WEST VALLEY CITY —The Utah Warriors showed that winning the Pacific West Division crown was no fluke Saturday night at the E Center.
In a shootout of offensive-minded teams, the No. 2-seeded Warriors topped the No. 3 Sioux Falls Storm 68-55 to win their first-ever NIFL playoff game and keep their hopes alive for winning the league championship.
With the victory, Utah qualifies to play the Omaha Beef in the conference championship next week at Omaha, Neb. The Beef advanced to the next round by defeating Bismarck 72-49 in their quarterfinal match Saturday night.
There was no lack of offense in the first half as both teams visited the end zones enough times for the halftime score to appear as a final. After holding Sioux Falls on their first series, the Warriors wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. On the first offensive play from scrimmage, Utah QB Danny Ragsdale tossed a 31-yard bomb to receiver Cody Weight for the first score of the game.
What followed after that resembled a fist fight of punch after punch as the teams exchanged touchdowns virtually every series. Thanks to a fumble recovery in the second quarter, the Warriors took a 13-point advantage to the locker room at the intermission, 47-34.
"Offensively, Danny dictated the game. But we had three blown coverages in our secondary and we were just beating ourselves,' said Utah coach Lee Leslie.
"We had to make a few adjustments.' The second half started out in opposite fashion, with neither squad able to find peydirt. The teams only managed a touchdown each in the third quarter and overall scoring was reduced to a minimum as both defenses finally dug in and stood firm.
Playing without several of its original starters, the Utah defense played respectable against a team that had won seven straight. With the offense scoring almost every possession, Utah only had to keep Sioux Falls out a few times, which they did, despite not having standout middle linebacker Kautai Oleveo. Leslie held Oleveo out for a high ankle sprain so he would be ready to play against Omaha.
"Our defense only needed to make a few stops,' Leslie said.
Ragsdale finished the game in solid fashion with 305 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Omar Bacon rushed seven times for five scores and receiver Jason Quinn caught six balls for 89 yards and two TDs. Weight finished the game with four catches for 108 yards with one score and Emmitt White snagged nine catches for 74 yards and one touchdown.