Rattlers open with win over Duke City
It wasn't the prettiest beginning for the Rattlers to start a season. Their first two touchdowns were scored without the offense involved.
Reigning Indoor Football League MVP Drew Powell was intercepted twice in the first half.
But they finally put the clamps on hobbling quarterback Nate Davis in the second half and Powell got back to MVP form in a 50-28 victory over the Duke City Gladiators in front of 7,582 fans on Saturday night at Footprint Center.
The Rattlers, whom it seemed just beat Duke City by three points in the IFL semifinals last September, ran only two plays in the first quarter when the Gladiators tried to surprise the Rattlers with an early on-side kick that Devontae Merriweather snagged and easily returned 12 yards for a score.
Later in the quarter, Brandon Ezell returned an interception 27 yards for a score.
"Kind of a weird start," coach Kevin Guy said. "They scored first and they tried to on-side kick it, but Merriweather made a great, athletic play for a touchdown. We got the pick six.
"When that happens, it can kind of put your offense in a funk. We weren't playing really good football that second quarter."
Rookie defensive back Kyree Woods, who helped Chandler High to a couple of state championships before playing four seasons at San Diego State, played his first game in two years.
It took a little bit to adjust with about 30 family members and friends in attendance and emotions running high.
After being called for pass interference in the first half and watching Dello Davis get behind him for a 39-yard score, Woods locked it down in the second half. He broke up Davis' pass at the goal line on fourth down near the end of the third quarter.
That was followed up by an eight-play scoring drive capped by Powell's 8-yard pass to Todd Athey for a 43-28 lead with eight minutes left in the third quarter.
Later in the final quarter, Woods had an interception in the end zone but dropped it. No problem. Davis couldn't complete a pass on four straight attempts and the Rattlers took over at their 14 with less than four minutes to play.
"The atmosphere and the environment, getting used to that, I had to calm myself down," Woods said. "I was going through the motion, reading my checks, and slowing the game down.
"I did a lot better in the second half." The Rattlers held the Gladiators scoreless in the second half, while scoring two touchdowns to build a 43-28 lead. Last year, when the Rattlers needed good fortune at the end to beat Duke City by three points in the IFL semifinals, Davis threw six TD passes.
This time, he was held to two TD passes, both coming in the first quarter when Duke City took a 21-14 lead. Davis took a hard hit in the final minute of the first half and lay on the turf before slowly getting up. He finished the game but was hobbling the second half.
"I knew he was going to come back," Powell said about Davis, who was the league's Offensive Player of the Year last season. "We hit him a couple of times before. He always gets up and figures it out.
"I never thought he'd be out. It doesn't take away the toughness of him being that guy for their team. I respect the competitiveness. I know he's always going to show up."
Powell had two big runs that led to Malik Williams' 2-yard scoring run with less than nine minutes to play in the third quarter. Powell hit Todd Athey with an 8yard pass with eight minute to play, increasing the Rattlers' lead to 15 points.
Powell hooked up again with Athey, who made a great catch in the corner of the end zone before crashing into the boards for a 15-yard TD that extended the lead to 50-28 with 54 seconds left.
"It was weird," Powell said about the start of the game. "We didn't get the ball until like three minutes left (in the opening quarter). Then, we had two plays, an interception, off the field again. But we figured it and got it done and made the plays. We just need to clean it up, which we did."
For as bad as the offense played in the first half, the Rattlers were fortunate to have a 29-28 lead.
Powell had as many interceptions as he had completions in the half with two. He had only one touchdown, an 8-yard pass to running back Malik Williams.
And his intentional grounding pushed the Rattlers back after they had a first down at the Duke City 7 with eight seconds to play. They settled for a 31-yard Ernest Lacayo field go to head into the locker room ahead by a point.
The Gladiators ran 10 more plays in the half with 22 and had 133 yards, while holding the Rattlers to 86 yards.
Powell only ran the ball one time for 22 yards in the half. He ended up with 79 rushing yards on seven carries and 10 of 17 passing for 97 yards and three TDs.
Now the Rattlers are on the road for the next three weeks, including another showdown in Albuquerque against Duke City in two weeks.
"We had a great effort," Guy said. "We've got some young guys at different spots. We've got to look at the film. Everybody. The veterans, too. We've got to get better from Week 1 to Week 2."