The Strike Force won when it mattered. San Diego beat Bay Area 49-40 on Sunday and earned a spot in the Western Conference Championship. It was the first playoff win in Strike Force franchise history.

Down by four after a back-and-forth first half, the Strike Force outscored the Panthers 25-12 in the second half leading to a two-score victory.

San Diego was perfect on all four drives in the second half, including back-to-back touchdown catches from WR Arthur Jackson III in the third quarter to give the Strike Force a lead they would not relinquish.

The Panthers offense sputtered in the second half. A missed field goal in the third quarter and interception into the arms of CB Elijah Belle in the fourth provided more than enough cushion for a San Diego offense scoring at will down the stretch.

The Strike Force looks to keep rolling when they play the Arizona Rattlers in Glendale, Ariz., at 7:05 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 5.

The team is offering a special bus trip to the IFL National Championship. Leaving early on Aug. 17, attendees will meet at the bus around 6 a.m., take a five-hour bus trip to Las Vegas Arena, and arrive at around 11 a.m., leaving plenty of time for the 1:05 p.m. kickoff. Once the game is over, the bus will head back to San Diego.

Interested in hopping on board, visit https://sdstrikeforce.com/. If you have any further questions, contact Brett at brett@sdstrikeforce.com.

PAGShoto by David Frerker