Panthers Defang Rattlers 37-24 in Rivalry Redemption

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Panthers Defang Rattlers 37-24 in Rivalry Redemption

June 23, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Bay Area Panthers News Release


A balmy Sunday afternoon in Silicon Valley set the stage for the Bay Area Panthers' second meeting with the defending-champion Arizona Rattlers. The Panthers-winners of their past four games prior to the weekend-were especially eager to return home to take on a reeling Arizona squad.

Notably, Week 14 of the Indoor Football League presented "Community Night" at San Jose's SAP Center. That brought forth one of the most energetic Bay Area crowds to date.

Led by Panthers Head Coach Rob Keefe's intensity in warmups, the team was sure to deliver in the amplified environment en route to a 37-24 victory. The Panthers have now won five consecutive games, holding sturdy in first place, while the Rattlers have dropped each of their last four outings.

Bay Area deferred Sunday's opening possession to Arizona. On the Rattlers' initial play from scrimmage, the Panthers forced a fumble from tailback Ron Brown Jr. that was subsequently recovered by defensive lineman (and former-San Jose Stater) EJ Ane.

Bay Area's offense got off to a slower start than most weeks. It took four offensive drives until the unit finally registered points, which was an eight-yard read-option run from quarterback Josh Jones. That knotted up the score at 7-7; Arizona drew first blood when Rattlers quarterback Dalton Sneed connected with receiver Isaiah Huston for an 11-yard touchdown reception.

Defense was strong on both sidelines, as the respective offenses had trouble establishing rhythm throughout quarters one and two. Still, the Panthers and Rattlers each added a field goal before halftime. At the midway point, this Western Conference affair was all tied at 10-apiece

The third period was commenced by Bay Area's most methodical drive of the evening. Sticking with the ground game, tailback Josh Tomas produced multiple chunk runs to set up a second rushing touchdown from Jones, which gave the Panthers their first lead at 17-10. Bay Area would not fall behind again for the remainder of the night.

Sneed and Arizona's offense were held in check throughout the second half. Panthers defensive end Jonathan Ross did well to spearhead that effort for a second week in-a-row, logging four tackles and a pivotal quarterback sack. From there, linebacker Wes Bowers (team-high eight tackles on Sunday) and defensive back Tyler Watson (seven tackles) also played with visible ferocity.

"We try to dominate in everything that we do, every play," Ross stated after Sunday's win. "Everything is won in the trenches," the 6-foot-3 defender lamented.

On offense, Bay Area was thrilled for the return of wide receiver Tyrese Chambers.

Chambers hauled in three catches for 23 yards versus Arizona. His most-crucial reception was a six-yard score from Jones as the third quarter's clock expired, giving Bay Area some room to breathe for the final period. That was Jones' lone touchdown pass on the day. Overall, he completed seven of 20 pass attempts.

The on-field action was fierce until the final whistle. The Rattlers did not go quietly into the night, but a fourth-quarter interception from Panthers defensive back Joe Foucha ultimately sealed the deal.

"Arizona is a great team. [Rattlers HC Kevin Guy] is a phenomenal coach. (...) We knew it would be a dog fight, but we came out on top tonight." expressed Coach Keefe following the win. "I'm very proud of not only our effort, but the fan base's energy. It gave us all the strength in the world for this grudge match," Keefe concluded.

"It's not over until we say it's over," center Sidney Walker told color analyst Mike Pawlawski on KNBR's Bay Area Panthers Weekly last week. That aggressive sentiment was on full display Sunday evening in Downtown San Jose. Additionally, the Panthers-favored by 6.5 points-managed to cover the set spread in Week 14.

With Bay Area's latest defeat of Arizona, the two sides have officially split the 2025 regular-season series. That also brings the all-time head-to-head record here to 4-4. Stay tuned to see if these conference foes meet again in the approaching IFL playoffs.

The Panthers will next travel to Prescott Valley to face the Northern Arizona Wranglers at Findlay Toyota Center. The Week-15 Western Conference showdown is set for Saturday, June 28, with kickoff slated at 6:05 PM PT. Fans can stream the game live through a subscription with the IFL Network or tune in to the radio broadcast on KNBR 1050.

Bay Area will stay on the road until July 11 when the Vegas Knight Hawks visit San Jose's SAP Center for Bay Area's final regular-season home game of 2025. Tickets for that matchup-including single-game, season, group, and suite experiences-are available now through Ticketmaster.



Indoor Football League Stories from June 23, 2025


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.

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