Sioux Falls Storm
The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Storm joined the original Indoor Football League as an expansion team in 1999 as the Sioux Falls Cobras, and first took the field for the 2000 season. They currently participate in another iteration of the Indoor Football League; prior to that, the Storm were in United Indoor Football, where they won all four of the league's championship games. In the newer IFL, the Storm have won seven of the eleven championships in the league as of 2019.
They play their home games at Denny Sanford Premier Center. In mid-April 2014, the team announced that the 2014 season would be its last at the aging Sioux Falls Arena, originally constructed in 1961. In 2015, the Storm followed the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League to the newly constructed Denny Sanford Premier Center.
History
The Storm were founded as an expansion team in the original Indoor Football League in 1999 as the Sioux Falls Cobras. In their inaugural 2000 season, they won their first game defeating the Sioux City Attack 44–30. They went 8–6 on the season and finished fourth in the Southern Division. After one season, the became members of the National Indoor Football League and changed their name to the Storm. The Storm hosted the 2004 NIFL championship game against the Lexington Horsemen in the Storm Shelter in front of a sellout crowd. The Horsemen won the championship game, but the Storm defeated the Horsemen a year later in the second round of the 2005 UIF playoffs in Lexington.The Sioux Falls Storm were charter members of United Indoor Football in 2005 and were the first UIF champions with a win over the Sioux City Bandits, 40–38 at Sioux City. Sioux Falls won its second consecutive UIF championship in 2006 at their home ground, the Arena, defeating the Lexington Horseman 72–64 on July 29, 2006. Quarterback Terrance Bryant was named United Bowl II MVP after throwing eight touchdowns in the match. Defensive end Nate Fluit recorded 16.5 sacks in 2005 and 15.5 in 2006.
Sioux Falls became one of the few teams in indoor football history to post a shutout, beating the Peoria Rough Riders 71–0 on June 3, 2006.
On Saturday, August 4, 2007, the Storm defeated the Lexington Horsemen for the second United Bowl in a row, 62 to 59. With 19 seconds left to go in the game Storm quarterback Terrance Bryant threw up a prayer, and though protested by the small crowd of Horsemen fans, it was ruled a touchdown pass. With three seconds left in the game, and with the help of a frantic fan going for the game ball, the Horsemen gained 15 yards for a chance to kick a field goal and tie the game, but the kick was missed by Horsemen kicker Collin Barber.
On March 29, 2008, the Storm lost to the Omaha Beef 34–18, ending their historic 40-game winning streak and giving them their first loss since July 15, 2005. They went on to win their fourth United Bowl later that season against the Bloomington Extreme.
On April 25, 2009, after switching to the Indoor Football League, the Storm were found in violation of the IFL's rule of not complying with regulations related to workers compensation coverage. As punishment, the team's first five wins of the 2009 season were forfeited; this resulted in a 6-8 season, the first losing season in team history. The other three losses all came to the Billings Outlaws. In 2010, the Storm rebounded to reach the United Bowl before losing 43-34 to the Outlaws.
After a tornado dubbed the Father's Day Tornado hit Billings' Rimrock Auto Arena on June 20, 2010, causing major damage, the Outlaws franchise folded, and their star quarterback Chris Dixon signed with the Storm. Led by Dixon, Sioux Falls scored an astounding 1022 points on the 2011 regular season, with 70 or more points in 10 games and opening with a 105-71 win over the Kent Predators in Kent, Washington. Only twice did the Storm fall short of 50 points and both were against the Omaha Beef, who handed them a 41-37 loss in the regular season finale after Sioux Falls had started 13-0. The two teams met in the next game, which was the playoff opener. The Storm won it, 52-39, then beat Green Bay 52-12 to return to the United Bowl. Although they tied their lowest scoring game of the season, Sioux Falls rolled over the Tri-Cities Fever 37-10 to earn the league championship after a two-year hiatus and also win its first IFL title. Dixon and the Storm dominated again in 2012, this time with a perfect 14-0 record and 941 points in the regular season. On April 14, the Storm beat the Allen Wranglers, then featuring former NFL standout receiver Terrell Owens, 52-45 on the road in Allen, Texas. Dixon threw his 500th career touchdown pass, when he hit James Terry with a 42-yard pass during a May 19 game against the Blizzard. Sioux Falls defeated the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks 79-21 in the playoff opener, then again beat Green Bay in the semifinal and Tri-Cities in the United Bowl.
