Rattlers Fall Short in IFL Cup

By Jay Gonzales ꟾ Rattlers Media

For nearly three quarters, the Arizona Rattlers were poised to avenge one of their two losses, and in doing so take home the first IFL Cup.

But a string of costly third-quarter turnovers allowed the Vegas Knight Hawks to go on a 21-0 scoring run and the Rattlers returned from the East Coast knowing their path to an IFL championship will likely go through Vegas.

The 48-44 Vegas victory over the Rattlers at American Dream Arena gives the Knight Hawks two wins in the series this season, meaning the likelihood of the Rattlers hosting them if the two teams meet in the playoffs is slim since Vegas owns the tiebreakers.

The loss drops the Rattlers to 6-3 overall, 5-2 in the Western Conference. They also fall to third place behind the Knight Hawks and the San Diego Strike Force.

The Rattlers had their way with the Knight Hawks most of the first half, building a 29-17 lead.

After a turnover on their opening drive on a fumble by quarterback Drew Powell, the teams traded scores. But an interception return by defensive lineman Carson Taylor, followed by a safety, gave Arizona its halftime lead.

The Rattlers had two chances to stretch their lead to three scores.

Arizona took possession with 33 seconds left on the kickoff after the safety and drove to the Vegas 4-yard-line. But with three seconds left in the half, a mishandled snap led to a turnover and a missed opportunity.

After Matthew Cook started the second half with a deuce for a 31-17 lead, the Rattlers got a stop on the Knight Hawks' next possession. But Arizona could not capitalize and Matthew Cook missed a 54-yard field goal attempt.

That's when the game turned.

The Knight Hawks scored three straight touchdowns for a 38-31 lead and the Rattlers played from behind the rest of the way.

During that stretch, Powell was intercepted twice giving him three turnovers in the game. Guy then turned to quarterback Max Meylor, the starter in the first six games, and he led two scoring drives that gave the Rattlers a chance.

Arizona tied the game at 38 late in the third quarter on a 24-yard run by Ron Brown Jr. A 30-yard field goal by Gabe Rui put the Knight Hawks back on top, 41-38. The Rattlers turned the ball over on downs with 6:15 left in the game, and the Knight Hawks boosted their lead to 10 with a touchdown with 1:55 to play.

Arizona answered with a touchdown with 34 seconds left but missed a two-point conversion try.

Trailing by four, the Rattlers lined up for an onside kick that appeared to be successful. After the play was over, a flag was thrown after Vegas Coach Mike Davis went onto the field demanding a penalty for an illegal block. After a review, the call stood and the Rattlers had to attempt another kick which was recovered by the Knight Hawks. They were then able to run out the clock.

The Rattlers return to Desert Diamond Arena this Saturday to face the Northern Arizona Wranglers in a Western Conference matchup at 5 p.m. MST. The game will be broadcast on the Overnight streaming service. Tickets are available on the Rattlers website at www.azrattlers.com.