Glendale, AZ - In a thrilling Week 3 game on the road, the Arizona Rattlers showcased their resilience, despite a narrow 47-41 loss to the Bay Area Panthers.
 

Here We Go

The Panthers win the first possession of the game and after five plays, their quarterback, Daquan Neal, runs the ball into the goal line for their first touchdown. Meanwhile, the Rattlers' starting quarterback, Lorenzo Brown Jr, throws a quick pass to Jamal Miles for some yardage but unfortunately falls short of a touchdown. Dawson Evitts steps in and scores a field goal, adding three points to the board. By the end of the quarter, the Panthers led 7-3.

In the second quarter, Bay Area scored the first touchdown. However, Lorenzo Brown did not let that dampen his spirit. He responded by finding Isaiah Huston twice in a row for two consecutive first downs. Thanks to the excellent protection provided by Rattler's OLine, Brown had enough time to throw and eventually found the endzone for the first time, scoring a touchdown for the Rattlers.

Connor Taylor made a significant play after stopping Shane Simpson, however, Daquan managed to score another touchdown, further extending the Panthers' lead by 10 points with just 5 minutes left on the clock. On Carl Odom's first game of the season, he carried the ball for a first down after the Rattlers regained possession. Although it initially appeared to be an interception, the pass from Brown intended for Isaiah Huston was ultimately ruled incomplete as the ball hit the ground. Evitts then came in and scored three points, giving the Rattlers a bit more of a cushion.

In the last minute of the first half, Neal managed to score three touchdowns through rushing. The Rattlers, who were lagging, were determined to score before the half-time whistle. Lorenzo Brown found Gibbons Jr who scored another touchdown, bringing them closer, but still trailing the Panthers by 7 points with only 39 seconds left. The Panthers tried to make quick plays, but with the clock ticking down, they couldn't score as their 35-yard kick attempt went wide left. The first half ended with the Bay Area team leading 27-20.

Second Half

Arizona began the third quarter with possession of the ball. However, the Rattlers made a strong comeback in the third quarter, with Brown throwing two important touchdown passes to receiver Gibbons Jr. Despite the Panthers' efforts to gain yardage and make a comeback, Arizona managed to take a 34-27 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Panthers took possession of the ball in the final quarter and scored a touchdown 2 minutes into the quarter when their quarterback passed to Shane Simpson. The Rattlers were taking multiple chances to gain yards, with Jamal Miles assisting in gaining first downs. Brown found Gibbons down to the endzone for his 3rd touchdown of the night, regaining the lead. The Panthers' quarterback threw a pass to Peterson who managed to score a touchdown, tying the back-and-forth game once again.

With less than 3 minutes left to play, the biggest 3rd down play of the game by Rattlers was when Miles fumbled the ball inside the 5-yard line. Huston and the Panthers fought for the ball, but the Panthers recovered it for the first turnover of the game. At the 1-minute mark, the teams were still tied at 41. 

Rattlers were looking to stop them from scoring. JT Stokes was able to find the goal line with 3 seconds left, putting the Panthers up 47-41. During the extra point attempt, the snap was mishandled which led to a low ball launch by the kicker, resulting in a turnover for the Rattlers. On the ensuing squib, Miles scooped up the ball at the 13-yard line, giving the Rattlers a much-needed opportunity to turn the game around.

During the final seconds of the game, a sack on QB Lorenzo Brown sealed the victory for the Panthers, ending the game with a final score of 47-41.

Key Rattlers: 

• QB Lorenzo Brown Jr - 161 passing yards, 4 touchdowns

• WR Glen Gibbons Jr -  73 receiving yards, 4 touchdowns

• DB Davontae Merriweather - 5 solo tackles