Pirates kick off holiday weekend with a 54-31 win over Iowa

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Thursday night at Tsongas Center, the Massachusetts Pirates (7-6, 7-4) were looking at a must-win game. They faced a Iowa Barnstormers (1-12, 1-11) squad that had already been eliminated from playoff considerations. The Pirates could not afford to let their guard down with the playoffs still in the picture. Not to mention, a chance to take advantage of off weekends for both Green Bay and Tulsa, two teams they are chasing for the last spot in the postseason.

The Barnstormers came to Tsongas with the best passing offense in the league, averaging 218 yards through the air. QB James Cahoon is a big reason why the passing game is this good. He entered Thursday night’s game with 1,758 yards and 33 touchdowns through the air. The flip side for Iowa is a defense that has given up a ton of points, 58.2 per game to be exact. Something the Pirates were hoping to take full advantage of.

The Pirates won the coin toss and elected to take the football. It would take Massachusetts one play to score. Off a play fake, QB Kenji Bahar found Pooka Williams all alone down the left sidelines for a 44 touchdown pass. The extra point was good, and the Pirates were off and running at 7-0 with 13:11 left in the quarter. The Pirates’ defense did its job on Iowa’s first possession, forcing a field goal try by Gabriel Rui that was wide left. With 9:20 left, the Pirates had the ball back with the lead. The second Massachusetts possession was not as good as the first. Bahar was picked off by Barnstormers DB Ja Corey Benjamin at the Iowa goal line. The Iowa offense was having its problems as another deep field goal try by Rui was short left. Massachusetts got the ball back deep in their end of the field with 4:41 left. The Pirates got a break on an offside by the Iowa defense, which netted them a first down. With five seconds left in the quarter, Bahar faked a handoff and took it in from three yards out for a rushing score. The extra point was blocked, and the quarter came to an end with Massachusetts up 13-0.

The second quarter started with Iowa trying to get on the board. Iowa QB James Cahoon did not help the cause, as he threw a pick on the right side taken by Pirates DB Destin Mack. So far, the Pirates’ defense had come to play. The turnover led to a 37-yard catch and run for a Pirates TD from Thomas Owens, who broke a tackle and went down the left sidelines for his first score of the game. It was Bahar’s second TD throw of the night. The extra point was good, and it was 20-0 Massachusetts with 9:56 left in the half. The Pirates’ defense turned the ball back over to the offense by stopping the Barnstormers on downs. After a Bahar run to the Iowa 11-yard line. He threw his third TD of the half, this one over the middle to Steven McBride, who stretched the ball over the goal line for the score. The extra point was good, and it was now 27-0 Massachusetts with 5:45 left in the half.

The Pirates’ defense did it again with another pick of Cahoon. Mack, with his second of the half, had Massachusetts on the move once again. They finished it off with a 14-yard run up the middle by Bahar, who was having quite a first half with three TD passes and two rushing scores. The extra point made it a 34-0 Pirates lead with 2:11 left in the half. The Barnstormers changed QBs for their final drive of the half. Out was Cahoon and in was Grant Rohach. It would pay off on a nice drive that was helped by three defensive penalties on the Pirates. Quian Williams took a handoff, turned the left corner, and scored from 3 yards out. The two-point try was no good. With 23 seconds left, it was 34-6 Massachusetts. With 15 seconds left, Bahar threw his fourth score of the half, his second to Owens. The kick was no good, and it was 40-6, Pirates. The half would come to an end with the Pirates defense coming up with their third pick of the half. This one by Marcis Floyd. The half came to an end with Massachusetts leading 40-6.

The first half could not have gone any better for the Pirates. Could that continue in the second half? Well, Iowa’s first play was a good one. Cahoon, who had a bad first half, found Quian Williams over the middle for a Barnstormers touchdown to make it 40-13 Massachusetts with 13:51 left. Then, Iowa recovered the onside kick to retain possession. Cahoon made it work with a 14-yard TD pass to Raheem Harvey. Two possessions, two scores. It was now 40-19 Pirates after the two-point try was no good. The Pirates got back on track with Bahar to Owens for the third time. For Bahar, it was his fifth TD pass of the game. 47-19 Massachusetts with 5:44 left in the third. The quarter ended with that score.

The fourth quarter started with Iowa having a fourth and 15. The Pirates’ defense came up big again and turned the ball back over to the offense. Bahar threw his second pick of the night to Jared Saad on the right side. Cahoon then found Williams for an eight-yard score. The two-point try was no good. Massachusetts now led 47-25 with 10:08 left. Bahar had a one-yard sneak for his third rushing touchdown of the game to make it 54-25 with 7:02 left. One more score from Iowa with a minute left, and the point try failed; it was now 54-31 Pirates. That is how it ended. Massachusetts wins, 54-37.