(Tucson, AZ) The IFL National Championship Game debuted at the Tucson Arena in Downtown. This is the first year of a three year contract with the IFL to host the Title Game. Previously, the game was played in Henderson Nevada the prior three years.
The Las Vegas Knight Hawks came in being the #4 seed from the Western Conference with a 12-6 record. Their road to the title game was difficult as they had to face #1 seed Bay Area in San Jose and won 36-31. Next up was San Diego who was the #3 seed after knocking off the defending champion Arizona Rattlers in Glendale Arizona. Las Vegas had to go into overtime to defeat the Strike Force 74-68 in a high scoring affair.`
Green Bay came in with the IFL MVP, quarterback Max Meylor. Along with Meylor, Joe Foucault received the IFL Defensive Player of the Year award. The post season awards didn’t end there, wide receiver TJ Davis was chosen for the All Rookie Team.
The Blizzard’s road to this game went through a tough Quad City Steamwheeler squad that took Green Bay to the end before losing 71-64.
Both teams came into the Championship Game with identical 10-6 records.
Green Bay won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half.
First Quarter
Las Vegas was whistled for an illegal blindside block on the opening kickoff which put the ball on the 8 yard line.
Jayden DeLaura got the Knight Hawks in great field position after a 25 yard run. Two plays later, Quentin Randolph scored from the seven yard line for the games first points up 6-0 at after missing the extra point on a bad snap.
Green Bay with their first crack at the ball began at their own eleven yard line. The Blizzard with their size advantage were more methodical on offense. It didn’t take long for Meylor to find Andre Miller on a 28 yard crossing pattern for the go ahead touchdown and a 7-6 lead.
Vegas came right back as De Laura took his guys down to the Blizzard nine yard line with a mix of pass and runs. Antonio Wimbush slanted into score from the 6 yard line giving the Knight Hawks the lead back 13-7 with 3:05 left in the quarter.
Back came Green Bay with an inside running game and a dump off pass to get to the knight Hawks seven yard line. From there, Meylor called his own number as he jackknifed into score and this was already a back and forth affair 14-13 on the last play of the quarter.
Second Quarter
Vegas lost 4 yards on the first play of the quarter after the kickoff. De Laura played pitch and catch with Wimbush for 20 yards to get out of trouble. Wimbush doubled up on the next play with a 10 yard scamper into the end zone and a 20-14 lead.
Neither team’s defense had stopped the other’s offense so far in the game.
From three yards deep in his own end zone, Meylor let it fly trying to connect with Andre Williams at the other end zone which was broken up at the last second, but the Knight Hawks were whistled for a roughing the passer penalty and much better field position, Meylor went right back to Williams for a 21 yard completion down to the Las Vegas nine yard line. MVP Meylor took care of business from there as he scored on the following play for a 21-20 lead. Green Bay wasn’t done as they kicked a deuce that added two more points and no up by three points, 23-20 with 7:24 left till halftime.
So far, this had been a game of big plays. The Knight Hawks got back up with a a couple of big plays for themselves and got the ball to the Green Bay two yard line. De Laura saw an opening and bolted into score. Going for two points, De Laura found CJ Windham Jr. on a slant to go up by five points 28-23 with still 3:44 left.
Clock management came into play now with the Blizzrd down by five points and wanting to steal a touchdown prior to halftime, kept it on the ground. They may have left too much time on the clock when Kymani Clarke hurdled over a defender at the five yard line in route to the touchdown to regain the lead 30-28, but 1 minute left and enough time for Vegas to answer.
Wimbush took the ensuing kickoff back to near midfield and the Knight Hawks were in business.
After a Las Vegas timeout, De Laura dropped back and had time but no one was open, as the pressure caught up, he side stepped the rusher and found Randolph streaking from side to side in the end zone for the touchdown and a 35-30 lead but still 14 seconds remained.
After an illegal block, put the ball at the six yard line, Meylor found Patron Lowell on the far sidelines for 21 yards. With 3 seconds left, Andrew Mevis booted a 39 yard field goal to cut the Knight Hawks lead to two points 35-33.
Green Bay in good shape as they got the ball first in the second half.
Halftime
Both quarterbacks had success in the first half but doing different things. Las Vegas’ De Laura had 68 yards passing and 40 yards on the ground. On the other side, Meylor had 100 yards through the air and his 23 rushing yards were good for two touchdowns.
