Sports stats

IFL Bay Area Panthers

IFL Marquee Matchup in Game 1

March 23, 2023 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Bay Area Panthers News Release


It's billed as top game of the week as the Bay Area Panthers christen the 2023 season at home with the Arizona Rattlers paying a visit to the SAP Center on Sunday. The Rattlers were picked first in the initial coaches poll with the Panthers picked second.

Arizona has a game under its belt after beating Quad City 60-53 last Friday night in Moline, Illinois. Special teams played a critical role and reigning MVP Drew Powell paced with the offense with four passing touchdowns and two more rushing.

The Rattlers are on a mission for the new season after falling 52-51 to the Northern Arizona last season in the Western Conference Championship game. Powell put up video game numbers on the way to a second straight MVP, leading the league with 63 touchdowns. He was also fifth in the league in rushing, adding 27 scores on the ground. But his season ended with a bitter taste-coming up short of an IFL Championship for the second straight year. In 2021, the Rattlers fell to Massachusetts at home in the championship game in overtime.

The Panthers have completely overhauled their roster and coaching staff after a 1-15 start for the franchise. Darren Arbet returns to the sideline after serving as the team's color analyst for both television and radio last year. The four-time Arenabowl champion and Arena Football League Hall of Fame member is leaning on a staff with championship pedigree to take the team to the next level. Rob Keefe is the team's defensive coordinator following a championship run at Northern Arizona and Dixie Wooten is the offensive coordinator, winner of an IFL title as a head coach in Iowa. He comes to the Bay Area after serving as the head coach in Tucson where he mentored league MVP Daquon Neal. Wooten also coached Powell during his MVP season in Iowa in 2018.

The chess match on the sideline adds intrigue as Arbet will square off against Kevin Guy, winner of championships in both the AFL and IFL. At one time, Guy was an assistant for Arbet on the San Jose Sabercats' staff. In their most recent head-to-head matchup, Arbet's Sabercats beat Guy's Rattlers 70-67in the 2015 AFL Western Conference Championship game. Reggie Gray caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Erik Meyer with eight seconds to play.

Kickoff is set for 5:05 Sunday at the SAP Center.



Indoor Football League Stories from March 23, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Bay Area Panthers Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central