Dixon then left, attempting to make it with the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. Sioux Falls did not suffer greatly in 2013 as Storm legend Terrance Bryant returned to play quarterback. Following a 10-4 season, the Storm again prevailed in the playoffs and defeated the Nebraska Danger by a close 43-40 score for the title. Bryant then retired again, as on January 6, 2014, it was announced that Dixon would be returning to the Storm, citing his desire to graduate from Augustana College and be close to his family. Dixon did not disappoint, leading the Storm to their eighth title in 2014. The Storm again defeated Nebraska in the United Bowl by a 63-46 score. The Sioux Falls Storm completed its era at the Sioux Falls Arena with a 112-14 home record including 82-3 from 2006–2014.
In 2015, the Storm's first season at the Denny Sanford Premier Center was very successful, completing another undefeated season at 16-0 overall, and was capped off with winning their ninth league championship by a score of 62–27 over the Danger.
In 2016, the Storm continued their dominance. But lost their first game since the 2014 season as they lost at the Cedar Rapids Titans, 60–57. But despite that setback, they capped off another successful season with a win over the newly minted Spokane Empire, 55–34, to capture their tenth championship overall and their sixth IFL Championship and sixth in a row. They returned to the championship game in 2017, but lost for the first time since the 2010 season to the Arizona Rattlers.
Prior to the 2018 season, the Storm announced they would join Champions Indoor Football on August 30, 2017, in order to have smaller travel budget and reignite rivalries with the nearby Sioux City Bandits and Omaha Beef. However, after the IFL's offseason meetings, the Storm re-joined the IFL on October 4.
Players
Current roster
Retired numbers
Awards and honors
Notable Sioux Falls alumni
Coaches
Head coaches
Staff
Season-by-season results
Records vs. opponent
- * win forfeited to a loss for insurance violation
Opponent | Overall | Home | Away | Playoff |
Allen Wranglers | ||||
Arizona Rattlers | ||||
Bemidji Axemen | ||||
Billings Outlaws | ||||
Billings Wolves | ||||
Bismarck Bucks | ||||
Bismarck Roughriders | ||||
Black Hills/Rapid City Red Dogs | ||||
Bloomington Extreme | * | * | ||
Bricktown Brawlers | ||||
Cedar Rapids River Kings | ||||
Cedar Rapids Titans | ||||
Chicago Slaughter | ||||
Colorado Ice/Crush | ||||
Evansville BlueCats | ||||
Fairbanks Grizzlies | ||||
Fort Wayne Freedom | ||||
Green Bay Blizzard | ||||
Iowa Barnstormers | ||||
Kent Predators | ||||
La Crosse Spartans | ||||
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks | ||||
Lexington Horsemen | ||||
Lincoln Capitols | ||||
Louisiana Swashbucklers | ||||
Louisiana Bayou Beast | ||||
Mississippi Fire Dogs | ||||
Muskegon Thunder | ||||
Nebraska Danger | ||||
Ohio Valley Greyhounds | ||||
Omaha Beef | * | * | ||
Peoria Rough Riders | ||||
Quad City Steamwheelers | ||||
Reading Express | ||||
RiverCity Rage | ||||
Rochester Raiders | * | * | ||
Rock River/Tenn. Valley Raptors | ||||
San Diego Strike Force | ||||
