GLENDALE — The Arizona Rattlers capped off Military Appreciation Night with a major comeback, erasing a two-score deficit in the final minutes to defeat the Vegas Knight Hawks 50-47 on Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Wide receiver Isaiah Huston caught three passes on the game-wining drive, including the go-ahead touchdown with nine seconds left, then Arizona hauled in the successful two-point conversion that sealed the Rattlers’ third straight win.
“We got a lot of football left, but we took a big step forward today,” Rattlers head coach Kevin Guy said postgame.
Arizona Rattlers vs Vegas Knight Hawks Recap
Arizona (6-1) relied heavily on its ground game early and led 14-6 after Jamal Miles caught a short touchdown pass from quarterback Dalton Sneed in the first quarter. But Vegas (4-3) responded with back-to-back touchdown runs from quarterback Ja’Rome Johnson and kept pace behind Quentin Randolph, who finished with multiple explosive catches, including a 2-yard score to close the first half.
The Rattlers trailed 26-21 at halftime and by as much as 40-28 in the third, but continued chipping away. Shannon Brooks’ rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter narrowed the gap to 40-35, and Arizona’s defense responded with a key fourth-down stop.
After Vegas punched back with an Antonio Wimbush rushing score to make it 47-35, the Rattlers answered with two straight touchdown drives in the final minutes. Sneed found Miles for a score with 26 seconds left, then recovered the onside kick, setting up Huston’s game-winning sequence.
Sneed finished with two touchdown passes and 66 yards. brooks led the run game, while Huston’s clutch performance in the final minute earned him player of the game honors. Vegas missed a 55 yard field goal attempt to tie in the final seconds.
Despite the win, Guy emphasized the need for improvement: “Offensively, we’re not where we want to be.”
With the win, Arizona remain in first place in the IFL Western Conference. They will look to take on the Norther Arizona Wranglers next Saturday at Prescott Valley, Arizona.
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Reporter Reyna Stanley covers college, the pros, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on X @rey_stanley776.
