SAN DIEGO, CA - The San Diego Strike Force will finally get to play in their 2022 season opener tonight against the Bay Area Panthers at the SAP Center in San Jose. At 6:05 P.M. PT, the Strike Force will have the chance to crash the Panthers' party as they host their inaugural game as a franchise in their home stadium. Both teams have been waiting a LONG time for this game, so you can bet that the atmosphere is going to be electric. There will also be plenty of intriguing storylines attached to this matchup, including the start of a new chapter in the SoCal vs. NorCal football rivalry, a battle between two new and unproven franchises, and the brother of NFL legend Marshawn Lynch playing against the team that he co-owns in the first game of the season.
Strike Force Squad
San Diego's 25-man roster features almost an entirely new squad, with a few former Strike Force players. 2019 IFL Special Teams Player of the Year
Marques "Hoodie" Rodgers returns to the team after spending the 2021 season with the Frisco Fighters. The veteran wide receiver will be a featured member of the offense, alongside running back
Davonte Sapp-Lynch, also known as "Baby Beast Mode", and quarterback
Cris Solano, who played at the University of Nevada. The wide receiver core will also include
Amechi Walker and
Troy Evans. Evans was recently picked up by the Strike Force after being released by the Bay Area Panthers. He is also the cousin of Davonte and grew up in Oakland. I think it's safe to say he's fired up for this matchup.
The offensive line will feature
Zian Jones, a Syracuse and Strike Force alum who spent the 2021 season with the NAZ Wranglers. He'll be joined by IFL rookies
Damien Britt and
GeWhite Stallworth up front.
The Strike Force defense is a confident group that plays with a lot of flare and intensity. They'll be captained by linebacker
Ricky Wyatt, who will be going into his fifth season in the IFL and his first with San Diego after previously playing for the esteemed Arizona Rattlers. He'll be pairing up with the talented
Malik Lawal to hold down the fort on the second level. The defensive line will feature edge rusher
Terrence Fullum, who represented the Strike Force as a team captain in 2019 and has been itching to get back on the field since. He'll line up alongside
Javian "BubbaD" Williams , rookie
DeShon Cooper, and Grossmont College product
Ben Moa, who spent 2021 with the Bismarck Bucks.
Perhaps the most exciting part of this defensive group is the secondary. As a whole they are young, fierce, and won't back down from anybody. They'll be headlined by defensive back
Ishmael Adams, who was a star at UCLA and signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. The group will also include
David Haney, who will look to repeat the success he had as a rookie with the Iowa Barnstormers last season, as well as rookie
London Iakopo and
Daquawn "Cheetah" Brown, who will return for his second stint with the Strike Force. They'll look to enforce a strict "no-fly zone" all year long.
The roster is rounded out by kicker
Tanner Kuljian, who is from Temecula and played for both San Diego State and USD.
The 21-man San Diego Strike Force roster for Week 1 is as listed:
#3 QB Cristian Solano
#11 QB
Steve Cluley
#12 WR Marquise Rodgers
#23 WR Amechi Walker
#7 WR
Troy Evans
#24 RB
Elijah Ibitokun-Hanks
#10 RB
Davonte Sapp-Lynch
#90 OL
Zian Jones
#71 OL
Damien Britt
#72 OL GeWhite Stallworth
#55 DL
Ben Moa
#99 DL
Javian Williams
#17 DL
Terrence Fullum
#19 DL
DeShon Cooper
#8 LB
Ricky Wyatt
#20 LB
Malik Lawal
#1 DB
Ishmael Adams
#21 DB
London Iakopo
#6 DB
David Haney
#5 DB
Daquawn Brown
#14 K
Tanner Kuljian
A Night of Firsts
The plan is to walk away 1-0 when the final whistle blows. Winning their first game of the season is the only goal this Strike Force team is focused on. However, if they succeed, they'll accomplish a number of other firsts. A win would be San Diego's first ever win against the Bay Area Panthers, as well as the team's first win in over two years. It would also be Coach Beezer's first win as a professional football coach. Most importantly, it would be the team's first step towards bringing San Diego it's first ever professional sports' championship.
The Strike Force will return to San Diego after tonight's game to prepare for their home opener against the Arizona Rattlers, which will be exactly a week from today. The game will kick off at 7:05 P.M. PT on Monday, March 28th at Pechanga Sports Arena. Don't miss it! Get your tickets
now.
