By Matt Loeschman
Twitter: @MattLoeschman

PHOENIX — Arizona Rattlers Head Coach Kevin Guy constantly preaches the importance of having two solid quarterbacks on the roster.

Never was that more evident than Sunday afternoon against Sioux Falls.

Replacing injured starter Verlon Reed Jr., Rattlers quarterback Jeff Ziemba scored three touchdowns and got big contributions from his opportunistic defense en route to a 58-40 win over the Sioux Falls Storm at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

“I’m proud of the guys but it’s still early in the year with a long way to go,” Guy said after the win that marked the 200th coaching victory of his indoor coaching career. “We are still dealing with a lot of injuries so we need to regroup as we go forward.”

It was Sioux Falls who ended the Rattlers’ 2018 season in heartbreaking fashion in the IFL semifinals last year. The Rattlers were determined to get a small measure of revenge on Sunday.

The first half began with the Rattlers moving quickly down the field. Just two minutes in, Reed found Jarrod Harrington on a beautiful 9-yard touchdown play. Reed threw a laser to the right side corner and Harrington caught the ball on the defender’s back but secured it while getting a foot down in the end zone. Jimmy Camacho made the PAT to make it 7-0.

Sioux Falls' Brandon Sheperd hauls in a 38-yard TD pass on Sunday in a 58-40 loss to Arizona. [Matt Hinshaw/Arizona Rattlers][/caption]The Storm (4-1) responded quickly as Lorenzo Brown Jr. hooked up with Brandon Sheperd on a 38-yard bomb. Kicker Miles Bergner pushed the PAT wide and the Rattlers still led 7-6 just four minutes into the game.

The next drive saw Reed again lead his squad into the red zone before he suffered the injury. On a scramble, Reed made a cut to his right but it appeared to occur awkwardly and he crumpled to the turf. The dynamic QB had to be helped off the field and he appeared to be favoring his knee.

“We will see tomorrow about Verlon,” said Guy, referring to an MRI scheduled for Monday. After the game, Reed was seen walking with a knee brace.

“Jeff (Ziemba) is capable of taking us where we want to go. He did a great job last year and if Verlon is out, it will be Jeff’s show,” Guy added.

Ziemba, a close friend and roommate of Reed, said he's always ready if called upon.

“Especially at the quarterback position, you're always one snap away from going in,” Ziemba said.

Arizona’s bruising running back Jabre Lolley finished the drive with a 1-yard score. Camacho was good to make it 14-6.

Sioux Falls kept the ball for four minutes before getting closer. Calen Campbell took a pitch from Brown and ran nearly untouched for an 8-yard TD. Bergner added the PAT to bring the Storm within 14-13.

In for the injured Reed, the Rattlers’ Ziemba threw a pick at the goal line and the Storm took advantage. Campbell scored his second rushing touchdown of the half and Bergner’s PAT gave the Storm a 20-14 lead.

Ziemba made up for his miscue by scrambling in from 10 yards away with 11:55 before halftime but Camacho missed the kick and the game was tied 20-20.

Arizona’s defense got a crucial stop on the next possession. Bergner tried a 54-yard field goal but left the ball just short, allowing Dezmon Epps a sizable return. A few plays later, Jamal Miles scored on a 4-yard jet sweep — Camacho added the PAT and Arizona led 27-20 at the 5:02 mark.

The Rattler D again got stingy but this time Bergner was able to nail a 38-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 27-23.

Looking to score a touchdown on the half’s final play, the Rattlers instead had to settle for a 17-yard Camacho field goal to give Arizona a 30-23 halftime lead.

Struggling with shotgun snaps all night with a new center on their roster, the Storm got burned early in the third.

A snap rolled back to Brown and was kicked forward. The Rattlers’ Davontae Merriweather scooped up the fumble at the 12 and dashed in for the defensive score. Camacho made the PAT to give Arizona a 37-23 lead.

“Started a little slow on defense but then we stopped them on 7 out of the next 9 series,” Guy said. “Our D tightened it up and had a good game. We still need to cut down on penalties because that can get you beat.”

The two-score lead was short lived. On the following play, the Storm’s Campbell returned the kickoff 56 yards for a score. Bergner hit the PAT to make it 37-30.

Lolley fumbled on the ensuing possession and Bergner made a 38 yard field goal to cut the Rattlers lead to 37-33.

Ziemba put Arizona back up by two scores with a 2-yard TD run at the 3:38 mark of the third quarter. Camacho connected and Arizona led 44-33 after three.

The Rattlers (4-0) picked up another turnover as the fourth quarter commenced. Chris McAllister fell on the football after Brown and Campbell made a poor exchange.

“We are aware of what Brown can do,” McAllister said after the game. “We did a better job containing him today. As the game went on, we started really executing the defensive game plan pretty well.”

Guy pulled a play out of his bag of tricks to extend the lead. Inside the 10, the ball was pitched to new arrival Sheldon Augustine. Augustine, a wide receiver just signed from the Iowa Barnstormers, darted to the right side then threw to a wide-open Harrington in the back of the end zone. The PAT made it 51-33.

“I played quarterback in high school so that was a flashback for me,” Augustine said. “It was a run-pass option so if a defender comes off I can dump the ball to the receiver — that’s what happened.”

Augustine said he’s happy to be in the desert.

“Coming to Arizona is a great opportunity for me,” he said.

The teams traded interceptions on the next two series — Brown was picked by Arizona’s Bubba Chapman but the Rattlers couldn’t capitalize as Ziemba threw an interception on fourth down.

Sioux Falls’ turnover trouble continued on their next series as Brown was intercepted by the Rattlers’ Phillip Henry. This time, Arizona cashed in with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Ziemba to Miles. Camacho’s PAT gave the Rattlers a 58-33 lead and capped a 44-13 Arizona scoring run.

The Storm’s Sheperd scored a 1-yard rushing TD with 1:46 left but it was too little, too late for Sioux Falls as the announced crowd of 12,265 saluted the home team’s effort.

Ziemba was 12-for-17 for 143 yards, one TD and two INTs. He ran for two scores as well. Before leaving, Reed completed his only pass for a TD and added 32 rushing yards. Harrington had his best game as a Rattler, hauling in six passes for 75 yards and two TDs.

Merriweather had 10 solo tackles, Ricky Wyatt Jr. notched 1.5 sacks while Chapman and Henry each had one INT.

Campbell led the Storm with three total TDs. After putting up 10 total TDs last week, Brown was held to just one passing score all day by the Rattlers defense that forced four Sioux Falls turnovers.

After the game, Guy downplayed the individual accolade of winning #200.

“We have reached all these goals as an organization — coaches, players, support staff. Ownership gives me everything I need to get the job done. Everyone has been a part of it,” he said.

The Rattlers end a long homestand next Saturday against the expansion San Diego Strike Force (0-5). Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at the Snake Pit.

“You can’t underestimate anyone in this league,” Guy said. “San Diego should’ve won last week so we will be ready.”

Arizona quarterback Jeff Ziemba, right, looks downfield for a receiver Sunday afternoon against the Sioux Falls Storm. The Rattlers won 58-40 to move to 4-0 on the season. [Matt Hinshaw/Arizona Rattlers][/caption]