The Lancaster Rattlers entered the USL Premier Development League in 2007 as the first ever soccer franchise from the Antelope Valley area of Southern California.
They played their first competitive game on April 28, 2007, a 2–1 loss to fellow expansion franchise, Ventura County Fusion, and this unfortunately set the standard for a disappointing first season.
Head coach Steve McKenzie was replaced halfway through the season by Gary Brunner, the boss's son, but the change resulted in limited success; their first victory (2–1 over the San Francisco Seals) was the single bright spot of a summer which saw them lose eight of their next nine games, scoring 15 goals but conceding an astonishing 32.
A difficult first season ended with the Rattlers managing a 2–2 draw against Los Angeles Storm, but finishing dead last in the division, six points adrift of their closest rivals, and second-worst in the entire PDL (only Cocoa Expos had a worse record).
2008 wasn't much better for the team from Antelope Valley; they started the season with third new head coach, Costas Skouras, but the on-field products remained poor.
After a 2–2 tie with Bakersfield Brigade in their opening fixture, the Rattlers went on to lose seven straight games, including a 5–0 hammering by Los Angeles Legends, a 4–2 loss to San Fernando Valley Quakes, and a 4–1 home defeat to Fresno Fuego.
The Rattlers finished the year dead last in the division for the second time, four points adrift of their closest rivals, Southern California Seahorses.
They beat Ogden Outlaws 4–3 in a seesaw game in which Richard Galvan scored an 84th-minute winner, comfortably knocked off Bakersfield Brigade 3–0 at home, fought back to tie 2–2 with Ventura County Fusion having gone behind twice, and pummelled Ogden for a second time, winning 5–2 on the road in the penultimate game of the season with two more goals from Mauricio Harrie.
The rocky early part of the season meant that the best the Rattlers could do was 7th place in the division – but this was a significant improvement over previous years.