By Matt Loeschman

Independent Newsmedia

PHOENIX — “300.”

It’s a great action movie, it’s bowling perfection and it’s now the total number of franchise victories in the 26-year history of the Arizona Rattlers.

Darrell Monroe set a league and team record with an unfathomable 11 rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner with two seconds left, as the Rattlers beat the Cedar Rapids Titans 84-83 in one of the most thrilling contests in indoor football history Saturday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

“We stayed patient and did an excellent job at the end of the game,” Rattlers Head Coach Kevin Guy said. “We showed some fight. And who says the IFL isn’t a high-scoring league?”

Despite having their worst defensive game in 439 all-time contests, the Rattlers dug deep and still found a way to win. The previous record for points scored in a game against Arizona was 81 by Grand Rapids back in 2003.

“We didn’t cover well, we weren’t stopping the run, we just weren’t ourselves on defense,” Guy said. “We have to go back to the drawing board.”

Getting the historic milestone was anything but easy — and the 300th win might have been the most exciting in Rattlers history. Seeking a stop they hadn’t been able to get all night, the Rattlers defense finally got it with about a minute to go in the game. On fourth down, Rattlers DB Arkeith Brown broke up a Jake Medlock pass in the end zone to give the football back to Arizona who trailed 83-78. It was Medlock’s only incompletion of the game.

“Arkeith (Brown) had a good matchup there and made a big play,” Guy said.

The Rattlers then looked to cap an incredible comeback — they trailed by 18 earlier in the fourth quarter. Monroe was the workhorse, going into full beast mode and plowing into the promised land on fourth down from a yard out behind a Lamar Mady block with 2 seconds left in the game.

“I just wanted to get in,” said Monroe, who led the Rattlers to an incredible 56 second-half points. “All credit to the offensive line — they blocked well and made it easy for me all night.”

Arizona’s first lead all game occurred with two ticks left on the clock. And following a successful stop on the ensuing kickoff, the Rattlers players, owners, coaches and management celebrated win #300, the most for any team in indoor football history.

Earlier, Monroe scored one minute into the second half. Sawyer Petre added the extra point to cut the Cedar Rapids lead to 45-35. But the Rattlers’ defense, rock solid all season, broke down again. Javon Bell scored and the PAT made it 52-35.

Monroe continued to dominate like a bull in a china shop, racing in for a two-yard score with Petre making the point after. Trailing 52-42, the Rattlers needed to grab momentum on the defensive side of the ball.Instead, Arizona executed a second successful onside kick with Brown recovering for the second time.

Monroe added to the momentum with his sixth rushing score of the night, this time from 2 yards out. Petre connected to cut the CR lead to 52-49 but again the defense could not get the stop it needed.

Raphael Lawson-Gayle rushed up the middle for a short TD and again Cedar Rapids led by two scores at 59-49.

Monroe then couldn’t handle a screen pass from quarterback Jeff Ziemba. As the ball tipped off Monroe’s hands, Titans DB Raheem Bramwell made a diving interception. Marquel Wade followed with another score late in the third.

The unstoppable Monroe followed with his seventh rushing TD to get the Rattlers within 66-56. Another onside kick failed as Jordan Smith returned the kick for a Cedar Rapids TD. The PAT was blocked but somehow recovered and run in for a two-point conversion and the Titans led 74-56.

Monroe’s 8th score, a new IFL and Rattlers record for rushing TDs in a single game, and a Petre kick made it 74-64.

Another onside attempt was unsuccessful but Cedar Rapids had to settle for a Zeke Arevalo 22-yard field goal to extend the lead to 77-64 with 7:09 left in the game.

Number nine for Monroe got Arizona within 77-71 at the 5:15 mark of the fourth quarter but Wade countered with a 34-yard TD catch. Arevalo missed the PAT.

Dezmon Epps (263 return yards, 1 TD) returned the kick inside the Titans 10 and Monroe notched his 10th score at the 3:26 mark as the Rattlers crept within 83-78, setting the stage for Brown’s fourth-down pass breakup on the Titans’ next series.

