Wranglers Drop Last Game of the Season, Following Best Game of the Season from Duke City

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IFL Northern Arizona Wranglers

Wranglers Drop Last Game of the Season, Following Best Game of the Season from Duke City

July 26, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Northern Arizona Wranglers News Release


RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- The Northern Arizona Wranglers ended their season with a disappointing loss, falling to the Duke City Gladiators by a score of 69-48 at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

The Wranglers were officially eliminated from Indoor Football League Playoff contention on Saturday evening after the Arizona Rattlers defeated the San Antonio Gunslingers. The Wranglers were set to battle the Gladiators on Sunday afternoon for their final game of the 2024 season.

Northern Arizona opened the game swinging, as defensive lineman Mason Newton blocked a Duke City field goal attempt against his former team. The Wranglers' offense capitalized with a touchdown pass from quarterback Joshua Jones to wide receiver Deshon Stoudemire. On the kickoff, kicker Axel Perez pinned the Gladiators' return man in the end zone with a great bouncing kick. The Duke City returner was tackled in the end zone for the one-point rouge. The Wranglers jumped out to an early 8-0 nothing lead over the Gladiators. On the following two possessions, the Gladiators and Wranglers traded touchdown drives. The first quarter ended with the game's score tied at 16 apiece.

The Gladiators opened the second quarter with a touchdown and nailed the deuce on the kickoff, putting the Wranglers behind by nine points. The Wranglers opted to give quarterback Dillon Sterling-Cole some playing time at the start of the second quarter. On his first play in the game, Sterling-Cole threw a great pass to wide receiver Arsiah McCorker for a gain of 43 yards. Unfortunately, just two plays later his pass was intercepted. The Gladiators responded with a touchdown, capitalizing off the Wranglers' miscue.

Northern Arizona chased the Duke City lead for the remainder of the game, and could not catch up. Sterling-Cole continued to improve during the game's second half, throwing four total touchdown passes. Wide receiver John Maldonado also caught four total touchdowns in the Wranglers' final game of the season, giving him a total of 24 for the season. Despite these improvements down the stretch of the game, it was not enough to get the victory. The Wranglers ultimately lost by 21 and ended their season with a 9-7 record.

The Wranglers did not qualify for the IFL postseason for the first time in three seasons under Head Coach Les Moss. The IFL's Western Conference was extremely tough this season, and the Wranglers fell short in one too many of those Western Conference games. Most notably, the Wranglers dropped two games to both the San Diego Strike Force and the Arizona Rattlers.

Northern Arizona faced a heap of adversity and heavy emotions during the 2024 season. The tragic passing of defensive coordinator David Moran was the most heartbreaking experience the Wranglers have endured since the organization's inception. The Wranglers truly put their all on the field this season and missed the playoffs despite a winning season. Coach Moss believes this was one of the best teams he's coached to miss the playoffs. In the IFL, there is always a lot of roster turnover from season to season. The Wranglers will hope to bring back a core group of talented players from this group.

The final eight teams in the Playoffs will be competing for the 2024 IFL National Championship title. The Bay Area Panthers, Vegas Knight Hawks, Arizona Rattlers, and San Diego Strike Force will compete in the Western Conference. In the East, it's the Green Bay Blizzard, Frisco Fighters, Massachusetts Pirates, and Quad City Steamwheelers.

The Wranglers look forward to 2025 and carry a ton of optimism for making a return to the playoffs next season.

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