Northern Arizona Wranglers Fall Short against the Bay Area Panthers on the Road

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IFL Northern Arizona Wranglers

Northern Arizona Wranglers Fall Short against the Bay Area Panthers on the Road

April 14, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Northern Arizona Wranglers News Release


The Wranglers began this matchup on defense. Linebacker Kalen Hicks sacked his former teammate on third down and forced the Panthers to attempt a long field goal. After the missed attempt, the Wranglers' offense had a chance to take an early lead. However, quarterback CJ Fowler's pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Bay Area.

Given an immediate chance at redemption, the Wranglers marched down the field and responded. Fowler threw a short pass to running back Marvin Kinsey Jr., who found the end zone. But the Panthers quickly killed that momentum when former Wranglers wide receiver RZ McCorker returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.

The Wranglers' offensive struggles continued as they turned the ball over on downs. Just before the end of the first quarter, Hicks again applied pressure on his former quarterback, which resulted in an interception by defensive back Malik Sonnier. The first quarter closed with the Wranglers trailing the Panthers 16-7.

Defense Takes Over in the Second

In the second quarter, the game shifted into a defensive battle. Both teams traded stops and turnovers. The quarter's only points came from the Panthers on their fourth drive. The Wranglers went into halftime down 22-7.

Second-Half Spark

Northern Arizona opened the second half with renewed offensive momentum. Fowler and Kinsey Jr. connected again for their second touchdown of the night on a short pass. Kinsey Jr. evaded multiple defenders and plunged into the end zone, cutting the Wranglers' deficit to eight points.

The defense, however, gave up another touchdown to make it 29-14 in favor of Bay Area. Wide receiver David Elder became an energy spark for Northern Arizona, returning the following kickoff to the Panthers' 5-yard line. Elder capped off the drive with a rushing touchdown on fourth down.

Game Slips Away in the Fourth

The final quarter began with the Wranglers trailing 29-21. Things quickly unraveled for Northern Arizona. The Panthers scored on their opening drive of the fourth quarter, then followed it up with a pick-six. Another turnover on downs by the Wranglers led to yet another Panthers score. In a flash, Northern Arizona found itself down 50-21.

Fowler connected with Elder for a late touchdown before Bay Area kneeled to end the game.

Stat Leaders & What's Next

Despite the loss, there were bright spots for the Wranglers. Elder tallied 98 total return yards and added 36 yards on offense, scoring two touchdowns. Kinsey Jr. also notched two touchdowns. Fowler threw three touchdown passes but was responsible for three turnovers. Hicks led the defense with six total tackles, one sack, and one tackle for loss.

The Wranglers (1-2) will need to regroup quickly on a short week. They return home to face the Tucson Sugar Skulls on Saturday, April 19, in Prescott Valley.

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