Lawson-Gayle took a handoff to start the game, broke one tackle and sprinted outside for a 44-yard touchdown. Arevalo kicked the point after to give Cedar Rapids a 7-0 lead one minute into the game. Epps personally took offense, returning the ensuing kickoff 51 yards for a Rattlers score. Petre connected on the extra point to tie the game at 7-7.

Medlock found Connor Hollenbeck for a 1-yard TD pass and the kick made it 14-7 Titans.

The Rattlers seemed intent to tie things up, but Epps dropped a fourth-down pass from Ziemba and the ball was turned over back to Cedar Rapids.

Wade snagged a circus catch inside the Rattlers 10 and Arevalo chipped in a 17-yard field goal three plays later to extend the Titans’ lead to 17-7 after one quarter.

The home team got within three a minute later as Monroe flew over the pile from a yard out. Petre connected to cut the deficit to 17-14.

Arizona’s defense, top-ranked in the IFL in terms of points allowed per game, continued to struggle as Medlock hit Wade for a 39-yard touchdown on the first play after the kickoff. Arevalo was good again and Cedar Rapids led 24-14 with 12:24 before halftime.

Monroe bulled in from 6 yards out as the teams continued to trade scores.

Petre executed a perfect onside squib kick and Brown scooped it up for a Rattlers recovery. It was all for naught, however, as Monroe fumbled at the Titans goal line after receiving a screen pass from Ziemba. Daniel Lindsey recovered for the Titans.

Lawson-Gayle broke off a huge run to the Rattlers 2 and Wade darted into the end zone on the next play. Arevalo’s kick extended the lead to 31-21.

Monroe then took an option pitch 3 yards for his third rushing TD of the first half. Petre connected on the PAT to cut the lead to 31-28 at the :56 mark before halftime.

Medlock countered by finding Bell on a 6-yard TD pass with :25 left. After the PAT, Cedar Rapids was back up by 10.

Disaster struck for the Rattlers on the next series. Looking to score last in the half, Ziemba instead was sacked and fumbled the football. James Calhoun scooped up the loose ball and pranced into the end zone untouched for a defensive TD. Cedar Rapids led 45-28 as the Snake Pit crowd sat in stunned silence.

Petre shanked a 28-yard field goal attempt wide left at the horn and Guy left the field extremely unhappy with his team’s first-half performance. A defense that normally allows 34.7 points per game saw the Titans put 45 on the scoreboard by halftime.

Monroe’s final stat line was eye popping — he rushed 29 times for 140 yards and 11 TDs. He now has 21 rushing scores this season. Even more impressively, Monroe led Arizona with 7 catches for 65 receiving yards.

Ziemba didn’t throw a TD all night but had the tipped ball picked off. He was accurate, though, completing 19 of 25 throws. The Titans’ Medlock was 12 for 13 for 210 yards and 6 passing TDs.

It will take some time to tally up all the records set in Saturday night’s game. There was so much scoring that the final stat sheet didn’t have room for the entire scoring summary.

Epps said the crowd of 16,742, the largest Rattlers home crowd in more than a decade, played a crucial part in the comeback. Many fans appeared mentally exhausted following the epic comeback. Arizona has now won 11 consecutive home games.

“We fed off them. Having that ninth man makes a big difference,” Epps said. “Playing in the Snake Pit gives us the upper hand every time.”

Arizona now has an all-time record of 300-139 (.683) since the Rattlers’ inception in 1992. The win was the sixth straight for the Rattlers (7-1) since a loss at Iowa in Week 3. Cedar Rapids, winless against Arizona in four all-time tries, fell to 1-7. After scoring just 19 points during their last trip to the desert, the Titans put up 83 but still lost.

The victory also kept the Rattlers on top of the Indoor Football League standings. They hold a one-game cushion over the 6-2 Sioux Falls Storm — both Storm losses this season came against Arizona.

“Getting to 300 wins is special,” Guy said. “And what a game it was to get number 300.”

The Rattlers will travel to Cedar Rapids to take on the Titans on Saturday, May 5. Kickoff is set for 5:05 p.m. and the game can be seen live on YouTube.