Mustangs / Beef Preview

Gillette Mustangs @ Omaha Beef

April 8, 2023 – 6:30 pm

Liberty First Arena

April 7, 2023

The battle for first place in Champions Indoor Football comes to Liberty First Arena Saturday as the undefeated Gillette Mustangs (4-0) come to town with a half game lead over the Omaha Beef. The 3-0 Beef are coming home after winning twice in Kansas over the past couple of weeks. The Mustangs are hitting the road for the first time in almost a month. The game will feature the top two defensives in the CIF.

Omaha’s defense is ranked 1^st in scoring defense (18.7), total defense (115.0), pass defense (73.3 yds), pass defense efficacy, while Gillette is ranked second in each of those categories. The Mustang’s defense is ranked 1^st in interceptions (13), opponents 3^rd down conversion (12.9%), and turnover margin (+16), while the Beef are ranked second in each of those categories.

Quarterback Tommy Armstrong leads the Beef’s balance offense which is averaging 203.7 yards per game. Armstrong is averaging 25 yards on the ground, 119.7 yards through the air and ten points per game. Omaha running back Jailin Singleton leds the team with 92 rushing yards, while Chris Perry came in last week to pick up 44 yards vs Topeka. Omaha signed Jeff Mack this week for running back depth. Mack CIF career rushing stats – 434 rushes, 1350 yards, and 47 TD’s. He ranks 7^th all-time for career yards and touchdowns and 4^th in rushing attempts. The four headed receiving crew of Gourney Sloan (14-160 yds, 3 TD), Devanaire Conliffe (7-94 yds, 4 TD), Dre’Sonte Dorton (4-27 yds, 2 TD) and Traveon Samuel (3-52, 1 TD) have helped Armstrong complete 66.7 percent of his passes while throwing only 1 interception.

Gillette’s own quarterback, Michael Pina, is leading his team in rushing yards (166 yds, 3 TD) and is completing 72.7 percent of his passes. Pina leads the CIF in total offense averaging 200.8 yards per game. The Mustangs ground game is led by Jaylen Jefferson who has ran for four touchdowns and 159 yards on the season and is ranked 10^th in total offense. Pina’s favorite target is Karonce Higgins, who has eight touchdowns on 15 catches. Higgins is averaging 20.5 yards per catch and 77 yards per game.

The Beef defense is led by defensive lineman JayShawn Washington with 14 tackles and three sacks. Dreko Statham is tied for the league lead in interceptions with four while his teammates have picked off an additional five passes.

Garrett Pemelton led the Mustangs defense with 28 tackles and four sacks. Deointae Jones and Sean Harper Jr., who are tied for the league lead with Statham, each have four interceptions. Gillette has picked up 13 passes while breaking up an additional 13. The Mustang defense returned three fumbles last week vs Billings for touchdowns.

Omaha place kicker Paul Ortiz was named Special Teams Player of the Week by the CIF for his week 5 performance vs the Topeka Tropics. Ortiz went 2-2 on field goals and 3 for 4 on extra points.

On April 15^th, the Beef will hit the road again for Kansas as they take on the defending champion Salina Liberty. The Beef and Liberty have met in the last two Champions Bowl with each winning once. Gillette returns home to host the Topeka Tropics.

OTHER NOTES: The Omaha Beef - Tommy Armstrong Youth Football Camp will be held May 12 & May 13. In addition to the football camp, your registration will include an Omaha Beef shirt, pizza party, and a ticket to the May13th game where all participants will play football on the field before pre-game activities kickoff that evening’s game!!! For more information contact the Omaha Beef office @ 402.346.2333 or register with the enclosed link!!!! #ORANGEKINGDOM

https://a4footballacademy.eventsmart.com/.../ta-football.../

The team is also taking nominations for its newly created Hall of Fame. Nominations can be sent to ricky@beeffootball and will be accepted until April 10^th. The inaugural class will be announced May 27^th.