Sioux City Bandits | * | * | ||
Spokane Empire | ||||
Texas Revolution | ||||
Tri-Cities Fever | ||||
Tri-City Diesel | ||||
Tucson Sugar Skulls | ||||
Utah Rattlers | ||||
Utah Warriors | ||||
Wenatchee Valley Venom | ||||
Wichita Falls Nighthawks | ||||
Wichita Wild | * | * | ||
Wyoming Cavalry |
Season schedules (2001–2017)
2001
2001 National Indoor Football League Season Summary
Date | Opponent | Result |
April 7 | @ Tri City Diesel | 42–41 |
April 14 | Billings Outlaws | 52–26 |
April 21 | @ Wyoming Cavalry | 45–34 |
April 28 | @ Utah Rattlers | 78–75 |
May 5 | @ Mississippi Firedogs | 44–33 |
May 12 | Sioux City Bandits | 31–28 |
May 19 | Rapid City Red Dogs | 25–21 |
May 25 | @ Billings Outlaws | 44–39 |
June 2 | @ Rapid City Red Dogs | 44–42 |
June 9 | Sioux City Bandits | 27–24 |
June 16 | Louisiana Bayou Beast | 58–21 |
June 23 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 23–19 |
July 7 | Wyoming Cavalry | 48–47 |
July 14 | Tri City Diesel | 32–30 |
July 20 | @ Rapid City Red Dogs | 40–25 |
July 26 | @ Wyoming Cavalry | 37–31 |
2002
2002 National Indoor Football League Season Summary
Date | Opponent | Result |
March 9 | @ Bismarck Roughriders | 48–20 |
March 24 | Billings Outlaws | 51–31 |
March 30 | @ Rapid City Red Dogs | 52–40 |
April 7 | Wyoming Cavalry | 46–3 |
April 14 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 40–21 |
April 20 | Tri City Diesel | 48–34 |
April 27 | @ Omaha Beef | 43–33 |
May 11 | Lincoln Capitols | 41–33 |
May 18 | Bismarck Roughriders | 65–58 |
May 24 | @ Tri City Diesel | 51–44 |
June 1 | @ Billings Outlaws | 59–30 |
June 15 | Sioux City Bandits | 35–22 |
June 21 | @ Wyoming Cavalry | 53–46 |
June 29 | Rapid City Red Dogs | 45–17 |
2003
2003 National Indoor Football League Season Summary
Date | Opponent | Result |
March 23 | @ Rapid City Red Dogs | 30–26 |
March 27 | @ Lincoln Capitols | 31–21 |
April 5 | Wyoming Cavalry | 36–18 |
April 12 | @ Billings Outlaws | 47–44 |
April 19 | @ Bismarck Roughriders | 55–48 |
April 26 | @ Utah Warriors | 59–35 |
May 3 | @ Fort Wayne Freedom | 55–19 |
May 10 | Sioux City Bandits | 43–25 |
May 17 | @ Wyoming Cavalry | 58–27 |
May 24 | Billings Outlaws | 36–32 |
June 7 | Utah Warriors | 47–34 |
June 14 | Fort Wayne Freedom | 52–49 |
June 28 | Rapid City Red Dogs | 31–23 |
July 5 | Bismarck Roughriders | 44–27 |
July 12 | @ Utah Warriors | 68–55 |
2004
2004 National Indoor Football League Season Summary
Date | Opponent | Result |
March 13 | @ Omaha Beef | 41–14 |
March 22 | @ Utah Warriors | 51–49 |
March 26 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 66–43 |
April 3 | Wyoming Cavalry | 47–13 |
April 16 | @ Lincoln Capitols | 34–28 |
May 1 | Black Hills Red Dogs | 47–28 |
May 8 | @ Wyoming Cavalry | 57–54 |
May 15 | Lincoln Capitols | 68–9 |
May 22 | Billings Outlaws | 30–21 |
May 29 | Utah Warriors | 62–37 |
June 5 | @ Black Hills Red Dogs | 62–40 |
June 12 | Billings Outlaws | 44–34 |
June 19 | Omaha Beef | 79–26 |
June 26 | Sioux City Bandits | 36–32 |
July 17 | Utah Warriors | 65–41 |
July 25 | Billings Outlaws | 44–13 |
August 7 | Lexington Horsemen | 59–38 |
2005
