In the thick of the battle for playoff positioning heats up, the Fighters’ 45-38 home win against the Bay Area Panthers could end up being an important one. 
 
Exacting a bit of revenge for one of their two losses this season — a 62-55 decision against Bay Area last month — Frisco stays one game ahead of the Massachusetts Pirates for the top seed in the IFL’s East Division.
 
Kordell Jackson’s pick on the one-yard line ensured the Panthers couldn’t take a late lead, rather allowing the Fighters to embark on a 49-yard go-ahead drive that included a 4th-and-10 conversion deep in their own territory.
 
Shortly after that crucial play — a pass from TJ Edwards to Jerminic Smith — Martez Carter punched it in from 22 yards out to give his team a touchdown lead with 4:17 to play.
 
Frisco’s defense buckled down on its side of the field on the series that followed, sealing the team’s 12th victory of the year after forcing incompletions by Bay Area’s rookie backup quarterback, Felix Harper. The Fighters are a perfect 7-0 at home, where they’ll host the Sioux Falls Storm on Saturday.
 
Frisco’s three-game winning streak began with a 54-51 triumph over the Storm on June 10.