Post by Monika on Jun 11, 2023 17:30:49 GMT -8
Rattlers 70, Panthers 63
6/11/23 --
PHOENIX, AZ - Drew Powell rushed for five touchdowns and threw for four more as the Arizona Rattlers turned back the Bay Area Panthers today at the Footprint Center.
With the win, the Rattlers moved into a tie with the Panthers atop the Western Conference standings. The teams have now split the season series as Bay Area claimed the first contest, 47-46, at San Jose on March 26. The tiebreaker which comes into play now for the teams with four games left is strength of schedule, where the Panthers have a slight edge. The standard tiebreaker would be conference winning percentage but, as announced by the Indoor Football League last week, that does not apply when determining first place.
Both teams are 7-4 on the season Arizona extended its win streak to four games, while Bay Area saw its own three-game win streak snapped with the loss. The Rattlers' streak matches that of the Eastern Conference's Massachusetts Pirates who defeated the Vegas Knight Hawks yesterday, 49-28. The Rattlers lead the overall series against the Panthers, 3-1, with a mark of 2-0 at home.
The Rattlers took the opening kickoff down to the Panthers' 23-yard line, but turned it over on downs. Bay Area responded with a 37-yard touchdown bomb down the right sideline from Dalton Sneed to Nih-Jer Jackson. With the Rattlers driving again, Powell's pass was intercepted by Antwon Kincade of the Panthers, giving the visitors back the ball. They were unable to take advantage after turning over the ball on downs in Rattlers territory. Bay Area led 7-0 at the end of one.
Arizona got on the board at the beginning of the second quarter on Powell's nine-yard strike to Jamal Miles in the middle of the end zone. The Panthers scored on a 14-yard sweep around the left side from JT Stokes. The Rattlers responded immediately when Powell hit Jazeric Peterson for a 35-yard touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, the Panthers' Imeek Watkins fumbled and it was recovered by Braxton Haley of the Rattlers. Powell rushed in from 20 yards to give the Rattlers their first lead of the game, 21-14, with 4:16 remaining in the first half. Arizona got the ball back when the Rattler's scrum recovered Justin Rankin's fumble. Powell found Peterson for a nine-yard score.
Bay Area stopped Arizona's scoring run with a 20-yard touchdown toss to Jackson in the right corner of the end zone. The Panthers attempted an onside kick, but the ball was recovered by the Rattlers' Cecil Cherry and returned 10 yards for a touchdown. Rankin bulled his way for a 10-yard touchdown around the right guard. Bay Area tried another onside kick and this time it was recovered by Kincade. The Panthers tied the contest at 35 apiece when Sneed hit Rankin for a 33-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 26 seconds left. Powell's four-yard bootleg around the right side gave the Rattlers back the lead just 14 seconds later. Aedan Johnson's 47-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright as time expired and the Rattlers went into halftime with a 42-35 lead.
The Panthers tied the game early in the third quarter on Rankin's five-yard rush around the left side. The Rattlers re-took the lead on a 16-yard run around the left side from Powell with 6:10 left in the quarter. bay Area came right back, scoring on Sneed's 31-yard bomb to a wide-open Jackson less than two minutes later. Powell found Isaiah Huston for a 15-yard score to put Arizona back on top. The Rattlers took a 56-49 lead into the final quarter.
Bay Area tied the game again when Sneed found Cutrell Haywood in the back left corner of the end zone on fourth down. Powell ran around the left guard for nine yards to give the Rattlers a 63-56 lead midway through the fourth. Rankin answered for the Panthers, scooting back-and-forth across the field for a 25-yard score. Another onside kick from Bay Area went out of bounds at the 13-yard line, giving Arizona a short field. The Rattlers went back up with 3:38 left on a two-yard scamper from Powell. The Panthers had one last drive, but Sneed's pass deep in Arizona territory went through Stokes' hands, ending the comeback bid.
Powell completed 17 of 22 passes for 230 yards with four touchdowns and an interception, and rushed 11 times for 78 yards and his five scores. Huston caught five balls for 97 yards and a touchdown, and Peterson had five grabs for 61 yards to go along with two scores. Davontae Merriweather led the Rattlers' defense with 12 tackles, and Chris Terrell posted two sacks.
Sneed went 13 of 21 for 211 yards with five touchdowns. Rankin had 72 yards off 16 carries and three touchdowns on the ground, and four receptions for 62 yards and another score. Jackson led the Panthers with four catches for 96 yards and three touchdown grabs. Trae Meadows led Bay Area with nine tackles, and Kincade finished with eight tackles and an interception.
Arizona had an edge in total yards, 339 yards to 304. The Rattlers had a 19-yard advantage in receiving and a nine-yard edge in rushing. The Rattlers were flagged seven times for 48 yards and the Panthers were penalized five times for 35 yards. Neither kicker (McInerny for the Rattlers and Johnson for the Panthers) missed an extra point attempt.
The Rattlers will visit the Duke City Gladiators on July 17 for a 5:05 p.m. kickoff. The Panthers will be on the road to face the Vegas Knight Hawks on July 17 with kickoff set for 7:05 p.m. All times listed are pacific daylight time. Click for our complete 2023 IFL Schedule.
