Kyree Woods' interception return for TD sparks Rattlers to win over Duke City, clinches playoff spot
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Kyree Woods' interception and return for a touchdown in the second quarter helped the Rattlers pull away Saturday in a 58-38 road win over the Duke City Gladiators that clinched a playoff spot for Arizona.
Dillion Winfrey iced the game in the final quarter with a 53-yard interception return for a score that gave the Rattlers a 49-24 lead with nine minutes left. It was Winfrey's seventh interception this season. Drew Powell then hit Braxton Haley for the two-point conversion and a 51-24 lead.
The Rattlers (10-3) finish the regular season with three home games starting next week against the Tucson Sugar Skulls. They then play the Northern Arizona Wranglers on July 2, before finishing up July 10 against the Vegas Knight Hawks.
Duke City fell to 6-7 after losing to the Rattlers for the third time. This was the first time the Gladiators scored more than 30 points against the Rattlers.
But, in the second quarter, defense once again turned the game.
Trailing 14-13 and the Gladiators moving to the Rattlers' 12, Chris Terrell forced a fumble on a sack that was recovered by Robert Landers. Powell cashed that turnover in with a rushing touchdown from 8 yards out for a 20-14 lead. That was his 26th rushing TD this season.
Then, Woods, a former Chandler High standout, intercepted a pass that was batted at the line of scrimmage and returned it 10 yards for a touchdown to give the Rattlers a two-touchdown lead.
Powell ran in another touchdown from 5 yards out in the third quarter to extend the Rattlers lead to 37-17.
Rattlers try to bounce back
The Rattlers (9-3) play their final road game Saturday night at 5:05 in Albuquerque against the Duke City Gladiators (6-6), before finishing with three consecutive home games.
Win out and the Rattlers can control home field throughout the playoffs until the championship game is played in Las Vegas.
"We have to learn how to finish games," coach Kevin Guy said.
Guy was perturbed over losing a 34-30 lead with a minute left in last Saturday's 37-34 loss to the Northern Arizona Wranglers in Prescott Valley. NAZ (10-2) clinched an Indoor Football League playoff berth after going 1-15 in its first year last season.
Quarterback Drew Powell fumbled the ball away and the Wranglers cashed in with a touchdown with 23 seconds left. Then, getting possession on the ensuing kickoff in Wranglers' territory, Powell, out of time outs, threw three straight incompletions before being sacked to end the game.
"Several fumbles," Guy said. "Our defense had six legit stops. Their quarterback was 11 for 25. We're supposed to walk out of there with a win. We didn't finish. We have to get our minds right. It's playoff time. We've got to have a sense of urgency and get ready to play."
Powell hopes to bounce back against Duke City.
"Take care of the football," Powell said. "Fumbles multiple times. A couple that we recovered, and a couple that we didn't. There were five, six balls on the ground. We just have to take care of the football. They're an active defense that caused some of those. But, at the same time, it's our job to take care of it and put it away.
"We have to pay attention to more detail."
Powell feels the team will be locked into playoff mode from here on out.
"Everything is downhill now," he said. "We need to be locked in."
Guy said he still has faith in his quarterback, who was the IFL Most Valuable Player last season.
"One thing I learned in this business," Guy said. "Head coaches and quarterbacks are going to make the most mistakes, because they make the most decisions. But, at the end of the day, we've got two pretty good ones in this organization. We'll be fine."
Turnovers doom Rattlers in loss
Northern Arizona running back Israel Tucker scored the game-winning touchdown with 23 seconds left as the Wranglers defeated the Rattlers 37-34 on Saturday night in Prescott Valley.
After going 1-15 in their first season last year, the Wranglers, with all new coaches this year, are 10-2, clinching an Indoor Football League playoff spot with the best record in the Western Division.
The Rattlers (9-3) dropped to 1-2 against in-state rivals Tucson and NAZ, splitting two games with the Sugar Skulls. They get a rematch with NAZ in two weeks.
The Rattlers gained a 34-30 lead at 8:22 in the fourth quarter when quarterback Drew Powell’s pass found Jamal Miles from 13 yards out. The Rattlers drove down the field with less than one minute left, but a fumble by Powell gave the Wranglers the ball on its own 20-yard line.
Quarterback Kaleb Barker, who passed for 113 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Wranglers, drove his team downfield for the go-ahead score.
