(Tucson, AZ) The 1-4 Tucson Sugar Skulls were heading into a family owned rivalry against the 3-3 Arizona Rattlers. The Rattlers have a record of 8-2 since the Sugar Skulls’ creation in 2019. This was the first of two matchups this season.
Sugar Skull Quaterback Mylike Mitchell was returning after being injured for the last three weeks. The Sugar Skulls also signed veteran Runningback Devonte Sapp-Lynch over the bye week.
The Rattlers won the coin toss and elected to defer.
Tucson muffed the opening kickoff starting deep in their own territory. With a pass interference call against the Rattlers. Tucson took advantage and a Demitri Fotinos thirty-eight yard field goal attempt and the Sugar Skulls were on the board first 3-0.
Arizona caught a break on the ensuing kickoff and started at midfield.
Game time decision saw backup signal caller Garrett Kettle start over Dalton Sneed.
Wideout Jamal Miles scored from seven yards out as the Snakes took the lead 7-3.
Tucson tried pounding the ball on the Rattlers, but they were all over every play. A impossible field goal attempt from their own goal line, was not close due to the low ceiling of the Tucson Arena. Turned out it was more of a “punt” to change possession.
The Rattlers called a screen pass to move across the field and a change the momentum. Tucson’s had multiple penalties from Linebacker Ja’Quez Jackson.
End of the first quarter 7-3 Arizona.
The Rattlers had the ball to start the second quarter, but on a fourth down Tucson tightened up and knocked the pass down.
The Sugar Skulls used a Marshall run for twenty yards to flip the field. Later in the drive, Mitchell scored from thirteen yards and Tucson went ahead 9-7 because the extra point was missed.
The Rattlers started their next drive with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Running Back Shannon Brooks’ big juke from six yards and a touchdown, brought the score to 14-9 in favor of the Rattlers.
Tucson had a deep pass to a wide open Mike Carrigan who dropped it setting the tone for their next drive. It resulted in a turnover on downs on their own eleven yard line.
The Rattlers started out with a holding call but managed a twenty-two yard field goal that stretched the lead to 17-9.
With forty-five seconds left on the clock, the Sugar Skulls got the ball back but an apparent safety was waived off by an overturned sideline penalty on Arizona. Fotinos nailed a forty-one field goal ending the first half with Arizona leading 17-12.
The Rattlers first possession in the second half saw a thirty-three yard touchdown pass to Glen Gibbons Jr. making the score 24-12.
Tucson came back running the ball looking for an eleventh rushing touchdown. Another devastating mistake with Mitchell fumbling on the one yard line and the Rattlers recovered.
Arizona’s ground game on gained small chunks of yards against Tucson’s improved defense. The drive resulted in a turnover on downs.
The Skulls got the ball on the Rattlers twenty-one yard line. On the third play of the drive, Brian Smith caught a twenty-one yard touchdown. A bad snap, resulted in a failed PAT. Tucson tightened up the score 24-18.
Arizona had a holding penalty on the kickoff and started this deep in their territory. Tucson forced a fumble and flipped the momentum.
The Skulls had a miscommunication by Mike Jones but still managed positive yards. The center muffed the snap that went into the secondary and recovered by the Rattlers.
Arizona started the fourth quarter airing it deep putting themselves on the five yard line, where they punched in on a run from Brooks, to widen the lead 31-18.
Tucson got a great return on the kickoff and into Rattler territory. Jones had a dump off catch for the score that got the Skulls back to a one possession game 31-25.
Arizona benefited off of another unsportsmanlike conduct on Tucson, started at midfield rather than within their own ten yard line. Using the legs of Miles and Brooks, Arizona was chewing the clock. From four yards out, Miles caught the ball for a touchdown, with a challenge from Tucson very quickly for a false start. The ruling was not overturned, in result, Tucson challenged for a receiver being offsides. The second challenge was also unsuccessful, resulting in two timeouts wasted and the score 38-25.
The Skulls’ Carrigan dropped another wide open pass in the end zone, but Smith bailed him out on a big fifty-fifty ball score and back within a touchdown at 38-32.
Tucson had to try a last gasp on-side kick but the Snakes recovered and ran out the clock for a 38-32 win at the Boneyard.
The Skulls failed to capitalize on a huge rivalry matchup at home and fell to 1-5.
There is an upside from this game, the secondary was significantly better from the previous two games. The offense still is struggling to find itself in the first half, but came alive when they were trailing in the second half.
The Sugar Skulls are at home next week against the Las Vegas Knight Hawks on May 18th
Once again, the attendance was disheartening with less than 2,500 fans. Unlike in previous weeks with the Pima County Fair or Wildcat softball or baseball, there were no conflicting events in Tucson.
Article by Matthew Martell Jr. – 520 Sports Talk
Click on Logo
