(Tucson, AZ) The Sugar Skulls returned to the Boneyard for the second consecutive home game. Coming in at (3-5), and only four home games remaining on the home schedule they needed to get a “W” tonight to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Strike Force from America’s Finest City of San Diego came in slightly better at (5-4) and were in the final playoff spot in the Western Division if the playoffs started today. The top four teams in each division will go to the IFL Playoffs.
Tucson needed to avoid getting down early and having to play catch up all game like last week.
First Quarter
San Diego got the ball first as the Sugar Skulls deferred to the second half after winning the coin toss.
It didn’t take long for the Strike Force to score as Nate Davis found a wide open John Maldonado in the end zone to go up 7-0 at the 10:30 mark in the opening quarter.
Davis was a thorn in Tucson’s side last game as they scored 28 unanswered points to come away with the victory.
On their first possession, Tucson got into the Strike Force’s red zone. Coach Billy Back wanted to establish a run game early on and Sapp-Lynch provided some good yardage down to the 4 yard line. San Diego’s defense forced a fourth and goal from the one. Reyna went to the well once to often and was stopped short to turn the ball back over to the Strike Force.
This was a bad reminder of events of last week as they had two turnovers on downs inside the 5 yard line.
A questionable unsportsmanlike penalty against the Sugar Skulls took the ball all the way down to the 5 yard line. One play later, Edward Vander took the pitch and scored to put Tucson down by two touchdowns 14-0 and 2:34 left in the quarter.
On there second possession from scrimmage, Reyna use short passes on pitch and catch plays to move the ball. Spreading the ball around the first three plays, got them to the San Diego 7 yard line. Switching to the ground, Jamyest Williams’ quick hitter scored to put the Skulls on the board at the end of the first quarter 14-7.
Second Quarter
It was San Diego’s turn to mix run and pass down to the Tucson 10 yard line, but faced a third down and five and the pass was overthrown. On fourth down the Sugar Skulls returned the favor and got the turnover on downs with a nice defensive play knocking the pass away.
After a blatant pass interference that wasn’t called, Reyna resorted to his legs with mixed results. Facing a fourth and fifteen from their own 10 yard line, options were few as Kevin Macias attempted a field goal kicking it two yards deep in his own end zone was way short and brought out to midfield by the Strike Force.
The Skulls defense stiffened and forced San Diego into a 36 yard missed field goal that was wide right.
With 4:40 left till the half, neither team had scored in the quarter.
Bad luck struck as Reyna’s pass was tipped and ran back for a touchdown from 2o yards out. That was a big play for the Strike Force as they stretched their lead to 21-7 with under three minutes left in the half.
Finally, Reyna stretched the field finding Jerome Buckner on a crossing pattern on a 40 yard reception down to the 1 yard yard. Two plays later Tripp-Harrington came back to haul in Reyna’s pass for the score with under a minute left. The play was challenged by San Diego but stayed a touchdown and the Sugar Skulls down 21-14.
The Strike Force stole a touchdown just before the half when Davis hit Jalen Sample on the far sideline and with a missed open field tackle he went into score untouched and back to a two touchdown lead 28-14.
Macias attempted a 45 yard field goal on the last play of the half, but it hit the speakers in the center of the roof..
With two seconds put back on the clock, San Diego tried their chance at a 45 yard kick but it was off the mark to finally end the half 28-14 for the Strike Force.
Halftime
With their late touchdown, the Sugar Skull thought they had the momentum going into the locker room, but the pick six took that away in a blink of an eye.
The Tucson defense played well for most of the first half, but were put into difficult situations at times when the offense couldn’t move the ball.
Third Quarter
Tucson took the second half kickoff which once again hit the speakers at their own 20 yard line. Initially, Reyna moved the ball early, but a penalty took them out of their comfort zone. Williams bailed them out with a nifty catch and run on third and fifteen to keep the drive going. Jerome Buckner scored on the next play and the Sugar Skulls were back in business down 28-20 as the extra point was missed.
The Tucson defense put the Strike Force into a third and nine on their first crack on offense, but Davis bailed them out on a late pass to get the first down in the Sugar Skulls red zone. Daniel Davis was wide open in the middle of the end zone that put San Diego back up 35-20 with a little under half the quarter left.
The ensuing kickoff, Ernesto Lacayo scored the deuce in between the uprights to add to their lead 37-20 and the Skulls couldn’t catch a break.
A quick touchdown pass from Reyna to Tripp-Harrington reignited the offense to keep within striking distance and converted the two points after the score. San Diego led 37-28 with 3:20 left in the quarter.
Davis threaded the needle on a fly pattern down the far side and back and forth we went. Strike Force back up 44=28.
Fourth Quarter
Skulls need some defensive stops as both teams were trading scores. Tucson looked like it was going to score but the Strike Force defense stripped the ball away on potential scoring play and the Sugar Skulls came away empty.
It took the Strike Force three plays to make the Tucson miscue pay off as they added another touchdown to blow this game wide open 51-28 with less than three minutes gone in the final quarter.
All game long, the Strike Force secondary took the deep ball away from Tucson. With two consecutive sacks on Reyna, they faced a fourth and fourteen. Tripp-Harrington caught of the few deep balls but it was good enough for the first down. With the ball now at the San Diego 12 yard line, Reyna threw back across the field to former Arizona Wildcat Drew Dixon who won the jump ball for the touchdown. Tripp-Harrington followed it with a catch on the two points attempt when he stretched the ball across the goal line. That brought the score 51-36 with 6:32 left in the game.
An onside kick was touched early by a Tucson player that gave the Strike Force the ball at the Sugar Skulls 9 yard line.
A 7 yard scamper by Edward Vander added to the San Diego lead 58-36 and 4:18 left to play.
It took Reyna two plays to find Tripp-Harrington for a touchdown against the Strike Force’s defensive backups to draw the Skulls to a 58-42 deficit and 2:28 left.
San Diego got the ball in excellent field position after another failed onside kick attempt at the Sugar Skulls 15 yard line. An unusual unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by the Strike Force with 1:25 left put the ball back at midfield. All that was needed was to run the clock out, but San Diego still tried to rub salt into the wound with a pass into the end zone that was flagged for interference on the Skulls secondary. Finally, Davis took a knee to end the game.
Final Score 58-42.
Wrap Up
Once again, the Skulls shot themselves in the foot with untimely penalties and putting their defense in short yardage situations. When you constantly have to play from behind, it takes a lot of energy to try to catch up.
San Diego used the deep ball effectively early which opened up their short game and running attack. The Strike Force took advantage of the opportunities Tucson gave them.
With the loss, the Sugar Skulls fall to (3-6) with seven games remaining, they theoretically need to go 6-1 in the second half of the season to have a chance at a playoff berth.
It won’t get any easier next week as they travel to Glendale to take on the defending national champion Arizona Rattlers. Tucson beat the Snakes in the Boneyard back on May 3rd, one of only two losses that the Rattlers have.
Tonight’s attendance was 2100.
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