Pirates meet Knight Hawks in IFL Cup on Monday

By: Michael Muela

Last Time Out:

The Pirates are fresh off the heels of a thrilling, last-second victory over the Fishers Freight, 60-57 on May 9 at the Kia Center. Quarterback Paxton DeLaurent tallied six total touchdowns and running back Pooka Williams added three touchdowns on the ground. It was a fairly even game as both teams had almost the same amount of first downs, while Fishers won the turnover battle. The Pirates had 97 more total yards than the Freight. 

Orlando held a six-point lead entering the fourth quarter of last week's contest, and in a game that featured nine total lead changes - including five in the final quarter alone - a 23-point outburst from Fishers saw Orlando trail by three with less than three minutes left. After marching down the field on the final possession, DeLaurent lobbed a pass to the left corner of the end zone where receiver Teo Redding made a leaping, over-the-wall grab for the game-winning touchdown on the final play. The three point victory vaulted Orlando into third place in the IFL Eastern Conference standings.

DeLaurent finished 28-of-31 passing for 308 yards and five touchdowns with an interception and added a rushing touchdown on five carries with 22 yards. Williams ran six times, totaling 34 yards and three touchdowns. Three different receivers landed on the score sheet as well for the Pirates, Nyqwan Murray found paydirt three times on nine catches with 133 yards to lead all players, Redding's game-winning score was part of an eight-catch, 65 yard day, and Thomas Owens hauled in 64 yards on six grabs with a touchdown.

Orlando's leading tackler was Corrion Ballard with eight total tackles, while Dexter Lawson added six. DJ Daniel was the leading solo tackler with five.

For the Freight, Felix Harper finished 10-of-15 passing for 93 yards. His number one option in the air was CJ Windham, making five catches for 48 yards. Dominic Roberto led the way on the ground, running the ball 18 times for 102 yards, adding five scores. On defense, Jaiden Roe shined with nine total tackles and Donnie Lewis was the top solo tackler with five.

Orlando handed the Freight their second consecutive loss while also snapping their own two-game skid. The Pirates will meet the Freight in Fishers to end the season on July 26th.

The Series:

The Pirates are 1-1 all-time against the Knight Hawks. Both matchups occurred when the Pirates were playing in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Last Meeting: 

The Pirates defeated the Knight Hawks 49-28 on June 10, 2023 at the DCU Arena in Massachusetts. Orlando's defense stifled the Vegas offense by forcing four turnovers and allowing just seven points in the second half. 

The Pirates trailed by two at halftime, but rallied for 26 second-half points to earn the win. Defensive backs Stephen Roberts and Kiante Northing tallied interceptions while Trevon Young and Navaughn Donaldson scooped up fumbles. Quarterback Anthony Russo finished eight-of-15 passing for 132 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the contest. 

Rookie running back Jimmie Robinson ran 13 times for 107 yards and five touchdowns. He added a nine-yard reception and returned three kicks for 31 yards, resulting in 147 total offensive yards on the day. Receiver Darren Carrington II totaled 74 yards and a touchdown on just three catches, while Isaac Zico tallied 31 yards on his three receptions. DB Leon O'Neal Jr. and Roberts made nine tackles each, while linebacker Terrence Smith and lineman Lorenzo Hernandez added sacks as part of Orlando's five total tackles for a loss.

Team Stats (Includes IFL Ranking):

The Pirates are fourth in the league averaging 50.1 points per game and second averaging 258 yards per game. 1,233 of these yards have come through the passing attack, where Orlando ranks fourth in the IFL this season. Defensively, the Pirates allow 56 points per game, the most in the league, while their 250.8 yards given up per contest is the second-most mark.

The Knight Hawks average a league-best 53.2 points per game, yet their 226.8 yards per game ranks just ninth-most in the IFL. Vegas tallies 86.7 rushing yards per contest, the third-most this season. On defense, Vegas allows 35.3 points per game, trailing only San Antonio for the league's top mark. They also give up the fifth-fewest yards per game (213.7) in the IFL.

Players to Watch (Includes IFL Ranking):

Pirates QB Paxton DeLaurent's 206.7 passing yards per game leads the IFL this season. He stands third in the league with 119 completions and best in the league with a 76.3 completion percentage. He also sits third with 1,240 passing yards and fourth with a 181.1 pass efficiency rate. Through Orlando's first six games, DeLaurent has completed 119-of-156 passes for 1,240 yards with 21 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He also leads the Pirates in rushing with 150 yards and four scores on 44 carries.

Running back Pooka Williams has rushed for 124 yards and 10 touchdowns on 43 carries through the first six games of the season, which places him 18th among the league leaders. Receiver Thomas Owens places fourth in the league with 367 yards and nine touchdowns on just 33 catches (3rd in IFL). He also ranks third in receiving yards per game (61.2), just one spot ahead of fellow Pirates wideout Teo Redding (57.2). 

The defensive leaders for the Pirates are Latavious Brini with 24 total tackles and 5.5 tackles for a loss with 1.5 sacks, Destin Mack with 23 tackles, an interception and forced fumble, and Khari Coleman with 19 tackles and a tackle for loss. 

For Vegas, Jayden DeLaura is 68-of-93 (73.1%) passing with 793 yards, 18 touchdowns and an interception through six games. He's also rushed for 29 carries (21st), 152 yards (14th) and five touchdowns (14th). His 25.3 rush yards per contest stands at 14th in the IFL. Running back Josh Tomas is seventh this season with 248 yards and 10 scores on 69 total carries through the Knight Hawks' first six contests. He also ranks fifth in the IFL averaging 41.3 yards per game. 

The top three receiving leaders for Vegas are Quentin Randolph with six catches for 286 yards and 10 touchdowns, Phoenix Sproles with 150 yards and 2 scores on just 16 grabs, and Deshon Stoudemire with 143 yards and three touchdowns on only 10 catches. 

Defensive back Clifton Duck is the top tackling machine for Vegas, leading the way with 45 total tackles (4th), 1.5 TFL, a forced fumble and two interceptions. Linebacker Ian McBorrough is sixth in the IFL with 41 tackles, and Fred Flavors is third on the Knight Hawks with 35 tackles (14th) and his 4 pass breakups (8th) 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 2-2 record. He looks to earn his third win as the Pirates' lead man with an upset over Vegas on Monday night.

Mike Davis was hired as the first Vegas Knight Hawks general manager and head coach in franchise history.

Before joining the Knight Hawks, Davis served as the Defensive Line Coach for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts in 2020. Prior to joining the Argonauts, Davis spent the 2016-19 seasons as the Manager of Player Personnel for the Saskatchewan RoughRiders. He also served as the Defensive Line Coach for the RoughRiders during the 2019-20 season.

Before joining the CFL, Davis had a six-year stint as the head coach of the IFL's Nebraska Danger, which began in 2010. In his time there, he led his team to three consecutive conference championships, earning him a spot in the team's Hall of Fame in 2018.

Preceding his time with Nebraska, Davis spent five years in the Arena Football League and was Assistant General Manager of the Omaha Beef.

He grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia and played college football at Virginia Tech.

Last year, he led the Knight Hawks to victory in the 2025 Indoor Football League National Championship, defeating the Green Bay Blizzard 64-61 at Tucson Arena on August 23, 2025. 

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

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