PHOENIX – Tonight's game had fans in the Snake Pit on the edge of their seats, as it was a thrilling contest between the Duke City Gladiators and the Arizona Rattlers from start to finish.

The Rattlers improved to 2-2 on the season and secured their first win of 2023 in the Footprint Center after losing to Tucson last week. 

The score went back and forth throughout the first three quarters, with each team working hard to secure a lead. The defense turned it up a notch in the 2nd half, creating key stops and separation for good as they closed them out.

1st Half

The first half of this game proved to be a back-and-forth battle between the Rattlers and the Gladiators. Duke City found an early lead in the first quarter, however, Arizona quickly followed with a touchdown from RB Jager Gardener. This was followed by two fantastic kicks from Craig Peterson earning three additional points with the deuce early on.

Duke City continued to score in the 2nd quarter, but that didn't stop Jager Gardner from responding with two more touchdowns, running a total of 34 yards in the first half. Duke City led 26-23 heading into the 2nd half after scoring a touchdown to close the half.

2nd Half

Craig Peterson started the second half with a deuce, then added another three points with a 21-yard field goal. The defense buckled down in the second half, and Ulric Jones stated: "We stuck together and really played as a team." Jones had a pair of key deflections late in the game and pressure on Duke City that forced an eventual turnover and stop to shift momentum. The Gladiators stormed back and regained their lead heading into the final quarter with what seemed like momentum heading their way, but the Rattlers responded quickly. 

4th quarter started out with a pass to Isiah Scott, who runs the ball 11 yards into the end zone to even out the score. Jorge Reyna tossed another dime to Jamal Miles, who solidifies their lead with another touchdown. Dillon Winfrey intercepted a pass and ran the ball 25 yards after the pick. This put Arizona in excellent field position, eventually leading to a Jamal Miles rushing touchdown to seal the deal. 

The Rattlers had a total of 44 offensive plays and 201 yards throughout the game. QB Jorge Reyna had 14 completed passes, passing a total of 113 yards during the game. In Reyna's first two starts, he has thrown a total of 355 passing yards for 8 touchdowns.

Key Performers

Jager Gardner was a key contributor on the offensive end, rushing the ball for 44 yards and scoring 3 touchdowns. Dillion Winfrey had 6 tackles and 1 interception for 25 yards. Ulric Jones also had his fingerprints all over the game, creating pressure in the front line for the Rattlers. Jones had 3 pass breakups up front, creating havoc for the Gladiators early and often. Craig Peterson scored a total of 11 points for the Rattlers tonight, while also kicking an average of 52.6 yards per kickoff. He had a pair of crucial deuces as well. 

Up Next?

The Rattlers will be traveling to Texas to play against the Frisco Fighters on Saturday, April 22. Kickoff will be at 5:05 pm local AZ time.