By JOHN LETASKY

Of The Gazette Staff

The Sioux Falls Storm showed the Billings Outlaws - and the 4,606 fans in attendance Saturday night at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark - why they are the three-time defending United Indoor Football league champions.



With a solid fourth quarter of football, the Storm put away the Billings Outlaws 62-52. With the win, Sioux Falls (9-2) put itself in the driver's seat to clinch the UIF West Division title and home field throughout the playoffs. A Billings win would have done the same for the Outlaws (8-3).



It was Billings' first loss at home this season. The Storm won the regular season series with Billings 2-1.



"It was back and fourth until the final five minutes," said Billings defender Travis Salter. "They executed and we didn't. That's why they are the three-time champions."

Although the game could turn out to have a huge impact on the postseason seeding, Billings quarterback Chris Dixon said the Outlaws need to focus on their remaining three games. Billings hosts the Colorado Ice next Saturday before closing the regular season with road games at Wichita and River City.



"I'm not even thinking about that (the playoffs)," said Dixon. "We have to work on the next three games and not worry about the playoffs. ... It was really intense and a great game. Both defenses knuckled down when they were supposed to.



"It was heartbreaking for us as players (but a great game for the fans)."



All week building to the game, it was billed as a sort of heavyweight title fight. And it turned out to be. Billings led the exciting contest 45-41 after three quarters and the vocal Billings crowd was definitely into the game.



However, the Storm controlled the fourth quarter outscoring the Outlaws 21-7. Sioux Falls iced the game when Bryan Alberty returned an onsides kick 12 yards for a touchdown with 33 seconds left.



The Storm struck first in the fourth on a drive continued from the third quarter. The drive concluded on the 10th play when Leon Hall hauled in a two-yard pass from Terrance Bryant as Bryant appeared sacked, but somehow escaped. The extra-point by Cody Butler gave the Storm a 48-45 lead with 12:22 on the clock.



Sioux Falls immediately recovered an onsides kick, but Billings was able to hold the Storm on downs. Rod Kelly, a 6-foot-7 defensive end, batted down a pass on third-and-five to highlight the defensive stand. On fourth down, Bryant hit James Terry with a pass, but Terry dropped the ball when hit by the defender.



With 9:34 remaining the Outlaws took possession, but were unable to capitalize. The Outlaws drove to Sioux Falls' 21-yard line, but a field goal attempt by Aaron Galvan was unsuccessful and Sioux Falls still led 48-45. The drive was hurt by an offensive penalty on third-and-seven that pushed the ball back five yards one play before the field goal attempt.



On their next possession, the Storm was able to score again to complete a 10-play march when Bryant ran in, all the while being pushed by teammates, from one-yard out. After the PAT, the Storm led 55-45 with 1:12 left and the crowd began to file out.



Billings valiantly attempted to rally and scored in five plays as Dixon ran in from one-yard out. After Galvan's PAT, the Outlaws trailed 55-52 with 40 seconds left.



"We are going to watch film Monday and figure out what we have to do next week," said Billings' Eddie Linscomb, noting that in the playoffs Billings will have to be prepared for Sioux Falls.



Bryant finished 23 of 35 passing for 262 yards and five touchdowns for the Storm. His top receiver was Terry, who hauled in nine passes for 98 yards. Sean Treasure ran the ball 16 times for 39 yards.



Dixon finished 16 of 25 with one interception and three touchdowns for 206 yards. Dixon rushed the ball eight times for 70 yards. Linscomb was his top receiver with six catches for 100 yards.



Throughout the game both teams caught some breaks, but it seemed the Storm were able to get more lucky bounces.



Both teams were penalized five times, with the Storm being assessed 28 yards and Billings 20, but a couple of Billings' penalties came at crucial times. In the third quarter, the Outlaws were able to force the Storm into a field goal, which they converted, with 9:33 on the clock. However, a defensive penalty gave the Storm a new set of downs and they capitalized when Bryant ran in from a yard out giving Sioux Falls a 41-33 lead and silencing the crowd. On the same possession, Billings' Jaquwan Brackenridge had a chance at an interception, but the ball bounced off his chest.



The Outlaws committed two turnovers, compared to none for Sioux Falls. The last Outlaws' turnover didn't matter much as it was in the closing seconds and Dixon threw a pass that was intercepted in the end zone by Shannon Poppinga.



