PHOENIX - The six-time world champion Arizona Rattlers will play the final game of their three-game road trip against Las Vegas on Friday night at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. The game will begin at 7:05 PM (MT).
Allow us to introduce ourselves
Friday's contest between the Rattlers and Knight Hawks will be the first-ever, as Vegas is new to the IFL in 2022. The Knight Hawks are 2-1 to begin the year, having beaten Northern Arizona 22-9 in Week 1 and the Bay Area Panthers 53-27 on April 4. Vegas dropped a 48-39 back-and-forth contest to Tucson in Week 2.
A dominant start
The Rattlers' 3-0 start not only leads the IFL but is among the most impressive in the league as well. While the Massachusetts Pirates have played one fewer game than the Rattlers to begin their undefeated 2022 season, Arizona's average margin of victory of 27.3 points tops the Pirates' by over 20 points.
Arizona's defense has been a major factor in their early-season success, as they've only allowed 7 total points in 90 minutes of second-half action through 3 games. Defensive back Kyree Woods just won his second "IFL Defensive Player of the Week Award" after a dominant outing against Duke City. He recorded 7 tackles, 2 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions, including a pick-six.
Leading the train
Rattlers running back Calvin Phillips and quarterback Drew Powell currently sit at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in rushing yards per attempt in the IFL heading into Friday's contest. Phillips nips his teammate by one yard in the rankings but has recorded six fewer attempts on the ground. Rookie back Shannon Brooks will make his debut on Friday against the Knight Hawks after missing time due to an injury to start the year.
Powell's planet
Drew Powell has followed up his 2021 IFL MVP campaign nicely in 2022. Powell currently sits 2nd in the league in rushing yards and passing yards on the year, and his 10 touchdowns thrown are three more touchdowns than Tucson's Daquan Neal, who ranks second in the league. Powell's completion percentage of 76.1% also ranks first in the IFL and is 10.2% higher than Neal's, which also ranks second in that category.