Powell threw for 69 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two touchdowns on 53 yards. But he threw an interception, had the costly fumble and, with the Rattlers getting good field position in the last 23 seconds, couldn't complete a pass in the end, getting sacked on third down with no timeouts left that ran the remaining seconds off the clock.
The Rattlers head to Albuquerque next Saturday to face the Duke City Gladiators at 5:05 p.m.
Intrastate showdown in Prescott Valley is for lead in IFL West Division
The Rattlers (9-2) and the Northern Arizona Wranglers (9-2) meet for the first time this season on Saturday at 6:05 p.m., in Prescott Valley with first place in the Indoor Football League West Division on the line.
The coaches know each other well.
NAZ is led by head coach Les Moss and offensive coordinator Rod Windsor. Moss was the head coach of the Jacksonville Sharks in the Arena Football League in 2011 when the Sharks beat the Rattlers on the final play of the game in the ArenaBowl.
Windsor is one of the greatest wide receivers in Rattlers history, helping them to three consecutive ArenaBowl titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Moss was in the Rattlers preseason training camp in 2020 to work as an assistant coach under Kevin Guy, before the IFL canceled the season due to COVID-19.
It was during that time that Moss and Windsor formed a bond, leading to Windsor coming to the Wranglers to be Moss' offensive coordinator after Moss was hired as head coach. Windsor had been a receivers coach for the Rattlers for five years.
Both teams have similar offenses with Windsor basically taking the Rattlers' playbook with him to Northern Arizona.
"I love Les," Guy said. "He's a great dude."
Moss' defensive coordinator is Rob Keefe, who has been a longtime coaching thorn in Guy's side. Keefe was head coach of the Albany Firebirds in 2019 when they won the last AFL championship.
In his first season as the Spokane Shock head coach in 2010, Keefe led them to the ArenaBowl title, beating the Rattlers three times that season. The next season, the Rattlers beat Keefe's Shock in the AFL semifinals.
"Guys like that coaching are making this league better," Guy said.
Northern Arizona has had a complete transformation in its second year of existence with the new coaches this year. And it's no surprise to Guy, who has watched all three have huge success in the old AFL.
"Rod went up and implemented our offense," Guy said. "They've got a veteran coaching staff. Our defense will be looking in the mirror a little bit. It's going to be a great game."
This game features the top defense in Northern Arizona against the top offense in the Rattlers.
Rattlers quarterback Drew Powell leads the IFL in passing with 1,654 yards. NAZ's Kaleb Barker is second with 1,508 yards. Both have thrown at least 30 TD passes.
"We're going to be playing our offense," defensive back Kyree Woods said. "They've got some good receivers, a good quarterback. We've got to be dialed in."
Powell is coming off his best game, completing all 10 of his passes in an 83-21 rout of the Bay Area Panthers that set a franchise record for margin of victory at 62 points.
"They've got some experience over there on the coaching staff and they've got some good players," Powell said. "I don't think they've played a team of our caliber yet. So we'll see."
Rattlers set franchise record in rout
A week after scoring a total of 38 points in a closer-than-expected win over the last-place Bay Area Panthers, the Rattlers made a huge statement in one of the most dominant first halves in franchise history on Saturday night in San Jose at the SAP Center.
They erupted for 55 points in the half in the 83-21 rout with Drew Powell finding Braxton Haley for three touchdowns and running back Shannon Brooks rushing for three TDs. Jarrod Harrington's first catch of the season was a TD in the blowout half.
The Rattlers (9-2) came eight points short of matching their franchise record for most points in a game. The scored 91 in a 2019 game against the San Diego Strike Force.
The 62 points is the largest margin of victory in franchise history.
Brooks finished with six touchdowns on the night.
The defense was again dominant, not letting the Panthers' offense score.
Both of of the Panthers' first-half touchdowns were on kickoff returns.
The Rattlers built a 40-point lead before the Panthers scored. Their other kickoff return for a TD came with 12 seconds left in the half.
A showdown awaits next Saturday in Prescott Valley, where the Rattlers will take on the Northern Arizona Wranglers, who came into the weekend with an 8-2 record.
Rattlers travel to play Bay Area Panthers
A week after an ugly win at home against the Bay Area Panthers, the Rattlers travel to San Jose to play the Panthers on Saturday night.
Arizona (8-2) is among three teams with the best record in the Indoor Football League. The others are Frisco and Northern Arizona. On June 11, the Rattlers drive up I-17 to Prescott Valley to play Northern Arizona.
