Bay Area Ends Wranglers Season 68-46 – Ron Williams

Photo: 13 Nick Watson closed out the season as the starting quarterback for the Wranglers

The Bay Area Panthers used a potent rushing attack on their home turf to end the repeat hopes of the Northern Arizona Wranglers 68-46, in the Western Conference Championship Game, on Saturday night in San Jose.

The Wranglers began the game on offense, scoring on their opening possession. Quarterback Nick Watson connected with wide receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman for the game’s first touchdown. The drop-kick attempt failed, but the Wranglers jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. The Panthers would respond with a Justin Rankin’s first of six rushing touchdowns, to take the lead 7-6. The Wranglers closed the opening quarter with a touchdown pass from Watson to Jarrod Ware Jr. Northern Arizona led Bay Area by a score of 12-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The Panthers opened the second quarter with back to back touchdowns to take the lead that they would keep. The Wranglers offense couldn’t generate points on their ensuing possession, and the Panthers scored the second time on a Dalton Sneed pass to JT Stokes for a 20-12 lead.

The Wranglers pulled within two points on a great pass from Watson to wide receiver Ryan Wisniewski. Wisniewski went high making the catch over a Panthers defender, as he walked in for the score. The NAZ defense was unable to stop the Panthers in the final nine seconds of the half, giving up a big play 39 yard touchdown pass from Sneed to Nih-jer Jackson. Bay Are led at the half 26-18.

The Panthers extended their lead with a quarterback keeper by Sneed for a touchdown to open the second half for a 33-18 lead. The Wranglers responded with another touchdown from Chiaokhiao-Bowman as the receiver took the handoff for the score. The Panthers and Wranglers traded touchdowns again on the next two drives. Rankin rushed in from three yards out, and Watson ran it in from nine yards out. The Wranglers were still in the game after three quarters, trailing 40-32, but Bay Area had the ball.

The Panthers scored a touchdown when Sneed hit Stokes to extend their lead to 47-32, and when the Wranglers offense turned the ball over on downs on the following possession, things continued to go south. NAZ had no answer for Rankin, who scored again on his fifth touchdown run with just over 10 minutes remaining. The teams traded touchdowns on each of their next two drives. The Wranglers defense could not come up with a stop to give them an opportunity they needed.

The Wranglers outgained the Panthers 229-221 in total yards, and neither team committed a turnover in a much cleaner game than last week. Northern Arizona lowered their penalties from 19 last week to seven. The key this week was that the Wranglers defense could not come up with the big plays like a week ago. Credit the Bay Area offensive line, who did not even allow a sack.

Watson finished 12-22-0 127 yards and 3 touchdowns. On the ground it was Jarrod Ware Jr. with 63 yards on nine carries to lead the team. Watson had 32 yards in nine carries. Ryan Wisniewski led the receivers with four catches for 39 yards, and a TD, RCB pulled in three for 51 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Kerry Starks had nine tackles. Dontr Mathews and Travion Banks, and Tramond Lofton each had seven. Bay Area was led by the one two punch of Justin Rankin and Dalton Sneed, The two combined for 136 yards rushing, with seven touchdowns. Sneed only threw the ball only seven times, completing four, three for touchdowns.

After a (5-2) start, Northern Arizona fell on hard times, losing five of six, and winning only three of their final ten games. The highlight coming last week with a playoff road win over the Arizona Rattlers. The Wranglers end their season at (8-9).

The Bay Area Panthers and Sioux Falls Storm, will play in the IFL Championship game next Saturday. The Storm rallied from a 17 point halftime deficit to beat the Frisco Fighters, the team with the best record, in Frisco. Six former Wranglers will play in the championship game again, along with former defensive coordinator Rob Keefe. Linebacker Darin Hungerford, along with three defensive backs, Marquise Bridges, William Atkins, Trae Meadows, wide receiver Imeek Watkins, and kicker Craig Peterson.

BAY AREA PANTHERS 68, NORTHERN ARIZONA WRANGLERS 46

Score by Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T

Northern Arizona 12 6 14 14 – 46

Bay Area 7 19 14 28 – 68

Scoring Summary

NAZ-Chiaokhiao-Bowman 24 yard pass from Watson (Drop-kick failed)

BA-Rankin 9 yard run (Peterson kick)

NAZ-Ware Jr. 16 yard pass from Watson (Drop-kick failed)

BA-Rankin 3 yard run (Peterson kick)

BA-Stokes 8 yard pass from Sneed (Kick failed)

NAZ- Wisniewski 23 yard pass from Watson (Drop-kick failed)

BA-Jackson 39 yard pass from Sneed (Kick failed)