Post by alecs on Jun 23, 2024 7:53:58 GMT -8
Knight Hawks 55, Rattlers 50
6/22/24 --
HENDERSON, NV - The fans at Lee's Family Forum were treated to a potential playoff preview on Saturday night in Henderson, with the hometown Knight Hawks hosting the Arizona Rattlers in a matchup between the second and third-ranked teams in the Western Conference. In a setting where the league's brightest stars rise to the occasion, the night belonged to Ja'rome Johnson, whose eight touchdowns propelled Vegas to a strong 55-50 win over the Rattlers.
The game immediately started with both teams staging several big scoring plays. Vegas got that trend underway, opening the game with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Ja'rome Johnson to C.J. Windham. Arizona knotted the game back up with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Sneed to Shannon Brooks. The Knight Hawks had the immediate response, though, with Johnson and Windham connecting again for a 25-yard touchdown. The ensuing PAT got blocked and returned for a pair of points by Traevaris Ferrell. The big special teams play allowed the Rattlers to regain the lead upon a one-yard rushing touchdown by Brooks. Dawson Evitts would hook the PAT wide left. A pair of interceptions by Ferrell and Bryce Hampton of the Knight Hawks kept the score line at 15-13 Rattlers through one quarter.
Both squads, blazing hot to start the game, continued to struggle to open the second quarter. Johnson had an endzone pass intercepted by Jarmaine Doubs, the second interception of the game for Johnson. The takeaway would allow Brooks to complete the early hat trick with a four-yard rushing touchdown to push the Arizona lead to nine points. Vegas worked a solid scoring drive in response, with Johnson recovering nicely with an 11-yard touchdown toss to Quentin Randolph. With less than a minute to go, Vegas got a game-changing defensive stop, with Gabriel McCoy sacking Sneed on a fourth and five, giving the ball to the Knight Hawks with 14 seconds left at the Rattlers 18 yard line. That would be just enough time for Johnson to rush his way into the endzone, beating the clock with a one-yard rushing score, giving the Knight Hawks a halftime lead of 27-22.
Once the second half started, Brooks picked up right where he left off, logging his fourth touchdown with a one-yard rush to put Arizona back on top. The celebration would be short lived, though, with Vegas requiring just two plays to rip the lead back on the next drive. Another Johnson to Windham connection, this one of 34 yards, put the Knight Hawks back ahead by five. Not to be outdone, Brooks staged a fifth touchdown on an eight-yard rush. At the end of the third quarter, the Rattlers led 36-34.
A nine-yard touchdown rush by Johnson got the fourth quarter underway and restored the Vegas advantage. Arizona staged a quick scoring drive thereafter, and for the first time all evening, someone other than Brooks hit pay dirt. This score was a 12-yard pass from Sneed to Nih-jer Jackson to put Arizona ahead by a pair. The Knight Hawk offense continued to roll, though, regaining the lead on a four-yard keeper by Johnson. With five minutes to go in the quarter, the home side made the first big defensive play of the second half, with James Ceasar making a fantastic one-handed grab in the corner of the endzone for a game-altering interception. Johnson immediately made good of that takeaway, blasting down the middle for a 45-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Knight Hawks ahead by double-digits for the first time. Now needing a score and an onside kick recovery, Arizona managed to cross the goal line with 30 seconds remaining, on a huge nine-yard touchdown pass from Sneed to Corey Reed Jr. on fourth and goal. The onside kick, however, was scooped up by Ceasar to effectively end the game. In a certified shootout, Vegas logs the 55-50 victory.
Ja'rome Johnson added to his strong MVP case in leading Vegas to victory. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 176 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, with 12 rushes for 79 yards and four more scores. C.J. Windham had five catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns, and Quentin Randolph caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Gabriel McCoy led Vegas in tackles (seven) and sacks (1.5) while also forcing a fumble. James Ceasar and Bryce Hampton each logged an interception in the Knight Hawks win.
Dalton Sneed fired 19 completions on 31 attempts for 226 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Shannon Brooks had himself a career evening, with ten carries for 43 yards and four touchdowns to go with five catches for 40 yards and another score. Corey Reed Jr. was Arizona's leading receiver with six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, and Nih-jer Jackson also caught six passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Jarmaine Doubs had four tackles and an interception, while Traevaris Farrell had an interception and a blocked extra point returned for a two-point score.
Vegas held a slight advantage in total yardage, outgaining Arizona 282 to 277. The turnover margin was even, with both quarterbacks responsible for a pair of interceptions. The folks in black and white stripes played a heavy role in this one, calling Arizona for nine penalties and 67 yards, and Vegas for eight penalties and 78 yards.
The season series sweep is complete for the Knight Hawks, who used a last-second field goal on March 24 to win the meeting in Glendale 45-43. Tonight's win also evened the all-time series between these two clubs at three wins apiece.
Tonight's outcome affects the Western Playoff picture considerably. The win for Vegas (9-3) keeps them in second place, one game behind the Bay Area Panthers (10-2) for first, while also distancing themselves further from the now third-place Northern Arizona Wranglers (7-4) for first-round home-turf advantage. The Rattlers (8-5) move into a tie for fourth with the San Diego Strike Force, but are on the wrong end of the conference record tiebreaker as it currently stands (SD 7-4, ARI 5-5).
The Rattlers and Knight Hawks are both in action next week on Saturday June 29. Arizona (8-5) will host the Iowa Barnstormers (4-8), and the Knight Hawks (9-3) will host the Bay Area Panthers (10-2). Kickoff for both games is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Times listed are pacific daylight time.
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel and Caffeine TV IFL. 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. Click for our complete IFL 2024 Schedule.
