Rattlers fueled by disappointing 2022 ending
Loss in conference final still bothers Arizona
Drew Powell could have let the last minute of last year’s conference championship game replay over and over in his mind and send him into a hole from which it would have been tough to get through the offseason.
But the Arizona Rattlers quarterback let it go, the no-call on what looked like pass interference with receiver Jamal Miles smothered on Powell’s pass to the end zone, the interception, the 52-51 loss to eventual Indoor Football League champion Northern Arizona at Footprint Center.
That was Powell’s last pass of the 2022 season, a year in which he repeated as the IFL Most Valuable Player, only to fall short in the playoffs. In 2021, the Rattlers lost to Massachusetts in overtime at home in the IFL championship game.
It hurt, but Powell went right to work with Miles, Braxton Haley and Isaiah Huston — his three receivers down the stretch last season — for another goround this year, the Rattlers again having high hopes of finishing the year in Las Vegas with a championship that has eluded the Rattlers in recent years.
“It stung for a long time,” said Powell, who led the league with 53 TD passes last season. “But this season is about getting back on a good foot, taking this team that we have this year and going on another championship run.”
The Rattlers wrap up camp this weekend in Mesa, before focusing on their season opener on March 17 in Moline, Illinois against the Quad City Steamwheelers.
The Rattlers will need to replace retired center Lamar Mady and running back Shannon Brooks, who is seeking a chance on the outdoor field this spring in
professional leagues.
Those guys were big leaders in the locker room and on the field.
But coach Kevin Guy returns defensive backs Dillion Winfrey and Davonte Merriweather. And the Rattlers made a big pre-camp trade to acquire first-team All-IFL 6-foot-5, 320-pound defensive lineman Ulric Jones from the NAZ Wranglers. They also obtained another player from NAZ, kicker Craig Peterson, who replaces Ernesto Lacayo, who is now with the Duke City Gladiators in the IFL.
“We wanted to get younger,” Guy said. “That means we’ve got a lot of teaching we have to do during camp. Everything is moving fast for a lot of these guys. But the last two days we took a big step forward.
“Jones was big for us. It kind of solidifies our defensive line.”
Jones said he knows trades are part of the business, but he’s ready to get going with his new team.
“I love it here,” Jones said. “The team,
the players and coaches have welcomed me with open arms. It’s somewhere I’m excited to be. I’m happy with the situation.”
Guy said he also feels good about the offensive line, even though Mady and first-team All-IFL Kenny Thomas are big losses. Returning is Brandon Smith, 6-7, 325, who is entering his third season in the league.
“I’m looking for good things out of our offensive line,” Guy said. “I’m excited about this team. It’s going to be a work in progress, putting pieces together as the season goes. But I like the character on this team. You can tell there are some young guys who are hungry.”
Haley emerged last season as a firstteam All-IFL wide receiver with 66 receptions a league-best 1,030 yards and 21 TDs. Haley has not only become a star in the league but he keeps everybody loose with his personality.
“We’re just looking to build upon last season, continue to grow,” Haley said.
“We finished short last year. But it will be a different result this year.
“The results happened the way they were (last year). We lost the game. We just have to move on from it.”
The Rattlers lost All-IFL defensive back Kyree Woods, who sought other pro-league opportunities. But Winfrey has been the heart and soul of the secondary the last two years, making firstteam All-IFL. He had eight regular-season interceptions last year.
Winfrey hasn’t forgotten how the Rattlers lost a two-touchdown lead in the final quarter of the Western Conference championship game and lost it on a controversial non-call at the end.
“You forgive, man,” Winfrey said. “You just never forget those things. They stick with you all offseason if you’re a competitor. I’m a competitor, so it stuck with me. But it’s just fuel. I have to worry about the things I can control.
“Coach Guy will get us there again. We just have to capitalize this year.”