Images courtesy of the Massachusetts Pirates

The Massachusetts Pirates thumped the Green Bay Blizzard on Friday night, 51-28 to advance to the IFL Championship game on Saturday August 17th in Henderson, Nevada.

The Pirates will have to wait until Monday to find out who their opponent will be. They will either face the San Diego Strike Force or the Arizona Rattlers. 

Quarterback Alejandro Bennifield completed 10 of 15 passes for 118 yards and three touchdown passes to three different receivers. He also rushed for 11 yards and a touchdown on the ground. 

As usual, the Pirates go as running back Jimmie Robinson goes and business was good for the best back in the IFL on Friday night. Robinson racked up 108 rushing yards on 20 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. He added 64 yards on kickoff returns as well.

Bennifield opened the score on a 3 yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Pirates. Green Bay would answer and tie the game at seven apiece until the end of the first quarter when wide receiver Teo Redding caught a 22 yard touchdown pass to put the Pirates up 14-7. 

The Pirates would extend their lead to 20-7 on a 7 yard touchdown run by Robinson. Massachusetts would go up 26-7 on a 5 yard touchdown pass from Bennifield to Owens. Former NFL defensive back Matt Elam would put the game on ice after picking off Blizzard quarterback Max Meylor and returning it 17 yards for a touchdown. 

Green Bay would score with :28 seconds left in the first half to make 34-14 at the break. The Pirates would open the second half scoring on a 44 yard touchdown pass from Bennifield to Issac Zico to make 41-14. The Blizzard would get as close as 44-28 but a 12 yard touchdown run by Robinson would make 51-28 and seal the deal. 

Defensively, former Boston College standout Jaiden Woodbey led the way with nine tackles, and the Pirates secondary was the difference with Cyrus Fagan breaking up a pass and CJ Holmes and Matt Elam each getting an interception.

In their first season in Lowell, the Pirates make an unexpected playoff run and find them in the championship game. You could not script this better.