2005 United Indoor Football Season Summary
Date | Opponent | Result |
March 19 | @ Omaha Beef | 55–31 |
March 26 | @ Black Hills Red Dogs | 60–31 |
April 9 | Lexington Horsemen | 52–24 |
April 16 | Sioux City Bandits | 50–43 |
April 23 | @ Omaha Beef | 47–30 |
April 30 | Fort Wayne Freedom | 34–31 |
May 7 | Peoria Rough Riders | 56–21 |
May 15 | @ Black Hills Red Dogs | 58–30 |
May 21 | Evansville Bluecats | 49–42 |
May 28 | Black Hills Red Dogs | 55–15 |
June 11 | @ Lexington Horsemen | 61–43 |
June 18 | @ Tennessee Valley Raptors | 49–39 |
June 25 | Sioux City Bandits | 38–34 |
July 2 | Omaha Beef | 49–44 |
July 9 | Black Hills Red Dogs | 65–14 |
July 15 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 54–48 |
July 30 | @ Omaha Beef | 51–41 |
August 6 | @ Lexington Horsemen | 62–58 |
August 14 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 40–38 |
2006
2006 United Indoor Football Season Summary
Date | Opponent | Result |
March 24 | @ Omaha Beef | 51–29 |
April 1 | @ Rock River Raptors | 46–20 |
April 8 | Sioux City Bandits | 28–6 |
April 15 | Rock River Raptors | 48–34 |
April 22 | @ Fort Wayne Freedom | 47–44 |
April 29 | @ Ohio Valley Greyhounds | 51–24 |
May 6 | Fort Wayne Freedom | 44–25 |
May 13 | Omaha Beef | 34–24 |
May 20 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 51–34 |
June 2 | @ Omaha Beef | 40–38 |
June 10 | Peoria Rough Riders | 71–0 |
June 17 | Sioux City Bandits | 25–17 |
June 24 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 49–28 |
July 1 | Bloomington Extreme | 66–35 |
July 8 | Evansville Bluecats | 33–26 |
July 23 | Evansville Bluecats | 32–26 |
July 29 | Lexington Horsemen | 72–64 |
2007
Date | Opponent | Result |
March 24 | @ Rock River Raptors | 44–34 |
March 31 | @ Billings Outlaws | 52–49 OT |
April 6 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 44–29 |
April 14 | @ Omaha Beef | 61–17 |
April 21 | Billings Outlaws | 51–18 |
May 5 | @ Colorado Ice | 49–20 |
May 12 | Sioux City Bandits | 56–31 |
May 19 | Omaha Beef | 33–19 |
Jun 2 | @ Colorado Ice | 51–17 |
June 9 | Sioux City Bandits | 50–25 |
June 16 | Ohio Valley Greyhounds | 56–20 |
June 23 | @ Lexington Horsemen | 76–45 |
June 30 | Colorado Ice | 48–3 |
July 7 | Rock River Raptors | 34–30 |
July 14 | Billings Outlaws | 34–9 |
July 21 | Colorado Ice | 44–16 |
July 29 | Billings Outlaws | 45–23 |
August 4 | Lexington Horsemen | 62–59 |
2008
2008 United Indoor Football Season Summary
Date | Opponent | Result |
March 8 | @ Bloomington Extreme | 50–37 |
March 17 | Colorado Ice | 48–24 |
March 29 | @ Omaha Beef | 34–18 |
April 5 | @ Billings Outlaws | 38–31 |
April 12 | Sioux City Bandits | 45–34 |
April 19 | Billings Outlaws | 54–43 |
April 26 | @ RiverCity Rage | 41–32 |
May 3 | Sioux City Bandits | 51–46 |
May 10 | RiverCity Rage | 60–13 |
May 17 | Wichita Wild | 57–14 |
May 24 | @ Billings Outlaws | 62–52 |
May 31 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 41–34 |
June 6 | @ Colorado Ice | 29–24 |
June 14 | Bloomington Extreme | 49–41 |
June 28 | Billings Outlaws | 46–44 |
July 12 | Bloomington Extreme | 40–35 |
August 2 | Louisiana Swashbucklers | 54–42 |
2009
