Fishers Freight (6-6) narrowly escaped Desert Diamond Arena with a win as they took down the Arizona Rattlers (7-4) 37-36 in one of the lowest scoring Indoor Football League games of the season.
The Freight looked like they were going to get off to a quick start when QB Felix Harper connected with his receiver on a 30-yard touchdown only for it to be called back due to an illegal block below the waist. Kicker Calum Sutherland then missed a long field goal attempt to give the ball to Arizona.
Rattlers QB Drew Powell methodically marched down the field, using an effective mix of passing and running before capping the drive with a touchdown pass to WR Arland Bruce to put Arizona ahead 7-0.
Fishers RB Dominic Roberto answered back on their next drive.
After the Rattlers failed to get anything going, the Freight took their first lead when Harper found WR Jordan Davis on a quick throw and catch. Rattlers DB Yahsyn McKee Sr. had a chance to make a touchdown saving tackle but whiffed, allowing Davis to saunter into the endzone.
Rattlers Head Coach Kevin Guy was not pleased with his team’s sloppy play.
“This team talent wise is good enough to win,” he said. “But I don’t know mentally that we’re good enough to win. We’re undisciplined.”
Sutherland then converted a deuce to give his team a 16-7 lead.
On the ensuing drive, Powell found WR Trey Odoms-Dukes with a perfect backshoulder throw for a 28-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to two at the half.
Ron Brown Jr. took the 2nd half kick from about seven yards deep in his own end zone to the house. Although the extra point was blocked, the Rattlers led 20-16.
After Fishers answered with Davis's second touchdown, the Rattlers took the lead right back with a Kymani Clarke rushing touchdown, leading 27-23 headed to the final frame.
Guy acknowledged the team's costly errors, but wasn’t ready to panic.
“I’m okay with some adversity,” he said. “But you gotta learn from it, fix it and can’t keep making the same mistakes.”
The Freight scored rather quickly to start the 4th quarter but failed to convert the extra point, leading 29-27. Because of this, the Rattlers Head Coach decided to kick a field goal on 4th and 2 from the 2-yard line.
After another meticulous drive, Harper found a wide open Josiah King for a walk-in score. There wasn't a single Rattlers defender within 10 yards of King. Fishers went for two but failed, limiting their lead to five.
Sutherland then nailed the deuce to push it to 37-30.
The Rattlers got the ball back with 4:10 on the clock and, with a little help from a pass interference penalty, scored three minutes later on a designed quarterback keeper.
Cook trotted out for the game-tying extra point, which he made. But a holding penalty moved the kick back 10 yards and the retry went wide right.
Cook's deuce try was also no good, leaving the Rattlers trailing 37-36 with 46 seconds left.
However, Arizona’s defense clamped down and got a huge stop, forcing the Freight to attempt a long field goal, which Sutherland missed. The drive only lasted 11 seconds.
To start the game’s final drive, Powell found Bruce for a big 26-yard play, which set them up in great position to win the game.
Later, down by the goal line, Powell ran right and got in the endzone for what he thought was the game-winning touchdown, only for yet another holding penalty to push the offense back.
Cook was then called upon to win the game, but he missed the go-ahead 26-yard field goal attempt.
“Our field goal and extra point operation was terrible the whole night,” Guy said. “Obviously, special teams is one third of the game and you got to play that, too. We work on it more than anybody and Matt had a bad night.”
As a team, the Rattlers committed eight penalties for 55 yards.
The Rattlers next play at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 20, in Tucson against the Sugar Skulls (5-6). The game will be streamed live on Overnght.
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