GLENDALE, AZ - In a wild back-and-forth contest, the San Diego Strike Force survived a late push from the Arizona Rattlers to earn a 55-45 road victory on Sunday afternoon at the Desert Diamond Arena.
The game featured seven lead changes as the two high-powered offenses traded blows throughout the afternoon. The Strike Force ultimately made the necessary plays down the stretch to pull out the 10-point win and improve to 3-0 on the season.
The Rattlers struck first, getting a 31-yard field goal from Dawson Evitts to take an early 3-0 lead. But the Strike Force quickly responded, with quarterback Nate Davis finding Jordan Kress for a 5-yard touchdown pass to make it 6-3.
Arizona retook the lead in the second quarter on a 2-yard rushing score by Carl Odom, but San Diego answered right back. San Diego State alum Chance Bell ripped off a 32-yard touchdown run to put the Strike Force up 13-10. They extended the advantage to 22-13 by the half with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Rudy Johnson to Arthur Jackson III.
The high-scoring affair continued in the second half, with the teams trading touchdowns. Bell added two more rushing scores for San Diego, while Lorenzo Brown threw three touchdown passes for the Rattlers to keep the game close.
But the Strike Force made the necessary plays down the stretch, with Justic'e King's 51-yard interception return touchdown in the fourth quarter helping seal the victory.
With the win, the Strike Force established themselves as an early contender in the league. Meanwhile, the Rattlers drop to 1-3 as they search for answers after another close defeat.
The two teams will meet again on June 8th, with the Rattlers looking to get revenge in San Diego. But after this thriller, the rematch will surely be another must-see matchup between two high-powered offenses.
