(Phoenix, AZ) The Rattlers came into this game with a 1-2 record which hasn’t happened since 2017, and they were actually a two point underdog at home.
Duke City entered at 2-1, but had never beaten the Snakes in seven tries. The last meeting between these two was in the IFL Playoffs which Arizona won 53-14 in 2022.
Duke City kicked off to the Rattlers, but things didn’t start off well. On the second play from scrimmage, when Jorge Reyna threw an interception in the end zone to Roderick Chapman of Duke City.
It didn’t take long to take advantage of the turnover as Nate Davis threw a thirty yard touchdown pass in stride to Gary Brown to open the scoring.
Things continued to go south for the Snakes when Reyna and running back Jager Gardner mishandled a handoff and Arizona had two turnovers in two possessions.
The Rattlers defense stiffened and forced a field goal attempt. The snap was high and mishandled as Arizona dodged a bullet getting the ball back on downs.
The offense took a few plays to get in sync but collected themselves to score on a three yard run by Gardner to tie the score 7-7 at the 4:39 mark of the opening quarter.
A new rule allows the kicking team to try to put the ball between the uprights for two points. The Rattlers did just that as the kick just cleared the crossbar and the lead 9-7.
Duke City came back with a quick score after two pass interference penalties when Davis found Gary Brown in the back of the end zone to regain the lead 13-9 after the point failed hitting the left upright.
At the end of the first quarter, Duke City held a 69-50 total yardage edge. Surprisingly, the Snakes had only 19 yards passing. More yards rushing (31) than passing in the IFL wont win you many games.
Arizona scored with 8:55 left in the half on seven yard run off the right side and back and forth we went with the Snakes up 16-13.
Davis got the Gladiators back in the lead with three yard toss to Jared Elmore and 20-16 with under four minutes left in the first half.
With 25.2 seconds left, Arizona called a timeout with a fourth down at the one yard line. Gardner slid into the end zone and a 23-20 lead, but there was still 23.7 seconds left for the high powered Duke City offense.
An illegal defense and pass interference calls against Arizona with 10.6 second set the Gladiators up at the two yard line.
That’s all Duke City needed as they hit Elmore from two yards out. Those two Rattler penalties gave the Gladiators as extra time out in reality and the lead 26-23.
Arizona had one last opportunity in the half, but a forty yard field goal sailed wide. Duke City led and would get first crack on offense to open the second half.
Halftime stats had both teams virtually even with Duke City holding a slight lead in total yardage 120-115.
The second half started off with another Arizona two point play off the opening kickoff to cut the Gladiators lead to one 26-25 and no time had even gone off the clock.
Duke City’s first offensive possession fizzled as a forty yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful.
On the next possession, it was the Reyna Show as the Rattlers’ quarterback had two long runs, one off of good secondary coverage by Duke City and the other off a roll out where the entire defense retreated that left a huge running lane up the right sideline.
Arizona had to settle for a twenty one yard field goal but that gave them the lead back 28-26 with 2:47 left in the quarter.
Coach Guy gambled with a two point attempt on the ensuing kickoff which was just wide. The result was Duke City getting the ball at midfield due to the new rule change.
Sometimes you roll the dice and it comes back to bite you as Elmore hauled in a twelve yard touchdown pass at the front of the end zone. The Gladiators went for two, but an offsides penalty on the Snakes nullified the play.The following attempt was good and changed the lead back in favor of Duke City 34-28.
The Rattlers still lagging in the passing game with only 74 yard through three quarters.
Two plays into the final quarter Reyna finally got his first passing touchdown of the game when he hit Isaiah Huston from fourteen yards out and the seesaw continued with the Snakes now up by a point 35-34.
Duke City had three chances on a third down that saw it go from third and six to third and sixteen, but the Rattler defense couldn’t make the stop and a Gladiator first down as the drive continued.
The Gladiators Ernesto Lacayo kicked a thirty five yard field goal and the lead back to Duke City 37-35 with 6:14 left in the game.
Back came the Arizona with four yard swing pass to Miles to make the score 41-37 after falling on the two point conversion.
With under a minute left, the Duke City had a big third down and fifteen after two incomplete passes a penalty and an unsuccessful play challenge.
The Snakes came up huge on defense as Dillion Winfrey intercepted a Davis pass and returned it to the seven yard line.
After failing on the play challenge, Duke City only had two timeouts but it didn’t matter as Miles scored. This put Arizona up by eleven but still 39.2 seconds remained. In the IFL thats still enough time to make a comeback.
Duke City’s final gasp was snuffed out by the Snakes defense as time expired as the final score read 48-37 for the home team.
Arizona trailed slightly in almost every statistical category, from first downs 20-19, total yards 204-201 and time of possession 32:06-27:54.
Where they made up was 6-6 in the red zone, and two crucial fourth down conversations. The biggest takeaway was the stiff defense in the final quarter. The Rattlers held Duke City to just a field goal while Arizona scored three touchdowns.
In the postgame press conference, Coach Guy explained the tough work in practice the past week after a close loss to Tucson at home.
Tonight’s attendance was just a hair under ten thousand at 9928. The arena was loud and proud being the 9th Man as advertised.
Coach Guy went on to say, “we want teams to fear us playing in this arena.”
So, after a lackluster first three games of the season, the Snakes stand at 2-2 but with a sense of renewal going forward.
Up next for Arizona is a trip to Frisco Texas next Saturday to meet the undefeated Fighters at 5:05 p.m.
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