Photo: 7 Arsiah McCorker gets past Rattler’s kicker Dawson Evitt on his way to his first of his two second quarter kickoff returns for touchdowns
The Arizona Rattlers made the trip up north and are going back to Phoenix with a 51-40 win over the Northern Arizona Wranglers in the season opener for both squads.
A lot of new faces this year for the Wranglers as only four players return from last season. Fans quickly got to know one of those “newbies” as Arsiah McCorker, who scored three touchdowns, two on consecutive kickoff returns in the second quarter to electrify the crowd.
The Wranglers scored first on a four yard run by quarterback Joshua Jones. The extra point went wide right for a 6-0 lead. The next time the Wranglers had the ball it was deep in their own territory and Jones was buried in the end zone by Harold Love and former Wrangler Theo Majette.
Photo: 23 Kevin Hyde gets to Glen Gibbons Jr. after the reception
Another former Wrangler Glen Gibbons Jr. caught his first touchdown pass of the season from newly acquired Dalton Sneed for a 9-7 Arizona lead. McCorker got to work and would take the kickoff to the house and it was NAZ up 13-9. Sneed would throw his second TD pass to Jamal Miles and Shannon Brooks would run in another for a 23-13 Rattler lead. Then McCorker worked his magic once again taking his second TD to the house trimming the deficit to 23-20. Brook would rush in another touchdown to make the score 30-20.
Northern Arizona had the ball with under a minute in the half and worked the clock down to 15 seconds when they had to settle for an Axel Perez 33 yard field goal. A huge play by the Rattlers came when Sneed hit Miles on a 25 yard scoring strike on the first play to close out the half with the Rattlers up 37-23.
Photo: 54 Tramond Lofton putting pressure on Rattler quarterback Dalton Sneed
The second half was the opposite as a defensive struggle broke out. Perez came out and kicked off with the ball going through the uprights for a two point rouge. Brooks would answer with a six yard run. The Wranglers got the ball and once again had to settle for a Perez 48 yard field goal to make the score 44-28. Dillon Sterling-Cole came into QB and hit McCorker who sprinted 28 yards for the touchdown to trim the lead to 44-34.
Former Wrangler quarterback Garrett Kettle who connected with his teammate from last season Gibbons Jr. to close out the Arizona scoring.
Jarrod Ware Jr. scored the final points NAZ of the night on an 8 yard run, but that was it as the Wranglers fall to (0-1).
Glen Gibbons Jr. said, “It was fun to come back here and play. Always a great atmosphere here because the fans really get into it. I thought we played a little sloppy at times tonight. There are some things we are going to have to clean up.” About still catching passes from Kettle, Gibbons Jr. added, “He’s my man. Glad he is here and we can still play together.”
McCorker said, “I just wanted come out try to electrify the crowd and do my best.
I did not know I was going to get two kick returns. My team did a good job blocking and opening up the holes. When I see green grass I am going to hit it.”
In the only other scheduled game, the Green Bay Blizzard beat the Massachusetts Pirates 44-40. Next up for the Wranglers will be the Tucson Sugar Skulls, who come to Prescott Valley for a 6:05 pm kickoff on Saturday, March 30.
ARIZONA RATTLERS 51, NORTHERN ARIZONA WRANGLERS 40
Score by Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T
Arizona 9 28 7 7 – 51
Northern Arizona 13 13 2 12 – 40
Scoring Summary
NAZ-Jones 4 yard run (Kick failed)
AZ-Jones sacked in end zone by Love
AZ-Gibbons Jr. 10 yard pass from Sneed (Evitt kick)
NAZ-McCorker 55 yard kickoff return (Perez kick)
AZ-Miles 7 yard pass from Sneed (Evitt kick)
AZ-Brooks 6 yard run (Evitt kick)
NAZ-McCorker 58 yard kickoff return (Perez kick)
NAZ-Perez Rouge
AZ-Brooks 1 yard run (Evitt kick)
NAZ-Perez 33 yard field goal
AZ-Miles 25 yard pass from Sneed (Evitt kick)
NAZ-Perez 48 yard field goal
AZ-Brooks 9 yard run (Evitt kick)
NAZ-McCorker 28 yard pass from Sterling-Cole (Kick failed)
AZ-Gibbons Jr 13 yard pass from Kettle (Evitt kick)
NAZ-Ware Jr 8 yard run (Run failed)
ATT:2908
