GLENDALE, AZ — The Arizona Rattlers, defending Indoor Football League (IFL) champions, suffered a gut-wrenching 49-48 loss to the San Diego Strike Force in a first-round playoff thriller last night at Desert Diamond Arena. But rather than accept defeat, head coach Kevin Guy is pointing fingers at the officials, claiming a missed call on the game’s final play cost his team a shot at advancing.
The game, a rematch of a split regular-season series between the two 10-6 teams, came down to the wire. With 38 seconds left, Rattlers quarterback Dalton Sneed connected with Isaiah Huston for a touchdown, giving Arizona a 48-42 lead. But the Strike Force responded with a lightning-fast drive, culminating in a three-yard touchdown pass from Nate Davis to Arthur Jackson III as time expired.
A flag thrown during the play was picked up after a 15-minute review, sealing San Diego’s 49-48 victory and sparking outrage from the Rattlers’ sideline. Coach Guy wasted no time filing a formal protest with the IFL, arguing that the Strike Force’s offense was not set before the snap, with multiple players in motion.
“It should’ve been a penalty for three guys in motion and a 10-second runoff,” Guy said in a heated postgame press conference. “That ends the game, and we’re moving on.” He took to X, posting a video of the play and calling the officiating a “cluster (expletive),” while lamenting, “It just seems like we always get screwed at home at the end.”
He also threatened to fire the clock operator and replay director during his rant.
Warning: The video below contains profanity.
Absolutely legendary tirade delivered by Arizona Rattlers head coach Kevin Guy tonight in Glendale...
— Nick King (@NickKingSports) August 5, 2025
After his team, the defending IFL champs, saw their season end on a chaotic last second touchdown that was reviewed for what felt like about 10 minutes. https://t.co/lGx9TqPHSE pic.twitter.com/iFi3n5cbbm
