‘They deserve a winner’: Knight Hawks inch closer to playoffs
The house lights turned off. Gold strobe lights flickered throughout Lee’s Family Forum. All as quarterback Ja’Rome Johnson crossed the goal line.
Johnson scampered down the right sideline untouched for a 45-yard touchdown — one play after defensive back James Ceasar made a one-handed interception in the end zone — to give the Vegas Knight Hawks a two-possession lead with 4:20 remaining in Saturday’s game against the Arizona Rattlers.
It was the star quarterback, who has made big plays time and again during the Knight Hawks’ best season to date, putting a stamp on their biggest game of the season in a 55-51 win over the Rattlers.
Johnson factored in all eight touchdowns — four rushing, four passing — and overcame two first-quarter interceptions to push his team to 9-3. The Knight Hawks are in sole possession of second place in the Western Conference.
“It’s football. There’s ups and downs,” Johnson said. “Even the greats turn the ball over. Next-play mentality. We were able to figure it out as a team, and my teammates had my back.”
The Knight Hawks have been an entertaining group through the early days of summer.
They’re averaging a Indoor Football League-best 52.8 points per game, with Johnson’s dual-threat ability playing a huge role in that. His receivers deserve credit as well.
CJ Windham caught five passes for 102 yards and three touchdowns Saturday. He had touchdown receptions of 34 and 25 yards the Knight Hawks’ first two drives.
“We believe we are the only ones that can stop ourselves,” Windham said. “We believe that there’s no other team that can stop us when we’re firing on all cylinders.”
The game had close to a playoff atmosphere despite the announced attendance of 3,846 not reaching full capacity.
The Knight Hawks are thrilled with the crowd support regardless.
They won 11 games combined their first two seasons under coach Mike Davis. They’re in position to match that total this season.
If a win over the Rattlers — who were a game behind the Knight Hawks in the standings entering Saturday — can create buzz, the Knight Hawks’ next game June 29 against the first-place Bay Area Panthers at Lee Family Forum might escalate that excitement.
The Knight Hawks handed the Panthers their first loss of the season with a 62-43 victory at San Jose’s SAP Center on May 4. Another win would put the Knight Hawks in first place in the conference with three games left.
“It was super loud,” Davis said. “You pack this place next week, it’s deafening. Tonight was a good rendition of how fun this game really is.”
Gabe McCoy knows better than anyone about the struggle.
The Pittsburg, California, native played linebacker for UNLV from 2016-19 and wins were hard to come by. He made the IFL playoffs with the Iowa Barnstormers in 2021 but played just eight games.
He’s been on the Knight Hawks since their inaugural season and has endured the difficult moments. Now, he’s enjoying the highs this season has to offer.
“We want 5,500 (fans) out here,” McCoy said. “Tell them to come out. It’s special. Vegas is a great city. It has a lot to offer. That’s why I’ve stayed here. These people around here deserve a winner.”
Other sports around the valley
Las Vegas Lights FC
The Lights picked up a point for the seventh time in eight games with a 1-1 draw against Memphis 901 FC at Cashman Field on Saturday.
Forward Khori Bennett tied the game in the 80th minute with a penalty kick after Memphis struck first in the 43rd minute. It was the second time in five days the Lights rallied from behind to earn a point, after doing so in a 3-3 draw against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Tuesday at Cashman Field.
The Lights (4-7-6) are 1-1-6 their last eight matches. They wrap up a three-match homestand against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday.
Las Vegas Aviators
The Oakland A’s traded first baseman J.D. Davis and cash considerations to the New York Yankees for third baseman Jordan Groshans on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Davis was designated for assignment by Oakland on Tuesday. The eight-year veteran is a career .259 hitter and is expected to provide a veteran bat for the Yankees in wake of injuries to first baseman Anthony Rizzo and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.
Davis appeared in 39 games for the A’s and hit .236 with four home runs.
Groshans, the 12th overall pick in 2018, has batted .228 in 17 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
