Tag: tsongas center

LOWELL — Reaching 50 never looked so good to Jimmie Robinson.

The Massachusetts running back made the most of his Monday night, rushing for a pair of touchdowns, including the 50th of his career, while catching a third during an electric first half, as the Pirates defeated the Quad City Steelwheelers, 52-35, in Indoor Football League action at the Tsongas Center.

The Pirates (8-6) avoided a season sweep against the Quad City (6-7), which trailed them by just one game in the IFL standings with the playoffs looming, in front of a crowd of 2,872.

“We’d play every Monday night if we got a performance like this,” said coach Rod Miller. “It was good. The guys have been waiting and eager to play. This was a big game for us and we’re the only show in the nation right now on Monday night. So we wanted to go out and play our last home game and give the fans something to cheer about. We played a decent game tonight.”

Robinson was a key cog in the offensive attack by breaking into the end zone on three occasions in the first half alone, while his team clung to a 27-20 lead at halftime.

Meanwhile, Pirates quarterback Alejandro Bennefield (13-for-15 passing, 132 yards, 5 TDs)  and Thomas Owens (4-for-46 receiving, 4 TDs) put the game out of reach with a relentless air attack, combining for four more end zone grabs, including three in the second half to seal the deal.

The Pirates had to overcome some early pressure. Quad City got an immediate boost off a 33-yard field goal by Kyle Kaplan, one of three he had, giving the Steamwheelers the 3-0 lead.

Bennifield helped key the comeback on their ensuing series, rolling down the left sidelines to the 3, before handing the pigskin over to Robinson. The fleet-footed running back rumbled to paydirt, giving the Pirates the 6-2 lead with 8:05 remaining in the quarter.

Robinson was just getting warmed up. The running back turned receiver took a Bennifield pass before jetting 14 yards down the left side boards to the to retake the 12-10 lead. Henry Nell added a PAT, holding the 13-10 edge at the end of the first quarter.

The Pirates stymied Quad City to open the second quarter, with Julius Turner swatting away a pass. Robinson took it from there on the turnover. The running back bolted 26 yards to the house for his third touchdown of the game. It marked the 50th career rushing touchdown of the IFL star’s two-year career. Nell added the PAT to increase the 20-10 lead.

“Jimmie brings consistency,” said Miller. “I say every week Jimmie is the best running back in the league, He’s the best player in the league in my opinion week in and week out. We ride the team on his back. I tell him I’ll get you a stop you get me a score. That’s been our motto going forward and he’s working, So we’re going to keep up that motto.”

Quad City’s Jarrod Harrington gave his team a lift, scoring on a kickoff return to cut the deficit to 20-17, but the Pirates never blinked.

Instead, Bennifield sent Darren Carrington deep to the 4 on their next possession, before finding Owens just two plays later on a 3-yard grab to expand the 26-17 lead. Nell’s PAT extended the 27-17 cushion with 6:37 left in half.

Kaplan booted its second field goal for Quad City, cutting the Massachusetts advantage to 27-20 at halftime.

Bennifield connected with Owens for his second end zone grab just seconds into the third quarter. Nell’s PAT extended the Pirates’ lead to 35-20.

Quad City’s Kaplan added his third field goal 35-23. And when running back Edward Vander rolled in on a 30-yard strike, and subsequent two-point conversion run moments later, the Steamwheelers pulled as close as 35-28 with 4:21 left in the third quarter.

But Owens killed any thoughts of a Quad City comeback. The receiver made a jumping grab of a Bennefield pass for his third TD end reception of the game, giving the Pirates the commanding 42-28 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Quad City threatened by scoring a fourth quarter touchdown with 9:00 to play, cutting the lead to 42-35. But Owens extinguished the Steelwheelers’ hopes catching his fourth TD of the game to hold the 49-35 lead.

“Thomas has been consistent in this organization since he’s been here,” said Miller. “He’s finally getting healthy and all these guys are starting to peak at the right time. We get Zico back as well I’m excited about where we’re going.”

Nell provided the game-breaking field goal to seal the deal and accounting for the 52-35 final.

According to Miller, the team has enjoyed getting acclimated to its new home at Tsongas Center.

The coach has enjoyed playing in Lowell this season.

“This has been a great experience,” said Miller. “You saw the crowd tonight, some people are getting use to it and get use to this game. We left some people with a good taste in their mouths. Next year we’ll keep increasing the crowds if we keep getting better as a team.”

Jimmie Robinson is gearing up for some Monday night mayhem.

The Massachusetts Pirates running back plans to let loose, as his Indoor Football League team plays host to the Quad City Steamwheelers on Monday at Tsongas Center. Kickoff is set for 7:05 p.m.

