The Vegas Knight Hawks are back in the postseason.
Vegas is trying to defend the IFL championship it won last season, and Saturday’s clinch officially gives the Knight Hawks that chance.
Vegas clinched an Indoor Football League playoff berth Saturday night after San Antonio lost, locking the Knight Hawks into the playoff field with two weeks left in the regular season. The IFL announced the berth on social media, and the Knight Hawks followed with their own post: “With San Antonio’s loss tonight, your Vegas Knight Hawks ARE HEADED BACK TO THE PLAYOFFS.”
It gives Vegas a timely reset after back-to-back losses tightened the Western Conference race.
Vegas still in the West chase
The Knight Hawks sit second in the Western Conference at 9-3 overall and 6-2 in conference play. San Diego leads the West at 9-2 overall and 8-1 in the conference.
Both San Diego and Vegas have clinched playoff spots. Green Bay, which leads the Eastern Conference at 10-2 overall, has also punched its ticket.
Arizona remains close behind Vegas at 7-5 overall and 6-3 in conference play. Tucson is 6-6 overall and 5-5 in the conference, while San Antonio fell to 4-8 overall despite a 4-3 conference mark.
Season built on a nine-game run
Vegas opened the season with a narrow 37-35 loss at Green Bay, then ripped off nine straight wins. The run included the league’s midseason IFL Cup championship at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey and pushed the Knight Hawks to the top of the Western Conference.
That cushion has mattered.
Tucson snapped Vegas’ winning streak with a 52-48 win June 13 at Lee’s Family Forum. San Diego followed with a 43-39 win Friday at Frontwave Arena, dropping the Knight Hawks into second place in the West.
Now it is about seeding
The playoff berth keeps the bigger picture intact, but the final stretch still matters.
Vegas has built its season behind quarterback Jayden DeLaura, playmakers Quentin Randolph, Deshon Stoudemire and Josh Tomas and a defense that has repeatedly created short fields and late-game chances.
Now, the Knight Hawks are playing for playoff position.
Up next
The Knight Hawks return home to face the San Antonio Gunslingers at 6 p.m. PDT on Saturday, June 27 at Lee’s Family Forum.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
