Battle of California - Strike Force Host the Panthers in Week Seven
April 29, 2023 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
San Diego Strike Force News Release
Over the last several days, the Panthers' game at San Diego has added levels of intrigue heading into Sunday's 5:05 p.m. CT kickoff.
The Strike Force stunned previously undefeated Tucson in overtime - striking with a 43-yard Hail Mary on the final play of regulation. The secured the win by turning back Sugar Skulls' quarterback Ramone Atkins shy of the goal line on fourth down on the second possession of OT.
Earlier in the week, San Diego made news with the acquisition of star quarterback Nate Davis from Duke City in exchange for both Strike Force quarterbacks and former Bay Area lineman Jeremiah Caine. He did not play in Tucson with Rudy Johnson leading the upset as 17 ý point underdogs.
"We are going to have our hands full. That's a good football team that beat a team that beat us," said Head Coach and General Manager Darren Arbet. "Plus, now they have Nate Davis and some dangerous targets in their offense. They've also gotten a lot better on the other side of the ball. This is going to be a challenge for us."
Davis was the 2021 IFL Offensive Player of the Year for Duke City after throwing for a league record 79 touchdowns and completing 64 percent of his passes. He had eight games with five or more touchdowns and led Duke City to the playoffs in the franchise's first season in the IFL. Davis was taken by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2009 draft where Alex Smith was entrenched as the starter and Shaun Hill as the backup.
In the 2022 opener against Arizona, Davis suffered a torn knee ligament and was lost for the rest of the season. He was still around the team as a play-caller and mentor to Ramone Atkins, who would go on to win the IFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Bay Area snapped a two-game skid with a resounding 47-13 win over Northern Arizona with contributions in all three phases. Special teams scored two touchdowns and added a one-point rouge for tackling an opposing return man in the end zone. Defense held the Wranglers to the second-lowest point total of any IFL team this season and scored a fourth quarter touchdown when JR Stevens recovered a fumble for a score.
The Panthers are one game behind Tucson in the Western Conference at 2-2 while San Diego is 2-3 with both wins on the road. On April 8, the Strike Force stunned Vegas in Henderson after the Knight Hawks missed an extra point in the closing seconds that would have forced overtime. Bay Area won last year's season opener - escaping with a 38-33 win over San Diego when Ricky McCoy turned back Davonte Sapp-Lynch short of the goal line on the game's final play.
San Diego won the rematch 66-26 on June 18. Jorge Reyna had the best game of his career completing 14 of 18 passes for 184 yards and seven touchdowns. Sapp-Lynch stuffed the stat sheet with a rushing touchdown, another receiving and returning a fumble recovery for a score on special teams during decisive stretch to close the first half. Duane Gary ran for 35 yards and three touchdowns in the loss for Bay Area.
Indoor Football League Stories from April 29, 2023
- Storm Host Quad City in Week Four Rematch - Sioux Falls Storm
- Pirates Snap Two-Game Losing Streak - Massachusetts Pirates
- Battle of California - Strike Force Host the Panthers in Week Seven - San Diego Strike Force
- Wranglers Knock Down Vegas Knight Hawks, 36-27 - Northern Arizona Wranglers
- Pirates Defeat Barnstormers 56-36 - Massachusetts Pirates
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