Rattlers Invade San Diego Looking for Season Sweep

By Nickolas Montei ꟾ Rattlers Media

Fresh off clinching their 17th straight postseason appearance under Head Coach Kevin Guy, the Arizona Rattlers will travel five hours west for their second meeting with the San Diego Strike Force, who currently sit atop the IFL Western Conference at 10-2. 

Kickoff Monday at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif., was originally scheduled for 6 p.m. MST, but was pushed back to 7 p.m. to accommodate Team USA's Round of 16 World Cup match against Belgium which will begin at 5 p.m. The Strike Force are 12-1 at the venue since moving there for the 2025 season.

The Rattlers handed the Strike Force one of their two losses in the season opener back in May, 49-27, a game that saw reigning IFL MVP quarterback Max Meylor record 249 total yards and five scores on the way to being named IFL Player of the Week.

Meylor was reintroduced to the starting role last week against the New Mexico Cupacabras after Drew Powell started the previous six games. He took advantage of the opportunity, punching the ball into the end zone six times, four through the air and two on the ground, leading Arizona to a 60-23 victory. 

The defense also shined as it picked off New Mexico quarterback Donovan Porterie three times. Two of those interceptions came from Yahsyn McKee Sr., his third multi-interception game of the season. The Rattlers lead the league with 24 interceptions.

New Mexico only got the ball into the end zone on offense twice. Its other TD came on a fumble recovery in the end zone. They were held to just three points in the first half and under 100 yards of total offense for the game.

Shortly after the Rattlers sealed their eighth win of the season, the Vegas Knight Hawks' game-winning Hail Mary pass to defeat the San Antonio Gunslingers punched Arizona's postseason ticket. 

With his team sitting at 8-5 and in third place in the Western Conference behind San Diego and Vegas, Guy acknowledged that, to an extent, the regular season doesn't matter as long as you make the playoffs. He said facing adversity, as the Rattlers have throughout the season, can be a benefit.

"In 2024 when we made it, we were the three-seed," Guy said. "Every year that we've won the championship in my era, we've never been the No. 1 seed. We've always been the two, three or four.

"I think you've got to have some adversity during the season to be able to handle adversity in the playoffs."

San Diego is coming off a 62-55 victory over the Jacksonville Sharks, who are currently sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference. The Strike Force is on a six-game winning streak. Their only loss, besides the one to the Rattlers, came to the Tulsa Oilers on May 2.  

The offense relies heavily on quarterback Nate Davis, who currently leads the IFL with 2,300 yards passing and 47 touchdowns. He also leads the league in pass attempts and passing yards per game. 

Davis does well at distributing the ball evenly. Five receivers have at least 25 receptions. Three of those have more than 40.