PHOENIX - The Arizona Rattlers will make the trip up north to Prescott Valley to face the Northern Arizona Wranglers in a battle between two of the top teams in the Indoor Football League.

Both the Rattlers and Wranglers hold 9-2 records which is good for the top seed out West and tied with the Frisco Fighters for the best record in the IFL. The winner of this contest will be in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with the hopes of securing home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Playoff Implications?

Arizona can clinch a playoff berth with a victory over the Wranglers or a loss from the Vegas Knight Hawks this week. The Rattlers can also clinch home-field advantage in the first round with a win and a Duke City loss. 

Keep the momentum rolling

The Rattlers are fresh off setting a franchise record in margin of victory after their 62-point beat down against the Bay Area Panthers in San Jose last Saturday night. Running back Shannon Brooks stormed into the endzone for a season-best six touchdowns, and Drew Powell was a perfect 10-for-10 on pass attempts. 

Battle of the best

The Rattlers lead the IFL in points per game at 55.5, while the Wranglers allow a league-best 28.3 points per game. Conversely, the Wranglers rank 5th in points per game at 42.1, and Arizona's defense ranks 3rd in points allowed per game at 32.1. 

The only three teams in the IFL that rank in the top 5 in both offense and defense are the Rattlers, Wranglers, and Fighters. It's no coincidence that those are the top 3 teams in the league, all sitting at 9-2. 

Quarterback Duel

This game will feature the top two leaders in total passing yards this season in quarterbacks Drew Powell and Kaleb Barker. Powell has thrown for 1,675 yards (1st in IFL) to go with a 65.4 completion percentage on passes. Barker has the second-most total passing yards this year at 1,508 to go with his 59.3 completion percentage on passes. 

The quarterback battle will not only be fought through the air but on the ground, as these also happen to be the top two rushing QBs in the IFL. Barker sits at 428 rushing yards, and 11 TDs while Powell has gained 381 rushing yards to go with 13 TDs. 

Coaches Show Episode 9

Hear from head coach Kevin Guy and play-by-play broadcaster Floyd Simmons on last week's win and previewing this highly anticipated matchup against the Wranglers.