Rattlers capture another AFL title

CLEVELAND – Nick Davila threw for 237 yards and eight touchdowns and the Arizona Rattlers won their third consecutive ArenaBowl title with a 72-32 victory over the Cleveland Gladiators on Saturday night.

The Rattlers are the second team in Arena Football League history to win three straight titles. It was also the Rattlers’ fifth overall championship, tying them with the Tampa Bay Storm for the most in league history.

“It feels great,” Rattlers coach Kevin Guy said. “We knew a few years ago we had a good young group, good core group, and I thought we could have some good years.”

Rod Windsor paced the Rattlers receivers with seven catches for 123 yards and three touchdowns and Davila was selected as the game’s MVP.

“I can’t even put it into words how I feel right now,” Davila said. “Our team is amazing, all the trials and tribulations, not only myself, but a couple of the individual players on our team.”

The Rattlers took advantage of numerous mistakes by the Gladiators and went into halftime with a 44-13 lead.

Kerry Reed, Tyson Poots and Chris Jackson each had two touchdowns for Arizona. Reed also had a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown to put Arizona up 14-0 early in the first quarter.

“It felt like we were almost out of it by the end of the first quarter,” Cleveland’s Collin Taylor said.