Billings was up 20-13 and had the ball at its own 22-yard line in the second quarter when Dixon completed a pass to Robert Reed that was fumbled away and recovered by the Storm at its own 24. Two plays later Terry hauled in a 20-yard pass from Bryant and it was a 20-20 game.



The one notable break the Outlaws got was when Sioux Falls snapped the ball into the end zone on a field goal attempt with 4:11 to go in the third and the Outlaws Anthony Bonner covered the Sioux Falls player who had recovered the ball for a safety, bringing the Outlaws to 41-38.



Although after the game some of the Outlaws players weren't happy with some of the official's calls, Salter said "I can't put it on the officials."



"Just a few breaks in the second half went their way," said Salter. "We beat ourselves for the most part."



Storm 62, Outlaws 52

Sioux Falls 6 28 7 21 - 62



Billings 13 20 12 7 - 52

By The Gazette Staff

OMAHA, Neb. - The Billings Outlaws put an entire season of road struggles behind them with one dominating performance.

Billings overwhelmed the Omaha Beef with 47 first-half points Saturday night en route to a 61-40 win, in the process taking a huge step toward earning home-field advantage in the United Indoor Football league playoffs.

With four weeks remaining in the regular season, the Outlaws can all but lock up home field for the playoffs with a win this Saturday night against Sioux Falls at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark.

Billings (7-3) and Sioux Falls (8-2) are tied atop the UIF West Division standings, each with two division losses. The Outlaws and Storm split their first two meetings this season, each winning at home.

Billings entered Saturday's game having won just one of four road games this season, and the first two plays of the game indicated that the Outlaws' road woes would continue.

After Billings received the opening kickoff, quarterback Chris Dixon threw an interception on the Outlaws' first offensive play. On the very next play, Omaha quarterback James McNear connected with Ken Horton on a 24-yard touchdown pass, giving the Beef a 7-0 lead just 32 seconds into the game.

After the teams traded touchdowns over the next seven minutes, Billings took control of the game and never let the Beef back in it.

Dixon accounted for six touchdowns in the first half, throwing for five and rushing for one while completing 15 of 20 passes for 193 yards.

Dixon connected with Willie Austin on touchdown strikes of 38, 15 and 21 yards in the first half. He also hit Anthony Candler for an 11-yard TD and Robert Reed for a 4-yard score.

Touchdown runs of 5 yards by Dixon and 6 yards by Eddie Linscomb also contributed to the Outlaws' 47-20 halftime lead that stunned the crowd of 6,132 at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

The back-breaker for Omaha was a 21-yard TD pass from Dixon to Austin with 14 seconds left in the half.

After a missed Omaha field goal, Billings took over on its own 5-yard line with just 36 seconds left in the half. Dixon hit Reed for gains of 16 and 8 yards, then lofted a ball to the end zone that Austin hauled in as he was diving over the boards.

Dixon added touchdown passes to Jason Peters and Candler in the second half, finishing the game 20 of 28 for 247 yards and seven TDs.

The Outlaws weathered a brief Omaha rally in the fourth quarter, but Dixon's final TD pass drove the nail in the Beef's coffin.

With two touchdowns sandwiched around a Billings turnover on downs, Omaha closed to within two scores at 54-40 with 7:45 remaining.

But the Outlaws answered in spectacular fashion. On a fourth-and-4 play from the Omaha 24, Dixon spun to his right away from the Beef pass rush, then stopped and threw a bullet to Candler in the end zone. That score pushed the Billings lead to 61-40 with 4:36 remaining and all but ended Omaha's comeback hopes.

Omaha (8-3) had been the UIF's hottest team, winning its previous seven games and all five of its home games this season.

Austin caught five passes for 96 yards, Reed eight for 81 yards and Candler five for 50 yards.

Dixon also led Billings in rushing with 50 yards on 10 carries.

Travis Salter led the Billings defense with 101/2 tackles. Cornerback Ryan Keomaka, a rookie from the University of Hawaii who was making his Outlaws debut, added 81/2 tackles.

Omaha's McNear completed 16 of 26 passes for 162 yards. R.J. Rollins rushed for 50 yards and three touchdowns for the Beef, and McNear added 32 yards on the ground.

