Redemption Saturday: Panthers Head to Texas Triangle for Rematch with San Antonio Gunslingers

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IFL Bay Area Panthers

Redemption Saturday: Panthers Head to Texas Triangle for Rematch with San Antonio Gunslingers

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


Looking to build on last Friday's win over the Tuscon Sugar Skulls, the Bay Area Panthers (5-2) have their sights set squarely on the San Antonio Gunslingers (2-5).

For Week 10, the Panthers will head to Freeman Coliseum with hopes of avenging a 28-20 loss suffered in their 2025 season opener. Notably, that Week 2 matchup in San Jose served as the Gunslingers' second contest of the year while Bay Area was in its first game.

The Panthers are currently riding considerable momentum after producing their highest single-game point total (68) of the season. Incidentally, the dynamic offensive performance last week did not go unnoticed around the league.

With the official Indoor Football League Coaches Poll released every Tuesday, Bay Area recently jumped up to the number-two spot, trailing only the Arizona Rattlers. Conversely, the Gunslingers are listed 10th of 14 IFL teams, which is second worst in the Western Conference.

However, much has changed for San Antonio since these squads met at SAP Center back in March. Following the victory over the Panthers, the Gunslingers dismissed Tom Menas as head coach/GM and have turned over duties to James Fuller. Also, quarterback Malik Henry is no longer with the team-Joaquin Collazo III is now the signal caller in San Antone.

The Gunslingers out dueled the San Diego Strike Force last Saturday, 49-48, to earn their inaugural victory under Coach Fuller. San Antonio has played to a 1-4 record since its changing of the guard, and they'll look to continue garnering steam against a familiar Bay Area foe that they've already defeated once in 2025.

Panthers Head Coach Keefe has the invaluable gift of hindsight to prepare for this Saturday's showdown in San Antonio. "We felt we left a lot on the table. All respect to San Antonio, who won the football game, but we felt like we beat ourselves in a lot of ways," Coach Keefe expressed on KNBR's Bay Area Panthers Weekly following the Week 2 loss.

"We had a lot of miscues offensively. Defensively, we gave up a fourth-down touchdown and had miscue in the secondary. Look, we're all accountable for it," continued Coach Keefe. Still, much of that can be chalked up to rust or first-game jitters.

Bay Area quarterback Josh Jones-the 2024 IFL Offensive Rookie of the Year-also had some thoughts on the previous meeting with the Gunslingers. "[San Antonio] is a good team, but we didn't play up to our standards here in the Bay," Jones stated in early April. "I think our defense played really well. They gave us a chance to win. Offensively, we have to clean up a lot of stuff, myself included."

Fast-forward to now, and the Panthers offense is firing on all cylinders. Jones produced seven total touchdowns to go with 113 rushing yards in the win over Tucson. Look for him to lean on using his legs this weekend in Texas while also finding big-play receivers Josh Tomas, Trevon Alexander and Tyrese Chambers.

On the defensive side, the Panthers' high-motor unit will continue playing aggressively. They logged two crucial takeaways against the Sugar Skulls, and being the stingiest team in the conference (allowing only 32.9 PPG), Bay Area remains confident and cohesive-keep an eye on defensive linemen Morris Joseph, Jr., Tevaughn Grant and Jonathan Ross to lead the charge.

Traveling to the heart of the Lone Star State, the Panthers will battle the Gunslingers at Freeman Coliseum. The Week 10 Western Conference showdown is set for Saturday, May 24. Kickoff will be at 4:05 PM PT, and Bay Area fans can stream the game live through a subscription with the IFL Network or tune in to the radio broadcast on KNBR 1050.

Betting? On Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook labels the Panthers as 9.5-point road favorites versus San Antonio.

Bay Area returns home on June 7 when the Tulsa Oilers come to SAP Center. Tickets for the matchup in San Jose-including single-game, season, group, and suite experiences-are available now through Ticketmaster.



Indoor Football League Stories from May 23, 2025


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