Preview: Fighters vs. Sugar Skulls
March 31, 2022 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Frisco Fighters News Release
FRISCO, TX - Coming off a win against the Duke City Gladiators, the Frisco Fighters will host the Tucson Sugar Skulls this Friday night at Comerica Center in Frisco. This will be the Fighters home opener for the 2022 Indoor Football League season. Like the Fighters, the Sugar Skull are coming off a win (48-39) against the Vegas Knight Hawks. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:35 PM.
How to watch
Time/Location: 7:35 p.m. CT/Comerica Center - Frisco, TX
Live stream -coming soon
Past meetups - Fighters vs Sugar Skulls
This will be the first meetup between the Fighters and Sugar Skulls even though they were both a part of the 2021 IFL season. Both teams have an impressive record in the league with the Fighters making it to playoffs last season and the Sugar Skulls being undefeated so far this season.
Coaching
Friday night's home opener will be coach Back's first game coaching the home team in the Comerica Center. In week three, the entire coaching staff helped prepare the team to make franchise history by scoring 60 points and keeping the Gladiators under 35 points.
As the previous coach for the Iowa Barnstormers, this will not be the Sugar Skulls head coach Dixie Wooten's for meetup with the Frisco Fighters. Wooten has made a name for himself in the IFL by receiving the title of IFL Coach of the Year for both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He also acts as the General Manager for the Sugar Skulls.
Players to watch
Both Quarterbacks, Blake Sims and TJ Edwards, were key players in the Fighters game against the Gladiators in week two. Sims threw for three touchdowns and tallied 101 yards just in the first half of the game. Not only does Sims have an arm, but also his running game proved impressive as he ran for one touchdown. Edwards stepped in the second half of the game and added three touchdowns.
Wide Receivers Jerminic Smith and Sheldon Augustine proved their talents against the Gladiators. Smith soared through the defensive posting a total of 24 points. Augustine tallied three touchdowns during last week's game for a total of 64 receiving yards.
Week three was a huge game for the Fighters defensive line. Once again, Charles Williams continues to prove to be one of the league's most dominant pass rushers, with a total of 6 tackles (4 solo) and 1.5 sacks. Williams tackles tallied 2.5 tackles for a loss of 13 yards. Williams leads the league in number of sacks and tackles for a loss thus far in the 2022 season.
Defensive Lineman Willie Hibbler not only played on defense but was also a part of special teams against the Gladiators. Hibbler was the designated kicker for the Fighters due to an injury on the team. He tallied 372 yards through kickoffs.
During the second quarter, Defensive Lineman JD Griggs intercepted the ball for a pick six with 9:24 left in the half, extending the lead to 24-0.
The Frisco Fighters took the lead in the first minutes of the game and were able to hold this lead for the remainder of the time. The Fighters were able to shut out the Gladiators in the first half (30-0) before the Gladiators made an attempt to fight their way back but fell short.
Indoor Football League Stories from March 31, 2022
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- Pearson Returns to Barnstormers - Iowa Barnstormers
- Preview: Fighters vs. Sugar Skulls - Frisco Fighters
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