2009 Indoor Football League Season Summary
Date | Opponent | Result |
March 8 | @ Bloomington Extreme | 50–47 * |
March 19 | @ Rochester Raiders | 31–18 * |
March 29 | Omaha Beef | 67–49 * |
April 4 | @ Wichita Wild | 45–41 * |
April 11 | @ Sioux City Bandits | 46–13 * |
April 18 | Sioux City Bandits | 53–32 |
April 25 | @ Billings Outlaws | 42–41 |
May 9 | Muskegon Thunder | 74–13 |
May 16 | Wichita Wild | 49–21 |
May 23 | @ Muskegon Thunder | 87–26 |
June 6 | @ Billings Outlaws | 70–35 |
June 13 | Billings Outlaws | 34–22 |
June 20 | Fairbanks Grizzlies | 58–18 |
July 11 | Sioux City Bandits | 54–31 |
2010–2018
- 2010 Sioux Falls Storm season
- 2011 Sioux Falls Storm season
- 2012 Sioux Falls Storm season
- 2013 Sioux Falls Storm season
- 2014 Sioux Falls Storm season
- 2015 Sioux Falls Storm season
- 2016 Sioux Falls Storm season
- 2017 Sioux Falls Storm season
- 2018 Sioux Falls Storm season
Team player records
Single season
As of the end of the 2018 season- Pass Attempts: Ryan Aulenbacher, 401
- Completions: Chris Dixon, 268
- Passing Yards: Chris Dixon, 3,321
- Passing Touchdowns: Chris Dixon, 74
- Carries: Sean Treasure, 201
- Rushing Yards: Sean Treasure, 812
- Rushing Touchdowns: Marques Smith, 32
- Receptions: James Terry, 94
- Receiving Yards: Carl Sims, 1,108
- Receiving Touchdowns: Clinton Solomon, 27
- Kick Return Yards: James Jones, 1,350
- Kick Return Touchdowns: Korey Williams, 5
- Missed Field Goal Return Yards: Shannon Poppinga, 237
- Missed Field Goal Return Touchdowns: Shannon Poppinga, 2
- Field Goal Percentage : Miles Bergner, 64.7%
- PAT Percentage : Parker Douglass, 95.7%
- Total Yards: James Jones, 2,198
- Total Touchdowns: Korey Williams, 34
- Field Goals: Parker Douglass, 27
- PATs: Parker Douglass, 134
- Total Points: Korey Williams, 204
- Tackles: Tyler Knight, 140.5
- Tackles for Loss: Brandon Peguese, 25.5
- Sacks: Nate Fluit, 18.0
- Interceptions: Shannon Poppinga, 10
- Pass Breakups: Bobby Perkins, 20
- Blocked Kicks: Nate Fluit, 10
Career records
- Pass Attempts: Terrance Bryant, 2,268
- Completions: Terrance Bryant, 1,491
- Passing Yards: Terrance Bryant, 15,011
- Passing Touchdowns: Terrance Bryant, 280
- Carries: Lorenzo Brown, 752
- Rushing Yards: Lorenzo Brown, 3,192
- Rushing Touchdowns: Lorenzo Brown, 118
- Receptions: James Terry, 607
- Reception Yards: James Terry, 6,601
- Reception Touchdowns: James Terry, 145
- Total Yards: James Terry, 8,417
- Field Goals: Adam Hicks, 131
- FG % : Miles Bergner, 66.0%
- PATs: Parker Douglass, 567
- PAT % : Parker Douglass, 90.1%
- Kick Return Yards: James Jones, 2,469
- Kick Return Touchdowns: Korey Williams, 9
- Missed Field Goal Return Yards: Shannon Poppinga, 416
- Missed Field Goal Return Touchdowns: Shannon Poppinga, 3
- Total Touchdowns: James Terry, 166
- Total Points: James Terry, 1,000
- Tackles: Mark Blackburn, 715.5
- Tackles for Loss: Rachman Crable, 73.0
- Sacks: Cory Johnsen, 64.5
- Interceptions: Shannon Poppinga, 46
- Interception Touchdowns: Shannon Poppinga, 6
- Pass Breakups: Shannon Poppinga, 109
- Forced Fumbles: Rachman Crable/Cory Johnsen/Tyler Knight, 10
- Blocked Kicks: Tyler Knight, 24