6/11/23 --
PHOENIX, AZ - Drew Powell rushed for five touchdowns and threw for four more as the Arizona Rattlers turned back the Bay Area Panthers today at the Footprint Center.
With the win, the Rattlers moved into a tie with the Panthers atop the Western Conference standings. The teams have now split the season series as Bay Area claimed the first contest, 47-46, at San Jose on March 26. The tiebreaker which comes into play now for the teams with four games left is strength of schedule, where the Panthers have a slight edge. The standard tiebreaker would be conference winning percentage but, as announced by the Indoor Football League last week, that does not apply when determining first place.
Both teams are 7-4 on the season Arizona extended its win streak to four games, while Bay Area saw its own three-game win streak snapped with the loss. The Rattlers' streak matches that of the Eastern Conference's Massachusetts Pirates who defeated the Vegas Knight Hawks yesterday, 49-28. The Rattlers lead the overall series against the Panthers, 3-1, with a mark of 2-0 at home.
The Rattlers took the opening kickoff down to the Panthers' 23-yard line, but turned it over on downs. Bay Area responded with a 37-yard touchdown bomb down the right sideline from Dalton Sneed to Nih-Jer Jackson. With the Rattlers driving again, Powell's pass was intercepted by Antwon Kincade of the Panthers, giving the visitors back the ball. They were unable to take advantage after turning over the ball on downs in Rattlers territory. Bay Area led 7-0 at the end of one.
Arizona got on the board at the beginning of the second quarter on Powell's nine-yard strike to Jamal Miles in the middle of the end zone. The Panthers scored on a 14-yard sweep around the left side from JT Stokes. The Rattlers responded immediately when Powell hit Jazeric Peterson for a 35-yard touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, the Panthers' Imeek Watkins fumbled and it was recovered by Braxton Haley of the Rattlers. Powell rushed in from 20 yards to give the Rattlers their first lead of the game, 21-14, with 4:16 remaining in the first half. Arizona got the ball back when the Rattler's scrum recovered Justin Rankin's fumble. Powell found Peterson for a nine-yard score.
Bay Area stopped Arizona's scoring run with a 20-yard touchdown toss to Jackson in the right corner of the end zone. The Panthers attempted an onside kick, but the ball was recovered by the Rattlers' Cecil Cherry and returned 10 yards for a touchdown. Rankin bulled his way for a 10-yard touchdown around the right guard. Bay Area tried another onside kick and this time it was recovered by Kincade. The Panthers tied the contest at 35 apiece when Sneed hit Rankin for a 33-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 26 seconds left. Powell's four-yard bootleg around the right side gave the Rattlers back the lead just 14 seconds later. Aedan Johnson's 47-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright as time expired and the Rattlers went into halftime with a 42-35 lead.
The Panthers tied the game early in the third quarter on Rankin's five-yard rush around the left side. The Rattlers re-took the lead on a 16-yard run around the left side from Powell with 6:10 left in the quarter. bay Area came right back, scoring on Sneed's 31-yard bomb to a wide-open Jackson less than two minutes later. Powell found Isaiah Huston for a 15-yard score to put Arizona back on top. The Rattlers took a 56-49 lead into the final quarter.
Bay Area tied the game again when Sneed found Cutrell Haywood in the back left corner of the end zone on fourth down. Powell ran around the left guard for nine yards to give the Rattlers a 63-56 lead midway through the fourth. Rankin answered for the Panthers, scooting back-and-forth across the field for a 25-yard score. Another onside kick from Bay Area went out of bounds at the 13-yard line, giving Arizona a short field. The Rattlers went back up with 3:38 left on a two-yard scamper from Powell. The Panthers had one last drive, but Sneed's pass deep in Arizona territory went through Stokes' hands, ending the comeback bid.
Powell completed 17 of 22 passes for 230 yards with four touchdowns and an interception, and rushed 11 times for 78 yards and his five scores. Huston caught five balls for 97 yards and a touchdown, and Peterson had five grabs for 61 yards to go along with two scores. Davontae Merriweather led the Rattlers' defense with 12 tackles, and Chris Terrell posted two sacks.
Sneed went 13 of 21 for 211 yards with five touchdowns. Rankin had 72 yards off 16 carries and three touchdowns on the ground, and four receptions for 62 yards and another score. Jackson led the Panthers with four catches for 96 yards and three touchdown grabs. Trae Meadows led Bay Area with nine tackles, and Kincade finished with eight tackles and an interception.
Arizona had an edge in total yards, 339 yards to 304. The Rattlers had a 19-yard advantage in receiving and a nine-yard edge in rushing. The Rattlers were flagged seven times for 48 yards and the Panthers were penalized five times for 35 yards. Neither kicker (McInerny for the Rattlers and Johnson for the Panthers) missed an extra point attempt.
The Rattlers will visit the Duke City Gladiators on July 17 for a 5:05 p.m. kickoff. The Panthers will be on the road to face the Vegas Knight Hawks on July 17 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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