Rattlers QB Dalton Sneed (11) prepares to throw downfield in Arizona's 55-35 win over the Jacksonville Sharks on Sunday at Desert Diamond Arena. (Arizona Rattlers/Matt Hinshaw)
Arizona's Jamal Miles nearly flips over the end zone wall after catching a TD in Sunday's 55-35 win over Jacksonville. (Arizona Rattlers/Matt Hinshaw)
Rattlers running back Shannon Brooks (3) rushes for yardage on Sunday against the Jacksonville Sharks. Brooks tallied three rushing TDs in the Rattlers' 55-35 victory. (Arizona Rattlers/Matt Hinshaw)
GLENDALE — With their starting signal caller finally back on the field, the Arizona Rattlers have officially begun their push back into playoff contention.
Rattlers quarterback Dalton Sneed returned from a monthlong injury on Sunday afternoon, scoring four total touchdowns to spearhead the Rattlers’ 55-35 victory over the Jacksonville Sharks at Desert Diamond Arena.
“I was excited to be back out there. I just love to play football,” said Sneed, a former Horizon High School standout who scored twice on the ground and added two more TDs through the air. “Those four weeks waiting to play were tough and it’s been a while since I’ve been in the end zone so that felt great.”
Rattlers Head Coach Kevin Guy was pleased to have his “QB1” back under center.
“Dalton made some big plays today,” Guy said. “He used his feet and his arm effectively. We will build on that performance.”
The win marked the Rattlers’ first victory in Glendale since June 29, 2019, an IFL semifinal playoff win over the Nebraska Danger. Arizona moved west this season following three decades in downtown Phoenix but Footprint Center was unavailable for use back in 2019 due to renovations to the venue.
Arizona has now won two straight after previously losing three in a row. After Bay Area held off a wild San Diego comeback 33-32 Sunday, the Rattlers are a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with the majority of the season still left to play.
“I like how we finished the game today,” Guy added. “We are going into a bye week and that’s the way you want to do that.”
As has been the case in most games at their new home in Glendale, the Rattlers started slowly as the Sharks D put up a stop on the Snakes’ first possession of the game. On fourth and 6, Sneed was under heavy pressure and was nearly sacked before having his pass batted away.
The Sharks responded with a quick TD drive as quarterback Fred Payton Jr. found receiver Kamrin Solomon with a 5-yard scoring pass. Frankie Onate added the PAT to make it 7-0.
Again, Arizona (3-3) stalled across midfield and the Rattlers had to settle for a 35-yard field goal from Dawson Evitts to cut the deficit to 7-3 with three minutes left in the first.
Evitts doubled down with a deuce on the ensuing kickoff to get the Rattlers within 7-5. The momentum continued with the Arizona D tightening up and forcing a fourth-down incompletion on the ensuing Sharks possession.
Arizona’s Shannon Brooks cashed in with a 1-yard run a couple plays later and after the PAT, the Rattlers took a 12-7 lead at the 13-minute mark of the second quarter.
Jacksonville (0-5) converted a key 4th and 6 on their next possession and later Payton Jr. found Jeremiah Payton with a 2 yard TD pass. Onate’s PAT gave Jacksonville a 14-12 lead with 6 minutes until halftime.
The back-and-forth continued with Sneed unleashing a laser beam pass to Jamal Miles for a 16-yard scoring strike. Evitts PAT put Arizona up 19-14.
“I just had to slow down and take what the defense was giving me,” Sneed explained.
Neither team could gain momentum — Jacksonville went back up when running back Boom Williams exploded into the end zone from 17 yards out.
With the Sharks getting the ball first in the second half, it was imperative Arizona scored last in the first half. They took it down to the final moment but Brooks darted into the end zone from a yard out on fourth down with :00 left on the clock. The Sharks challenged a potential penalty but the score was quickly upheld. Evitts’ PAT gave the Rattlers a 26-21 halftime lead.
“We are nowhere where we need to be but we took a positive step tonight,” Guy said.
Arizona got hit with a haymaker on the opening kick of the second half as Jacksonville’s DJ Stubbs returned it all the way 54 yards for a score. The Sharks went up 28-26 after the successful PAT.
Sneed then responded with his best clutch throw of the game, finding Miles on fourth down with a 25-yard strike to the corner of the end zone. Miles made a move to get wide open and Sneed looped a pass to the former ASU and Peoria High School standout.
Miles caught the ball and crashed into the boards, nearly flipping over but making sure to secure the rock as the crowd of 9,178 in the Snake Pit roared their approval.
“I just wanted to hold on to that football,” Miles joked.
The PAT was blocked but Arizona still led 32-28 early in the third. The teams traded turnovers before Onate missed a 40-yard field goal as the quarter ended. Sneed scored on a 9-yard scramble that was offset by a Williams 5-yard TD rush. Arizona lead 39-35 with six minutes left.
A deuce attempt by Onate was way off and Brooks responded with a 4-yard scoring rush to give the Rattlers a 46-35 lead at the 3-minute mark.
“I’m coming to work every day and I love to compete,” Brooks said. “I’ve been locked in mentally and it is showing on the field.”
Arizona’s momentum continued when the Sharks were flagged in their own end zone a minute later. The safety made it 48-35 and Sneed later put the icing on the cake with a 1-yard run with 33.7 seconds left.
Along with Sneed’s performance, Brooks added three rushing touchdowns while Miles caught two of his own. Williams and Payton Jr. had two scores each for winless Jacksonville, who moved into the IFL this season after previous stints in the Arena Football League and the National Arena League.
The Rattlers have a bye next weekend and return to the field on Saturday, May 11 for a 6:05 p.m. kickoff at Tucson. That game can be viewed live on the Indoor Football League’s YouTube channel.
Arizona is expected to welcome back All-IFL defensive back Dillion Winfrey from injury when the team heads down I-10 to face the Sugar Skulls.
“We are getting healthier day by day,” Guy said. “We want to continue this momentum after the off week.”
I have edited and written about almost everything in my 20-year journalism career, but I have a strong passion for sports since my father was a teacher and coach when I was young.
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