Post by DiamondThief on Jun 15, 2019 20:34:25 GMT -8
FINAL - Rattlers 57, Strike Force 16
The Rattlers Jamal Miles tries to move past the Strike Force's Marques Rodgers in the Rattlers' regular season finale win.
(SCtoC photo by Gary Royall)
6/15/19 --
PHOENIX, AZ - The Arizona Rattlers want a chance to host the 2019 United Bowl.
Mission accomplished. The Rattlers' 57-16 win over the San Diego Strike Force tonight at Talking Stick Resort Arena clinched hoe field throughout the playoffs, including the United Bowl, should they advance. The Rattlers became the first IFL team to post a perfect regular season since the Sioux Falls Storm in 2015, finishing 14-0 after sweeping the four-game season series over the expansion Strike Force. The Storm, who won the United Bowl that year, also posted a perfect season in 2012.
Arizona will have a bye in the first round. It will host the winner of one of the first round games in the Intense Conference Championship on June 29. The game, with a kickoff set for 6 p.m. pacific standard time, will take place at Gila River Arena in nearby Glendale, Arizona due to renovations being done to their home arena of Talking Stick. The Rattlers defeated the Storm in the United Bowl, 50-41, in 2017. They failed to reach the IFL championship game last year, losing to the Storm in the semifinal, 69-68, in overtime.
San Diego, which finished 1-13 in its expansion season, is slated to return in the IFL next year, according to an exclusive source to SCtoC.
The Rattlers jumped out to a two-touchdown lead by the end of the first quarter. Drew Powell's 15-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Miles put the Rattlers on the board just over five minutes into the game. Powell rushed in from 13 yards to give them a 14-0 lead which extended through the end of the opening quarter.
The Strike Force got on the board mid way through the second quarter on a 28-yard field goal from Ernesto Lacayo before Powell's one-yard run gave Arizona a 21-3 lead with 3:11 to go. Powell hot Anthony Amos for a 38-yard bomb to lift the Rattlers to a 28-3 lead by the end of the first half.
Arizona added to that lead with a six-yard run from Roland Genesy, Jr. with 10:48 left in the third quarter. The Strike Force ended their scoring drought when Jihad Vercher hit David Carter for a 24-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to make the score 35-9. Jeff Ziemba, who entered the game in relief of Powell, hit Amos for a 36-yard touchdown. Ziemba had started the majority of the Rattlers' games prior to Powell's arrival, and was the starter for nearly of all last season. Arizona led 43-9 at the end of the third quarter.
Miles' eight-yard run put the Rattlers up by 41 points five minutes into the final stanza. Vercher hit Marques Rodgers for a 12 yard score to cut into that, but Miles returned the ensuing kickoff 54 yards for a score.
Arizona gained 320 yards of total offense to 189 for the Strike Force. The Rattlers held an edge of 106 yards in the passing game, and an advantage of 25 yards on the ground. San Diego was penalized 11 times for 53 yards while Arizona was flagged seven times for 63 yards.
Powell finished 12 of 16 for 151 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He also rushed for two scores. Genesy gained exactly 100 yards off 13 carries with a touchdown. Miles had a score on the ground and through the air. Amos caught three balls for 86 yards with a pair of touchdowns, and Jarrod Harrington had four grabs for 51 yards. Dillon Winfrey's seven tackles led the Rattlers defense, and Connor Flagel recorded two sacks.
Vercher, starting his ninth game for the Strike Force, went 11 of 28 for 93 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Dominique Carson gained 61 yards off seven carries. Rodgers caught six balls for 38 yards and a touchdown. Omar Cook's 11 tackles led the Strike Force defense. Rodgers and E.J. Johnson each recovered an Arizona fumble.
All IFL playoff games will be streamed live on the IFL's Official YouTube Channel. As we have all season, SCtoC will present detailed previews all of the playoff games. Those previews will be posted on the board of the home team in each game. The preview for the United Bowl will be posted on the IFL board; the same board in which this recap is featured.
- ANM
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