Post by Monika on May 27, 2023 19:49:59 GMT -8
Rattlers 63, Knight Hawks 39
5/27/23 --
PHOENIX, AZ - The Arizona Rattlers dominated the Vegas Knight Hawks from the latter part of the second quarter and engulfed their visitors in the second half to claim their second-straight win and solidify their playoff push tonight at the Footprint Center.
With the 63-39 win, the Rattlers remain in possession of third place in the Western Conference standings. They are tied with the Northern Arizona Wranglers at 5-4 on the season, but the Wranglers own the tiebreaker. Those teams play again next week at Prescott Valley.
Vegas fell to 4-5 with the loss; just a game back of a playoff spot with six games to play. The Knight Hawks defeated the Rattlers in the team's previous matchup this season, 55-54, on May 13. The Rattlers lead the overall series 31, including a 2-0 mark at home. If was the fourth historical meeting between the teams since the Knight Hawks came into the league as an expansion team last season.
Vegas took the opening kickoff and consumed over six minutes of clock before Stevie Artigue's 36-yard field goal try sailed wide left. Arizona responded with a 45-yard scamper in the open field for a touchdown. Miles, a receiver with plenty of experience in the backfield, was filling in for the injured Morian Walker at running back for the Rattlers. The Knight Hawks responded with a 32-yard touchdown bomb from Daquan Neal to Caleb Holley for their first points of the contest. The Rattlers took a 14-6 lead with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter when Miles scored on a run around the left side. Once again, the Knight Hawks struck back; this time on a 20-yard strike from Neal to Quentin Randolph in the right side of the end zone. The Rattlers were ahead 14-13 at the end of one.
Drew Powell hit Braxton Haley, who jumped up the side of the wall to put the Rattlers up by a score with the 20-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. The Knight Hawks were forced into a fourth-and-nine and responded with a 22-yard touchdown toss from Neal to Jordan McCray in the middle of the end zone with just under 10 minutes in the half. Arizona extended their lead on Powell's 10-yard scoring toss to Isaiah Huston on the right side of the end zone. After Malik Honeycutt returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the Rattlers one-yard line, Neal rushed around the right guard for the one-yard score. Powell found Haley wide open up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown and the Rattlers were back up by eight with four minutes left. After Shane McInerny's onside kick attempt was recovered by recently signed Knight Hawk Kingsley Opara. The Knight Hawks were forced into a turnover on downs, turning the ball over to the Rattlers with 40 seconds remaining in the half. They capitalized with a four-yard strike from Powell to Huston 26 seconds later. Time elapsed before Vegas was able to put points on the board and the Rattlers went into the break with a 42-27 lead.
The Rattlers added to their lead on Powell's 20-yard touchdown toss to Huston on the opening possession of the second half. The Rattlers defense forced another Knight Hawks turnover on downs. The Rattlers responded with a six-yard touchdown run up the middle. With the score, Powell tied the Rattlers all-time rushing record with 81 scores on the ground since joining the team prior to the 2019 season. Darrius Guice rushed seven yards around the right side for a seven-yard touchdown and the Rattlers 56-33 lead heading into the final quarter.
Jorge Reyna replaced Powell in the fourth quarter and promptly fired a six-yard score to Haley in the right back corner of the end zone and the Rattlers' lead was 30 points. Winfrey intercepted Vegas backup quarterback Joe Mancuso in the end zone. The Knight Hawks' Gabriel McCoy picked off Reyna to give his team the ball back in Arizona territory. Jonathan Johnson pulled Vegas a little closer with a one-yard run around the left side in which he dropped the ball, but picked up the bounce and ran it for the touchdown.
Powell finished 11 of 13 for 151 yards, five touchdowns and no picks. His record-setting touchdown rush was his lone score on the ground. Miles finished with 71 yards on 71 carries and two scores. Huston and Haley each caught four passes and three touchdowns on 56 and 47 yards, respectively. Davontae Merriweather paced the defense with 14 tackles, and Cecil Cherry finished with eight tackles and two sacks. Winfrey's interception was his sixth of the season.
Neal went eight of 16 for 137 yards and three touchdowns with no picks. Guice rushed for 23 yards and a touchdowns. holley caught five passes for 81 yards, while Randolph had 58 yards. Both, along with McCray each had touchdown catches for the Knight Hawks. Jaha Ferguson finished with seven tackles for the defense, and McCoy had his aforementioned interception.
Arizona held a slight advantage in total offense, 264 yards to 231. The difference came on the ground where they had a 43-yard advantage in rushing. Vegas held a 20-yard edge in the passing game. Penalties, particularly on offense, hurt the Knight Hawks. They were flagged nine times for 69 yards, while the Rattlers were penalized six times for 36 yards.
The Rattlers will visit the Northern Arizona Wranglers on June 3 for a 6:05 p.m. kickoff. The Knight Hawks will be at home to host the Tucson Sugar Skulls on June 3 with kickoff set for 7:05 p.m. All times listed are pacific daylight time. Click for our complete 2023 IFL Schedule.
