Kyle King made his IFL debut on Friday night (Photo courtesy of the Iowa Barnstormers on Instagram)
LOWELL, Massachusetts—Kyle King saw the first action of his career in the Indoor Football League and Jefferson Fritz continued his league-leading defensive performance on Friday night as the Crusader alums aided the Iowa Barnstormers in a road battle against an undefeated Massachusetts Pirates squad.
Massachusetts came out with a 54-29 home victory, but it was a memorable night nonetheless for the UMHB alums.
Fritz, who entered the Barnstormers’ third matchup of the season with a league-high 11.5 tackles per game—he was the IFL’s only defender averaging double figures in tackles—made several big first-half plays against quarterback Ale Bennifield and the Pirate offense.
A safety from Kaufman, Texas who played for The Cru from 2017-2021 and was a four-time All-American selection, Fritz got in on the action early, returning the opening kickoff for 13 yards. On a 50-yard field, a 13-yard return is noteworthy, especially as Fritz fought through heavy initial contact at the 15-yard line.
Then with 11:13 in the second quarter, Bennifield was pushed forward in the pocket and hurried a throw to midfield on 1st & 10. The pass was deflected off the intended receiver’s hands and directly towards Fritz, who was positioned perfectly. Initially, the ball bounced off Fritz’s hands as well, but with remarkable athleticism, he dove backwards and secured the ball. While it hit the turf before he gained full control, negating what would have been his first interception of the year, it was an outstanding example of Fritz’s ability to be at the right place at the right time in pass coverage. Opposing ASC offenses knew that fact all too well during his time in Belton.
Fritz tallied seven tackles, all of which were solo tackles, in the Barnstormers’ Week 3 matchup, including one tackle for loss. His 25 solo tackles lead the league, as does his average of 9.7 per game.
King was inserted into the game at quarterback at the 10:29 mark of the third quarter as Iowa head coach Dave Mogensen searched for a spark offensively in the second half. The Barnstormers mustered just seven first-half points but on King’s first drive downfield, Iowa found its way into the end zone. He opened the possession with a four-yard run up the middle, the first rushing gain of his IFL career, getting up to the Massachusetts 21-yard line.
An eight-play, 25-yard drive unfolded, culminating in a touchdown run from Rob Washington as Iowa cut the deficit to 31-14. At the 2:37 mark, the Barnstormers scored again, and this time, it was King who carried the ball across the goal line, sliding into the end zone on a five-yard run. It was the first touchdown of his IFL career, capping a three-play drive.
Perhaps his most memorable play of the evening came in the fourth quarter, when he dropped back and displayed exceptional passing accuracy, hitting Quian Williams in perfect stride for the 37-yard touchdown. It tied for the game’s longest scoring play from scrimmage, as King recorded his second touchdown of the contest.
In his debut, King was 3-of-4 passing for 47 yards. He threw one touchdown and had one interception credited to his stat line, and also gained 20 yards on the ground on four carries.
In UFL action, cornerback Keith Gipson Jr. continued his season with the Michigan Panthers on Sunday. The Killeen, Texas native, who played at UMHB from 2017-2021, helped lift Michigan to a 34-20 victory over the Houston Roughnecks in Detroit, improving to 2-1 this season.
Gipson Jr. tallied two tackles, one of which was a solo tackle, in the win. He contributed to a strong defensive effort that saw Houston’s offense finish with just 209 passing yards.
