Women's Football: Rebellion Dominate Utah in Season Opener

ESCONDIDO, CA - The San Diego Rebellion kicked off their 2025 season with a commanding 40-6 victory over the Utah Falconz Saturday night at Wilson Stadium. Quarterback Danny Trainor led the offensive charge with three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), while the Rebellion defense held Utah's newly implemented spread offense to just six points.

San Diego established their dominance early when running back Kesz Wesley punched in a four-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. The Rebellion extended their lead to 14-0 in the second quarter on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Trainor to rookie tight end Alyssa Speckhals.

Utah showed signs of life late in the first half when linebacker Brittney Bjork intercepted Trainor and returned it to the San Diego 19-yard line. The Falconz capitalized with a four-yard touchdown pass from Sara Galica to Renate Meckl, but missed the two-point conversion attempt, leaving the score at 14-6 heading into halftime.

After regrouping, the Rebellion offense found its rhythm, scoring 26 unanswered points in the second half. Regina Escoto contributed two touchdown runs, while Trainor added a rushing touchdown and connected with Alicia Zappia-Neeley for another score.

"I feel like our offense has a great unit behind us," Trainor said after the game. "We had some adversity in the beginning, a couple players went down, but we pulled together and came through in the end."

The 2024 MVP candidate acknowledged her early struggles, which included two interceptions, but credited her teammates for helping her bounce back. 

"I rallied around my team, they lifted me up. I struggle with getting in my head, and they lifted my chin, and helped me flush it."

Women's Football: Rebellion seeking another championship run

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

2025 SAN DIEGO REBELLION SEASON PREVIEW

After a dominant 7-1 campaign in 2024 that ended in another conference final loss to the Texas Elite Spartans, the San Diego Rebellion enter 2025 with a revamped roster, renewed determination, and an unwavering focus on capturing their first WNFC IX Cup championship. Here's what to expect as the Rebellion gear up for redemption:

Overcoming Adversity on Offense

The Rebellion may face a significant challenge with standout running back Melina Malaxos sidelined for the season due to an ACL injury. Malaxos was instrumental in 2024, rushing for 488 yards and scoring four touchdowns, but San Diego's depth offers hope to fill the void. Dual-threat quarterback Danny Trainor returns for her second season after accounting for 12 touchdowns (5 rushing, 7 passing) last year. She'll be supported by a backfield committee featuring efficient backup Kesz Wesley (7.0 yards per carry in 2024) and Regena Escato, a dynamic playmaker from Team Mexico.

The receiving corps gains a major boost with the return of Sakura Roberson, a former SDSU track star who missed 2024 after a standout rookie season. Her speed and versatility add a new dimension to the offense, while veteran wideout Nisha Taylor provides two-way value, having notched three receiving touchdowns and three interceptions as a cornerback. The Rebellion also added receiver Jamie Blue, who earned WNFC All-Pro Game MVP honors as a rookie with the Las Vegas Silver Stars in 2022. Up front, the line remains a fortress, anchored by All-WNFC center Tanya Luna and 2024 Trench Player of the Year Johanna Aspenberg.

The Detroit Lions’ Bold Proposal to Reshape NFL Playoff Seeding

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

The NFL offseason is always a time for reflection, roster adjustments, and, perhaps most intriguingly, rule change proposals. As teams prepare for the annual league meetings—scheduled for March 30 to April 2, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida—the Detroit Lions have emerged as a leading voice in pushing for a significant shift in how the league structures its postseason. Their proposal? A dramatic overhaul of the NFL playoff seeding system that could reward regular-season performance over divisional titles, potentially altering the competitive landscape of the playoffs for years to come.

The Current System and Its Flaws

Under the NFL’s existing playoff format, each conference sends its four division winners and three wild-card teams to the postseason. The division winners automatically claim the top four seeds, regardless of their regular-season record, while wild-card teams—selected based on the best records among non-division winners—are slotted into seeds five through seven. This structure ensures that winning a division guarantees a home playoff game, a perk that’s long been a cornerstone of the league’s postseason design.

But this system isn’t without its critics. In seasons where a division is particularly weak, a team with a mediocre record can secure a top-four seed and a home game, while a wild-card team with a superior record is forced to hit the road. The 2024 season provided a stark example: the Minnesota Vikings, with a 14-3 record, earned the No. 5 seed as a wild card in the NFC North, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) and Los Angeles Rams (10-7) claimed the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds as division winners. The Vikings, despite having one of the league’s best records, were sent on the road to face the Rams in the wild-card round—a game they lost—while the Lions, who beat Minnesota in Week 18 to finish 15-2, secured the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.

This disparity has fueled debates about fairness and competitive equity, and it’s precisely what the Lions are aiming to address with their proposal.

Charlotte Strike Down Enforcers in NPSFL Season Opener

In a rain-soaked season opener of the National Public Safety Football League (NPSFL), the Charlotte Cobras defeated the San Diego Enforcers 21-8 at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon.

The defending Division 2 Champion Charlotte Cobras (1-0) made a statement in their first Division 1 game, using a stellar defensive performance and three touchdown passes from quarterback Mark Brown to wide receiver Jabri Ridenhour to secure the victory on the road.

San Diego (0-1) struck first with a safety in the first quarter after a bad snap went through the end zone, giving the Enforcers an early 2-0 lead. However, Charlotte responded when Daryl Napper intercepted Enforcers quarterback Jay Gonzalez, setting up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Brown to Ridenhour, putting the Cobras ahead 7-2.

The first half ended with Charlotte leading 7-2, as both defenses dominated in the steady rain.

In the third quarter, after the Enforcers kicked a field goal to make it 7-5, Brown and Ridenhour connected on a spectacular 75-yard touchdown, extending Charlotte's lead to 14-5. San Diego added another field goal to cut the lead to 14-8, but couldn't find the end zone despite several trips to the red zone.

The Cobras sealed the victory with 1:50 remaining when Brown found Ridenhour for his third touchdown reception, a three-yard pass that gave Charlotte a 21-8 lead.

The Cobras will return home to face Chicago on the 29th, while the Enforcers looks to regroup and find an offensive rhythm in their next contest at San Bernardino on April 12th.

Impact Players:

Jabri Ridenhour (Charlotte): Caught three touchdown passes, including a 75-yard score

Mark Brown (Charlotte): Threw for three touchdowns with no interceptions

Donovan Hayes (Charlotte): Led a relentless defense with sideline-to-sideline play

Carlos Sanchez (San Diego): Connected on two field goals for the Enforcers' only offensive points