Box Score RIO RANCHO, New Mexico--Justin Rankin ran for three touchdowns and Felix Harper threw three touchdown passes in the Panthers' 44-35 win over the Duke City Gladiators in the regular season finale at the Rio Rancho Events Center. 

Bay Area ends the regular season at 10-5 and will face Tucson in the Western Conference semi-finals next Sunday at 3:05 at the SAP Center. 
tack and finished 17-23 for 225 yards and three scores, two to JT Stokes.

"He did a great job for us," said Offensive Coordinator Dixie Wooten.  "He was efficient in the run game--understood the reads and made some great plays.  There were a couple of turnovers near the goal line that we're going to fix.  But overall, he was really good for us tonight."

Bay Area took the lead before a snap was taken when Craig Peterson smashed the opening kickoff between the uprights for a two-point deuce--the first for the Panthers this season. Those were the only points scored in the quarter as the Panthers led 2-0 after the first. 

In the second quarter, Rankin capped a 10-play, 45-yard drive with a two-yard run to wrap a possession that lasted just under six minutes.  Peterson followed with his second deuce for a 10-0 lead.  On the next series, Marquise Bridges intercepted Gladiators' quarterback Charles McCullum which preceded Rankin's one-yard run to boost the advantage to 17-0 with seven minutes to play in the half.  

The Gladiators (5-10) finally got on the scoreboard with 12 seconds left in the half when McCullum connected with Xavier Amey from 17 yards out and trailed 17-7 at the break. 

The Panthers lead expanded on the first drive of the third quarter when Harper threw a 40-yard scoring strike to Cutrell Haywood for a 30-14 advantage.

Duke City closed to within nine points when McCullum whistled a two-yard TD pass to Tyron Laughinghouse but the Panthers responded on their next play when Harper found Stokes running free from 25 yards out. 

McCullum threw three second half scoring passes but the Panthers responded each time--the clinching score came when Harper completed a 14-yard scoring pass to Stokes with1:09 left to complete a 7-play, 38-yard drive that chewed up 5 minutes, 12 seconds off the clock.  

Marquise Bridges intercepted two passes for the second straight game and now shares the team with Trae Meadows with five on the season,

Haywood had a career-best seven catches for 114 yards and a score and Stokes had 6 receptions for 82 yards and two TDs.  
 
Because Arizona beat Northern Arizona Saturday night to clinch the top seed in the West, the Panthers were locked into the second seed which gave Wooten a chance to give Dalton Sneed the day off at quarterback while giving Harper some developmental reps.  With only 21 players on the active roster, wholesale rest is not an option.  The mission was to leave New  Mexico with a win and have the roster intact for the playoffs.  

"You want to call plays that put guys in situations to be successful but you want to make sure everybody comes out of the game healthy.  It's tough because you still want guys to play hard and not get hurt," said Wooten.