(Phoenix, AZ) The Rattlers had a chance to solidify their playoff resume today against the league leading Bay Area Panthers at home in the Footprint Center.
This was the second meeting this season between the Western Division’s top two seeds. In Week 2, the Snakes were edged 47-46 in San Jose which gave the Panthers their first win in the series.
Arizona came in with a modest three game winning streak with two of those wins against the IFL defending champion Northern Arizona Wranglers.
There was a lot at stake with the winner of this game taking first place in the division.
The Rattlers had a must win situation with the Tucson Sugar Skulls winning on Saturday to creep within a half game of Arizona. If the two teams end the season tied, the Skulls maintained the tie breaker after their win in Tucson earlier this season.
Four of the last five regular season games are at the Footprint Center with a by week before the season finale against the in state rival and defending IFL Champion Wranglers.
Arizona got the ball first but had a potential first and goal from the two yard line but a holding call nullified the big gain followed a motion penalty. Ultimately the Rattlers turned the ball over on downs.
It didn’t take long for the Panthers to capitalize as they turned a thirty seven yard fly pattern into a touchdown Felix Harper to Nih-Jer Jackson and a quick 7-0 lead for Bay City with 9:10 left in the opening quarter.
The Rattlers got good field position on their next possession as a result of the kickoff going into the stands behind the end zone.
A strong rush by Bay Area kept Drew Powell off balance. On the next play from the five yard line, Powell threw an interception throwing off his back foot and the second drive was snuffed out.
On a third and five from their own ten yard line, Harper completed an eight yard out pattern on a one step drop to keep their drive alive.
The Panthers second third and five, saw completely different outcome as Arizona read the quick screen play and held for no gain. Fourth down saw Harper’s pass fall incomplete and the ball went back to the Snakes.
You can’t afford to fall behind by two touchdowns the division leaders as they led 7-0 after the first quarter.
Both Arizona possessions in the quarter failed and Powell and company needed to execute better.
Two quick hitting plays, one Powell long run along the board and a short out pattern got them into the red zone. Powell found a wide open Jamal Miles for the tying touchdown 7-7 at the 12:12 mark.
After being bottled up initially, Bay Area got their drive rolling on a clutch third down and twenty play that got them out of trouble. The next play they stuck it in the end zone from fourteen yards out by JT Stokes. The Panthers back up 14-7 with 7:03 left till halftime.
Lightning struck quickly as Powell threaded the needle on a thirty five yard touchdown pass to Jazeric Perterson on the first play of the possession to tie the score 14-14 and 5:34 on the clock.
A huge miscue by the Panthers gave the ball back to the Snakes from a Braxton Haley fumble recovery.
That’s all Powell needed as he blasted through the Bay Area defense into the end zone from twenty yards out to give the Rattlers their first lead of the game 21-14 with under 4:30 to go.
Things continued to go south for Panthers when Arizona’s Cecil Cherry demolished Justin Rankin forcing a fumble and the Snakes got the ball back with 3:09 left. Plenty of time for the quick strike Rattlers.
Peterson got loose in the back of the end zone and Powell found him from nine yards out to double up the score 28-14.
The fast break Rattlers had Bay Area on their heels until the kickoff went out of bounds giving the Panthers great field position. One play later on a thirty yard strike, Bay Area came back to only trail by a touchdown.
Knowing an onside kick was coming, Arizona stacked the front line and Cherry came up with the ball on a friendly hop to score and put his team back up by fourteen 35-21 with under a minute left.
Rankin kept the Panthers close off an eight yard run and again Bay Area wouldn’t let the Snakes get too far ahead.
Another onside kick from the Panthers was recovered this time as they attempted to tie the score before halftime.
Ranking shook and shimmied for thirty three yards to tie the score 35-35 and there was still 25.7 seconds left.
Powell found Isaiah Hudson wide open in the middle of the field for forty one yards and a first and goal.
Powell skipped into the end zone behind big Cecil Cherry to break the tie 42-35, but there was still 12.3 seconds left.
Harper attempted a long bomb into the end zone which was incomplete. A last play field goal attempt by Aeden Johnson hit the right upright from forty seven yards to finish one of the craziest second quarter in IFL history.
Halftime score was 42-35 after both teams scored ten touchdowns collectively.
Rattlers’ Powell was a perfect 6-6 passing in the forty two point second quarter to give Arizona the lead.
The home crowd was loud all game during the scoring barrage in the Footprint Center.
Bay Area got the ball first and apparently scored on a Rankin four yard run, but Arizona Coach Kevin Guy challenged the call saying his knee was down before the ball crossed the goal line. Video replay clearly showed he was short, but the play call stood and the Panthers were back at 42-42.
A combination of short passes to neutralize the Panthers’ middle linebacker who came hard on the first two plays set Powell to take it up the sidelines for sixteen yards to give the lead back to Arizona 49-42 a with 5:52 left in the third quarter.
Back came the division leaders from a defensive breakdown that left Jackson wide open in the end zone to tie it back up 49-49 and still a lot of football left with 4:16 still in quarter number three.
Powell marched his guys back down the field and went back up 56-49 off a sixteen yard strike to Huston in the back of the end zone.
The fourth quarter began with Bay Area’s offense stalling at the Arizona nineteen and a third and sixteen for the first down. On fourth and nine, once again a breakdown in the Rattlers secondary let the Panthers off the hook as they tied it back up 56-56 and still 11:11 to go in regulation.
Powell found Huston along the left side for a twenty eight yard completion. On the next play, Powell called his own number again and scored to put the Snakes back up 63-56 and 7:52 left.
Arizona’s lead was short lived as Rankin zig zagged twenty six yards after a kickoff off return to near midfield that set up the Bay Area’s offense with great field position and tied again 63-63.
Powell again put the Snakes on his back and ran in from the two yard line to go ahead 70-63.
It’s very difficult to run the clock down in Indoor Football as you can in the eleven man game. With 2:59 left, that’s an eternity in this league.
Just prior to the one minute warning, the Panthers converted a third and fifteen after great defensive stops the first two downs on the possession by Arizona.
Still not in sync, the Panthers offense went to the rush and a short pass and found themselves with a fourth and seven at the Arizona eleven yard line. The pass was behind the receiver and the Snakes defense came up big when it counted.
Powell took a knee twice to run out the clock for a 70-63 win and into first place now where the Rattlers sit.
The Rattlers scored ten touchdowns in which Powell was responsible for nine of them. He rushed for five TD’s and threw for another four touchdowns. Cecil Cherry scored a special teams TD off an onside kick.
The rest of the schedule favors Arizona as they only have one road game remaining next week against Duke City. Will they have Braxton Haley who left the game in the second quarter and did not return. When asked, Coach Guy hadn’t spoken yet with the team’s medical staff. There should be an answer in the next forty eight hours.
With the win, the Snakes are in control now of their playoff destiny and on a four game winning streak.
The crowd of 10,029 in attendance witnessed one of the most exciting indoor football game in ages. As they exited the Footprint Center they knew this was an instant classic.
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