News: Beef claim top seed with 66-13 win over the Tropics

The first objective of the season has been obtained as the Beef grabbed the number one seed and home field advantage with a 66-13 victory vs the Topeka Tropics Saturday night at Liberty First Credit Union Arena. The Beef now will play the rest of the season at the Slaughterhouse. Omaha led from the start as the Tropics never could get anything going offensively or defensively.  Topeka only managed to have 91 yards of total offense as neither Topeka quarterback could get the passing game started. 

Omaha’s offense jumped out to a 34-point lead before Topeka scored with 3:30 left in the second quarter.  It took only three plays for the Beef offense to score for the first time as Tommy Armstrong hit Gourney Sloan on a 15-yard touchdown pass.  Armstrong followed with two more touchdowns runs of 1 and 9 yards and the Beef led 21-0 after the first quarter.  Armstrong finished with 43 yards on five carries, while Tabyus Taylor finished with 9 carries for 42 yards. 

The second quarter scoring started with Tabyus Taylor fumbling the ball as he was trying to score and offensive lineman Clifford Porter Jr jumping on the ball in the endzone for the touchdown. On the next drive, Jordan Barton caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Armstrong after the Beef defense force a turnover on downs at the Topeka 12 yardline.  The Tropics would get a break as on the extra point play as a personal foul was called on Omaha and Topeka would start on the Beef 17 yardline after the kickoff.  Devond Blair Jr then hit Travier Fields-Jackson on a 17-yard strike and Topeka had points on the scoreboard. The four-point extra point try failed and it was 34-6 at halftime. 

The second half was like the first as the Beef were more than willing to keep the ground game going as Jailin Singleton started the third quarter scoring off with a two-yard touchdown run.  Blair Jr got the Tropics on the board again with a six-yard touchdown run and 51-year-old kicker, Ty Stewart, kicked the extra point and it was 40-13 after three quarters. 

The fourth quarter started with a 25-yard pass from Armstong to Jordan Barton and a three-point pat run from Tabyus Taylor. Champions Indoor Football interception leader, Dreko Statham, grabbed his 10th of the season on the next Tropics pass and returned it to the Tropics nine yardline.  Armstrong then hit Sloan for this second touchdown catch of the night and the Beef were up 56-13.  The final Beef score came after their defense forced another four and out and the offense was able to run the ball down to the one-minute warning.  On the next play Terrance Tolbert-McIntyre ran it in from 14 yards. Omaha was then successful on the four-point conversion as Armstrong hit Tolbert-McIntyre to make it 66-13.  Armstrong finished the night 9 for 14 and 111 yards with four touchdowns passes. 

The Beef defense continues to show why it is the number one ranked team in the CIF.  The Tropics only averaged 2.5 yards per attempt.  Ponce Deleone, Aaron Jackson, Tamar Heart, and JayShawn Washington all had six tackles for the game as Washington and Cameron Hunt picked up sacks. 

Omaha has a bye week and will host Sioux City on May 27th for the 50th time to close out the regular season.  The Beef defeated the Bandits 48-45 in Sioux City on May 6th when a Paul Ortiz field goal with :06 remaining was the difference.  Omaha leads the all-time series 25-24. 

OTHER NOTES: Tommy Armstrong now has four straight games with two touchdowns runs. He has had at least one touchdown run and pass in every CIF game this season for the Beef. 

Billings defeated Gillette 41-38 and SW Kansas defeated the Rapid City Marshals 41-38 in CIF play Saturday night. Gillette now has a half game lead over Salina for the 2nd seed and a bye in the first round.  Salina will host Sioux City this coming weekend as the Bandits hold a half game lead over Billings for the fourth seed.  We do know the six teams that will make the playoffs as the winless Marshals and Tropics were knocked out.  Salina and Gillette will meet in Gillette on May 27th to close out the regular season. 

2023 Omaha Beef Schedule (9-0)