Pirates players were pushing into the crowd during the Rattlers’ victory; three players and the coach were punished.
In order to help his club win the biggest game of the year—a 52-43 victory at Footprint Center on Sunday that secured home-field advantage in the first round of the Indoor Football League playoffs—coach Kevin Guy said Rattler Nation would be He had no idea that the tale would ultimately center on the fans.
Chaos ensued with 32 seconds remaining in a game that was already decided. Provoked by something he heard, Leon O’Neal Jr., a defensive back for the Pirates, leaped over the sideline board close to the team area and advanced several rows to confront a fan. He was followed into the throng by other players. Another coach entered the stands after the first one. A supporter who was pointing was assaulted by a coach. Then, as he was lying down in the stands, he trampled on a fan; a fan recorded it and shared it on social media. They took a picture of the blood in the stands.
Following their removal, a small child in the front row could be seen sobbing.
This occurred after the score was reduced to nine and Arizona Rattlers linebacker Connor Taylor was dismissed for a targeting foul during a Pirates’ attempt at an onside kick. Taylor was dismissed for the hit even though Guy had called time out immediately prior to the kick.
Five Massachusetts players were dismissed from the game after everything was resolved, according to an official on the field: defensive back Chris Ingram, wide receiver Darren Carrington, offensive lineman Navaughn Donaldson, O’Neal Jr., and defensive back Charles Williams.
Once more, the Pirates onside kicked. The Rattlers came back; quarterback Darren Carrington took the snap, went to his knees, and the allotted time passed without any problems.
“Rattler Nation went after them; that’s what occurred,” Guy revealed during the news conference following the game. “They were broken by them. The pressure was too much for them to bear.
The unpleasant conclusion was tarnished by the Rattlers’ assignment to host the opening round with just one regular-season game remaining, a home matchup against the reigning IFL champion Northern Arizona on July 15.
