The Arizona Rattlers are following a path similar to two years ago, when they won the Indoor Football League championship.
Like in 2024, they entered this year's playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference after finishing the regular season 11-5. They then posted wins against the No. 2 team (Vegas Knight Hawks) and No. 1 (San Diego Strike Force) to advance to the title game.
Arizona can close the deal on Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Tucson Arena at the Tucson Convention Center for a third IFL championship. They will face the Eastern Conference champion Green Bay Blizzard, which needed overtime to put away the Tulsa Oilers, 67-60, to advance.
Franchise history
The Rattlers, who began playing in 1992, can capture their eighth overall title as an organization.
They won five Arena Football League championships, the last three under coach Kevin Guy, who can win his sixth title leading the Rattlers on Sunday. The Rattlers won the championship in the first year they entered the IFL in 2017. They've made the playoffs in all 17 years that Guy has been the coach. This is the Rattlers' 10th championship appearance under Guy. They won the first two AFL championships under Danny White in 1994 and '97, the latter against the Kurt Warner-led Iowa Barnstormers.
Key storylines
- This is Rattlers' quarterback Max Meylor's second straight year playing in the IFL national championship game. Last year, while leading the Blizzard, he got stuffed at the 1-yard line on the last play of the game as the Knight Hawks escaped with a 64-61 win. Meylor, the league MVP last year, is one of three former Green Bay players with the Rattlers. Offensive lineman Jake Parks and running back Kymani Clarke played for the Blizzard last year.
- Rattlers rookie Yahsyn McKee Sr. has been sweeping the league's top defensive player awards. He was on the All-Rookie team, was named first-team All-IFL, and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was also named the Defensive Player of the Year. McKee came up with his league-leading 12th interception on the season in Arizona's 43-37 Western Conference championship win over the Strike Force.
- Rattlers running back Ron Brown Jr., who took back a kickoff for a touchdown last weekend, has been part of a great backfield combo with Clarke. Brown has 19 total touchdowns, 12 rushing. Clarke has 21 TDs, 16 rushing. They've combined for 40 touchdowns and 622 rushing yards.
- Receiver Corey Reed Jr. and defensive backs Jarmaine Doubs and Davontae Merriweather are the only players on this year’s roster who were on the Rattlers' 2024 championship team. Dillion Winfrey, a defensive back on that team, is now the DBs coach of the Rattlers.
About the Blizzard
Top-seeded Green Bay (15-3) needed a field goal as time expired in regulation to force overtime against the Tulsa Oilers in the Eastern Conference championship game. Quarterback Liam Thompson had 293 total yards in the game and hit Isaac Ross in overtime for the game-winner. It was his seventh touchdown pass in the game. The Blizzard are seeking their first national championship. Offensive coordinator Matt Behrendt was a quarterback on the first Tucson Sugar Skulls team in 2019, so he is familiar with Tucson Arena.
Attendance
The Rattlers led the IFL in attendance. Here is the breakdown for their eight home games at Desert Diamond Arena:
- March 28, vs. San Diego, 8,727
- April 12 vs. San Antonio, 7,716
- April 25 vs. Tulsa, 7,484
- May 10 vs. Tucson, 8,004
- May 30 vs. Northern Arizona, 9,019
- June 14 vs. Fishers, 8,465
- June 27 vs. New Mexico, 9,602
- July 11 vs. Tucson, 12,403
How to watch
The championship game will be livestreamed free, starting at 4:30 p.m. MST, on Yahoo! Sports. It also will be on the Amazon Prime streaming app.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Rattlers face Green Bay Blizzard for IFL championship
