Tag: Vegas Knight Hawks

Panthers eliminated from IFL Playoffs, after being upset by Knight Hawks 36-31, Sunday Evening inside SAP.

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Tough loss for the Bay Area Panthers against the Vegas Knight Hawks in Indoor Football League Playoffs at SAP Center in San Jose on Sun Aug 3, 2025 (Bay Area Panthers photo)

By Michael Roberson

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The #1 seeded Bay Area Panthers (13-3, 0-1) were de-clawed and escorted out of the Indoor Football League Playoffs, after an odds defying loss, 36-31 to #4 Vegas Knight Hawks (10-6, 1-0) in the Capital City of the Silicon Valley at SAP Center on Sunday night.

The Panthers were in trouble early and never led during the 60-minute postseason battle, Although the home team and favorite opened the game with the ball, they weren’t able to take advantage of having the primary possession.

The Knight Hawks took full advantage of their initial possession. Vegas QB Ja’Rome Johnson scored on a 1-yard keeper for an early lead. With the Nevada guests being up by seven points, they were on the verge of doubling their score.

Panthers’ QB Josh Jones was picked off by CB Elijah Blades on their second possession. Vegas followed the turnover with another visit to the endzone. Signal Caller Jayden De Laura performed a 25-yard scramble over the goal line.

The Knight Hawks were up 14-0 with four and a half minutes left in the first quarter. That lead held up until the end of the first 15 minutes of gametime, 14-0.

Less than a minute into the second quarter, Vegas lit up the scoreboard again with yet another touchdown. Wide receiver CJ Windham Jr, caught a scoring pass for six points, but the PAT was not converted by kicker Ben Derby. The guests from the Silver State went up by 20 points, 20-0.

The Panthers finally scratched the scoring column when running back Josh Tomas rushed into paydirt, bringing his squad within 13 points, 20-7. BAP recovered their own kickoff and was seemingly in business, with momentum.

However, Vegas CB James Ceasar performed a trifecta on the defensive side of the ball. He forced a fumble by Jones, recovered the ball, then ran it into the endzone. This feat put the team up by 19, with another missed PAT, 26-7.

Tosin Oyekonmi scored on a rushing play, closing the deficit to 12 points. During the kickoff, Axel Perez booted the ball through the uprights, garnering a “Deuce” for his accuracy, and narrowing the margin they trailed by to 10 points, 26-16.

After a huge defensive stop by the Panthers, the inhabitants of the “Jungle”: were activating a shift in energy of the contest. Tomas was able to score another rushing touchdown with nearly a minute and a half left in the half. Perez; drop kick put two more points on the board and placed BAP in the closest position to the lead during the entire game, 26-24 VKH.

Right at the recess bell/whistle, Knight Hawks’ Derby kicked a crucial FG with triple zeros on the scoreboard. At the half, Vegas was up by five, 29-24.

Nearly five minutes into the second half, Vegas was not done scoring. Wide receiver Quinten Randolph caught a TD pass, to put his team up by 12, 36-24. However, about four minutes later, Panthers’ WR Tyrese Chambers caught a TD pass to get the Panthers within single digits again, 36-31.

That advantage lasted until the end of the third quarter. The final quarter was a defensive standoff, as both teams made big stops against each other. With a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the Panthers could still earn a dramatic comeback win on a touchdown.

The Bay Area Panthers turned the ball over on downs while attempting a pass to a receiver in the end zone, They also had a forceful goal line stance, turning Vegas over on downs, saving their playoffs life.

At the One-Minute Warning, the Panther had a golden opportunity for an extraordinary win in the final seconds of round 1 of the playoffs, On 4th and 11, they only used up five seconds on the clock.

Vegas on the other hand, only used 16 seconds, then commenced to miss a field goal that would have put them up by 8. With 30+ seconds on the clock, the Panthers had one more chance. Unfortunately for them and the SAP faithful, that dramatic victory did not come to fruition for the top-seeded team.

After 60 minutes of regulation, and the final incomplete pass, the Bay Area Panthers’ season ended in the quarterfinals, Final score, Vegas Knight Hawks 36, Bay Area Panthers 31.

As the Panthers will go into the offseason looking for answers, the Knight Hawks will be taking on either the Arizona Rattlers or the San Diego Strike Force, on the road for the Western Conference title. In the Eastern Conference Championship, the Green Bay Blizzard faceoff with the Quad City Steamwheelers.

Bay Area Panthers Game Recap: Panthers Roar to Seventh Straight Jungle victory in Home Finale, 55-54

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Bay Area Panthers quarterback Josh Jones rushes pass Vegas Knight Hawks Bryce Hampton in for the touchdown. Sparking the roaring fans in the Jungle. (Photo credits to Sports Radio Services photographer Antonio Garcia)

By: Michael Villanueva

SAN JOSE–The Bay Area Panthers defended The Jungle one last time this regular season, hosting the Vegas Knight Hawks in an intense and high-energy night at the SAP Center. With sirens flashing and the crowd roaring in support of local heroes, First Responders Night made the Panthers’ last home game of the season memorable.  

