A berth in ArenaBowl XXVI will be on the line when the Arizona Rattlers host the Spokane Shock in the National Conference championship game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at US Airways Center.
It will be the rubber match between the two West Division rivals, with the home team prevailing each time during the regular season. The Shock (14-4) posted a 66-49 victory in Spokane on April 12, while the Rattlers (15-3) gained revenge with a 59-42 win on June 15 in Phoenix.
The two teams have also split their only two postseason matchups, with the Shock capitalizing on home-field advantage in 2010, and the Rattlers returning the favor in 2011.
Saturday's game matched the two highest-scoring offenses in the league. The Rattlers top the charts with 66.8 points per game, just a tick better than the Shock's 66.5. Defensively, the Rattlers are giving up 48.1 points per game, compared with Spokane's 49.8.
Arizona quarterback Nick Davila has topped 100 touchdown passes for four consecutive years. He's thrown for 4,847 yards and 110 touchdowns with just 15 interceptions. Rod Windsor (1,590 yards, 42 TDs) has emerged as his top target this year.
Spokane quarterback Eric Meyer has passed for 4,667 yards and a league-leading 112 touchdowns, and he's been intercepted just 11 times. Adron Tennell has 1,792 receiving yards and 49 touchdowns.
Given the explosive proficiency for both offenses, the game could boil down to which defense is most opportunistic. The Rattlers lead the league with 58 takeaways, led by Virgil Gray's 15 interceptions, while the Shock are second with 54 takeaways.
The winner of Saturday night’s game will face the winner of the American Conference championship game between the Jacksonville Sharks (12-6) and Philadelphia Soul (12-6). The Rattlers defeated Philadelphia in last year's championship game.
