(Glendale, AZ) Western Conference Title at the Snake Pit should lend an advantage to the the Arizona Rattlers but stranger things have happened in home playoff games in the last couple of years.
Coach Kevin Guy coming off a thrilling come from behind win last week in Las Vegas and setting the all time indoor football/arena football wins needed to get this victory to make a further point his team wouldn’t fold in big games at home.
San Diego, the four seed upset the defending champions from Bay Area last week to set up this three versus four to determine the Western Conference representative in the National Championship Game on August 17th.
Arizona got the opening kickoff after the Strike Force won the coin toss. After a nice run back, the Rattlers found themselves in the Red Zone to start their first possession.
It didn’t take long for Dalton Sneed to find Jamal Miles in the end zone from five yards to put the Snakes on the board first 7-0 at the 9:45 mark.
On the ensuing kickoff, San Diego was called for holding and began their first possession at their own three yard line. Penalties could be a factor in this championship game.
A twenty five yard flag route put the Strike Force in business at the two yard line. The defense for Arizona stiffened forcing a fourth down and goal from the three yard line. A delayed rush made Nate Davis threw high and incomplete and the game’s first turnover on downs gave the Rattlers the ball.
Sneed didn’t play in the loss to San Diego at Desert Diamond a month ago. Once again, he had the Strike Force on their heels as he scampered twenty eight yards for a touchdown.
Arizona up 14-0 near the end of the first quarter,
San Diego began the second quarter still trying to find their offense with another fourth down at their own seventeen yard line. A short run gained the first down, their second of the game.
The Strike Force got on the scoreboard with a fifteen yard catch to Arthur Jackson but San Diego missed the conversion to make the score 14-6 Arizona with 10:18 till halftime.
San Diego rolled the dice going for the onside kick and recovering it. Their luck didn’t last long as Davis threw an interception to Arizona’s Jermaine Doubs on a fly pattern at the one yard line. Bullet dodged.
Sneed went long on to Jackson down the sidelines for a thirty five yard score. San Diego was caught off guard as the Snakes went back up by two possessions 21-6 and still 5:45 on the clock.
San Diego’s offense showed some life and got to the Rattlers’ three yard line. A play later, after being flushed out of the pocket and found Xavier Amey with a low pass for a touchdown. Once again, the Strike Force missed the extra point. Snakes up 21-12 with a minute left in the first half.
The Rattlers in their hurry up offense found Glen Gibbons Jr all alone in the middle of the field to put the ball on the San Diego seven yard line.
The next play, on a hook pattern to Miles and Arizona stole a touchdown in the last minute to take a 28-15, but the Strike Force hit a last play field goal which the clock management by the officials came into question by Coach Kevin Guy.
Arizona dominance in the first half didn’t show up in the first half stats as they trailed the Strike Force by a yard 143-142 in total yardage.
San Diego got their hands on the ball first in the third quarter and marched down the field until they reached the Snakes seventeen yard line when David threw his second pick to Davontae Merriweather at the goal line, Weaving and alluding tacklers, Merriweather took it to the house for the touchdown. Arizona missed the point after, but went up by three possessions 34-15 three minutes into the second half.
The Strike Force were shaken up by the interception and were pressing. That didn’t play well, as Doubs stepped in front of the Davis pass for his second pick of the game which he bobbed and weaved in a goal to goal touchdown and Arizona was rolling 41-15 with 7:12 left in the third quarter.
The Rattlers continued to keep the defensive pressure on as San Diego was again forced to convert a fourth down. The pass wasn’t even close as it fell harmlessly to the turf and Arizona had the ball back and all the momentum.
Capitalizing on their stingy defense, Sneed took his squad down the field and called his own number from two yards out and the Rattlers could feel it now up 48-15 in the fourth quarter.
Arizona let their guard down allowing the Strike Force to get a cheap touchdown but they would need more than that. Snakes up 48-23 with just over eleven minutes left in the game.
Photo – Bill McCulloch/602 Spirts Talk
The Rattlers now had the luxury of miking the clock, yet they were still moving the ball and settled for a twenty yard field goal to add to the score 51-23 and only 8:35 left. Usually an eternity in Indoor Football, but not on this night.
Davis obviously pressing through his third interception, this one in the end zone to Dillion Winfrey. Nothing was going right for San Diego. The clock showed 7:05 left.
Now it was all about clock management and using to ground, but wait, Nigel Jackson wanted to be part of the fun and caught a twenty three yard pass to trip up the San Diego defense and place the ball on the one yard line.
AStrike Force defense showed some resilience by stopping Arizona twice from the one yard line, forcing a fourth down.
Tonight is was all Rattlers and they scored on the fourth down run by Shannon Brooks with a minute left in the game to go up 58-23.
The Snakes defense held San Diego to one touchdown in the second half. The Strike Forced led in most statistical categories except total yards 233-219 and more importantly, turnovers.
San Diego’s four interceptions, two returned for touchdowns was the nail in the coffin that saw their team end the season meekly.
Tonight’s attendance on a workday Monday was 7,042.
So, the Snakes get to regroup and do it again in twelve days against their Eastern Conference rivals the Massachusetts Pirates.
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