The Panthers had already secured their postseason journey, entering the game at 10-3. Meanwhile, the Knight Hawks came in with everything on the line — sitting at 8-5, a win would lock them into the playoff picture. Vegas arrived riding a two-game winning streak, while the Bay Area was looking to rebound after a tough 46-38 road loss to the San Diego Strike Force just four days ago — their first defeat since May.

The Bay Area wasted no time setting the tone early. After his 21-yard run earlier in the game, quarterback Josh Jones scrambled in for a 5-yard score on just the fourth play of their opening drive. The Panthers scored first, 6-0, but kicker Axel Perez missed the extra point.

Momentum stayed with the Bay Area immediately after, as they recovered a short squib kickoff and capitalized with another touchdown. This time, Jones connected with Tosin Oyekanmi for a 4-yard score to extend the lead to 14-0 midway through the first quarter.

The defense held strong to cap off the quarter. The Knight Hawks’ offense was shut down on their opening possession, turning the ball over on downs. The Panthers regained possession and were back in control facing a 4th-and-6 as the first quarter came to a close.

Maurice Jackson sacked Josh Jones for a loss of eight yards, which turned the ball over on downs and started the second quarter with a rare Bay Area error. Vegas swiftly seized it. The lead was cut to 14-7 in just two plays as Vegas quarterback Johnson hit CJ Windham Jr. for a 13-yard touchdown.

Josh Jones took matters into his own hands once more on their turn, rushing for a 15-yard score after connecting with Tyrese Chambers for a 15-yard gain. The score was 20–7 after Axel Perez missed his second extra point of the evening. Vegas answered right back. On 4th down, Vegas QB Ja’Rome Johnson launched a 26-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Wimbush, bringing the Knight Hawks back within six after a successful extra point, 20-14.

The Bay Area offensive remained dominant. Jones gave Josh Tomas an 8-yard pass for a first down after opening the next drive with a 6-yard keeper. The Panthers reached the 1-yard line after a 14-yard pass to Tomas, who punched it in for another touchdown. Perez extended the lead to 28-14 by making a perfect drop-kick extra point this time.

However, Vegas continued to fight. The Knight Hawks gained possession of the ball at the 7-yard line after recovering the Panthers’ unsuccessful squib kick. Then Knight Hawks Johnson, cashed in with a short touchdown run, and the extra point was good — pulling Vegas within one score, 28-21.

The Knight Hawks attempted to score again as the half was coming to a close, but an interception in the end zone stopped a drive into the red zone, giving the Bay Area a 28–21 lead at the half inside The Jungle.
With an 18-yard touchdown run by Antonio Wimbush, Vegas started the third quarter with a change in momentum. Vegas took their first lead of the evening, 29-28, after making a perfect two-point deuce on the kickoff, even though the extra point was no good.

Josh Jones was unfazed and quickly recovered with a 10-yard completion before throwing his second touchdown pass of the game to Tosin Oyekanmi, who was 29 yards away. However, Perez missed his third extra point of the evening, another drop-kick, bringing the Panthers’ lead to 34-29.

When Vegas went into the red zone but was stopped on fourth down, the defense once again came through for the Bay Area. As the third quarter came to an end, the Panthers leaned on Josh Tomas to pick up two first downs, including a 9-yard gain in the air, with the ball back on their 7-yard line.

Josh Jones increased the lead with a 20-yard rushing touchdown to start the fourth quarter. The Bay Area led 41-29 after Perez made the extra point. 

With the help of a defensive penalty from the Panthers, Vegas launched a determined drive in response, and Ja’Rome Johnson scored from the one-yard line. It was 41-36 after the extra point. On the Bay Area’s next possession, Vegas’ defense came up huge — forcing a turnover on downs deep in Panther territory. 

Vegas QB De Laura hit Randolph with a 33-yard touchdown bomb on their opening play. Vegas had a 42-41 lead, but the PAT failed. In the last two minutes, Vegas made a last push. Wimbush brought them to the 1-yard line, and Johnson punched it in. Wimbush brought them to the 1-yard line, and Johnson punched it in, but the two-point attempt was swarmed and stopped, making it 48-47 Vegas snagging the lead.

With 49 seconds left, the Panthers had one last chance. The Panthers have a final opportunity with 49 seconds remaining. Jones dropped back and hit Tyrese Chambers with a dart for a 27-yard game-winning touchdown after they had started at their own 20. The Panthers led 55-48 with 36 seconds left after he followed that up with a successful two-point conversion to Alexander.

Vegas wasn’t done yet. The Knight Hawks made a last-second touchdown pass to Windham Jr. after swiftly pushing the ball downfield. They needed a two-point conversion to win with no time remaining, but the pass was dropped in the end zone. The final score was 55-54 Bay Area Panthers win.

With six touchdowns overall, three through the air and three on the ground, quarterback Josh Jones was the Panthers’ alpha leader throughout the game. He also regularly performed well under pressure. The Bay Area outlasted a determined Vegas team thanks in large part to his poise and dual-threat skill. The Panthers’ regular season isn’t quite done, despite the dramatic way they ended their home schedule.

The Bay Area will now travel for their final two games, first against the Tucson Sugar Skulls on July 19 and then the Massachusetts Pirates on July 25 for the regular-season finale. The Bay Area Panthers are now 11-3 with two more games.