Wise Moves: Fighters Pull Away Late in 35-18 Win over Tucson
June 17, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Frisco Fighters News Release
TUCSON - With the Fighters up three and under 11 minutes to play in their Saturday-night road tilt with Tucson, the outcome was still very much in doubt.
Solomon Wise helped clear the fog.
On a 2nd-and-6 from Frisco's six-yard line, Sugar Skulls quarterback Giovanni Sanders took a shotgun snap and faked a jet sweep handoff. He had just a moment to move as Wise thumped his blocker with his right shoulder and reached for the signal-caller with his free arm.
Yanked backwards by his jersey, Sanders tried to get rid of the ball, which floated over Ethan Caselberry and into defensive lineman Adrien Hernandez's clutches. With that, Tucson's last shot at overtaking the Fighters passed in a 35-18 Frisco victory.
TJ Edwards looped a 23-yard touchdown pass to Phazione McClurge on a 4th-and-14 4:40 later, then Wise pounced on a botched exchange on the first play of the Sugar Skulls' next possession. Five plays after that, Martez Carter hit pay dirt from three yards out with 1:26 remaining.
Tucson (2-10) struck first in the contest with Josh Winnett's field goal with 1:23 to go in the opening frame. Edwards answered that with a four-yard connection with McClurge on the second snap of the next quarter. Winnett nailed another kick on the following series and - after a Frisco (9-3) turnover on downs - Devonte Sapp-Lynch pushed the Sugar Skulls back ahead with a three-yard surge with 2:31 left in the half.
Edwards and Cole Blackman combined for an eight-yard aerial with 14 ticks remaining before the midway point and Winnett pushed a try right as time expired on the frame.
The teams traded missed field goals to start the final half hour, then Edwards wheeled in from 23 yards out 9:30 into the third quarter. Sanders replied to that with a 17-yard strike to Brian Smith 3:10 later, making it 21-18.
A 4th-and-8 Edwards deep ball popped out of Blackman's hands and into Mike Carrigan's with 13:03 to go, setting up Tucson's failed opportunity.
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- Wise Moves: Fighters Pull Away Late in 35-18 Win over Tucson - Frisco Fighters
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