Billings 61, Omaha 40

Billings 21 26 7 7 - 61



Omaha 13 7 13 7 - 40



First quarter



Oma - Ken Horton 24 pass from James McNear (Ricky Lebeda kick)



Bil - Anthony Candler 11 pass from Chris Dixon (Aaron Galvan kick)



Oma - R.J. Rollins 37 run (kick failed)



Bil - Willie Austin 38 pass from Dixon (Galvan kick)



Bil - Dixon 5 run (Galvan kick)



Second quarter



Bil - Robert Reed 4 pass from Dixon (Galvan kick)



Bil - Eddie Linscomb 6 run (Galvan kick)



Oma - Rollins 5 run (Lebeda kick)



Bil - Austin 15 pass from Dixon (kick failed)



Bil - Austin 21 pass from Dixon (kick failed)



Third quarter



Oma - Kyle Whitehurst 3 interception return (kick failed)



Bil - Jason Peters 3 pass from Dixon (Galvan kick)



Oma - Blake Fuchtman 6 pass from McNear (Lebeda kick)



Fourth quarter



Oma - Rollins 1 run (Lebeda kick)



Bil - Candler 24 pass from Dixon (Galvan kick)



Rushing - Billings: Chris Dixon 10-50, Jason Peters 2-22, Eddie Linscomb 6-16. Omaha: R.J. Rollins 6-50, Jamar Day 7-32, James McNear 11-32.



Passing - Billings: Chris Dixon 20-28-2, 247 yards. Omaha: James McNear 16-26-0, 162 yards.



Receiving - Billings: Willie Austin 5-96, Robert Reed 8-81, Anthony Candler 5-50, Eddie Linscomb 1-17, Jason Peters 1-3. Omaha: Ken Horton 6-60, Blake Fuchtman 5-40, Javon Bell 3-39, R.J. Rollins 2-23.



Leading tacklers - Billings: Travis Salter 101/2, Ryan Keomaka 81/2, Travonti Johnson 6. Omaha: Diezeas Calbert 8, Kyle Whitehurst 6.



Attendance - 6,132.

Read more about the Billings Outlaws at www.billingsgazette.net/sports

By The Gazette Staff

Published on Saturday, May 03, 2008.

Last modified on 5/3/2008 at 1:03 am

Chris Dixon, UIF All-Star QB for the Billings Outlaws, will be dedicating this Saturday night game against the Wichita Wild, to a young lady from Billings Montana.  Aaliyah Morgan was born with Vein of Galen malformation (the veins get tangled in the center of the brain).  When she was 11 months old, she had a 10 hour surgery where the doctors placed 87 coils in her brain.  She had a 20% chance of survival.  Three weeks later, she had a brain bleed and went into a coma and was put on a breathing tube.  She was flown to UCSF where she stayed for 3 weeks.  She started life all over again, but regressed to the same stage of an infant.  Then at the age of 2, she started having seizures.  She was diagnosed with epilepsy.  After 3 years of medication and praying, she still suffers from daily seizures.  The only hope this brave little girl has, according to the doctors, is another brain surgery to remove the part of her brain that is causing the seizures. 

WANTED: Kids of all ages to play games with Billings Outlaws Football Players at the "1st Annual Family Fun Night with the Outlaws"

Billings, Mont.,--The entire Billings Outlaws Indoor Football Arena team will be on hand, ready to play games with kids of all ages on Friday, May 9, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Outlaws Sportsplex. The event will be nearly lawless, with sports-oriented games including:  football pass, 40-yard dash, field goal and soccer kick, obstacle course, baseball throw, basketball games, trike races, inflatable bouncers and other games for younger children. 



For a $10 participation fee, kids (and parents, too) are free to move from activity to activity; Outlaw players will compete with the kids at each game and can be lassoed for autographs. The first 1,000 paid attendees will receive a free Outlaws T-shirt.



In addition, attendees can bid on the opportunity to be introduced with their favorite Outlaw player at the game on Saturday, May 10.



Food and refreshments will be available from Rocky Mountain Concessions.



Proceeds benefit Blue Creek School Foundation’s effort to build a new school. Event sponsors include the Billings Outlaws, Engineering, Inc. Graphic Imprints and Big Sky Inflatables.



The Outlaws Sportsplex is located at 5000 Southgate Drive. Parking is available across the street at the Bureau of Land Management.