Panthers Secure Top Playoff Spot in 49-24 Rout of Sugar Skulls
IFL Bay Area Panthers

Panthers Secure Top Playoff Spot in 49-24 Rout of Sugar Skulls

July 20, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Bay Area Panthers News Release


With the Western Conference's No. 1 seed in the balance, the Bay Area Panthers traveled to Southern Arizona for a showdown with the Tucson Sugar Skulls. Similarly to the Week 9 meeting between these sides, scoring was a prevalent theme early on, but Bay Area's talent proved to be too much for Tucson in the end.

Panthers running back Josh Tomas housed the game's opening kickoff, zagging his way between numerous defenders for a 50-yard score. The Sugar Skulls immediately responded, utilizing timely passing from quarterback Jorge Reyna before tailback Jamyest Wiliimas provided a short rushing touchdown to knot things up, 7-7.

Keeping the points coming, both squads also found the end zone on their second drives.

Bay Area's initial play from scrimmage featured Panthers quarterback Josh Jones finding wideout Tosin Oyekanmi down the sideline for a 30-yard TD reception. Across the way, Reyna answered with a long touchdown pass of his own, connecting with Sugar Skulls receiver Drew Dixon from 33-yards out.

Going forward, the second quarter was played in stark contrast-there were no tuddies from either squad. Still, Panthers kicker Axel Perez converted two field goals of 30-plus yards, giving Bay Area a 20-14 advantage that held until halftime.

Panthers defensive back Trae Meadows was a major factor in keeping Tucson off the scoreboard in Q2, producing two red-zone turnovers out of Dixon. The first was a forced fumble recovered by safety Tyrese Wright. One drive later, Meadows intercepted Reyna in the end zone by outleaping Dixon.

The third period commenced with the Sugar Skulls on offense. Reyna and Tucson came out methodically before settling for a field goal from kicker Kevin Macias. From that point on, Bay Area revved up the intensity.

Jones-who entered Saturday as the IFL's leading rusher-turned to his legs, rushing for touchdowns on back-to-back possessions. Tucson also scored a touchdown on the ground in Q3 via running back Davonte Sapp-Lynch (half-brother of Super Bowl XLVIII champion and Panthers Co-Owner Marshawn Lynch) but that would be the final points from the Sugar Skulls in 2025.

To begin the fourth quarter, Perez booted a kickoff that bounced off the crossbar and into Tucson's end zone. The kick returner Williams had next to no time to recover the football before Bay Area gunner Franky West Jr. tackled him for a one-point rouge. That put the Panthers ahead, 35-24.

The Sugar Skull offense committed multiple turnovers in the concluding period. That allowed Jones to rush for his third score of the night, leaving him with 13 all-purpose touchdowns against Tucson in 2025.

Meadows grabbed a second INT shortly before time expired. To close things out, Alexander followed Reyna's interception with a 43-yard touchdown catch-and-run, which would be all she wrote from Tucson Arena (host site of the upcoming IFL National Championship).

Ahead of this game, Meadows provided a bit of foreshadowing to KNBR's Bay Area Panthers Weekly. "My goals [for 2025] are to win a title and continue to get more interceptions," he said on Thursday; Meadows now paces the entire league with seven picks.

Bay Area (12-3) will wrap up the 2025 regular season against the Massachusetts Pirates (7-8) on Friday, July 25 at 4:05 PM PT. Fans can livestream the action from Lowell, MA with a subscription to the IFL Network, or tune in to the radio broadcast on KNBR 1050. As always, the official watch party is happening at The Plex in San Jose!

The Panthers will remain on the road until their playoff bid on Sunday, August 3 at SAP Center. Postseason tickets-including single-game, season, group, and suite experiences-are available now through Ticketmaster.



Indoor Football League Stories from July 20, 2025


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