The Rattlers shut down Duke City for most of the second quarter and all of the third quarter and cruised to a 51-36 Indoor Football League victory Saturday night in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Duke City (2-3) took a 22-20 lead with about five minutes left in the half, before the Rattlers (4-1) began to take control.

Ernesto Lacayo’s 22-yard field goal with less than two minutes to play gave the Rattlers a 23-22 lead. A goal-line stand in the final minute preserved that lead with the Rattlers getting the ball to start the second half.

Darrell Monroe’s 3-yard scoring run to open the second half gave the Rattlers a 30-22 lead.

Drew Powell made it 37-22 after another Rattlers stop, finding Jarrod Harrington in the back of the end zone for a 15-yard score.

Powell’s 5-yard touchdown run with 8:30 left gave the Rattlers a 44-22 lead.

Powell also threw a 35-yard scoring strike to Harrington.

This was a big change from the first four games of the season for the Rattlers, who suffered second-half lapses on defense in those games. This time, the Rattler pretty much locked it down in the second half. The Gladiators scored a meaningless touchdown as time expired on a kickoff return to make the score look closer.