The Fishers Freight brought their playoff push to King Jugg Brewing Tuesday night, as broadcaster Andrew Smith hosted head coach Dixie Wooten and running backs Josiah King and Dominic Roberto for the latest edition of Coach’s Corner.
The stakes could not be clearer. The Freight (8-7) close the regular season Sunday, July 26, at 4pm against the Orlando Pirates at the Fishers Event Center, with the winner claiming a playoff spot in the Indoor Football League’s loaded Eastern Conference.
“Basically, Orlando is a playoff game,” Wooten said. “Whoever wins is in, and we get to do it in front of our fans in Fishers.”
Much of the evening looked back at Saturday’s 49-35 road win over the Quad City Steamwheelers, a bounce-back performance after a rough outing at Green Bay. Wooten credited a defense that set the tone early with a safety and a defensive touchdown, then closed the game with takeaways. Jaylin Swan read a quarterback draw and forced a fumble with Quad City driving for the lead, and a Marcus Gray tip turned into a Jacorey Benjamin interception in the final minutes.
“Our defense came to play,” Wooten said. “Those guys locked in this week.” He also praised the speed of Raneiria Dillworth at linebacker — “he doesn’t give the quarterback time to even think” — and the return of Gray, the heart-and-soul safety who had missed two games.
Special teams may have been the difference. Kicker Calum Sutherland accounted for nine points with four deuces — kickoffs through the uprights, worth two in the IFL — a rouge and a 54-yard field goal. Sutherland now has 20 deuces on the season, within reach of the league record of 22. King supplied the dagger, taking a late kickoff back for a touchdown after Quad City had pulled within a score.
“We know for a fact that if we win the special teams, we win the ball game,” Wooten said.
King and Roberto, who have combined for 37 touchdowns this season, kept things light when they joined Smith on stage. Roberto admitted he gets mad when King stays in for an extra play. “You already had your three plays,” he laughed. “It keeps it fun, it keeps it competitive. I wouldn’t have anybody else in that backfield.”
Both backs credited an offensive line that includes Navaughn Donaldson, Kordell Brewster and LaQuinston Sharp. “We’re not getting touched until the second level,” Roberto said. “We’re averaging five yards a carry, easy.”
The finale carries extra meaning for Roberto, a Furman product who spent time in a New Orleans Saints camp and played for Orlando last season before being cut ten weeks in. “I went into that game with a chip on my shoulder,” he said of the Freight’s earlier win over the Pirates, adding that nobody wants to tackle “a 230-plus-pound back every single play.”
King, a Corpus Christi native who arrived midseason last year, said the fans keep him in Fishers — along with meeting his future wife here. “It was just a big blessing.”
The Freight have a bye this week, but Wooten said his team will still practice, using the extra time to heal up and prepare for what he called the biggest game in franchise history.
Coach’s Corner returns to King Jugg on Tuesday, July 21, to preview the finale. Tickets for the July 26 game are available through the Fishers Event Center.