(Phoenix, AZ) Tonight was Act II of the home and home series with the Las Vegas Knight Hawks. Two weeks ago, the Rattlers lost a nail biter 55-54 in Sin City.
Both teams are are even at 4-4 and trying to outmaneuver each other for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Division.
In spite of Arizona’s slow start, the West was all bunched up at the top. Division leaders Bay Area and Northern Arizona were just a single game ahead of the Snakes and Knight Hawks.
Reigning League MVP Drew Powell returned to action last week and had an impressive game in the win over Northern Arizona in Phoenix. He showed no rust from being on the shelf since the second game of the season.
Vegas won the coin toss and in their first possession after some initial success they faced a third down and thirty yards. This was a result of three consecutive penalties.
On fourth down, Vegas attempted a forty one yard field goal which sailed wide left at the 8:54 mark of the first quarter.
On the Rattlers first play they wasted no time as running back Jamal Miles ran forty five yards up the gut and was gone for the game’s first score. Arizona 7 Las Vegas 0.
The crowd wasn’t even warm in their seats, when the Rattlers defense showed they came to play with a couple of big stops.
Vegas had other ideas as former Tucson Sugar Skulls QB Daquan Neal threw a perfect thirty three yard fade route to Caleb Holley for a touchdown. The Knight Hawks extra point hit the upright and the Snakes still held a 7-6 lead at the 5:40 mark.
The quick strike Rattlers made haste with a three play drive that culminated in a Jamal Miles one yard touchdown run to put Arizona up 14-6. Four plays from scrimmage and two touchdowns for the home team.
Early on, both teams were had success on big plays. Las Vegas went thirty five yards in three plays to score on a Neal to Quentin Randolph on a twenty yard strike and tightened the game 14-13.
Back came Powell and company with a scoring pass to wideout Braxton Haley on three plays and Arizona was clicking offensively 21-13 in the opening moments of the second quarter.
Vegas with a fourth down and nine yards to go saw Neal thrown a jump ball pass to Jordan McCray for a twenty three yard score.
With 9:43 left till halftime, this game was back to a one point contest 21-20 In favor of the Snakes.
Arizona was set on keeping Vegas the “chaser” as Powell hooked up with Isaiah Huston from nine yards out to keep the lead at eight 28-20 and 6:57 left in the first half.
The first half was about big plays as Malik Honeycutt ran the ensuing Rattlers kickoff forty nine yards to the one yard line. Two plays later, Neal snuck it in to bring the Night Hawks back again, 28-27 and 4:37 left in the half.
On the next possession, Haley caught a Powell pass with one hand for another quick score on a one play drive 35-27 and still 3;34 left on the clock.
The big draw of the IFL is fast and furious offenses and tonight was a prime example of the exciting play the league promotes.
Coach Kevin Guy rolled the dice and attempted an onside kick which Vegas recovered giving them a short field to work with.
The Rattler’s defense stopped Neal on the first three plays from inside the ten yard line. On fourth down, Neal was forced to scramble and his feeble pass was knocked down to give the Snakes a huge defensive stand and the ball back at their own seven yard line. All this with under an minute left in the half.
Isaiah Scott got Arizona out of the shadow of their goal with a thirty nine yard catch and run. A play later, the other Isaiah (Huston) scored on a short four yard pass from Powell to give the Rattlers a 42-27 lead with fourteen seconds left.
The Knight Hawks last play of the first half Cecil Cherry came on a blitz and crushed Neal to end the half 42-27.
Arzona led 187-138 in total yards on just fourteen plays on offense. To emphasize the quick score offense of the Rattlers, the time of possession was heavily in favor for Las Vegas 20:54 to 9:06.
With the first half lead, the Rattlers got the ball first to start the third quarter and scored on another Powell to Huston connection, 49-27.
Las Vegas had their problems on their opening possession of the second half. With a fourth and one from the Snakes eight yard line, Neal threw incomplete into the end zone. The play was challenged by the Knight Hawk coaching staff bit the original call stood. Turnover on downs for the Arizona defense.
After the challenge call break, the Snakes drove the ball into score on a keeper by Powell to widen the lead 56-27 with 5:16 left in the third quarter.
Rattlers were the hungrier team and wanted to make a statement after the one point loss in Vegas two weeks prior. Coach Guy’s halftime speech definitely made an impact on the defensive side of the ball.
Las Vegas facing another fourth down and five, Holley got enough for the first down. Two plays later, the Knight Hawks finally scored their first points of the third quarter on the last play as Darrius Guice ran the ball in from ten yards out to cut the lead 56-33. Vegas tried for a two point conversion but failed.
Fifty six points on just twenty two offensive plays for the Rattlers through three quarters. This game was played without a fumble or interception to this point.
Arizona kept the pedal to the metal when backup signal caller Jose Reyna drove the team down to score on a six yard pass to Haley. Rattlers up 63-33 with 11:21 left in the game.
Neal and his troops struggled against the defense of Arizona the entire second half.
Inexplicably, Vegas chose to use the run more in this half, but the clock was definitely their nemesis being down by thirty points.
On a second down play from the Snake’s twenty yard line, Neal threw a pick to Dylan Winfrey and the threat was extinguished.
Arizona took the ball back on their own five yard line with 6:38 left. A third down interception by Powell on a tipped pass gave the Knight Hawks a little life at the six yard line.
Las Vegas couldn’t pass so the run gained little but also kept the clock running. A pass interference call on Arizona’s Jarmaine Miles kept the drive alive. On the next play, Jonathan Johnson ran into the end zone from two yards to make it 63-39. Two point attempt failed once again.
The lights went out for the visitors as Arizona dominated the entire second half for the lopsided win.
The biggest takeaway from the game was the outstanding play of Linebacker Cecil Cherry. Not only did he have several tackles for loss, but with a big hit on Neal to end the first half, the message was sent loud and clear that the revival of the Rattlers was steamrolling ahead.
Tonight’s attendance was 10,382 and very vocal.
Up next for Arizona is a short trip up to Prescott to face the defending champion Wranglers.
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