Third Quarter
Green Bay came out fast got to the ten yard line in three plays. On the fourth play, Clarke slanted to the far sideline and scored on a nifty run that put the Blizzard back on top 40-35 with exactly 3 minutes gone in the quarter.
Trying to add to their momentum, Mevis just missed a deuce as the ball hit the right upright. That would have given the Blizzard a touchdown lead. As it was, the call on the attempt was a touchback for Las Vegas.
With the ball at the Green Bay fourteen yard line, De Laura got a quick completion to the seven yard line. An illegal formation was called on the Knight Hawks which cost them five yards. Wimbush got the tough yards they needed to get a first and goal to goal and was rewarded on the following play with a three yard touchdown. Vegas converted the two point try and went up 43-40 just past the midway point of the quarter.
The Knight Hawks kickoff hit an up man inadvertently which put Green Bay at the Vegas sixteen yard line. A jet sweep saw Clarke get into the end zone and the Blizzard retook the lead 47-43.
The kickoff actually hit the catwalk above the ceiling as Mevis got some lift on that kick. Not something you see everyday.
It took Las Vegas three plays to score. Jefferson bounced back from the left into a hole in the middle of the field to score from twenty yards out and the track meet continued, 50-47 Knights Hawks.
Meylor, unfazed, hit Davis in stride for a 31 yard pickup to set up Clarke’s one yard touchdown to end the quarter up 54-50.
Fourth Quarter
Starting with poor field position at their own five yard line, De Laura threaded the needle to Randolph and Kevin Ransom was called for targeting which added 15 more yards. The drive looked to stall at the eleven yard line on a fourth down incomplete pass, but Green Bay was called for an illegal formation which gave the Knight Hawks a first down.
Ransom again was on the wrong side of the whistle as he was assessed a pass interference call. Windham Jr. took care of business the next play on a 2 yard touchdown run. Las Vegas regained the lead 57-54 at the 9:30 mark.
Neither team’s defense still hadn’t forced a stop to get the ball back.
Green Bay took five plays to get the touchdown back as Davis slithered to the back of the end zone for the touchdown catch. Blizzard up by four 61-57 with 5:47 left.
Back came De Laura as no one was open downfield tucked the ball for 12 yards to the Blizzard eighteen yard line. Back in business with exactly 5:00 left.
Two quick dump off passes got the ball to the three yard line, where De Laura finished the drive. Vegas up 64-61.
Down the stretch we went for the final 3:37.
Green Bay kept the ball on the ground to keep the clock moving but an offensive penalty offset their initial plan. Needing to regain the penalty yardage and more importantly, the drive, Meylor flipped a shot put pass to Clarke for 18 yards.
Now the chess match got real. Las Vegas called a time out with 1:15 left. Back to the ground went the Blizzard and ran the clock down to the one minute warning.
Vegas came out of the timeout with a vengeance as they stuffed the Blizard at the line of scrimmage with :21 left and Green Bay timeout.
Meylor with everyone covered in the pattern, tucked the ball and ran for 10 yards. Meylor threw the ball away on the next play. Now with 8 secoings left, they went back to the ground and fell just short of the end zone with 2 seconds left and time for one more play. The previous play went under review to see if Davis crossed the goal line. The play was upheld and the clock was reset to 5 seconds.
One more play. The ball was placed on the two inch line. Green Bay’s Meylor just ran it up the middle, but the Knight Hawks front defense stood him up and there was your defensive stop on the final play of the game. The play was reviewed as expected but the play call was upheld. Game over.
The Las Vegas Knight Hawks win the 2025 IFL National Championship 64-61.
Wrap Up
For the fans, they got to witness an insanely fast football game with 125 points scored collectively.
Each team had chances to put the game away in the final three minutes. The game saw an inordinate amount of penalty flags thrown.
Good defense was not evident on either team until the last two plays.
The Most Valuable Player Award went to Las Vegas quarterback and former Arizona Wildcats Jayden De Laura.
The Tucson Title Game Committee was hoping for 5,000 fans in the 7,000 seat Tucson Arena. Tonight’s official attendance was 3,215, still more than any Sugar Skull Game this season.
In the offseason, there will be changes coming from the league, addition of teams and possibly some rule changes.
Both the Tucson Sugar Skulls and Arizona Rattlers will begin play around the first part of April 2026.
The 2026 and 2027 National Championship Games will return to Tucson. After the excitement of tonight’s game, it would be a good idea to purchase tickets for next year
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