The Sioux City Bandits opened their season in emphatic fashion Friday night, rolling to a 53–6 victory over the Amarillo Warbirds at the Amarillo Civic Center.
Sioux City set the tone immediately, scoring on the very first play from scrimmage when quarterback Lorenzo Brown connected with Damond Powell for a 32-yard touchdown just 56 seconds into the game. The early strike ignited a dominant performance on both sides of the ball as the Bandits improved to 1–0 on the season.
The Bandits continued to build momentum late in the first quarter. After a Warbirds turnover set up excellent field position, running back Jeff Mack punched in a 5-yard touchdown run to give Sioux City a 13–0 lead after the opening frame.
Sioux City’s offense continued to fire in the second quarter. Fred Bruno capped a six-play, 40-yard drive with a 5-yard rushing touchdown, pushing the advantage to 19-0. Just minutes later, Brown again found Powell, this time for a 30-yard touchdown strike to extend the lead to 26–0.
Amarillo managed its only score late in the second quarter on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Wesley Jones to Jay Palmer. The Bandits answered quickly, however, as Brown led a quick drive and hit Bruno for a 12-yard touchdown with just two seconds remaining before halftime, sending Sioux City into the locker room with a commanding 32–6 lead.
The Bandits defense took control in the second half. Early in the third quarter, Brown connected with Bruno again, this time for a 14-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 39–6.
From there, Sioux City never let up. Brown found Powell for their third touchdown connection of the night early in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard strike. Backup quarterback Verlon Reed later joined the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Sheperd to cap the scoring and secure the 53–6 victory.
Brown finished the night efficiently, completing 8 of 12 passes for 158 yards and five touchdowns. Reed added a touchdown pass of his own in relief.
Powell led all receivers with four catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns, while Bruno contributed three receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns in addition to 24 rushing yards.
The Bandits ground game also played a key role, with Jeff Mack rushing for 53 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries as Sioux City averaged 7.6 yards per carry.
Defensively, the Bandits were equally dominant. Sioux City forced four interceptions, including three by defensive back Laronji Vason, and limited Amarillo to just 96 total yards of offense. The Warbirds struggled to find rhythm all night, converting just one of eleven third-down attempts.
The Bandits also recorded three sacks and turned turnovers into points, scoring 27 points off Amarillo's mistakes.
Overall, Sioux City outgained Amarillo 292 to 96 in total offense and scored touchdowns on eight of its nine drives, delivering a statement win to begin the 2026 season.
The Bandits now head into a bye week ranked #2 in the league before returning to action on the road in a marquee matchup against the #1 ranked Pueblo Punishers.