(Tucson, AZ) The Las Vegas Knight Hawks (7-5) came to the Boneyard after posting the IFL’s highest scoring game this season with 82 points last week. The Knight Hawkes came in a game and a half ahead of Tucson for the fourth and final Playoff spot. With the Arizona Rattlers win last night against Green Bay, Vegas fell out of a tie with the Rattlers into fourth place.
The Sugar Skulls (5-6) two game win streak put them within striking distance of being a playoff team. The teams in the IFL West will play each other the rest of the way in the remaining regular season.
First Quarter
The game started off with Vegas kicking off after winning the coin toss. Kicker Ben Derby put it right through the uprights for a deuce and a 2-0 Knight Hawk lead.
Unfazed, Jorge Reyna took the Sugar Skulls right down the field, but had a hiccup once they reached the Vegas red zone and turned it over on downs.
Vegas is ranked 13th in pass defense but Tucson’s first possession they looked a lot better than their ranking.
The Knight Hawkes early looked like they were advertised keeping the Tucson defense.
Vegas brought in Jerome Johnson at quarterback and a fake handoff, he strolled into the end zone for an easy score. Knight Hawks up midway through the opening quarter 9-0.
Reyna found Drew Dixon open along the far sidelines for a big gain and an unecesarry roughness call on Vegas put the near the goal line. Once again, the offense was stymied and couldn’t pick up a half a yard on four plays. Tucson’s second turnover on downs.
After a near safety, Ja’Rome Johnson evaded the rush and found a receiver in the middle pf the field wide open all the way down to the Sugar Skulls 9 yard line. The play was challenged by Tucson Coach Billy Back for Johnson being over the line of scrimmage. Tucson lost the challenge and the play stood.
The Knight Hawks turned Tucson’s inability to score into 7 points and were already pulling away in the first quarter 16-0.
The Skulls best starting field position was a result of a Las Vegas penalty at the 13 yard line to end the quarter.
Second Quarter
Needing a score after being shutout in the first quarter. On second down, Reyna threw a bullet pass to Larry Tripp-Harrington for their first points. A two point pass attempt sailed over the head of the receiver. Las Vegas up 16-6 at the 12:35 mark.
The Knight Hawks first error was a fumble by quarterback Johnson after a mad scramble to avoid the Tucson defensive pressure. Vegas Coach Mike Davis challenged the call saying Johnson’s knee was down. They play stood and the Skulls took possession on the Las Vegas 22 yard line.
On a sweep right, Jamyest Wiliams reversed his field and outran the pursuing defense score. Tucson back in the game only trailing 16-13 halfway into the period.
The Knight Hawks scored on a Johnson keeper up the middle. Up to the 5:23 mark, Las Vegas hadn’t scored since the first quarter. Vegas up 23-13.
The ensuing kickoff saw Tucson mishandle the ball that resulted in a 1 point safety (IFL Rule to put the score at 24-13.
On their next possession, Sapp-Lynch scored on a 4 yard run after a rouging the passer call set it up. The Sugar Skulls went for the 2 points but were denied. Knight Hawks led 24-19 with 1:12 left till halftime.
Trying to go two for possession, Tucson attempted an onside kick which the Kight Hawk recovered at the 8 yard line.
Johnson connected to Quentin Randolph for a touch with 47 seconds left and a 31-19 lead.
Tucson needed to steal some points prior to halftime.
Reyna was sacked on the first play and no time outs left. After a battled pass found the hand of Tripp-Harrington, the Sugar Skulls with 1 second left kicked a 36 yard field goal to salvage points and went into halftime down 31-22.
Halftime
What could have been a golden opportunity to get closer or even take the lead, the defense had Las Vegas where they wanted them. Then disaster struck on a couple of quirky plays that allowed the Knight Hawks to put 15 points on the board in the latter part of the quarter.
Third Quarter
Sugar Skulls kicker Kevin Macias tried to duplicate the Vegas kicker and attempt a deuce on the opening seconds half kick but just missed.
It took the Knight Hawks two plays to score and widened the lead 38-22 with just two minutes gone.
Starting at their own 5 yard line, Tucson had their work cut out for themselves. Two passes got them near midfield. With a sense of urgency, the Sugar Skulls got the ball to the 6 yard line. A little razzle dazzle play to Drew Dixon on a end around took it in for the score to cut the lead 38-29 and still 9:03 in the quarter.
