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IFL Tucson Sugar Skulls

Home Opener Falls out of Fortune Late as Sugar Skulls Lose Second Game

June 6, 2021 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Tucson Sugar Skulls News Release


TUCSON - The Tucson Sugar Skulls took on the Iowa Barnstormers in a heated contest, ending in a 33-13 loss for the Sugar Skulls. The Sugar Skulls will look to rebound next week on the road against the Arizona Rattlers on Saturday, June 12.

Slow and Steady

One week after their explosive performance against the Duke City Gladiators, running back Mike Jones led the charge, scoring both touchdowns for the Sugar Skulls. Wide receivers Ryan Balentine and Juju Augustine each caught seven passes, earning 67 and 56 yards, respectively.

Defensive Dominance

The Sugar Skulls defense came up big again, holding the top scoring offense in the IFL to 13 points in the first half. Mike Minter grabbed an interception, making it his second game in a row with one.

Defensive lineman Isame Faciane made a big impact in his first game as a Sugar Skull, as he sacked opposing quarterback Daquan Neal for the Sugar Skulls' first sack of the season. The defense held Neal to 104 yards passing and the Barnstormer rushing attack to 109 yards.

Game Flow

The Sugar Skulls started hot with a touchdown by Mike Jones on their opening possession. After forcing a stop on defense, Iowa intercepted Demry Croft and took it the other way for a touchdown. After a 13-0 run by the Barnstormers, the Sugar Skulls retaliated with another Mike Jones rushing touchdown and a defensive stop in the red zone to end the first half.

In the second half, the Barnstormers took the lead and never gave it back as the kept holding off the Sugar Skull offense, who were unable to score after the second quarter. The Sugar Skulls defense made two red zone stops during the course of the game.

In-state Rivalry

The Sugar Skulls will travel to up I-10 to take on the Arizona Rattlers on Saturday, June 12 at 5:10 p.m. MT. The Rattlers are coming off of a win over the Green Bay Blizzard and hold a 2-1 record on the season. The Sugar Skulls are 0-2 against the Rattlers in all-time matchups, with the last matchup resulting in a thrilling 50-49 loss for the Sugar Skulls.

The Sugar Skulls' next home game will take place on Saturday, June 19 at 6:10 p.m.

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