The Storm Front the Rampage at Home

Sunday May 5, 2024

The Saturday night matchup of the South West Kansas Storm and the Iowa Rampage went heavily in the Storm's favor. The home opener in Dodge City ended 34-18, with the Storm coming out on top.

The Perfect Storm

Everything was going right for the Storm in this matchup. The offense was solidly led by QB Caden Walters. He was under pressure early in the game, and though it persisted, Walters was able to take the Storm to the finish line.

The defense was on their game as well. The front came away with a bounty of sacks and tackles for loss, and the secondary came up with several interceptions. The Iowa offense just was not able to keep up with this fantastic mix and succumbed to a handful of turnovers on downs. The only low spot might have been their ability to buy Walters some time in the pocket. Due to that, several of the Storm's drives ended as a turnover on downs.

The Rampage's QB Conundrum

The Rampage offense started under the familiar leadership of QB Rakeem Cato. The offense ran rather well through the first half. Unfortunately, Cato left the game due to injury, bringing in rookie QB Billy Maples.

Maples was thrown into the fire, and offensive production suffered in the second half. The line of scrimmage hardly moved once the Storm offense took over. In the second half, there were two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and zero points scored until there were nine seconds left in the game. Along the lines of a consolation touchdown, Maples was able to connect with his receiver for a long bomb with an impressive diving catch.

Impact Players for the Storm

Da'Quan Bailey-Brown was superb on both sides of the ball but specifically excelled on offense. He scored two receiving touchdowns, celebrating the first with a backflip. He was a looming presence over the opposing receivers and defensive backs.

The biggest factor in the game was the Storm's defensive line. They broke through fast and often, giving the Rampage QBs little to no time to react. They dominated the second half, so much so that only a handful of passes were completed.

Impact Players for the Rampage

The Rampage's performance had a silver lining: their defense, specifically the pass rush. Marquis Burks was dominant and nearly unstoppable, finishing his night with two sacks. Unfortunately, his night ended early in the fourth quarter. He received a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and was subsequently ejected.