Post by Monika on May 20, 2023 20:25:40 GMT -8
Panthers 62, Fighters 55
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5/20/23 --
SAN JOSE, CA - There will be no perfect season in 2023 for the Frisco Fighters.
In what turned out to be much of a dogfight, the Bay Area Panthers outlasted the Fighters, 62-55, tonight at SAP Center. This was the first-ever meeting between the teams. They play again this season; on June 24 at Frisco.
The Panthers improve to 5-3 on the season and move into a tie with the Northern Arizona Wranglers in the Western Conference standings. The Panthers currently hold the tiebreaker due to a higher conference winning percentage. The Fighters fall to 7-1, but remain in sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference. They maintain a two-game possession over the Quad City Steamwheelers and Massachusetts Pirates and the Quad City Steamwheelers. The Pirates defeated the Steamwheelers, 63-49, tonight in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Bay Area took the opening kickoff and scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Sneed to Nih-Jer Jackson. Quarterback TJ Edwards brought the Fighters right back, scoring on a 15-yard run with just under 10 minutes left in the first quarter. A 25-yard touchdown pass from Sneed to Justin Rankin put the Panthers up by a score one minute later. Rankin's five-yard touchdown run around the left side put Bay Area up 21-7; a score which lasted through the end of the first quarter.
Frisco cut into the lead with Edwards' eight-yard run early in the second. Sneed found Curtell Haywood for a nine-yard touchdown which put the Panthers up 28-14 midway through the quarter. The Fighters answered nearly immediately when Edwards found Jordan Jolly for an 18-yard touchdown with 6:27 to go. Martez Carter's two-yard rush for touchdown knotted the game with 1:11 left. Sneed responded with an 11-yard run from Sneed with 13 seconds remaining. Bryce Crawford's 41-yard field goal try went wide right as time expired and Bay area led 35-28 at the half.
Edwards scored on his third rushing touchdown of the game, of two yards, to pull the contest to within 35-34 at the 9:30 mark of the third. Bay Area responded when Sneed hit JT Stokes wide open in the left side of the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown two minutes later. The Fighters came right back, scoring on an eight-yard rush from Edwards. Rankin's three yard scoring rush extended the Panthers' lead to eight points near the end of the third. Bay Area led 49-41 going into the fourth.
After a Trae Meadows interception of Edwards gave the Panthers back the ball, Rankin rushed for a six-yard touchdown to put Bay Area up by two scores with just under 10 minutes left. Edwards found Carter for a three-yard touchdown with 5:28 left. Rankin rushed for a one-yard touchdown -- his fourth of the game -- and the Panthers were up by 15 with just under a minute to play. Edwards scored from a yard out with 17 seconds left for Frisco before Bay Area was able to run out the clock.
Sneed completed 12 of 19 passes for 191 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing for another score. Rankin added 35 yards off 10 carries to go with his four rushing touchdowns. Haywood and Stokes each caught four passes for 69 and 49 yards, respectively. Four different receivers caught touchdowns for the Panthers. Tevaughn Grant led the defense with eight tackles, and Meadows had seven tackles and an interception for the defense.
Edwards went 15 of 22 for 161 yards with two interceptions and a pick. Jolly caught four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, and Jerminic Smith added five catches for 51 yards. Michael LoVett's seven tackles led the Fighters' defense.
Frisco had a 299 to 242-yard edge in total offense, including a 94-yard advantage in the rushing game. Bay Area held a 37-yard advantage in the passing game. Frisco was penalized eight times for 90 yards and Bay Area was flagged four times for 13 yards.
The Fighters will host the San Diego Strike Force on May 27 for a 5:05 p.m. kickoff. The Panthers will make a visit to Tucson to face the Sugar Skulls with kickoff set for 6:05 p.m. All times listed are pacific daylight time. Click for our complete 2023 IFL Schedule.
5/20/23 --
SAN JOSE, CA - There will be no perfect season in 2023 for the Frisco Fighters.
In what turned out to be much of a dogfight, the Bay Area Panthers outlasted the Fighters, 62-55, tonight at SAP Center. This was the first-ever meeting between the teams. They play again this season; on June 24 at Frisco.
The Panthers improve to 5-3 on the season and move into a tie with the Northern Arizona Wranglers in the Western Conference standings. The Panthers currently hold the tiebreaker due to a higher conference winning percentage. The Fighters fall to 7-1, but remain in sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference. They maintain a two-game possession over the Quad City Steamwheelers and Massachusetts Pirates and the Quad City Steamwheelers. The Pirates defeated the Steamwheelers, 63-49, tonight in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Bay Area took the opening kickoff and scored on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Sneed to Nih-Jer Jackson. Quarterback TJ Edwards brought the Fighters right back, scoring on a 15-yard run with just under 10 minutes left in the first quarter. A 25-yard touchdown pass from Sneed to Justin Rankin put the Panthers up by a score one minute later. Rankin's five-yard touchdown run around the left side put Bay Area up 21-7; a score which lasted through the end of the first quarter.
Frisco cut into the lead with Edwards' eight-yard run early in the second. Sneed found Curtell Haywood for a nine-yard touchdown which put the Panthers up 28-14 midway through the quarter. The Fighters answered nearly immediately when Edwards found Jordan Jolly for an 18-yard touchdown with 6:27 to go. Martez Carter's two-yard rush for touchdown knotted the game with 1:11 left. Sneed responded with an 11-yard run from Sneed with 13 seconds remaining. Bryce Crawford's 41-yard field goal try went wide right as time expired and Bay area led 35-28 at the half.
Edwards scored on his third rushing touchdown of the game, of two yards, to pull the contest to within 35-34 at the 9:30 mark of the third. Bay Area responded when Sneed hit JT Stokes wide open in the left side of the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown two minutes later. The Fighters came right back, scoring on an eight-yard rush from Edwards. Rankin's three yard scoring rush extended the Panthers' lead to eight points near the end of the third. Bay Area led 49-41 going into the fourth.
After a Trae Meadows interception of Edwards gave the Panthers back the ball, Rankin rushed for a six-yard touchdown to put Bay Area up by two scores with just under 10 minutes left. Edwards found Carter for a three-yard touchdown with 5:28 left. Rankin rushed for a one-yard touchdown -- his fourth of the game -- and the Panthers were up by 15 with just under a minute to play. Edwards scored from a yard out with 17 seconds left for Frisco before Bay Area was able to run out the clock.
Sneed completed 12 of 19 passes for 191 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing for another score. Rankin added 35 yards off 10 carries to go with his four rushing touchdowns. Haywood and Stokes each caught four passes for 69 and 49 yards, respectively. Four different receivers caught touchdowns for the Panthers. Tevaughn Grant led the defense with eight tackles, and Meadows had seven tackles and an interception for the defense.
Edwards went 15 of 22 for 161 yards with two interceptions and a pick. Jolly caught four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown, and Jerminic Smith added five catches for 51 yards. Michael LoVett's seven tackles led the Fighters' defense.
Frisco had a 299 to 242-yard edge in total offense, including a 94-yard advantage in the rushing game. Bay Area held a 37-yard advantage in the passing game. Frisco was penalized eight times for 90 yards and Bay Area was flagged four times for 13 yards.
The Fighters will host the San Diego Strike Force on May 27 for a 5:05 p.m. kickoff. The Panthers will make a visit to Tucson to face the Sugar Skulls with kickoff set for 6:05 p.m. All times listed are pacific daylight time. Click for our complete 2023 IFL Schedule.
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL's Official YouTube Channel. SCtoC will present previews of those, and all, games this season. Those previews will be posted on the board of the home team in each game.
- MMM
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