"We stopped them on six out of nine possessions," coach Kevin Guy said of his team's 38-23 win over the 1-9 Panthers. "It was just a slow, methodical game. They tried to slow the game down. They wanted to play a low-possession game. It's important we don't feed into that."
Wide receiver Jarrod Harrington should be much better after playing in his first game since last year's IFL semifinals. He underwent surgery to repair his ACL after that semifinal game.
Harrington had a 14-yard kickoff return against the Panthers. He had a touchdown catch called by a holding penalty. He feels he should have held onto a Drew Powell pass backing into the end zone that was high.
"I had a great time being with Rattler Nation, being with my teammates," Harrington said of his return. "It's a very, very overwhelming with happiness feeling."
It also marked the return of defensive end Marcus Pittman, who was a big part of the Rattlers' run of three consecutive ArenaBowl titles from 2012-14 when the Rattlers were still part of the Arena Football League
Pittman, who is 6-foot-5, is playing at 248 pounds, after leaving the league playing at 290 pounds. He feels he can still make an impact at a lighter weight.
"It's all about power, health and wellness and mindset," said Pittman, who runs a personal training business, working with athletes. "It's all about technique. You don't have that weight to overcompensate from the lack of technique.
"You've got to be really sound, really in tune to it, to be better."
Rattlers' defense comes through
The Rattlers didn't convince many that they're back to becoming the dominant team to be feared by the rest of the Indoor Football League on Sunday.
But they got the win, keeping the worst team in the league, the Bay Area Panthers, from scoring in the final 11 minutes to hold on for a 38-23 victory at the Footprint Center.
The Rattlers (8-2) are tied with Frisco (8-2) and Northern Arizona (8-2) for the best record in the league.
But they've shown vulnerabilities and are back on the road for the next three games, including a June 11 date in Northern Arizona against the surprise team in the league.
Sunday, they got behind 7-0 and only led 14-7 at halftime against a team that came into the game rated 13th out of 14 teams in scoring defense, giving up 52 points a game.
The Panthers have the least productive offense in the league, averaging 29.7 points.
Jamal Miles scored two touchdowns that gave the Rattlers a 21-7 lead, but they allowed the Panthers to stick around until the last eight minutes when Drew Powell found Braxton Haley for a 22-yard touchdown and Ernesto Lacayo kicked a 28-yard field goal to turn a 28-23 lead to a 38-23 with less than a minute to play.
Powell was limited to 27 yards on 10 carries rushing and 157 yards and two TDs passing.
Making his first start at cornerback, former Glendale Mountain Ridge player Jacobi Taylor had four solo tackles.
Defensive back Kyree Woods, a Chandler High graduate, forced a fumble. That was the only turnover created in the game by the Rattlers.
WR Jarrod Harrington may be activated for Sunday, Pittman signs
The Rattlers may be welcoming the return of wide receiver/kick returner Jarrod Harrington on Sunday when they take on the Bay Area Panthers at 3:05 p.m., at Footprint Center.
Harrington's last game was in the Indoor Football League semifinals, a win over Duke City during which he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He missed the IFL championship game, an overtime loss at home to the Massachusetts Pirates, and underwent knee surgery.
He has been working out hard throughout this season to get himself ready to return. He is an electrifying receiver and kick returner who is capable of scoring a touchdown every time he touches the ball. Harrington made first-team All-IFL last season when he had 52 catches for 620 yards and 11 touchdowns. He ran the ball 20 times for 141 yards and three scores.
Coach Kevin Guy said he won't make a final decision on whether Harrington plays on Sunday until Saturday.
"If Harrington plays, it will be in a reserve role until we feel comfortable he's been properly acclimated," Guy said. "Jarrod has been working his ass off to get back before the end of the season.
"The medical staff has cleared him to play but I will decide when he's ready for full duty. His work ethic is unmatched. We are looking forward to seeing him contributing to the team."
This should give the offense a jolt, especially for quarterback Drew Powell, who has struggles this season with getting his timing down with so many receivers in and out of the lineup due to injuries.
The Rattlers on Friday also signed defensive end Marcus Pittman, who was part of the Rattlers' run of three consecutive Arena Football League championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014. During the Rattlers' run of four consecutive ArenaBowls, he had 27 sacks.
Pittman, 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, has been running a business as a personal trainer. He also has been working out since being away from football. He has not been part of the IFL since the Rattlers made their move away from the AFL in 2016.
"Pittman has kept himself in great shape and started his own business and still lives in the Phoenix market," Guy said. "We appreciate him coming in and helping us out while we deal with lingering injuries to the DL.
