Glendale, AZ -  In a remarkable feat, the Rattlers entered the 2024 IFL Postseason with a streak of 28 consecutive playoff appearances. With their latest victory, they've now secured their 9th conference title. In front of 7,042 enthusiastic fans at Desert Diamond Arena, Arizona delivered a performance that lived up to the excitement.

From the start, the Rattlers showcased exceptional offensive play calling, perfectly balancing the run and pass.  As a result, Arizona drew first blood on their opening offensive possession and never looked back. 

??Defensively, while the Rattlers faced a challenge on San Diego's first drive of the game, they held firm, with a crucial fourth-and-goal stop setting the tone for the night.

It wasn't always smooth sailing for the good guys, as the Strike Force threatened to make things interesting following an onside-kick recovery that ricocheted off of a Rattlers up-man. The fun didn't last long for the visitors, as Arizona squashed San Diego's positive momentum in the blink of an eye. Swarming in like a hawk, defensive back Jermaine Dobbs made an acrobatic interception in mid-air that put Arizona back in the driver's seat only moments later. 

Not before long, Arizona put the icing on the cake and captured the Western Conference crown by out-scoring San Diego 30-8 in the second-half. 

 

Wheelin' and Dealin

Whether it was by land or sea, QB Dalton Sneed was a smooth operator whenever his name was called upon. By the time the onslaught of San Diego mercifully ended, it was Sneed who completed 14 of his 18 passes for 159 yards through the air. Not to mention, but the Arizona signal caller was diagnosed with touchdown fever as he tallied five scores ( three passing, two rushing) before the clock hit triple zeroes. Outside of the heroic effort by the Rattlers D in this one, Sneed was arguably a big reason why Arizona will be playing for the whole enchilada in a couple of weeks. 
 

Double Trouble 

After a last-second San Diego field goal before halftime, the Rattlers delivered one of their most impressive defensive performances of the season.

Like greased lightning, the Rattlers made the ultimate statement by coming out of halftime with defensive back Davontae Merriweather taking an interception the other way for a pick-six. As the crowd was barely finished whooping and hollering following Merriweather's game-changing play, it was Arizona that cooked up yet ANOTHER tantalizing entree on the following drive as it was Doubs who snagged his second interception of the game and also took it to the house. 

Thanks to the Rattler's suffocating defense in back-to-back drives to open up the second half, San Diego's come-from-behind efforts ended up being a lost cause. 

 

For All the Marbles 

Since their inception in 1992, the Rattlers have continued to build upon their storied history. With a week off to prepare, they will face the Massachusetts Pirates in the IFL National Championship at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada, on August 17th. Kickoff is set for 1:05 PM PT.