Vegas wasn’t playing around, a 30 yard sideline route was caught for a touchdown when the Sugar Skulls defensive back failed to turn his head around. Knight Hawks took the score to 45-29 but still half the quarter remained.
Las Vegas kicker Derby continued to use the kickoff as a weapon. He put a lot of forward spin on the squib kicks that caused the Skulls return player a lot of fits fielding the ball.
Quickly down the field Tucson went to the one yard line. Learning from their first half errors, Reyna tossed a one yard pass in the back of the end zone to Williams and a 45-36 deficit. The good news was 2;48 still was on the clock in the quarter.
Macias barely missed his second deuce attempt went it hit the corner of the upright and crossbar.
Tucson’s Tariq Bracey with an outstanding play when he took a long completion away from Vegas pounding the receiver into the wall while stripping the ball. That was a break that the Sugar Skulls needed with a 1:21 left on the clock. Again, the play was challenged but stood as called.
Working quickly again, Reyna’s passes took the Skulls down to the Vegas 4 yard line.
Fourth Quarter
Sapp-Lynch bulled his way into score from the 1 yard line and Tucson got the break they needed and cashed in. With 13:25 left, the Sugar Skulls came roaring back to trail by two points 45-43. Had the team not tried to chase points and went for the extra point on two scores, the game would have been tied.
Losinig the momentum, it was the Knight Hawks turn to feel the pressure. With an elbow to the head penalty, the ball was placed inside the 5 yard line where Randolph scored to stop the bleeding for the time. The lead went back to two possession game 52-43 with still plenty of time remaining.
With no one open downfield, Reyna juked an weaved to the one yard line. Tucson got bailed out on an incomplete pass on fourth down, an illegal defense was called on Las Vegas. That what the Sugar Skulls needed. Williams blasted in from the 1 yard line. The try for 2 points was again unsuccessful and 0-3 for the game. The Sugar Skulls still clinging to hope down 52-49.
Vegas saw the speed in which the Skulls scored in the second half and kept it on the ground to run the clock. They still had positive results running the ball and took it to the 1 yard line with 1:30 left in the game. The Knight Hawks after being denied the end zone, finally punched it in with under a minute left and a 59-49 lead.
The Sugar Skulls would need a miracle and two possessions.
Tucson took it down field to the 3 yard line on one play. Three plays later Reyna lobbed it Tripp-Harrington for the touchdown. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was assessed on Tucson at the worst possible time and forced them to go for 2 points from the Vegas 28 yard line. The jump ball pass was intercepted but the defensive back was smashed into the wall and then mayhem broke out. The Knight Hawks were penalized for their own unsportsmanlike penalty.
The only hope was an onside kick which the Skulls nearly recovered but that was it for their comeback.
Final Score Vegas won 59-55
Wrap Up
This was a game that could have had two different endings. The Sugar Skulls down all game came roaring back to come within three points of the lead. Tucson could have won this game. The defense was exceptional most of the contest but were put into difficult situations by the offense’s lack of execution.
Credit Coach Billy Back with keeping his team focused and not to roll over.
The two things that stuck out were the inability to convert on two possesions inside the 5 yard line when they turned the ball over on downs, and going 0-3 on two point conversions. Assuming they would have converted the extra points, and the missing touchdowns, that’s 15 points taken off the board.
With the loss, Tucosn is still mathematically still alive for a playoff spot, but they would have to win their remaining four games and get help from the Bay Area Panthers, Northern Arizona in their matchups with the Knight Hawks. The Sugar Skulls also have to win the rematch with Vegas on the final game of the regular season in Henderson Nevada. No easy task.
Another issue; the announced attendance was listed as 2,250. It certainly didn’t look like that many were in the arena. Season ticket holders who didn’t show up may have been part of that seemingly inflated number. There was no other conflicted events in Tucson today. What will it take to get the fickle Tucson sports fans to support a local team other than the Arizona Wildcats? Tucson has the IFL National Championship Game here the next three years.
Case in point, the Arizona Rattlers last night with two other conflicted sporting events drew 9,342. A Gold Cup Soccer Match at State Farm Stadium drew 45,225 and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field 28,446. Even with the Valley’s much larger population, you can easily see that sports fans up there support their local teams.
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