PECHANGA ARENA — With their 30-20 loss to the Bay Area Panthers to wrap the regular season, the San Diego Strike Force fell a game short of hosting their first-ever playoff game.

After entering the fourth quarter tied at 20-20, the Strike Force gave up a 48-yard field goal to Bay Area kicker Craig Peterson, and with less than two minutes remaining, a six-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Felix Harper that pushed the game out of reach for the first-time playoff team.

Rudy Johnson got the start at quarterback but by the second drive, Darius Peterson, who the team signed on July 18 from the Iowa Barnstormers, replaced Johnson and played the remainder of the game. Regular starting quarterback Nate Davis was rested ahead of the team’s first playoff appearance.

It was a complete day off for Davis, who still practiced throughout the week as if he was going to start, but the decision had already been made by head coach Taylor Genuser and the rest of the coaching staff. There was no circumstance in which he was going to play.

With playoffs already clinched, Genuser did not want to take any chances with potential injury.

Peterson scored on two quarterback keepers in the second quarter for the Strike Force’s first points of the game. They were tied 13-13 at the half.

Peterson first joined the team on July 12 and learned the system of the San Diego offense from Davis, Genuser and the other players.

He linked up with wide receiver Isaah Crocker for a 33-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave San Diego a 20-13 lead. Crocker was Peterson’s favorite target throughout the second half.

San Diego kicker Conor Mangan was 2-for-5 in total kicks and 0-for-2 in field goal attempts. His missed field goal attempts came from 22 and 31 yards away.

Up next: The Strike Force will face the one-seed Bay Area Panthers on the road in the first round of the IFL playoffs on either Saturday, July 27, or Sunday, July 28.