By Mauricio Segura July 1, 2025
Photo: GBT Graphics
The Bay Area Panthers have gone from promising to powerhouse in a single season, and now they’re the first team in the Indoor Football League to clinch a spot in the 2025 playoffs. Their 41 to 30 road win over the Northern Arizona Wranglers wasn’t just another victory. It was a loud announcement that the Panthers are not only here to compete, they’re here to dominate.
With a record of 10 and 2, Bay Area has secured the best mark in the IFL heading into the final stretch of the regular season. The win in Arizona sealed their playoff berth, but it also underscored everything that’s been working for this team all year. Physical, fast, and efficient, the Panthers are playing a style of football that feels unstoppable.
Quarterback Josh Jones continues to be a revelation under center. Against Northern Arizona, he threw for three touchdowns and ran in another, showcasing the kind of dual-threat ability that keeps opposing defenses off balance. Receiver Tyrese Chambers caught two of those scores, adding to his already impressive season, and running back Joshua Tomas pounded out 98 rushing yards in a game that saw Bay Area pull away late. The balance between passing and rushing has become a signature of this offense. It’s not flashy for flashiness’s sake. It’s built to win.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers remain rock solid. They are allowing just under 36 points per game, the best average in the Western Conference. In a league known for its high-octane scoring, Bay Area’s ability to clamp down has been just as crucial as its offensive output. Head coach Rob Keefe, who guided the team to a championship last season, has his squad humming at both ends of the field.
Since early May, the Panthers have been on a roll. They’ve scored 40 or more points in eight straight games and rattled off a string of wins that moved them to the top of the IFL Coaches Poll. But it hasn’t just been about numbers. It’s about attitude. At the SAP Center in San Jose, the team has turned its home field into a place where visiting teams dread playing. The energy is electric, the execution is sharp, and the Panthers have fed off the Bay Area crowd’s growing enthusiasm.
What makes this surge even more impressive is the way the team performs on the road. The clinching victory in Arizona was a back-and-forth affair that featured seven lead changes. In the fourth quarter, Bay Area’s defense dug in, producing critical stops while the offense tacked on points to create separation. Wins like that show championship grit, especially when they come in tough environments far from home.
With one home game left in the regular season against the Vegas Knight Hawks on July 11, the Panthers are now turning their attention to postseason positioning. The top seed in the Western Conference is still up for grabs, and every remaining game could influence where and how the Panthers start their playoff journey. Another key matchup looms against the San Diego Strike Force, a team also jockeying for playoff leverage.
To fully appreciate where this team is now, you have to remember where it started. Just two years ago, the Panthers finished their inaugural season with a 1 and 15 record. It was a brutal start for a brand-new franchise, but ownership stayed the course. With the help of leaders like Keefe, and a front office that includes Marshawn Lynch and Roy Choi, the organization rebuilt with purpose. The transformation since then has been nothing short of extraordinary.
This season feels like the payoff for all the groundwork. The culture has changed. The roster is loaded with talent that plays with swagger and precision. The coaching staff has a clear plan, and the players have bought in. Most importantly, the Bay Area fan base is starting to believe that this team isn’t just playoff material. It’s championship caliber.
As the regular season nears its close and the playoff brackets begin to take shape, the Panthers aren’t looking back. They’ve rewritten their narrative, turning a once-struggling franchise into one of the IFL’s most feared competitors. The postseason is no longer a dream. It’s the next chapter in a story that keeps getting better.
From worst to first, from hopeful to dominant, the Bay Area Panthers have made their intentions clear. They’re not just clinching playoff spots. They’re coming for a title.
