The Resch Center in Green Bay has proven one of the best home field advantages in all of the IFL, and Friday night’s regular season home opener for the Green Bay Blizzard was no exception. In front of a packed house, the Blizz ran out the clock on a 52-47 victory over the visiting Iowa Barnstormers, evening their record at 1-1.
Green Bay put together an impressive opening drive on the night, culminating with a Kymani “Kimo” Clarke touchdown and an early 7-0 cushion, but Iowa answered quickly, an early indicator of what would be a back-and-forth affair for the entire opening half. A late Blizzard score would give Green Bay a 31-26 advantage entering the locker room.
On the strength of strong defensive play and timely, efficient offensive possessions, the Blizzard lead would swell to 19 points late in the 4th, but no lead ever is safe in the IFL. Iowa quickly erased nearly all of the deficit with a TD-two point conversion-recovered onside kick-TD sequence that quieted the home crowd and set up a decisive onside kick attempt, inside of 1-minute remaining. Blizzard WR Lowell Patron, Jr. climbed the ladder to secure the ball and the victory, 52-47.
Green Bay stays home for a Sunday matinee, welcoming the defending IFL National Champion Arizona Rattlers to the Resch for a 3:05 kickoff on April 6th. Zona (1-0) is fresh off of a 56-28 thumping of the Tucson Sugar Skulls. It’s “Faith and Family Day” in Green Bay, as fans will be treated to a free halftime show by Tenth Avenue North.
