Game at SAP Center marks Darren Arbet’s return to coaching football
Photo by Marty Cheek
The crowd cheers the Bay Area Panthers who beat the Arizona Rattlers 47-46 March 26 at the SAP Center in San Jose.
By Marty Cheek
The Bay Area Panthers secured a thrilling victory in their debut game of the season, defeating the Arizona Rattlers 47-46 in an electrifying match that had fans on the edge of their seats until the very end.
Their triumph in the game held Sunday, March 26, at the SAP Center not only marked a promising start to the Panthers’ season but also helped to foster a sense of community pride among residents of Morgan Hill, where the indoor football team practices at the Outdoor Sports Center.
In a chat with reporters in the SAP’s press room following the game, Panthers Coach Darren Arbet shared his exhilaration at returning to coaching after several years away. The win was especially sweet because the Rattlers ranked No. 1 in the Indoor Football League coaches poll after a March 17 win against the Quad City Steamrollers. The Panthers took the field ranked third, playing their first game after only 13 days of practice.
“Game one. You’ve got to win the first one, that first game to get into that tournament,” Arbet said. “The guys understand that and play hard and came out the second half. Coach (Rob) Keefe and Coach (Dixie) Wooten made some great changes and the guys came out and executed. I thought our game execution at the end to run out (the clock) was pretty good.”
Arbet served as the head coach of the San Jose Sabercats for many years in the Arena Football League, taking the team to a total of four AFL Championships (2002, 2004, 2007, and 2015). Two Sabercats ArenaBowl wins were against the Rattlers, so the recent victory was extra sweet because of the friendly rivalry between Arbet and Rattlers’ head coach Kevin Guy. Both men have been twice named Arena Coach of the Year.
Having several thousand fans attending the game and cheering the team on helped the Panthers stay motivated for the win, Arbet said.
“It was huge having the people here. It was loud,” he said. “It’s great being back in this building again.”
Returning to coaching after a few years off, he found himself filled with the thrill of the competition.
“I didn’t know how much I missed it. It’s a big part of my life,” he said. “I love coming here every day and coaching these guys. We’ve got a group of great individuals who love the game, so I’m excited every day to come to work.”
Making Morgan Hill the team’s headquarters and using its various facilities has helped to build the team and prepare the players to go up against the Rattlers, he said.
“We love the city. Morgan Hill has stepped up and made it very easy on us to just concentrate on football,” he said. “We call it our campus — the outdoor (sports) complex and the Aquatics Center and the CRC (Centennial Recreation Center ), all those things that the guys use. It helped us get ready and get in shape to play this game tonight.”
The players also feel welcomed as they explore the community and get to meet many of its residents, he said.
“They love Morgan Hill,” he said. “Everyone’s so friendly there.”
Many locals have been eagerly following the team’s progress and were thrilled to see Panther players come out on top in their first game. The Panthers’ success is seen as a positive reflection of the community and its residents, giving them a reason to rally behind their team and feel a sense of shared accomplishment.
Several local businesses partnering with the team by providing food and sponsorships include Parktown Pizza, Nick the Greek, Mooyah Burgers, and Sushi Confidential.
Moses Guerrero, the manager of Parktown Pizza’s Morgan Hill site, enjoyed the game watching it from the stadium seats with friends and feeling excitement rise as Panther’s quarterback Dalton Sneed scrambled for 12 yards with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter to give the Panthers the lead and kicker Kevin Goessling’s extra point made the difference in beating the Rattlers.
“I feel like Morgan Hill needed this professional indoor football team to come here and bring more excitement to the city,” Guerrero said. “I’m happy that they won. I feel they have a championship-caliber team and they can bring a title to the city of San Jose and also Morgan Hill.”
Parktown Pizza had a banner on the wall surrounding the field, giving publicity to the business among the fans attending the game and TV sports coverage throughout the Bay Area. When the Panthers score 36 or more points during a home game, fans can bring in the ticket stub to get a free cheese bread within 48 hours of the game.
“I think it can amp up the business and bring more life to this company by attracting a different audience,” Guerrero said. “People know about Parktown Pizza, but I want more people to know about Parktown Pizza, why we can be the No. 1 pizza in town.”
Randy Musterer, the owner of Sushi Confidential, witnessed the Panthers’ victory when he arrived near the game’s end to deliver chicken and beef teriyaki bowls for the players, coaches and staff. He has also provided food from his restaurant to the team during its practice sessions at the Outdoor Sports Center.
“Seeing a lot of the players after they went into the locker room to change and how they came back out to sign autographs and interact with the fans, it was a pretty moving experience to be there on the ground level and see all of that happening,” Musterer said. “And especially to get a win in their first game! For us to beat Arizona was pretty awesome.”
As the players become more integrated into the South Valley community, he hopes to invite them to meet fans and residents at the Morgan Hill Sushi Confidential and build the team spirit locally while also marketing the downtown restaurant, he said.
After the game, players, coaches and members of the dance team signed autographs and received the congratulations of fans. Wearing a big grin as he stood in the middle of field after end of the game, Roy Choi, who co-owns the team with former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch, said he felt proud of everyone on the Panthers and hopes the win builds momentum for the rest of the season.
“This was such a meaningful game with Coach Arbet’s return,” he said. “We need to make sure it doesn’t go to our heads. We’ll stay humble but confident and I think that’s the mindset that we need to take.”
He appreciated that in the crowd were people from South Valley who shared in the exhilaration of the game’s victory.
“I hope Morgan Hill feels it made the right decision to open the city to us,” Choi said. “I think they had more to lose than we did, and I hope this supports the community.”
