By Matt Loeschman

Independent Newsmedia

PHOENIX — Hosting the Indoor Football League’s only winless team during a short week could spell “trap game” for most teams.

The Arizona Rattlers are not like most teams.

Coming off their biggest win of the season at Sioux Falls last Monday, the Rattlers continued that momentum by freezing out the Green Bay Blizzard 65-33 on Saturday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

“It was an overall great team effort,” Rattlers Head Coach Kevin Guy said after Arizona’s fifth consecutive victory. “We are trying to get everyone involved and it seems like everyone is contributing. We had some guys step up and make some plays tonight — we are just trying to get better every week.”

The victory kept the Rattlers at the top of the IFL standings with a 6-1 record. Green Bay, who had their previous contest against Cedar Rapids postponed due to inclement weather in Wisconsin, fell to 0-6. Sioux Falls, who the Rattlers swept in their two-game series this season, defeated Cedar Rapids on Saturday and are one game behind at 5-2 overall.

“It’s never easy to win,” Guy said. “And we want to dominate. We want to impose our will on the other team and when the game is over, we want them saying they don’t want to play us again.”

Green Bay won the coin toss, deferred and Arizona immediately made them pay. Rattlers quarterback Jeff Ziemba found Jamal Miles on a 14-yard touchdown pass less than four minutes into the game. Sawyer Petre shanked the point after and Arizona led 6-0 at the 11:19 mark of the first quarter.

The Blizzard quickly tied the game as quarterback Bryan Hicks tossed a perfect looping 23-yard touchdown pass to Jereme Jones just about a minute later. Jordan Endries duplicated what Petre did earlier and could not connect on the extra point and the game remained tied at 6-6.

Miles, a Peoria High School and Arizona State University alum, then showed his blazing speed on the ground. On first down, he darted inside the Blizzard 5, setting up a one-yard scoring run by Dylan Peebles — making his Rattlers debut — rumbling outside to the left for the touchdown. This time Petre’s kick was true, making it 13-6 Rattlers midway through the first quarter.

Green Bay quarterback Bryan Hicks, left, feels the pressure from Arizona linebacker Ryan Langford (45) in the Rattlers’ 65-33 victory on Saturday night. [Matt Hinshaw/Arizona Rattlers][/caption]Arizona’s defense then got their first stop of the night against the IFL’s worst-ranked offense. Facing a fourth down near midfield, Endries’ long field goal attempt flew into the crowd left of the uprights.It didn’t take long for Ziemba to give the home team a two-score lead. The signal caller executed a gorgeous fake pitch to running back Darrell Monroe that froze the entire Blizzard defense. Wideout Anthony Amos flashed across the middle of the field wide open and Ziemba’s bullet pass was easily corralled for a 7-yard TD. A successful PAT made it 20-6 Rattlers.

After one quarter, the Rattlers were nearly halfway to their per-game scoring average of 44.7 points per game that ranks second in the six-team IFL.

As the second stanza started, the Blizzard special teams got them right back within one score. Petre’s kickoff was fielded at the goal line by B.J. Hill who hit the seam up the middle of the field and took it all the way to the house for a 50-yard TD. Endries nailed the PAT to bring Green Bay within 20-13.

The next Rattlers drive stalled but Petre came up big, nailing a 36-yard field goal to extend the lead to 23-13 with 10:31 to go before halftime.

The Blizzard, saddled with the worst scoring offense in the league, looked to creep closer but on 4th and long they attempted a running play that came up a couple yards short. In a league where stops are critical, Arizona had its second of the game.

Ziemba then found Dezmon Epps down the right sideline for a 36-yard gain inside the Green Bay 10 yard line. On fourth and goal, Miles broke free on the left side and hauled in a four-yard touchdown strike from Ziemba. Petre added the point after and the Rattlers took a 30-13 lead at the one-minute warning.

The Rattlers’ defense, underrated at fourth overall in the IFL, notched their third stop of the game and looked to take control for good. Another missed field goal attempt by Endries gave the Snakes a chance to go up four scores at the half. The Arizona offense methodically worked the final 30 seconds of the half off the clock but Ziemba was intercepted at the goal line by Akim Francis as the halftime horn sounded. Despite the turnover, the Rattlers still held a commanding 30-13 advantage at the break.

“Green Bay changed coaches and quarterbacks during the bye week,” Guy explained. “We didn’t really know what they were going to show us tonight but I think we responded very well.”

Arizona looked to put the Blizzard on ice as the second half got underway. Following a 10-yard rushing score by Green Bay, the Rattlers put the game in the deep freeze.

Monroe, coming off a four-score performance a week ago at Sioux Falls, took the ball to the left boards and managed to maintain his balance all the way down the sidelines for a 37-yard TD. Blizzard Interim Head Coach Corey Roberson challenged the play, claiming Monroe’s shoulder grazed the sideboards. Referee Larry Farina emerged from the corner TV monitor and upheld the call on the field.

“I knew I was inbounds,” Monroe said. “The defender tried to push me out but I never touched the wall.”

Petre sailed his kick wide right but Green Bay was called for lining up outside the box. The Rattlers then got tricky on the second conversion attempt. They faked the kick and holder Jarrod Harrington knifed into the end zone for two points, making it 38-20 three minutes into the second half.

Hill coughed up the ensuing kickoff and Arizona’s Nathan Lindsey recovered. Peebles scored his second touchdown of the night, this time from 3 yards out, and Petre’s successful kick gave the Rattlers a 45-20 cushion.

The only negative of the night was the Rattlers’ kickoff coverage. They allowed another Hill kickoff return for a touchdown and Green Bay crept within 45-27. Monroe countered with a 1-run rushing score to up the lead to 52-27.

“We will get that fixed,” Guy said of the kickoff issues.

Another defensive stop, the Rattlers’ fourth of the game, took place at the goal line as a season-best crowd of 13,825 roared its approval. Verlon Reed, penciled in as the Rattlers’ starting QB at the start of the year, entered the game for his first action since the first series of the season when he was injured. He immediately showed his scrambling ability by eluding multiple Blizzard rushers and darting down the boards to the Green Bay 1. Harrington finished the job, leaping in from a yard out for another Rattlers score and the rout was on. Arizona led 59-27 with 13 minutes left.

Hicks scored on a QB sneak but Arizona put the icing on the cake with an 11-yard Peebles touchdown catch from Reed with 7 seconds left in the game.

“I love to catch the ball out of the backfield,” a smiling Peebles said after the game.

The first meeting between the teams this season saw the Rattlers win a tight 37-31 game in Week 4 at home. Saturday’s game was a much different story. The Rattlers set a new season high for points in one game.

“We still want to get better as a football team,” Guy said. “It’s about us — not what other teams do. If our mindset and execution is right, we will continue to improve.”

Peebles led the way with three scores — two rushing and one receiving. Monroe ran for 94 yards and two TDs. Miles caught 9 passes for 68 yards and two scores.

Ziemba was efficient, going 10-for-17 for 101 yards, 3 TDs with 1 interception. Arizona ran 20 more plays than Green Bay (57-37) and the Rattlers were 7-for-7 scoring in the red zone.

“We are playing with a lot of confidence,” Monroe said. “We are communicating well and performing at a high level.”

Arizona hosts Cedar Rapids (1-6) next Saturday night at the Snake Pit with an opportunity to win their 300th game in franchise history. The Rattlers beat the Titans 54-19 back in Week 6. The game will kick off at 6:05 p.m.