The Bay Area Panthers, defending champions of the Indoor Football League, ripped Albuquerque’s Duke City Gladiators 50-28 on July 13 at San Jose’s SAP Center.
The win raised the Panthers’ record to 12-3 and clinched the Western Conference’s top seed in the upcoming playoffs. Last year, the Panthers won the IFL title with a 51-41 decision over the Sioux Falls Storm in the championship contest.
The Panthers are based in Morgan Hill. Yes, the small South Valley town is the home base of a national champion in the prominent sport of professional football. The 16-team IFL is the major indoor football league in the country and features rosters full of top college stars. Many players go on to the NFL from indoor football. And the Panthers love and appreciate their hometown.
“Morgan Hill has been unbelievable for us,” Panthers coach Rob Keefe said. “It’s like a campus to us. It’s like a home to us. We live there, we eat there, we train there, in Morgan Hill. Without Morgan Hill, we’re not defending champions. And with a chance to repeat.”
Saturday’s win marked a happy rebound for the Panthers from a tough 47-46 loss the previous week to the Northern Arizona Wranglers. The visiting Gladiators, struggling through a rough season and out of playoff contention, gave the Panthers quite a battle on June 22 at home, losing just 34-32.
In the July 13 game, back in California, the Panthers pulled away after a dead-even first half. Leading 23-20, they took charge early in the third quarter with two touchdowns and two defensive stops. That produced a 36-20 advantage and they coasted home.
Panthers quarterback Daquan Neal completed 12-of-14 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns, one each to JT Stokes, Jazeric Peterson and Shane Simpson. Ex-Virginia star Simpson also had 15 rushes for 42 yards and three scores on the ground.
“Coach called a great game,” Simpson said. “It feels amazing to be the number one seed. We’ll see you (the fans) in the playoffs on July 28.”
The defense shined in an offensive-minded sport. Antwon Kincade had six solo tackles and four tackle assists, Ty Cromwell III added four solos and three assists and Joe Foucha had three solo tackles and three assists. Cromwell III and Foucha each had interceptions and the Panthers held Duke City quarterbacks Hasan Rogers and Javin Kilgo to a combined 15-for-35 passing.
“We wanted to secure the number one seed,” Keefe said. “You can’t take anyone for granted. Everyone wants to knock off the champion. The key was execution. We came out in the second half with energy, effort and intensity. On defense, it was effort and playing the scheme. We had the right guys in the right places.”
With the narrow field, just 85 feet wide compared to the NFL’s 160 feet, quarterbacks must throw bullets to their receivers and it is hard for running backs to gain yardage. Yet Neal was on target all day and Simpson sparkled.
“He (Simpson) is the best running back anybody’s got,” Neal said.
The Panthers utilize the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center for their practices, which are generally four days per week, according to Keefe. The team also uses the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center, Centennial Recreation Center, local hotels, meeting spaces, apartments and office spaces.
“This partnership is possible thanks to a collaboration between Visit Morgan Hill, the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center and the City of Morgan Hill,” Morgan Hill Public Services Director Chris Ghione said. “We are thrilled to have the Bay Area Panthers choose Morgan Hill for their practice location and are honored to support the Panthers for a successful season.
Coach Keefe is a high-energy football wizard. He played defensive back in college and had a stellar 83-40 record in the Arena Football League.
Keefe is now in his second year on the Panthers’ staff. Last year, he was Assistant Coach and Defensive Coordinator. The current campaign is his first as Head Coach with this squad. The staff is strong and also features the experienced Dixie Wooten, a two-time IFL Coach of the Year, as the Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator.
The Panthers will finish the regular season at the San Diego Strike Force on July 20 and will open the playoffs at home on July 28 at 4pm.
“Our record is now 12-3 and we have the number one seed,” Keefe said. “Let’s pack this place (the SAP Center in San Jose) in two weeks, on July 28 in the playoffs.”
Immersion
The IFL emphasizes fan involvement and close-in seating at an inexpensive price. There are no sidelines and dasher boards (padded walls) mark the field’s boundary. Fans can sit in seats right on the other side of those dasher boards. It is somewhat equivalent to being in a drone right on the field with the players.
Interaction between players and fans is common. In the July 13 game, during a timeout, fans were chatting with one of the referees. Footballs that go into the stands can be kept. On multiple occasions, touchdown-scoring Panthers players would high-five fans behind the end zone or give the football to a kid in the front rows.
Coaches are on the field calling out plays to their team. One must pay attention, as suddenly a long pass from the quarterback is coming down to a speedy receiver and a fierce defensive back and they are coming right at you, if you’re in the first row of the stands.
The IFL might as well be known as the Immersion Football League. If one likes football, this is by far the best way to see the physical action and athletic skills up close.
Some IFL rules
Teams play “eight on eight” (as opposed to 11-on-11 in outdoor football).
Rosters have 21 active players.
The field is 50 yards long, with eight-yard end zones.
Goal posts are narrow, just 10 feet wide and the crossbar height is at 10 feet. Extra points and all other kicking plays are adventurous, not routine.
Two receivers may be in motion forward before the snap.
There is no punting, as teams must either get a touchdown or first down or attempt a field goal. With the 50-yard total field length, field goals are viable from anywhere.
