The Massachusetts Pirates fell short in their bid for a second championship, losing to the Arizona Rattlers 53-16 in the IFL National Championship game at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, NV. 

Arizona (14-5) set the tone early, sneaking in a rouge on the opening kickoff to take a 1-0 lead. But Jimmie Robinson wasted no time making his presence felt, breaking loose for a 19-yard run. A few plays later, Bennifield hit Teo Redding for a nine-yard gain, and Robinson kept grinding with a five-yard rush. After a small pickup by Redding and a stuffed run by Robinson, the Pirates (10-9) decided to gamble on fourth-and-one. Robinson powered ahead for five yards, but in the scramble, he lost the ball, and Arizona's Dillion Winfrey jumped on the fumble, giving the Rattlers possession.

Deep in their own territory, the Rattlers started with a four-yard run from Shannon Brooks. Then, quarterback Dalton Sneed took matters into his own hands, breaking free for a 31-yard sprint. After a quick four-yard pass to Brooks, Sneed found Jamal Miles in the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown on first and goal, putting Arizona up 8-0 with 6:07 left in the first quarter.

Massachusetts leaned on their passing game during the next drive, starting with a quick two-yard toss to Isaac Zico, followed by a 16-yard strike to him again. Robinson chipped in with a four-yard run, and Bennifield then connected with Darren Carrington on a crossing route for 11 yards. But the drive stalled after two incompletions and a one-yard rush from Robinson, forcing the Pirates to attempt a 34-yard field goal. Henry Nell's kick, however, drifted wide right as the first quarter came to an end.

Arizona kicked off the second quarter with a 13-yard burst from Brooks. Sneed then connected with Corey Reed Jr. on a seven-yard pass, followed by Reed taking off for a ten-yard run. Another short pass to Reed added three more yards. On first and goal, Brooks finished the drive by powering into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown, extending Arizona's lead to 15-0 with 11:57 left in the second quarter.

Bennifield hit Carrington for a six-yard gain, and an illegal defense penalty tacked on five more yards for the Pirates. But the advantage was short-lived, as former Pirate James Nyamwaya brought Bennifield down for a five-yard sack. However, a holding call against Arizona negated the loss, giving Massachusetts 10 yards and a new set of downs. Robinson followed up with an eight-yard run, then broke free for a 21-yard catch and run, putting the Pirates at the five-yard line. But the drive stalled with a run for no gain, an incompletion, and a three-yard rush from Zico. On fourth and goal, Bennifield's pass fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs.

Arizona wasted no time finding the end zone on three consecutive rushing plays. First, Miles picked up five yards, followed by Brooks breaking loose for 16. Then, Sneed capped off the drive with a 10-yard quarterback sneak, extending the Rattlers' lead to 22-0 with just 3:03 left in the first half.

The Pirates quickly hit a snag as Bennifield struggled with two incomplete passes and a sack for a two-yard loss on their opening drive. Trailing by several scores, the Pirates decided to gamble from their own two-yard line. On fourth down, Bennifield launched a deep pass to Zico, but Davontae Merriweather intercepted it.

With just 50 seconds left on the clock, Arizona kicked off their drive with a 12-yard completion from Sneed to Reed. Sneed followed up with an eight-yard pass to Glen Gibbons Jr., who then burst through for a 19-yard gain, setting up the Rattlers on the four-yard line. On first and goal, Brooks powered through for a three-yard gain, and then capped it off with a one-yard touchdown run, pushing the score to 29-0 as the first half drew to a close.

Arizona kicked off the second half with possession, but Israel Antwine made a big impact with a sack on Sneed, forcing a fumble that Sneed managed to recover. Sneed then connected with Brooks for a seven-yard gain, followed by a 20-yard rush of his own. On first and goal, Brooks managed a one-yard gain, but on the next play, Antwine sacked Sneed for a six-yard loss. An incomplete pass from Sneed to Miles in the end zone set up a fourth and goal. The Rattlers turned to Dawson Evitts for a 23-yard field goal attempt, which he successfully converted, pushing the score to 32-0 with 9:15 left in the third quarter.

Following a 22-yard kickoff return by Robinson, Massachusetts managed to score for the first time in the game with just two plays. Bennifield scrambled for a 32-yard gain after the pocket collapsed, and Robinson finished the drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown. Nell's successful deuce on the extra point attempt brought the score to 32-8 with 7:54 left in the third quarter.

In just three plays, the Rattlers quickly found the end zone. Arizona's drive started with a 15-yard rush from Nih-Jer Jackson, followed by a nine-yard pass to Miles. Miles then completed the drive with a two-yard touchdown reception, pushing the score to 39-8 with 4:45 left in the third quarter.

The Pirates struggled with a four-and-out after Bennifield threw three incompletions and was sacked for a four-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs. Guy Thomas responded with a seven-yard sack on Sneed, but Arizona quickly regained momentum as Sneed found Brooks for a seven-yard pass just as the third quarter ended. Despite this, Arizona also went four-and-out after two incompletions, giving the ball back to the Pirates.

Bennifield then took a deep shot to Zico, connecting for a 17-yard gain, and followed with a 5-yard rush from Robinson. However, after a rush for no gain, Bennifield threw an interception to Merriweather.

In just three plays, Arizona scored once more. Brooks rushed for nine yards, followed by a seven-yard run from Sneed. Brooks then capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, pushing the score to 46-8 with 9:23 left in the fourth quarter.

Bennifield started the Massachusetts drive with a 12-yard completion to Carrington, but after two incompletions, he attempted a deep pass to Robinson, only to be intercepted by Merriweather for the third time. Merriweather returned the pick 27 yards. On the very next play, Garrett Kettle sprinted 14 yards into the end zone, extending the lead to 53-8 with 5:39 left in the fourth quarter.

On the following kickoff, Robinson made a 41-yard return. Bennifield then found Redding for a 12-yard touchdown on the next play. Nell added a deuce on the extra point attempt, bringing the score to 53-16 with 4:20 left in the fourth quarter.

After two one-yard rushes from Brooks, Kettle's pass was intercepted by Jeblonski Green Jr. With just a minute remaining, the Pirates attempted to drive downfield but ran out of time. The game ended with a final score of 53-16, crowning the Arizona Rattlers as the 2024 IFL National Champions.