The Pirates (7-6) are fresh off a big 44-30 win over the Jacksonville Sharks on Saturday, snapping a three-game losing skid. They’ll look for some payback against a tough Quad City club (6-6) that previously got the best of them, 54-43, in Moline, Illinois, on April 20.

“This will be my first Monday night game in arena football,” said Robinson. “We know it will be a tough game as always. We have to eliminate the mistakes on our end and just play Pirates football. If we do that it’s hard for us to be beat. I’m hoping it will be a sold-out crowd. I’m really excited for it.”

After jumping out to a fantastic 4-0 start, the Pirates have been battling with consistency as of late, winning just three of their last nine. The road win against Jacksonville could go a long way as they regroup for the homestretch and final three remaining regular season games.

“In the losses we’ve had, we were just one less mistake away from winning,” said Robinson. “We’ve played a good group of teams, but I honestly feel like we beat ourselves in those losses. Last weekend, we worked on having a championship mindset, taking it one game at a time and not looking forward to the playoffs. We are controlling what we can control now.”

Robinson will be a key cog in getting the offense in motion. The 5-foot-8, 182-pound running back currently leads the IFL in rushing with 938 yards on 161 carries, and a league best 28 touchdowns. He’s also pulled down 215 yards receiving with three end zone grabs.

Last week against Jacksonville, the fleet-footed running back broke the 100-yard rushing barrier for the first time this season, with 109 on 17 carries while adding a touchdown.

“It’s always a great feeling knowing that I can be a big impact player for the team,” said Robinson. “They trust me when the game is on the line to get things done.”

Since joining the league last season, Robinson has been in perpetual motion, leading the IFL in rushing the past two seasons.

Last year in Worcester, he ran for 28 rushing touchdowns and was third in the league, averaging 65.4 rushing yards per game. The former undrafted free agent signing of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019 led the IFL in total offense per game last year, averaging138 yards. He also had 27 receptions for 316 yards and three touchdowns.

In his rookie year, Robinson set or equaled IFL single-game season highs in touchdowns with six, rushing touchdowns (six), 36 points and 163 rushing yards against Iowa. In Worcester, Robinson set seven single-game, 13 single-season, and eight all-time Pirates records.

He’s only continued to build on his pigskin resume in Lowell this season, running for five rushing touchdowns against the Northern Arizona Wranglers in May 18, and recording his first kickoff return of the season in a game against the San Antonio Gunslingers on June 15.

“It’s a really good feeling knowing that I can bring that kind of energy onto the field,” said Robinson. “Being a guy that can make a play happen at any time.”

But as talented as he is, Robinson knows he can’t go at it alone. The speedy back credits the unheralded play of his offensive line for making it all possible.

“I can’t thank those guys enough,” said Robinson. “We have a big group up front. They really make it way easier for me when it comes to seeing holes. It’s not hard seeing those holes, because of their movement up front. They’re doing a great job doing what they are doing.”

A Native of Palm Coast, Florida, Robinson was drawn to the football field at the age of 8.

“Growing up, that’s all I would see,” said Robinson. “My older cousins made us start playing at a young age. I was playing with guys that were 14-15 years old and I was just 8. I was always the smallest, so I had to be the fastest.”

The IFL is his third professional stop on his football journey. Robinson signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League in 2021.

“I always had that mindset that I could play at the next level,” said Robinson. “I had that goal. So, every time I stepped out onto the football field from Pop Warner to middle school to high school, I always had that in mind. This is what I wanted to do.”

He likes the attitude the Pirates have displayed this season, even when times have gotten tough.

“We have a good group of guys that can all bring something different to the table,” said Robinson. “Offense-wise, we basically have the same group of guys we had last year. We clicked pretty well together. Defense has a couple guys from last year. They’re still learning from each other. They’re making plays and having fun. That’s the biggest thing we talk about every week, having fun and doing your job. I think with this win (last weekend) it’s bringing the energy back to us.”

And there’s no better place to get the job done then in front of packed houses at the Tsongas Center. The running back has enjoyed introducing his team’s brand of football to the masses each week in Lowell

“They’ve been really good,” said Robinson. “The fans have come out and have given us a lot of support. We go to a lot of events in the community. They’ve showed their love back with their support on game day. A lot of the kids have come out. It’s been a great.”

With two road games remaining in San Antonio and Tulsa, Robinson knows his team still has plenty left to play for. But first things first. Bring on Quad City.

“We’re not looking too far ahead,” said Robinson. “Don’t focus on next week, until we finish the job this week.”