(Phoenix, AZ) Well, let’s do it again! The fourth meeting between the two in state ball teams but this contest the winner will advance to the IFL Western Division Championship Game.
If Arizona wins, the game will be played at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
If Northern Arizona wins, the game would be played either in San Jose or Tucson.
This was the third game of the four to be held in the Snake Pit and the Vegas oddsmakers had the game at -13.5 points for the home team.
Last week, the Snakes went out fast to a 35-11 halftime lead but NAZ came back strong in the third quarter scoring twenty two points to cut the lead to a one possession game before Arizona put the game away in the final quarter to 55-39.
Arizona got the ball first and drove to the Wrangler seven yard line. Four incomplete passes turned the ball over to Northern Arizona.
NAZ didn’t take long to score the games first touchdown. Nick Watson threw a thirteen yard touchdown to Ramadan Chiaokhiao-Bowman for a 6-0 lead after a missed drop kick conversion attempt.
Rattlers still couldn’t get things going on their second possession as Powell threw an interception to give Northern Arizona the ball back.
Watson to Jerrod Ware Jr from twenty nine yards out for a quick 14-0 lead as the drop kick attempt sailed through the uprights.
On their third possession, Powell used his legs to drive the ball to the NAZ eleven yard line. On a third down, Powell threaded the needle to Jamal Miles and the lead was cut in half 14-7.
Then Arizona’s defense came up big and nearly got a safety on the first play. That set the tone for the entire possession as the Snakes took their turn at shutting down the Wranglers’ and getting the ball back on downs.
Miles took the handoff and scooted two yards to tie the game 14-14 with 11:38 left in the half.
Northern Arizona took back the lead on a missed tackle in the middle of the field that allowed the Wranglers to score 22-14 after another drop kick two point conversion.
With 5:28 left in the half, Powell was pressured and threw his second interception and the Wranglers were in business at the Arizona nineteen.
Methodically moving the ball, NAZ got hemmed up near the goal line, but on a fourth down, Connor Mangan drop kicked a four point field goal to extend the lead 26-14.
Powell continued to put his team behind the eight ball by throwing his third pick and the Rattlers had must stop defensive stand not to go down by three scores at halftime.
If anything could go wrong for Arizona in the first half it did. With 15.7 seconds left till halftime, a questionable blindside block put the ball inside the five yard line. On the first play of the possession Powell fumbled the ball in the end zone and Glenn Gibbons Jr fell on it to make the score 34-14.
A last second field sailed wide and the worst half of football for the Rattlers mercifully came to a close down twenty points. It’s very difficult to come back from a double digit deficit in the IFL.
Snakes had to try the rabbit in the hat move as they attempted an onside kick to start the second half but it bounced out of bounds and the Wranglers had a golden opportunity to blow the game wide open.
Watson threw a teardrop pass from the six to Chiaokhiao-Bowman for a 42-14 lead and had seemed to have broken the spirit of the Rattlers.
Arzona with Powell still in at quarterback despite four turnovers, marched down the field in four plays and Jagher Gardner hauled in an eighteen yard pass to cut the lead to 42-21 but time was now a factor.
Lighting struck again in the desert as it was Watson’s turn to cough up the ball. After fumbling the snap from the five yard line the ball trickled into the end zone where Connor Taylor recovered for a Rattlers’ touchdown and the score was now 42-28.
NAZ had no success on offense following the Snakes touchdown and attempted a 58 yard field goal with the ball being kicked from the goal line. The ball sailed out of bounds and the Snakes continued to hold the momentum.
A six yard sweep by Miles got Arizona back within a touchdown 42-35 and a 21-8 run this quarter.
Starting the final quarter, the Wranglers were once again in the shadow of their own goal line. With a fourth and fifteen to go they tired a sixty one yard attempt which had no chance and the crowd breathed a sigh of relief.
All the juju was with the Capital City team as Powell redeemed his first half disaster with a two yard keeper to pull within a point, but the opportunity to tie came and went with a bad snap on the extra point conversion. Wranglers 42-41 with 10:32 left in regulation.
Northern Arizona isn’t the IFL defending champions for cowering to pressure. The Wranglers went twenty eight yards in five plays to retake the lead 48-47 after their drop kick attempt failed.
Arizona had three minutes to win this thing and move on to the conference finals.
A second down quarterback sneak netted nothing and the game went the one minute warning.
Powell put the Rattlers back on top but only by five points as the two point attempt failed.
With 53.4 seconds to go Northern Arizona still had a chance.
After a blocking penalty on that put the ball back deep into their end f the field, Watson found his receiver open for touchdown to put NAZ back up by a point 54-53 and now only :34 left on the clock.
This gave a the Rattlers a chance to win n the last possession as they have done numerous times in their storied franchise history.
Today was not the day that would happen as once again, Powell turned the ball over on his fifth interception and this one put the nail in the coffin as Dorian Walker took the ball into score and ended the night and the season for Arizona for a 62-53 final.
Powell’s six turnovers was just too much to overcome. He has been by far the most successful regular season quarterback over the past three seasons but has nothing to show for it.
The three lackluster playoff efforts from this team since 2020 and being turned back from winning it all once again may lead to some wholesale changes in next year’s team. Only time will tell.
Tonight’s attendance was 8,078 and were very vocal during the Arizona comeback, but were left disappointed again and will have to wait till next season.
With the fourth seeded Wranglers beating the top seed, they will find out their opponent from the winner of the Bay Area versus Tucson game on Sunday in San Jose.
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