(Tucson, AZ) The Sugar Skulls fresh off their win over Northern Arizona in the Boneyard set their sights at trying to win a season first two consecutive games that would pull them even at 3-3 on the season.
The Duke City Gladiators who beat Tucson two weeks ago in Albuquerque 57-52 won on a last second safety when the snap went over the head of the holder on a game tying field goal attempt.
Tucson didn’t waste any time as Daquan Neal found a wide open Raheem Harvey streaking down the sidelines for a forty two yard touchdown. Two plays and seven points that took a scant 1:34 off the clock. Tucson 7-0.
This team can score in a hurry as they lead the IFL with 54.4 points a game.
Duke City came back on their first drive to match the Skull’s score on a Ramone Atkins hit Darryl Stoneman on a six yard flare route. Tucson 7 Duke City 7 with 7:48 left in the opening quarter.
The Sugar Skulls on their second drive were more methodical as they even faced a fourth and six from the Gladiators twenty which they converted. On their second fourth down of the possession this time from the four yard line, Neal hit Raheem Harvey in the back of the end zone. Tucson 14-7 with :12 left in the quarter.
In that possession, Tucson showed it could play ball control football and still be effective.
A little trickery on the last play of the first quarter, the Skulls surprised Duke City with an early onside kick but touched the ball prior to it going ten yard which put the Gladiators in a very advantageous position, first down at the Tucson nine yard line.
After two broken plays, Duke City found themselves third and goal from the fourteen when Atkins found Gregory Dent for the touchdown against the wall. The point after attempt was no good. Tucson 14-13 with 12:43 left in the half.
The Sugar Skulls caught a break on an unsportsmanlike penalty on the Gladiators scoring play which was assessed after the kick off return.
Carrington Thompson was hit at the one yard line and coughed up the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
Tucson lost a golden opportunity to make the game a two possession affair on that turnover.
The defense turned up for Tucson as they forced a fourth and thirteen, but a big leg fifty two yard field goal by Kevin Goessling gave Duke City its first lead 16-14 at the 5:46 mark.
Faced with their own fourth down situation, Neal connected with Pedroza for a twenty three yard completion and a first down that kept the drive alive.
Trying not to leave much time on the clock, running back Mike Jones did the majority of the work down in the red zone. Jones finished what he started as he scampered into the end zone front the two yard line to put Tucson back in the lead 21-16 with :55 seconds left in the half.
What the Skulls were concerned about came true as Duke City got a thirty two yard kick return to the Skulls sixteen yard line.
Tucson held the first three downs and on fourth and one from the seven yard after finding no one open, Atkins used his feet to score on the final play of the first half. The two point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
The Sugar Skulls hit the locker room down by one 22-21.
The second half started with Duke City’s offense stalling on the drive and their forty yard field goal attempt was just wide.
Tucson on their initial third quarter possession didn’t do much until Neal sent everyone long down the field that left a wide open space up the middle to run and easily converted the fourth down and got the Skulls into the red zone.
On the next play, Neal threw a laser to Thompson to the front of the end zone to the go ahead score. Skulls back on top 28-22 at the 6:08 mark.
Tucson’s defense as they did last week put more pressure on the quarterback forcing Gladiators’ Atkins into difficult situations.
In the IFL, it comes down to who can make more stops, because most teams have high powered offenses.
After a pass interference call on the Skulls, the ball was placed on the two yard line where Atkins on a nice fake to the running back, took it himself for the score. Duke City back in the lead 29-28 with :07 left in the third quarter.
The Gladiators recovered their onside kick and retained possession to begin the final quarter.
With a drive that was more about penalties than offense, the Sugar Skulls held as a twenty four yard field goal attempt was blocked and returned to the Tucson twelve yard line. Bullet dodged by the big special teams play.
In a strange penalty, Duke City was whistled for a “participation without a helmet” call that put the ball at the Gladiator twelve yard line.
Neal made them pay hitting Arthur Jackson on the near sidelines and he did the rest scoring the touchdown. Two tries at the two point conversion after a defensive holding penalty came up empty.
With 5:54 left, Tucson had the lead back 34-29. Coach Dixie Wooten called an onside kick which was more like a pinball game with the ball bouncing off several players from both sides and back into the end zone. When the pile was uncovered, the Skulls had the ball for a touchback.
On a fourth and one, Neal hesitated then bolted over to the far sideline and scored from twenty two yards to give the Sugar Skulls a commanding 40-29 lead with exactly one minute left in the game.
Tucson kicked the ball out of the end zone, which put the ball on the twenty yard line on a fifty yard field, not what the home team wanted.
With a couple of Tucson penalties and Duke City using its timeouts, Atkins hit Dent for the score.
The Sugar Skulls special teams came up with blanket defense on the receivers on the two point attempt and Atkins had no one to throw to as his anemic pass fell to the turf.
Tucson expected the onside kick and put seven players up ten yards from the goal line. The Gladiator kick went passed the front wall and Benjamin Jones fielded the ball and the offense had it at the eleven yard line.
After one play, Neal coughed up the ball after a three yard gain and this game wasn’t over as Duke City came up with the fumble. You cannot take a knee to run out the clock in the IFL.
With nine seconds left, Tucson had the deja vu feeling from their first meeting as Atkins to Dent worked again and the Gladiators seem to have stolen the game. 41-40.
This is where the old saying of “its not over till its over” comes in. Duke City had their extra point blocked and was returned by Brandon Rowland who took it back the length of the field for a two point conversion that gave Tucson the game in one of the most miraculous victories in IFL history.
If you looked at the final stats, you would have thought this was a 7-10 point victory for the Sugar Skulls. Tucson out gained the Gladiators 272-153.
Neal and Mike Jones both out rushed Duke City 57 yards and 54 yards respectively to 43 yards.
The Sugar Skulls now even with a 3-3 record.
Tucson will need a top effort next week when the league leading and in state rival Arizona Rattlers come knocking.
The Snakes come in with a 6-0 record after disposing of the second place Frisco Fighters at the Footprint Center tonight.
This rivalry has been one-sided as the Skulls have yet to beat Arizona in their team history.
The husband and wife duo of head coach and Rattlers owner Kevin Guy will face off against his wife Cathy, the owner of the Sugar Skulls.
Game starts at 6:05 pm next Saturday May 7th at the TCC. Tonight’s attendance was 2,481.
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