando averages 252.5 yards per contest which is third best in the league. Tulsa is next to last at 172 yards of total offense. Defensively the Pirates allow 227 yards per contest while the Oilers yield 278.

The Series:
The Pirates are 4-2 all-time vs. Tulsa

The Last Meeting - July 12, 2025
Pirates quarterback Kenji Bahar threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, but it was not enough as the Tulsa Oilers earned a 35-28 in double overtime victory at the BOK Center in Tulsa. 

The game was tied 28 all at the end of regulation. Neither team scored in the first extra session. The Pirates were held out of the end zone as Bahar's pass was broken up by Dylan Pettway. The Oilers looked to win the game with a 27-yard field goal by Ross Moore, but his kick was no good.

The second overtime saw Tulsa start from the ten-yard line due to a Pirates' unsportsmanlike penalty. On the first play, quarterback Sam Castronova bobbled the snap. He picked it up and threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to Sheldon Augustine. Moore's extra point gave the Oilers a 35-28 lead.

The Pirates' second possession in overtime saw Pooka Williams gain five yards on first down. The second play was disastrous as a low snap rolled past Bahar, who would eventually fall on the ball back on his 15-yard line. An incomplete pass led to a fourth and 25 Hail Mary pass to the end zone that was swatted away and the Oilers had won their first-ever overtime game at home, 35-28.

The Last Time Out:
The Pirates brought arena football back to the Kia Center with a 49-46 come from behind victory over the Quad City Steamwheelers. Pirates quarterback Paxton DeLaurent completed 18 of 25 passes for 236 yards with four touchdowns and wide receiver Nyqwan Murray scored twice as the Pirates won their home opener and ran their record to 2-0 on the season.

The final quarter saw the lead change hands three times. Quad City would score first in the final 15 minutes as Daquan Neal rushed four-yards for his second rushing TD of the game as the Steamwheelers led 39-35 as the point after was no good.

The Pirates regained the lead on the ensuing kickoff as Dante Wright fielded the kick five yards deep in the end zone and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown to put Orlando back out front 42-39.

Quad City would not back down as Neal threw his third touchdown pass of the game to Williams. The nine-yard TD reception was Quian Williams' second of the night. He finished the game as the top wide out with 100 receiving yards.

That set up the game winning drive for Orlando as DeLaurent responded by taking the team down the field 30 yards in five plays. He completed two passes to Pooka Williams and then on a crucial fourth and two from the 22 ran for a first down to the 17-yard line. He then connected with Murray in the back of the end zone with 1:55 remaining for the final points of the game. The Pirates defense came up with two stops in the final minute to preserve the victory.

DeLaurent was intercepted three times but still out dueled Neal as he was 18 of 25 for 236 yards and four scores. Neal finished 13 of 26 for 175 yards and three touchdown passes against one interception. Neal was the leading rusher on the day with 12 carries for 59 yards and two touchdowns. DeLaurent ran nine times for 38 yards and a score.

For Orlando, Teo Redding had six receptions for 88 yards and a score, Williams caught five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown and Thomas Owens pulled in five balls for 50 yards and a TD.

Defensively for the Pirates Ro Torrence had eight tackles including two for a loss and an interception. Destin Mack added five tackles and assisted on another while breaking up three passes. Latavious Brini added five tackles with three for a loss.

Tulsa is coming off a bye week after a 29-22 win over the San Antonio Gunslingers on the road in the Freeman Center. The Oilers never trailed and used a fourth quarter; 45 yards touchdown pass from TJ Edwards to Tripp Harrington to build a 26 to 15 lead and then held on for the win. Kicker Bailey Hale had three field goals while the defense added a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Kevin Thurmon Jr. and interceptions from Malik Sonnier and Fredrick Mallay,

Pirates Players to Watch:
Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent is 36 of 47 (76.6%) for 386 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He is also the team's leading rusher with 19 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. The leading scorer on the team is running back Pooka Williams with four rushing and one receiving touchdown. Williams has rushed 16 times for 53 yards and pulled in eight receptions for 85 yards.

Teo Redding leads the Pirates with ten receptions for 135 yards and a touchdown. Thomas Owens tops the team with two TD receptions on nine catches for 96 yards and Nyqwan has a pair of catches for 64 yards and a score.

On Special Teams, Dante Wright has returned eight kickoffs for 135 yards (16.9 average) with a touchdown and a missed field goal return for 58 yards for a score.

Defensively, the leading tackler is Latavious Brini with 13. He also leads the team with 5.5 tackles for a loss and sacks with 1.5. Ro Torrence has ten tackles, three tackles for a loss, the team's only interception and has broken up three passes. Destin Mack has knocked down four passes while adding ten tackles.

Oilers Players to Watch:
Quarterback TJ Edwards is 15 of 23 passing (65.2%) for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jamaal Bell has rushed nine times for 26 yards. Wideout Spencer Tears has five receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown while Jerminic Smith has five catches for 57 yards. Tripp Harrington has added three catches for 25 yards and a score.

The Oilers leading tacklers are Mark Shepherd Jr. who has seven solo stops with two passes broken up and Fredrick Mallay had five tackles, an interception and one pass broken up.|

The Head Coaches:
Rob Keefe, who became the ninth Head Coach in the history of the Pirates last November will lead the team into its eighth season overall. Keefe came to the Pirates after serving as the Head Coach and President of Football Operations of the Bay Area Panthers the last three seasons. Now in his fourth season as a Head Coach in the IFL his current record is 43-12. Keefe is also the team's defensive coordinator. Last year his Bay Area defense ranked number one in the league allowing just 35.1 points per game and was also first against the pass yielding just 131.5 yards per contest.

In 2023 under Keefe, the Panthers won their first title in team history with a 51-41 win over the Sioux Falls Storm in the IFL National Championship Game. Keefe has won seven championships as a player and a coach.

As a player, Keefe was a defensive back on the AFL Philadelphia Soul 2008 championship team, which makes him the only person in Arena Football history to win an Arena Cup (AF2) and ArenaBowl (AFL) title as both a player and a coach.

Marvin Jones is in his fourth season as Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator and Director of Operations of the Tulsa Oilers. This is his eighth overall season as a head coach. Before the Oilers, he was the Head Coach of the Omaha Beef of Champions Indoor Football from 2019 through 2022, winning a title in 2021 and making the championship game the next season. In 2017, Jones was the Defensive Coordinator and eventual Interim Head Coach for the Colorado Crush. 2018 saw Jones move to the Cedar Rapids Titans of the IFL as Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator.

As a player, Jones was an All-American linebacker at Florida State from 1990-1992. In 1992, He was inducted into the FSU Football Hall of Fame in 2000, Jones was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame 2022. Following his collegiate career, Jones was selected fourth overall in the 1993 NFL draft by the New York Jets. Jones played 11 seasons for the Jets from 1993-2003, excluding the 1998 season. He appeared in 142 NFL games, compiling more than 1,200 tackles, with over 700 of those being solo.

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, call (407) 516-6391, 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