2023 Omaha Beef Schedule (3-0)

March 4, 6:30pm CT	Vs Omaha Stockman (EX)	W 71-0		Gillette	Omaha
March 10, 7pm CT	Vs Billing Outlaws	W 47-19	Avg Pts Scored/G	49.5 (4)	58.3 (1)
March 18, 6pm CT	@ Southwest Kansas	W 68-15	Avg Pts Allow/G	19.5 (2)	18.7 (1)
April 1, 7pm CT	@ Topeka Tropics	W 60-22	Total Offense/G	251.2 (2)	203.7 (4)
April 8, 6:30pm CT	Vs Gillette Mustangs		Total Defense/G	147.8 (2)	115.0 (1)
April 15, 6:35pm CT	@ Salina Liberty		Turnover Margin	+16 (1)	+11 (2)
April 22,7:30pm CT	@ Billings Outlaws
April 29, 6:30pm CT	Vs Rapid City Marshals		Home Record	2-0	1-0
May 6, 7pm CT	@ Sioux City Bandits		Road Record	2-0	2-0
May 13, 6:30pm CT	Vs Topeka Tropics		All-time Record	Beef lead series 2-0
May 27, 6:30pm CT	Vs Sioux City Bandits		Last Meeting	5/22/22 Beef 48-6

(CIF rank after week 5)

Projected Starters

	Omaha Beef		Gillette
QB	#10 Tommy Armstrong	32-48-1, 659 yds 12 TD 1 INT, 13 Rush for 75 yds 5 TD	#3 Mike Pina	48-66-1, 637 yds, 13 TD’s Rush: 57-166, 3 TD
RB	#22 Jailin Singleton	Rush: 21-92 Yds 0 TD Rec: 3-24 Yds 2 TD	#0 Jaylen Jefferson	Rush: 30-159, 4 TD Rec: 11-153, 3 TD
WR	#80 Dre’Sonte Dorton	Rec: 4-27 Yds 2 TD Rush: 1-4 Yds 0 TD	#9 Karonce Higgins	Rec: 15-308, 8TD
WR	#5 Devanaire Conliffe	Rec: 7-94 YDS 4 TD Rush: 4-15 YDS 0 TD	#5 Arthur Anderson	Rec: 5-63, 1 TD
WR	#8 Gourney Sloan	Rec: 9-118 YDS 2 TD	#18 Michael Cornelious	Rec: 10-119, 3 TD
OL	#50 Olu’kayode Akinmoladun	OL - no sacks allowed	#70 Ezekiel Williams
OL	#99 Steven Fluker		#65 Jacob Ungruhe
OL	#70 Reggie Patrick		#72 James Hines IV

DL	#2 JayShawn Washington	14 TACK, 3 SACK, 4 TFL	#66 Montoya Fain
DL	#0 Javari Nichols		#14 Devante Wright	9 TACK, 2 sacks, 4.5 TFL, 1 FR for TD
DL	#15 Tamar Heart	12 TACK, 2 sack, 4.5 TFL, 3 PB	#7 Garrett Pemelton	28 TACK, 4 SACK, 7 TFL, 3 PB, 1 FR for TD
LB	#11 Key James Black	10 TACK, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 1 PB	#10 Tony Peters	22 TACK,
DB	#3 Chris Perry	7 TACK, 1 TFL, 1 INT,	#1 Deointae Jones	25 TACK, 1 TFL, 4 INT, 2 PB, 1 FF, 1 FR
DB	#4 Aaron Jackson	11 TACK, 1 INT	#2 Sean Harper Jr	17 TACK, 4 INT, 3 PB, 1 FR
DB	#6 Dreko Statham	9 TACK, 4 INT, 1 PB	#6 Nolan Bernat	17 TACK, 2.5 TFL, 2 INT, 3 PB, 1 FF
DB	#21 Trey Dudley-Giles	12 TACK, 2 INT, 4 PB	#19 Isaiah McFarland	13 TACK, 3 INT, 2 PB

K	#16 Paul Ortiz	2-2 FG 38 long, 3-4 PAT	#9 Karonce Higgins

CIF Player of the Week Awards-

Tommy Armstrong – Week 2 Offensive

JayShawn Washington – Week 3 Defensive

Dre’Sonte Dorton – Week 3 Special Teams

Paul Ortiz – Week 5 Special Teams

Visit https://omaha.footballshift.com/ for more information.

Livestream - https://www.youtube.com/@ChampionsIndoorFootballNetwork/featured

2023 Gillette Mustangs (4-0) Results

March 4 - @ SW Kansas, W 30-12

March 12 - @ Rapid City, W 67-20

March 25 - Vs Sioux City, W 28-18

April 1 - VS Billings, W 73-28

Next game April 15^th Vs Topeka