Last year the Rattlers season ended in heartbreak, losing to the San Diego Strike Force 49-48 on a last second touchdown.
The Rattlers opened their season hosting the exact team that eliminated them last year.
The Rattlers have a new roster entering this season, with the biggest change being their quarterback.
At the end of last year Rattlers quarterback Dalton Sneed decided to call it a career Dalton Sneed decided to call it a career and go coach at his alma mater Montana as an offensive assistant.
The Rattlers found quite the replacement for Sneed, signing last year’s IFL MVP Max Meylor, who led the whole league with 91 total touchdowns for the Green Bay Blizzard.
Meylor delivered on his first drive as a Rattler, as he found wide receiver Arland Bruce 33 yards down the field for a touchdown giving the Rattlers a 7-0 lead.
After a big fourth down stop, the Arizona Rattlers were giving the chance to go up two scores.
That opportunity was squandered as Meylor was intercepted by defensive back William Barber.
San Diego was able to capitalize on the interception, giving it running back Edward Vander for a two-yard touchdown up the middle tying the game at 7 all.
However, the Rattlers got the lead right back. After a nice drive, running back Ron Brown Jr. took a toss play into the endzone two yards out, giving the Rattlers a 14-7 lead.
On the two-yard line, San Diego drew up an option play, with quarterback Nate Davis keeping the football and strutting into the endzone for an easy touchdown. However, kicker Ernesto Lacayo missed the PAT, making it 14-13 Rattlers with 3:14 left in the first half.
The Rattlers added to their lead, with yet another explosive from their new quarterback, as Meylor took a quarterback zone run play 38-yards for a touchdown making it 21-13 Rattlers with 1:23 left in the first half.
San Diego’s one-minute drill was cut short when Davis’s pass over the middle was tipped and picked by Rattlers defensive back Carlvainsky Decius and returned to the Arizona 22 yard-line, giving them a chance to score again before half.
The Rattlers’ one-minute drill was successful as they capped off their drive with a jet sweep to Bruce for a 3-yard rushing touchdown, making it 28-13 heading into halftime.
San Diego started off the second half with a bang, as Davis found a wide-open receiver Dallas Daniels 36 yards down the field for a touchdown, on the two-point conversion Davis found receiver Jalen Sample for a one-handed catch making it 28-21 Rattlers.
The Rattlers responded back with some Meylor magic.
After fumbling the snap, Meylor picked it up, evaded two defenders, and on the run, delivered a beautiful shovel pass to a wide-open receiver Trey Odoms-Dukes for a four-yard touchdown, extending Arizona’s lead to 14.
San Diego refused to go away, as Davis’s pump fake completely fooled the Rattler’s defensive backs, freeing up Sample for a wide-open 12-yard touchdown. Lacayo missed another PAT, making 35-27 Rattlers.
The Rattlers’ passing offense kept firing. This time Meylor found receiver Corey Reed Jr. on a short pass in the middle of the field, and Reed proceeded to take it all the way for a 31-yard touchdown, making it 42-27 Rattlers.
San Diego was on the goal line and tried a pitch play, but the backwards pitch was mishandled by Vander and recovered by Rattlers defensive back Yahsyn McKee Sr.
Meylor continued his impressive Rattlers debut. After an impressive 36-yard bomb to Odoms-Dukes, Meylor finished off the drive with a two-yard run making 49-27 Rattlers with 4:25 remaining.
Things went from bad to worse for the Strike Force as Nate Davis was picked off by Mckee Sr., officially putting the game out of reach.
Arizona’s head coach Kevin Guy didn’t forget about last year’s playoff game.
“I think whoever we played week one was gonna get an ass whooping,” Guy said. “We sat here the whole offseason pissed off about the way things went down, and you know I’m one of those guys that you want me on your team, you don’t want to be against me.”
The Rattlers (1-0) will be on the road next week against Fishers Freight.