"If he comes in and makes plays, who knows what the future looks like for him the rest of the season. It will play itself out."
Guy said that if Pittman plays Sunday, it will be in a reserve role to slowly get him back fully acclimated.
Top 2 teams in IFL meet in Phoenix
The Rattlers lead the Indoor Football League's Western Division at 7-1. The Frisco Fighters have the best record in the Eastern Division at 6-2. They meet Saturday at 6:05 p.m., at Footprint Center in what could be a sneak peek of the championship game.
"We're playing for first place in the whole league," Coach Kevin Guy said. "We've got them by a game. But we're playing for first place overall for the No. 1 seed. That's important.
"The circumstances are different. The matchups are different. They've got new players. And we've got some new players."
The Rattlers beat the Fighters 49-35 in Texas on April 30. The following week, the Rattlers lost their only game, and for the first time in their history against the Tucson Sugar Skulls, 74-63.
Throw out that loss, and the Rattlers have held everybody to fewer than 40 points, including last week's 59-29 revenge win over the reigning IFL champion Massachusetts Pirates.
This is the first time the Rattlers have played back-to-back weeks at home.
Quarterback Drew Powell has been back in the groove after a five-turnover game in the win at Frisco.
"Offensively, I think we just keep getting better," Powell said. "We've got our timing down. It's good to see guys out here working and having that same hunger we had in Week 1."
Offensive lineman Kenny Thomas doesn't feel the Rattlers will have another letdown after getting a wake-up call in Tucson two weeks ago.
"The character and integrity of team, it just shows that we really care about each other," Thomas said. "We go back out there and compete at a high level."
Rattlers maul Massachusetts Pirates
The Arizona Rattlers avenged their United Bowl loss to the Massachusetts Pirates with a 59-29 win Saturday night in Phoenix.
Rattlers QB Drew Powell had 103 yards passing, 47 yards rushing, and a combined 3 TDs on the night.
Arizona's defense held Massachusetts to 78 yards net passing and just two touchdowns on the night.
The Rattlers scored two defensive touchdowns — a 9-yard interception return by Brandon Ezell and a 44-yard fumble return by Davontae Merriweather — in the last 2:10 of the first half, building their lead to 42-13.
The Pirates gave the Rattlers their last loss at home, a 37-34 overtime setback in the United Bowl last Sept. 12.
Next, the Rattlers (7-1) host the Frisco Fighters at 6 p.m. Saturday at Footprint Center.
Rattlers fall to Sugar Skulls for 1st time
The Arizona Rattlers had not allowed an opponent to score 40 points or more in a 6-0 start. Then, on Saturday in Tucson, they gave up more than 40 in the first half alone.
No stops, no more unbeaten season.
With the Sugar Skulls rolling every which way, they cruised to their first-ever win over the Rattlers 74-63 which could be viewed as a win-win in the Kevin and Cathy Guy household.
They are co-owners of the Sugar Skulls' Indoor Football League team. Cathy runs the day-to-day operations of the Skulls, while Kevin, Arizona's head coach, general manager and president, focuses his energy on the Rattlers, whom he has led to three consecutive ArenaBowl championships and an IFL title since being hired in 2008.
After Saturday, all that love Kevin Guy was pouring out for his defense through six games now has to be seriously re-evaluated, after the Skulls scored every time they had the ball with quarterback Daquan Neal, the 2019 IFL Most Valuable Player as Dixie Wooten's QB at Iowa, carving up the Rattlers' vaunted defense.
Two years ago, Wooten took over as coach of the Sugar Skulls, hand-picked by Kevin Guy. Wooten had Guy's number most of his coaching career while he was leading the Iowa Barnstormers. But after an 0-7 record against the Rattlers, Wooten's Skulls finally broke through.
Neal completed 12 of 15 passes for 152 yards and five TDs. He also ran for two scores to improve the Skulls to 4-3.
The Rattlers fell to 6-1 with a home rematch next Saturday against the Massachusetts Pirates, who beat Arizona in overtime last year for the United Bowl championship.
The Rattlers' special teams also faltered. They allowed a 50-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Benjamin Jones, who averaged 26.5 yards on four returns. And kicker Ernest Lacayo missed three straight extra-point attempts in the first half.
If anything, Tucson can now say it has a rivalry with Phoenix's Rattlers.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Woods' interception for TD helps Rattlers clinch playoff spot
