(Glendale, AZ) Coming off their bye week, Arizona resumed play atop the Western Division undefeated at 3-0.
The Rattlers high powered offense averages 56 points a game and on top of that, the defense has been very consistent and has come up big when needed.
On the other side of the field, are the guys from Prescott Valley who come in winless at 0-3. Northern Arizona. The Wranglers had to rely on their defense in order not to get blown out. Their offense averages just 27 points a game.
Arizona leads the head to head series 8-3, but last year’s game was a shootout 56-49 Snakes win.
First Quarter
Northern Arizona got the ball first as the Rattlers won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half.
Offensive penalties plagued the Wranglers on their opening drive. On a third down and twelve, CJ Fowler threw a deep ball that was picked off at the one yard line by Arizona’s Omari Alexander. Combined with an unsportsmanlike penalty, the Snakes began their drive at the NAZ 12 yard line. Three plays later, Shannon Brookes scored the first touchdown from the 1 yard line and a 7-0 Rattlers lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, David Elder ran the ball back for a touchdown and tied the score at 7-7 with just seconds elapsing.
The Wranglers with another penalty on their kickoff, gave Arizona great field position at the 14 yard line. Once again, it took three plays to score. Isaiah Huston took a handoff at the 5 yard line and blasted into score. With three quick scores in the game, The Snakes were up 14-7.
Again another quick scores as Fowler connected with a wide open Deshon Stoudemire on a 38 yard post pattern to tie it again at 14-14.
This game had four touchdowns in eleven minutes of the first quarter.
On a scramble play, Dalton Sneed pulled up and passed it to Corey Reed Jr who fumbled it at the goal line trying to stretch the ball over the goal line. Northern Arizona recovered it for a touchback. Arizona Coach Kevin Guy challenged the call and won. The Rattlers retained possession at the 1 yard line.
It took two plays to score as Brookes got the go ahead touchdown 21-14 with 32.9 seconds left in a high scoring opening quarter.
Second Quarter
Northern Arizona opened the quarter at their own 5 yard line as a result of yet another penalty.
The “go for broke” Wranglers decided to use more ball control this quarter as their fourteen points were a result of good special teams play and some defensive lapses in the Rattler secondary. Northern Arizona needed to establish a consistent offense that used the clock. Up until now, they hadn’t had to move the chains much.
Fowler hit Marvin Kinset on a short touchdown pass, but NAZ missed the extra point and trailed 21-20.
Sneed worked the ball down the field using the short pass which opened up the middle of the field. Corey Reed ran a perfect post patten for the touchdown and the Snakes were up by eight 28-20 halfway through the quarter.
Special teams continued to be the bright spot for the Wranglers as they got to midfield off the kick return, but that was overshadowed by another penalty which made it first and fifteen.
Northern Arizona overcame the penalty and began to move the ball but were stopped on a third and one at the Rattler 6 yard line. The Snakes took possession at just outside their own goal line when a low pass fell incomplete on a NAZ fourth down play.
With one minute to play till halftime, Arizona wanted to steal some points before intermission. Taking what the Wranglers defense would give them, Sneed used the clock methodically to march his squad down the field. From the 3 yard line, Sneed hesitated and then took the ball into score, but seven seconds still remained.
Northern Arizona’s kickoff team used the seven seconds to run another kickoff back for a touchdown. Once again, Rattlers Coach Guy used the challenge flag successfully as the replay showed the return player’s arm touched the wall prior to getting in the end zone and nullified the touchdown. That was a huge call because the Wranglers could have only been down by one score instead of trailing 35-20 at the half.
Halftime
The game started out as an up and down affair which dramatically slowed down in the second quarter. Northern Arizona knew it didn’t have the horses to run a track meet with the Snakes.
Third Quarter
Things didn’t start out well for Arizona as the second half kickoff took a couple of squirly bounces and was barley returned out of the end zone at the half yard line.
Undeterred, Sneed got the ball into Wrangler territory at the 17 yard line in two plays, but a holding call took it back to the 23 yard line.
The Rattlers got the yardage back on a roughing the passer call and an automatic first down at the 7 yard line. On second down from the 2 yard line, Sneed wedged himself into score and now led 42-20 as the Snakes began to pull away.
The Wranglers started deep in their own territory, the Arizona defense stopped the Wranglers on a fourth and two to regain possession on downs.
Things looked good until Arizona was faced with a fourth down and goal at the two. Sneed tried to dump off a short pass but it was picked off by Kieran Page in the end zone and ran it back to the 10 yard line. A big defensive stop for NAZ and a golden opportunity missed for the Rattlers to put the game almost out of reach.
Fourth Quarter
The Wranglers moved the ball well until they got into the red zone. Facing a fourth down from the Arizona 10 yard line, this was a make or break play. A defensive holding call on Arizona gave NAZ the automatic first down at the 5 yard line. The Wranglers gave the yardage back on a holding call that had them second down and goal now from the 15 yard line.
Living with another pressure fourth down, Northern Arizona couldn’t convert and the Rattlers defense again held.
Coach Guy went to backup signal caller Drew Powell who retuned to the team in the offseason. Powell a former IFL MVP fumbled the ball on his second snap and NAZ got the ball back deep in Arizona territory.
The Snakes defense didn’t roll over and caused a fourth down. Things went sour quickly as Fowler wasn’t ready for the snap and it sailed behind him with Arizona recovering the ball. The call was reversed on an illegal defense challenge by Coach Ron James. Then, Arizona’s Coach Guy threw his challenge flag to say there was a false start on NAZ. After both challeges were successful, it was still fourth and goal from the 16 yard line. A nice deflection on defense by Ethan Caselberry gave the ball back on downs to Arizona.
Powell hit a wide open Brookes on a misdirection play to add to the Wranglers misery and an insurmountable 49-20 lead with one minute left in the game.
Final Score: Arizona 49. Northern Arizona 20. Attendance was 8,258 going head to head with the Diamondbacks on jersey give away night.
Wrap Up
The Rattlers defense played lights out in the second half by shutting out Northern Arizona after halftime when the Wranglers started the game on fire.
Coach Guy said in the post game press conference that they will have to work on the kicking team’s effort to contain the return yardage. This has been an issue for a couple of games now, giving up too many yards and even touchdowns.
Arizona remained undefeated at 4-0 heading into the meat of their schedule.
Up Next
The rematch with the Tucson Sugar Skulls is next Saturday, May 3rd at the Tucson Arena. Kickoff is 6 p.m.
In the first meeting and first game of the season, Arizona doubled up the Sugar Skulls 56-28 in Glendale.
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