6/22/24 --
HENDERSON, NV - The fans at Lee's Family Forum were treated to a potential playoff preview on Saturday night in Henderson, with the hometown Knight Hawks hosting the Arizona Rattlers in a matchup between the second and third-ranked teams in the Western Conference. In a setting where the league's brightest stars rise to the occasion, the night belonged to Ja'rome Johnson, whose eight touchdowns propelled Vegas to a strong 55-50 win over the Rattlers.
The game immediately started with both teams staging several big scoring plays. Vegas got that trend underway, opening the game with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Ja'rome Johnson to C.J. Windham. Arizona knotted the game back up with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dalton Sneed to Shannon Brooks. The Knight Hawks had the immediate response, though, with Johnson and Windham connecting again for a 25-yard touchdown. The ensuing PAT got blocked and returned for a pair of points by Traevaris Ferrell. The big special teams play allowed the Rattlers to regain the lead upon a one-yard rushing touchdown by Brooks. Dawson Evitts would hook the PAT wide left. A pair of interceptions by Ferrell and Bryce Hampton of the Knight Hawks kept the score line at 15-13 Rattlers through one quarter.
Both squads, blazing hot to start the game, continued to struggle to open the second quarter. Johnson had an endzone pass intercepted by Jarmaine Doubs, the second interception of the game for Johnson. The takeaway would allow Brooks to complete the early hat trick with a four-yard rushing touchdown to push the Arizona lead to nine points. Vegas worked a solid scoring drive in response, with Johnson recovering nicely with an 11-yard touchdown toss to Quentin Randolph. With less than a minute to go, Vegas got a game-changing defensive stop, with Gabriel McCoy sacking Sneed on a fourth and five, giving the ball to the Knight Hawks with 14 seconds left at the Rattlers 18 yard line. That would be just enough time for Johnson to rush his way into the endzone, beating the clock with a one-yard rushing score, giving the Knight Hawks a halftime lead of 27-22.
Once the second half started, Brooks picked up right where he left off, logging his fourth touchdown with a one-yard rush to put Arizona back on top. The celebration would be short lived, though, with Vegas requiring just two plays to rip the lead back on the next drive. Another Johnson to Windham connection, this one of 34 yards, put the Knight Hawks back ahead by five. Not to be outdone, Brooks staged a fifth touchdown on an eight-yard rush. At the end of the third quarter, the Rattlers led 36-34.
A nine-yard touchdown rush by Johnson got the fourth quarter underway and restored the Vegas advantage. Arizona staged a quick scoring drive thereafter, and for the first time all evening, someone other than Brooks hit pay dirt. This score was a 12-yard pass from Sneed to Nih-jer Jackson to put Arizona ahead by a pair. The Knight Hawk offense continued to roll, though, regaining the lead on a four-yard keeper by Johnson. With five minutes to go in the quarter, the home side made the first big defensive play of the second half, with James Ceasar making a fantastic one-handed grab in the corner of the endzone for a game-altering interception. Johnson immediately made good of that takeaway, blasting down the middle for a 45-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Knight Hawks ahead by double-digits for the first time. Now needing a score and an onside kick recovery, Arizona managed to cross the goal line with 30 seconds remaining, on a huge nine-yard touchdown pass from Sneed to Corey Reed Jr. on fourth and goal. The onside kick, however, was scooped up by Ceasar to effectively end the game. In a certified shootout, Vegas logs the 55-50 victory.
Ja'rome Johnson added to his strong MVP case in leading Vegas to victory. He completed 11 of 15 passes for 176 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, with 12 rushes for 79 yards and four more scores. C.J. Windham had five catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns, and Quentin Randolph caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. Gabriel McCoy led Vegas in tackles (seven) and sacks (1.5) while also forcing a fumble. James Ceasar and Bryce Hampton each logged an interception in the Knight Hawks win.
Dalton Sneed fired 19 completions on 31 attempts for 226 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. Shannon Brooks had himself a career evening, with ten carries for 43 yards and four touchdowns to go with five catches for 40 yards and another score. Corey Reed Jr. was Arizona's leading receiver with six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, and Nih-jer Jackson also caught six passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. Jarmaine Doubs had four tackles and an interception, while Traevaris Farrell had an interception and a blocked extra point returned for a two-point score.
Vegas held a slight advantage in total yardage, outgaining Arizona 282 to 277. The turnover margin was even, with both quarterbacks responsible for a pair of interceptions. The folks in black and white stripes played a heavy role in this one, calling Arizona for nine penalties and 67 yards, and Vegas for eight penalties and 78 yards.
The season series sweep is complete for the Knight Hawks, who used a last-second field goal on March 24 to win the meeting in Glendale 45-43. Tonight's win also evened the all-time series between these two clubs at three wins apiece.
Tonight's outcome affects the Western Playoff picture considerably. The win for Vegas (9-3) keeps them in second place, one game behind the Bay Area Panthers (10-2) for first, while also distancing themselves further from the now third-place Northern Arizona Wranglers (7-4) for first-round home-turf advantage. The Rattlers (8-5) move into a tie for fourth with the San Diego Strike Force, but are on the wrong end of the conference record tiebreaker as it currently stands (SD 7-4, ARI 5-5).
The Rattlers and Knight Hawks are both in action next week on Saturday June 29. Arizona (8-5) will host the Iowa Barnstormers (4-8), and the Knight Hawks (9-3) will host the Bay Area Panthers (10-2). Kickoff for both games is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Times listed are pacific daylight time.
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL YouTube Channel and Caffeine TV IFL. 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. Click for our complete IFL 2024 Schedule.
-AS