5/27/23 --
PHOENIX, AZ - The Arizona Rattlers dominated the Vegas Knight Hawks from the latter part of the second quarter and engulfed their visitors in the second half to claim their second-straight win and solidify their playoff push tonight at the Footprint Center.
With the 63-39 win, the Rattlers remain in possession of third place in the Western Conference standings. They are tied with the Northern Arizona Wranglers at 5-4 on the season, but the Wranglers own the tiebreaker. Those teams play again next week at Prescott Valley.
Vegas fell to 4-5 with the loss; just a game back of a playoff spot with six games to play. The Knight Hawks defeated the Rattlers in the team's previous matchup this season, 55-54, on May 13. The Rattlers lead the overall series 31, including a 2-0 mark at home. If was the fourth historical meeting between the teams since the Knight Hawks came into the league as an expansion team last season.
Vegas took the opening kickoff and consumed over six minutes of clock before Stevie Artigue's 36-yard field goal try sailed wide left. Arizona responded with a 45-yard scamper in the open field for a touchdown. Miles, a receiver with plenty of experience in the backfield, was filling in for the injured Morian Walker at running back for the Rattlers. The Knight Hawks responded with a 32-yard touchdown bomb from Daquan Neal to Caleb Holley for their first points of the contest. The Rattlers took a 14-6 lead with just over four minutes left in the opening quarter when Miles scored on a run around the left side. Once again, the Knight Hawks struck back; this time on a 20-yard strike from Neal to Quentin Randolph in the right side of the end zone. The Rattlers were ahead 14-13 at the end of one.
Drew Powell hit Braxton Haley, who jumped up the side of the wall to put the Rattlers up by a score with the 20-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. The Knight Hawks were forced into a fourth-and-nine and responded with a 22-yard touchdown toss from Neal to Jordan McCray in the middle of the end zone with just under 10 minutes in the half. Arizona extended their lead on Powell's 10-yard scoring toss to Isaiah Huston on the right side of the end zone. After Malik Honeycutt returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the Rattlers one-yard line, Neal rushed around the right guard for the one-yard score. Powell found Haley wide open up the middle for a 16-yard touchdown and the Rattlers were back up by eight with four minutes left. After Shane McInerny's onside kick attempt was recovered by recently signed Knight Hawk Kingsley Opara. The Knight Hawks were forced into a turnover on downs, turning the ball over to the Rattlers with 40 seconds remaining in the half. They capitalized with a four-yard strike from Powell to Huston 26 seconds later. Time elapsed before Vegas was able to put points on the board and the Rattlers went into the break with a 42-27 lead.
The Rattlers added to their lead on Powell's 20-yard touchdown toss to Huston on the opening possession of the second half. The Rattlers defense forced another Knight Hawks turnover on downs. The Rattlers responded with a six-yard touchdown run up the middle. With the score, Powell tied the Rattlers all-time rushing record with 81 scores on the ground since joining the team prior to the 2019 season. Darrius Guice rushed seven yards around the right side for a seven-yard touchdown and the Rattlers 56-33 lead heading into the final quarter.
Jorge Reyna replaced Powell in the fourth quarter and promptly fired a six-yard score to Haley in the right back corner of the end zone and the Rattlers' lead was 30 points. Winfrey intercepted Vegas backup quarterback Joe Mancuso in the end zone. The Knight Hawks' Gabriel McCoy picked off Reyna to give his team the ball back in Arizona territory. Jonathan Johnson pulled Vegas a little closer with a one-yard run around the left side in which he dropped the ball, but picked up the bounce and ran it for the touchdown.
Powell finished 11 of 13 for 151 yards, five touchdowns and no picks. His record-setting touchdown rush was his lone score on the ground. Miles finished with 71 yards on 71 carries and two scores. Huston and Haley each caught four passes and three touchdowns on 56 and 47 yards, respectively. Davontae Merriweather paced the defense with 14 tackles, and Cecil Cherry finished with eight tackles and two sacks. Winfrey's interception was his sixth of the season.
Neal went eight of 16 for 137 yards and three touchdowns with no picks. Guice rushed for 23 yards and a touchdowns. holley caught five passes for 81 yards, while Randolph had 58 yards. Both, along with McCray each had touchdown catches for the Knight Hawks. Jaha Ferguson finished with seven tackles for the defense, and McCoy had his aforementioned interception.
Arizona held a slight advantage in total offense, 264 yards to 231. The difference came on the ground where they had a 43-yard advantage in rushing. Vegas held a 20-yard edge in the passing game. Penalties, particularly on offense, hurt the Knight Hawks. They were flagged nine times for 69 yards, while the Rattlers were penalized six times for 36 yards.
The Rattlers will visit the Northern Arizona Wranglers on June 3 for a 6:05 p.m. kickoff. The Knight Hawks will be at home to host the Tucson Sugar Skulls on June 3 with kickoff set for 7:05 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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