(Tucson, AZ) The league leading Rattlers came to Tucson with an unblemished record and the league’s best scoring offense and top defense as well.
The Snakes have owned Tucson since the league began in 2019. They’re 7-0 against the Sugar Skulls.
Tucson’s last game on this three game home stand have won the first two games in exciting fashion.
Husband Kevin Guy owner and coach of the Rattlers will face his wife Cathy owner of the Sugar Skulls again.
Arizona took the opening kickoff after the Skulls deferred till the second half.
Four plays later, League MVP Drew Powell faked a handoff and scooted five yards to put the first points on the board. Rattlers up 7-0 at the 12:09 mark of the opening quarter.
Tucson got a great kickoff return by Ben Jones put them in business right off the rip.
It took all of three plays for the Sugar Skulls to even things up with Mike Jones pounding it in from four yards out. Tied score 7-7 with 9:00 on the cl0ck.
The quick score by Tucson didn’t seem to phase Powell and company as they struck back on two plays. Braxton Haley caught a twenty seven yard pass in stride from Powell and the Snakes were back on top 14-7.
The game quickly turned into the track meet that was expected as Daquan Neal went for it all on the first play, knowing it was a free play due to a Rattler jumping offsides. The result was a thirty nine yard touchdown reception by Quinton Pedroza and back and forth we went now with a 14-14 tie and still four minutes left in the quarter.
After a Sugar Skulls face mask penalty that placed the ball at the five yard line, Haley ran left and into the end zone.
Tucson got some revenge and blocked the extra point attempt. Snakes up 20-14 with :52 left.
That was more than enough time for the Skulls as Ben Jones took the ensuing kickoff to the house and gave Tucson its first lead 21-20 to end the first quarter.
The second quarter began like the first as Powell took the Snakes down to pay dirt off a Jamal Miles two yard run, but again the extra point was unsuccessful as it sailed wide. Arizona led 26-21.
Knowing that they can stay with the league leaders kept the confidence meter still rising. Neal connected with Carrington Thompson who caught the eighteen pass in front of the defender and now Tucson had a two point lead 28-26 midway through the second quarter.
The first break of the game came with a little over two minutes left in the half when the Sugar Skulls defense stiffened and forced an Arizona turnover on downs.
Neal on a key third down after two minimal gains lowered his shoulder at the one yard line and scored off the Rattler turnover. With :45 seconds left in the half, Skulls led their upstate rivals 35-26.
Powell as cool as a cucumber on the first play of the possession found Haley again off of man coverage wide open in the end zone from thirty seven yards and the Rattlers were within a field goal but there was still :33 seconds left until halftime.
Trying a little trickery, the Snakes onside kick attempt didn’t travel the required ten yards and there was also a penalty on the kicking team.
Tucson on its second attempt on fourth down from the two following a Snakes penalty saw Neal scanning the field finally Pedroza again but made him climb the ladder and over the wall to give them their largest lead 42-32 at the half.
Second half started out with four consecutive penalties from both teams.
Once the ball was in play post penalties, Neal methodically marched the Skulls down the field highlighted by a shuttle pass to Arthur Jackson and he did the rest from seventeen yards out and suddenly Tucson had a 48-32 lead with 10:57 left in the third quarter.
Powell not wanting to let this game get out of hand, used his feet from midfield and bobbed and weaved for the score. The two point play, was a carbon copy and successful. That tightened up the game 48-40.
Powell showed why he’s the reigning MVP of the IFL.
Neal not to be outdone, showed his athleticism by a delayed rush up the left wall to score from ten yards out. Skulls back up 55-40 with 5:15 left in the quarter.
Tucson’s defense came up huge when Powell fumbled on his own three yard line and TJ Winslow fell on the loose ball to give the Sugar Skulls a golden opportunity as the quarter came to a close.
The Skulls had a big decision to make as they faced a fourth down without gaining any yardage. Coach Dixie Wooten chose to kick a field goal that gave his team an eighteen point lead which made the contest a three possession game.
Powell, came right back for the Snakes and hit Todd Athey from nine yards out and then scored himself on the two point conversion to bring the game back to a ten point affair 58-48 with 11:20 left in the game.
Arizona again attempted the onside kick, but the Sugar Skulls covered the ball.
Third down from the Arizona three yard line, Neal hit Jones in the end zone but the extra point missed and the game remained at two possessions 64-48 at the 8:13 mark.
Arizona feeing the pressure and the clock continued to move, saw Powell once again, run up the near sideline and hurdled the Skulls defensive back to score a touchdown. The Snakes went for two points again and Powell didn’t disappoint. The Rattlers crept closer at 64-56 with 4:40 t0 g0.
Coach Kevin Guy who had lost his “sideline privileges” on a call in the first half was still trying to get an onside kick to go Arizona’s way failed again.
On the first play from the four yard line, Mike Jones scored on a nice cutback to the middle and danced into the end zone. Skulls got their cushion back 71-56, 3:28 to go in regulation.
The Snakes still weren’t dead as they kept coming back thank to Powell who scored again from the two to make it 71-63 and still hope but only :49 left on the clock.
Another onside kick was recovered once more by the Skulls which all but sealed the win and gave them a first and goal at the Snake’s six yard line.
In three plays, Neal could only muster four yards as the ball sat on the two yard line and fourth down.
Bring in Logan Justus for a chip shot filed goal that put the icing on cake and an historic win 74-63 over Arizona.
This game had a few firsts; the first victory over the Snakes in the history of the franchise.
First loss for the Rattlers knocking them from their undefeated season.
After setting the Club high score record a week ago with their wild 72-71 victory over Duke City, now the record moves to 74 points.
Tucson’s winning streak is now at three and their overall record in back in the black at 4-3 for the season.
If the game stats told the whole story, you’d of scratched your head if you saw the Sugar Skulls had won.
Rattlers MVP Powell threw for 208 yards and 3 touchdowns to Tucson’s Neal with 152 yards but his passes were more effective with 5 TD’s.
On the ground, the Snakes led 106-60 in yards gained.
Return yardage wasn’t close either 211-153 also in favor of Arizona.
The two big plays of the game that kept Tucson with the momentum, the defensive stand that had the Rattlers turn the ball on downs and the blocked Arizona field goal. Both came at crucial times in the game.
Tucson goes on the road the next two weeks. May 14th they’ll play the other Arizona team as they face the Northern Arizona Wranglers who they defeated April 23rd in the Boneyard to start their current three game win streak.
The Skulls head to the left coast on May 21st, where they’ll get their rematch with the San Diego Strike Force who edged Tucson 67-66 back on April 9th.
Arizona will face the Massachusetts Pirates in a rematch of the 2021 United Bowl IFL Championship Game which they lost 37-34 on a last second field goal.
The attendance of 3,279 was the largest of the season at the Tucson Convention Center.
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