Northeast Valley News
Arizona Rattlers vs Bay Area Panthers (Saturday)
The Rattlers beat the Panthers 53-48 after running the clock in the final seconds of the game Saturday.
The week before, the Rattlers (4-1) were handed their very first loss of the year by the sugar skulls but bounced back against the Bay Area Panthers (4-1), who they were tied with for first place.
Heading into the game the Rattlers had the number one ranked offense averaging 50.8 points per game, meanwhile on the other side the panthers had the number one ranked defense giving up just 24 points per game.
The Rattlers had to play without their Kicker Dawson Evitts today and replacing him was defensive back Ethan Caselberry. Caselberry did play soccer in high school.
Coach Kevin Guy told Northeast Valley news, “We had 3 of our starting 4 receivers go down Miles, Corey Reed and YoHeinz Tyler, so we had to the circle the wagons,” Guy said.
The Rattlers would get off to a good start, as running back Shannon brooks ran between the tackles and into the endzone from 7 yards out to make it 6-0 rattlers.
Both teams scored on the next three drives making it 14-14 at the end of the first.
The defense finally showed up at the start of the second quarter, when Rattlers quarterback Dalton Sneed got picked off by linebacker BJ Taufalele.
The Panthers didn’t capitalize on the turnover, a few plays later QB Josh Jones gets picked off by Rattlers corner Ethan Caselberry.
Caselberry also the kicker, had quite the night.
“Just doing whatever the team needs me to do at the end of the day,” Caselberry said during post-game.
A couple plays later Dalton Sneed would find receiver Isiah Huston in the back of endzone to make it 20-14 Rattlers.
The Panthers responded on the next drive when wide receiver Joshua Tomas, took a jet sweep to the endzone for a two-yard TD giving the Panthers a one-point lead with 2:06 remaining in the half.
The Panthers attempted an onside kick, but it was recovered by the Rattlers giving them a short field and made the most of it.
Dalton Sneed would keep it and dove into the endzone for a two-yard touchdown to give the Rattlers a 26-21 lead with 55 seconds lefts.
The score would stay the same heading into second half after an unsuccessful one-minute drill from Bay Area.
The Panthers started off the second half with a boom when Josh Jones hit Tyrese Chambers on a corner route for a 15- yard touchdown to give the Panthers a two-point lead.
The Rattlers offense fired back, when Dalton Sneed found rookie Jordin Parker in the endzone for six, making it 32-28 Rattlers.
The Panthers took the lead back, receiver Joshua Tomas ran in his second rushing touchdown of the day, this one from five yards out, giving the Panthers a three-point lead.
The back-and-forth scoring didn’t end as Dalton Sneed found Ron Brown Jr. in the endzone to put the Rattlers back up by five.
Bay Area’s quarterback Josh Jones scored another lead change, running it in from two yards out making it 42-40.
Dalton Sneed found Trey Dixon for an 11-yard touchdown making it 46-42.
The back and forth finally ended as the Rattlers grabbed a huge fourth-down stop, giving them the ball with 1:38 left in the game.
On fourth-down and three, with the game on the line, Dalton Sneed found Isiah Huston in the endzone, and finally after avoiding using the kicker all game, cornerback Ethan Caselberry put the PAT right through the uprights, to make it 53-42, with 55 seconds left.
The Panthers were able score with time despite putting them down by five, with 20 seconds left, and desperately needing an onside kick recovery.
The onside kick went out of bounds and the Rattlers ran out the clock.
The win was a big one putting the Rattlers (5-1) in sole possession of first place in the Western conference.
The Rattlers look to secure first place when they host the 4-2 Vegas Nighthawks next week.