Shane Boyd's 7 TD passes lead Arizona Rattlers past Spokane Shock

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Arizona Rattlers don't have many losing streaks in recent years, and after Saturday's 59-47 win against the Shock in Spokane, they have one less victory drought to worry about.

Going into Saturday, the Rattlers were 1-5 in Washington, with that single win coming in 2012.

They can thank new quarterback Shane Boyd, who threw 7 touchdown passes and helped Arizona break a tie at 34 after three quarters as the Rattlers outscored the Shock 25-13.

The Rattlers came into the game down another quarterback when the team learned this week that quarterback B.J. Coleman quit the team. With reigning MVP quarterback Nick Davila still out with an injured foot, Boyd took over the team and had no trouble spreading the ball around, throwing scoring strikes to four different receivers.

Wide receiver Markee White led all Rattlers' receivers with 3 touchdown passes, including a one-handed fingertip touchdown grab.

Arizona's fullback Mykel Benson had another big game, running for 19 yards on 5 carries, and had 2 touchdowns, one on the ground and one receiving.

Arizona's defense also stepped up in a big way Saturday night. Linebacker and return specialist AJ Cruz was all over the field with 10.5 tackles and a tipped pass to go along with his 50 kick return yards. Defensive tackle Anttaj Hawthorne added another sack in the first. Defensive back Jeremy Kellem grabbed his seventh interception of the season late in the fourth quarter, which essentially ended the game. Kellem's interception went with his team-leading 11 tackles.

Defensive back Marquis Floyd also had a big night, intercepting a pass from Spokane quarterback Warren Smith and returning it 17 yards. The interception tied him with Los Angeles KISS defensive back Rayshaun Kizer for third all-time with 57 career picks.

Spokane's Smith had a strong night in a losing effort, throwing for 319 yards and running for 42 more. He also threw for 6 touchdowns and ran in for another touchdown. He did, however, have two big interceptions that proved to be costly.

The Rattlers' next game will be at 6 p.m. June 6 when they return home to face the Tampa Bay Storm (4-5). The teams have not faced each other since 2010.

The game will be televised on FOX Sports Arizona and streamed online at ESPN3.com or the WatchESPN app on a tablet or smartphone.