Rattlers Bounce Back with 44-31 Win Over Gunslingers

Arizona's defense forces turnovers to power comeback victory over San Antonio

Apr. 12, 2026 at 3:24pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the chaotic action of an indoor football game, with overlapping planes of bright colors representing the players, ball, and field.The Rattlers' defense forced key turnovers to power their comeback victory over the Gunslingers in a high-scoring indoor football clash.San Antonio Today

The Arizona Rattlers (2-1) rebounded from a tough season-opening loss by defeating the San Antonio Gunslingers 44-31 in a back-and-forth contest. The Rattlers' defense set the tone early, forcing multiple turnovers that led to short-field scoring drives. Quarterback Max Meylor had a strong game, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for three more to lead the Rattlers' offense to victory.

Why it matters

The Rattlers were looking to bounce back after a blowout loss in their season opener. This win evens their record and keeps them in contention in the competitive Pacific Division of the Indoor Football League.

The details

The Rattlers' defense set the tone early, forcing two first-half turnovers that led to short scoring drives. Quarterback Max Meylor had a big game, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for three more to power the Rattlers' offense. San Antonio made a late push to cut the deficit to 3 points, but the Rattlers were able to put the game away with a late field goal.

  • The Rattlers took a 14-0 lead in the first half.
  • San Antonio cut the deficit to 14-10 at halftime.
  • The Rattlers extended their lead to 27-10 in the third quarter.
  • San Antonio made it a 3-point game at 34-31 in the fourth quarter.
  • The Rattlers sealed the win with a late field goal to make it 44-31.

The players

Max Meylor

The Rattlers' quarterback had a strong game, throwing for one touchdown and rushing for three more to lead his team to victory.

Kenneth Gallop

The Rattlers' defensive back had two key turnovers in the first half, including an interception, to set up short scoring drives for the offense.

Joaquin Collazo

The Gunslingers' quarterback struggled with turnovers, including a fumble and an interception, that allowed the Rattlers to build an early lead.

KJ Smith

The Gunslingers' running back scored San Antonio's first touchdown on an 11-yard rush in the second quarter.

Deion McShane

The Gunslingers' receiver caught a 4-yard touchdown pass and also returned a kickoff 45 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

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What they’re saying

“They're learning. We need to teach right now because it's the beginning of the season, so we're gonna make some mistakes early, we may drop a couple of games, we knew that when we made the decision (to get younger in the off season) but we're not winning the championship this early in the season, We're winning at the end of the season.”

— Kevin Guy, Head Coach, Arizona Rattlers

What’s next

The Rattlers (2-1) will hit the road next week to face their in-state rivals, the Northern Arizona Wranglers.

The takeaway

The Rattlers showed resilience in bouncing back from their season-opening loss, relying on their defense to create turnovers and set up short fields for their offense. While they still have some growing pains to work through, this win keeps them in the hunt in the competitive Pacific Division.