Sioux City Journal (Jul. 12, 2009)
SIOUX FALLS -- The Sioux City Bandits went down fighting -- literally -- in their season finale.

A fight erupted after the Bandits apparently felt Sioux Falls was running up the score and the officials ended the game with 56 seconds left in the Storm's 54-31 Indoor Football League win at Sioux Falls Arena Saturday night.

The Bandits turned the ball over on downs on their own one-yard line with 1:13 left and Sioux Falls quarterback Terrance Bryant pushed into the end zone on the next play. After the extra point, tempers flared, and players began shoving and punching each other. Rather than eject players and assess penalties, the officials called the game.

With the loss, the Bandits ended their season at 4-10, three of those losses to Sioux Falls, running their losing streak to the Storm to 14 games. The Storm, who also will miss the playoffs after four consecutive league championship seasons, finished at 6-8, losing five games on league-mandated forfeits.

The Bandits' defense faced a tough challenge, trying to stop the Storm's high-powered offense while missing four defenders. Brothers Buddy and Ernest Williams, both defensive backs, missed the game to try out for the United Football League. Defensive lineman and long-snapper Andy Poulosky was at a wedding and defensive lineman Shukree Barfield also was absent.

Their absences all played a role as Sioux Falls broke out to a quick 20-0 lead on two short Bryant touchdown passes and a five-yard run by league-leading rusher Sean Treasure. In the midst of that scoring flurry, the Bandits missed a chance to score when fill-in long-snapper Billy Siffin's low snap cost Sioux City a possible three points.

The Bandits cut the deficit to 20-7 with 37 seconds left in the first half on a 19-yard touchdown run by quarterback Scott Jensen. But there was too much time left, as Bryant threw his third touchdown pass of the half to push the lead to 27-7 with 13 seconds left.

The Bandits regained a little momentum before halftime when Andrew Kroell hit a 44-yard field goal as time expired to cut the Bandits' halftime deficit to 27-10.

The Bandits lost that momentum on the first play of the second half when the Storm recovered a Johnny Bentley fumble. Sioux Falls took advantage of the turnover to push its lead to 34-10 on a one-yard touchdown run by Treasure.

After the teams traded touchdowns to make the score 41-17, the Bandits attempted a fourth-quarter comeback.

A Willie Edwards touchdown pass to James White cut the lead to 41-24, and after a missed Storm field goal, Jensen hooked up with Damon Mothershead on a 45-yard scoring pass on the next play to pull the Bandits to within 41-31 with 4:28 left.

Sioux City failed to convert an ensuing onside kick, giving the Storm the ball on the Bandit 4. Treasure scored from three yards out two plays later, and after a missed extra point, it was 47-31 with 2:38 remaining.

The Bandits failed to make a first down on their next possession, and after a pair of quarterback sacks, the Storm took over on the 1, leading to Bryant's touchdown and the game-ending fight.

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