IFL Week 13 brought the Bay Area Panthers to scorching Southern Nevada for a showdown with the Vegas Knight Hawks. Temperatures hovered around 105 °F upon arrival at Lee's Family Forum, which was quite fitting for the ensuing Western Conference affair.

Bay Area and Head Coach Rob Keefe entered their 10th contest of the 2025 campaign atop the Indoor Football League's standings and the latest official Coaches Poll while riding a three-game winning streak. That momentum was channeled into the Knight Hawks from the initial whistle, as the Panthers won confidently, 44-31.

With the atmosphere of a conference championship (which very well could come to fruition), the Panthers commenced the game on offense. However, the early theme in Henderson was defense.

Bay Area managed to keep their opponent scoreless in the opening quarter for the second consecutive week. To up the ante, the Panthers' suffocating unit blanked Vegas throughout the first half on Saturday.

The Knight Hawks had four offensive drives prior to halftime and quarterback Jayden de Laura (2021 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year at Washington State) was bothered by Bay Area's defensive front on each one. Ultimately, Vegas' four first-half possessions resulted in one botched fumble, one missed field goal and two turnovers on downs.

Defensive linemen Jonathan Ross and Tevaughn Grant led the charge for the Panthers. Ross contributed several tackles and a sack while Grant had a key fumble recovery to thwart Vegas' best drive of the opening period. In the secondary, defensive back Joe Foucha flew around the field, making several timely pass breakups.

Across the way, Bay Area's offense was guided efficiently by quarterback Josh Jones. The Panthers were unable to score on the game's first drive, but the unit ramped up the intensity shortly after. Notably, running back/receiver/athlete Josh Tomas provided a dazzling show on Vegas' black turf.

Tomas scored four touchdowns through three quarters on Saturday evening: a hat trick on the ground and one through the air. That brings the shifty-Georgetown product's all-purpose TD total to 26 in 2025, which leads the IFL at time of authorship.

To begin the second half, Vegas swapped de Laura for 2024 IFL MVP Ja'Rome Johnson at quarterback. Immediately, Johnson's dual-threat abilities proved more formidable against the Panthers; the Knight Hawks found the end zone on a six-yard run from Johnson on his initial drive off-the-bench.

Vegas built further success on offense under Johnson throughout quarters three and four, but the damage was mostly done, as the Knight Hawks trailed on the scoreboard for the entire contest. Conversely, Vegas' defense had no consistent answer for the Panthers. 

Jones orchestrated four additional Bay Area-scoring drives, tossing two touchdowns and rushing for one. His final tuddy was a dart to wide receiver Tosin Oyekanmi in the back-right corner to give the Panthers 40 (or more) points in their ninth-straight game.

Competing at altitude, special teams had a roller-coaster night in Nevada. Bay Area kicker Axel Perez had multiple kicks blocked by Vegas, but he converted a deuce, a field goal and a drop kick.

For a final storyline, Saturday also provided the Panthers debut for 2024 Second-Team All-IFL receiver DJ Myers. The veteran wideout made pivotal contributions, including an 18-yard reception to move the chains following the Knight Hawks' first scoring drive.

The win in Henderson gives Bay Area a 4-3 lifetime advantage over the Knight Hawks. The Panthers—who closed at most shops as two-point road favorites—also covered the spread in Week 13. With that, the Panthers remain in first place, moving to 8-2 in 2025 while boasting a 6-2 record versus Western Conference foes.

Bay Area returns to action next Sunday, June 22, taking on the defending-champion Arizona Rattlers at San Jose's SAP Center. Tickets for that matchup—including single-game, season, group, and suite experiences—are available now through Ticketmaster.