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IFL Bay Area Panthers

Panthers to Host Tucson at the SAP Center on Saturday

June 7, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Bay Area Panthers News Release


The Bay Area Panthers take their three-game winning streak to the SAP Center on Saturday against Tucson as the defending IFL champions look to complete the regular season sweep of the Sugar Skulls. At 8-1, the Panthers have the best record in the league and lead Vegas by one game in the Western Conference standings.

In their last outing before the bye, Shane Simpson ran for four scores in a 42-31 win over San Antonio. The run game was the focus in the second half with 20 rushes on 22 plays before the final kneel down to run out the clock. Daquan Neal only threw 10 passes in the win after throwing only eight passes in the win at Arizona. The Bay Area defense recorded 5 Â1/2 stops in slowing down the most prolific offense in the league while containing Offensive Player of the Year candidate Sam Castronova to a 16-38 night for 174 yards and three scores.

The Sugar Skulls (2-7) have dropped their last two games and are coming off a season-low point total in a 21-20 to Duke City as the Gladiators picked up their first win of the season. The 20 points was the fewest scored by any IFL team this season. Even more galling was Tucson giving up a 20-0 halftime lead and before sputtering in a scoreless second half. Quarterback Mylik Mitchell ran for 75 yards on 13 carries and Davonte Sapp-Lynch added 58 yards on 12 rushes.

In the first match-up on April 14 in Tucson, Felix Harper came off the bench at halftime as the Panthers scored 30 points after the break in a 44-31 win. Harper ran for three scores and passed for another in the win while the defense recorded 4 Â1/2 stops. Antwon Kincade recorded 10 tackles including eight solo stops.

Both teams have relied on the running game with Bay Area ranking second in rushing offense and Tucson third. However, the Panthers are number three in run defense and took away the Sugar Skulls running game in the second half in the first meeting.

Both Simpson and Neal rank in the top 10 in rushing and Simpson has 16 rushing scores. Tucson's Mitchell has 17 rushing touchdowns to rank third in the league.

Bay Area has won the last three games in the series with the last loss a 34-30 decision on April 16, 2023.

Kickoff is set for 6:05 on Saturday at the SAP Center.

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