(Tucson, AZ) Back at the Bone Yard, Tucson had its first back to home games of the season. This was also was the start of the second half of the IFL season.
The Skulls (1-6) in the middle of a five game skid, needed to come out strong and make an early statement.
Last week they lost for the second time to the Arizona Rattlers this season.
Wideout Ryan Balentine didn’t suit up for the game, having injured his knee on a hit against the wall last week against the Rattlers.
On the defensive side, the Skulls signed Byron Evans Jr., son of former Arizona Wildcat and Philadelphia Eagles great Byron Evans Sr.
Duke City (3-4) came in off a win last week against the Wranglers of Northern Arizona. The Gladiators are the only team to be the beat league leading Ratters in the opening game if the season 63-55.
Tucson started off well worth their opening drive that culminated in a Mike Jones two yard touchdown run at the 8:41 mark of the opening quarter. Skulls up 6-0 when the point after sailed wide.
Duke City in their first possession drove to the Skulls nine yard line but couldn’t convert and turned the ball over on downs back to the Sugar Skulls.
Tucson held the Gladiators to just two first downs in the quarter and Duke City 0nly had the ball for 4:20 of the quarter.
The Skulls looked liked they had a little pep in their step in the first quarter and continued their momentum on another three yard run by Jones for his second touchdown. Once again, Tucson didn’t convert the extra point attempt after a bad snap. Skulls 12-0 at 12:39 in the second quarter.
On a third and ten from the Tucson seventeen yard line, a Nate Davis pass was complete to the three yard line. The drive stalled and the Gladiators has to settle for a twenty yard field goal to cut the Skulls lead to 12-3 with 7:16 left til halftime.
Jones continued to have success on the next drive and Tucson kept the run game going and he converted again going untouched into the end zone from four yards out. This time the Sugar Skulls converted the extra point and led 19-3 with just under three minutes left in the half.
Duke City got its first touchdown with a minute left, when quarterback Nate Davis hit Josiah Hunter on a crossing route from the five yard line. The Gladiators went for the two point conversion but Skulls defensive back Delondo Boyd batted the ball down.
Tucson tried a forty nine yard field goals which was well short. Then the Gladiators drove to the Skulls eight yard line. On third down and goal, Davis fired a bullet into the end zone to Dello Davis with just seven seconds remaining.
Jimmy Camacho’s forty two yard field goal attempt was wide and actually hit the Canadian Flag in the back of the arena.
Halftime score; Skulls 18 Gladiators 16.
Duke City took the second half kickoff and scored on another pass from Davis to Davis giving the Gladiators their first lead 23-19 with their twentieth consecutive point.
For the first time all game, Tucson was back on its heels. The first Skulls possession went nowhere and they turned the ball back over to the Gladiators near midfield.
Duke City capitalized on the turnover and Daniel Bowen kicked a forty three yard field goal to extend to 26-19 with just under four minutes left in the third quarter.
The ensuing kickoff Jazeric Peterson returned the ball to the Duke City eight yard line. Two plays later, JuJu Augustine caught a Demry Croft pass in the end zone and the score was tied at 26-26 with 1:52 left in the third quarter.
After three quarters, the stats were as even as the score. Duke City had a big edge in passing, but the Sugar Skulls owned the ground game.
Tucson was 4-4 in the Red Zone while the Gladiators were 3-4.
Heading into the final quarter, Duke City faced a fourth and ten from midfield, where their pass attempt sailed over the receivers head. Ball back to the Sugar Skulls.
Tucson went airborne and crossed up the Gladiators, who looked for the run.
Bang bang, enter Jones again for his fourth rushing touchdown after he bounced off several would be tacklers and jackknifed into the end zone and the Skulls came back to regain the lead 33-26.
That lead didn’t last long as Duke City came right back scored on a eight yard post to tie it up again 33-33 with 6:03 left in the game.
The Gladiators kicked a low line drive that bounced off a Tucson player and recovered the ball to retain possession.
That was the break the Duke City needed. On third and goal from the two yard line, a false start penalty moved the ball back to the seven yard line. Jared Elmore scored in the front part of the end zone to give the Gladiators the lead back 40-33 with fifty six seconds left.
Lighting didn’t strike a second time as Duke City tried another hard onside kick that gave the Skulls the ball and great field position at the sixteen.
With fifteen seconds left, Jones again took a delayed screen pass and scored touchdown number five to bring them within one point.
After two defensive penalties moved the ball inside the one yard line, Coach Dixie Wooten decided to roll the dice for a two point attempt. A Croft keeper around the end and into the end zone gave Tucson a 41-40 lead eight seconds left.
An incomplete pass set up a long Gladiator field goal attempt that hit the speaker system and the Skulls were off the hook and won their first game in six weeks.
What set this game apart from the previous six games was a stout running game that Duke City had no answer and were constantly getting crossed up. Another big change saw Croft under center much more and mixed in with the shotgun formation gave the Gladiators fits.
Even with all the success the offense had, the Tucson defense still needs to find a combination that can make stops more consistently.
With the addition of Evans at linebacker, Davis was hurried on several of his throws, upsetting his timing and rhythm.
The Sugar Skulls travel to Spokane next week with making the playoffs still a possibility.
For now, a big sigh of relief inside the entire Tucson locker room as this team knows the feeling of winning once again.
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