Sports stats



IFL Northern Arizona Wranglers

Wranglers Earn First Win of 2024, Defeat Tucson Sugar Skulls 54-48

April 1, 2024 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Northern Arizona Wranglers News Release


Northern Arizona Wranglers wide receiver John Maldonado catches a touchdown against the Tucson Sugar Skulls
Northern Arizona Wranglers wide receiver John Maldonado catches a touchdown against the Tucson Sugar Skulls
(Northern Arizona Wranglers, Credit: Blushing Cactus Photography)

PRESCOTT, Ariz. - The Wranglers earned their first victory of the 2024 in thrilling fashion, defeating the Tucson Sugar Skulls by a score of 54-48.

The Wranglers began this game on Clarion Pointe Field inside the Findlay Toyota Center on defense. The Wranglers defense stood tall and caused a turnover on downs to start the game. This fourth down stop was courtesy of a sack by defensive end Tramond Lofton after a botched snap by the Sugar Skulls. The Wranglers scored a touchdown on offense with a 29-yard pass from quarterback Joshua Jones to wide receiver Justin Manyweather. On the following possession The Sugar Skulls scored a touchdown, jumping out to a 7-6 lead over the Wranglers early. The first quarter ended with the Wranglers in possession of the football and down by one point.

The Wranglers scored a touchdown on fourth and goal to open the second quarter with a pass from Jones to wide receiver Arsiah McCorker (RZ.) The second quarter was action packed with touchdowns by each team back and forth. The next three possessions by each team resulted in touchdown scores for a total of seven touchdowns scored in the second quarter alone. Northern Arizona's next three scores in this exciting quarter were courtesy of a second touchdown from McCorker, a rushing touchdown from Jones, and one touchdown reception from wide receiver John Maldonado.

The Wranglers entered the locker room at halftime with a four point lead, in command of the Sugar Skulls by a score of 32-28.

The second half of this in-state battle began with both the Wranglers and Sugar Skulls missing field goal attempts. On the third possession of the quarter, Jones found McCorker wide open for a 32-yard touchdown connection. The Sugar Skulls offense responded on the ensuing possession with yet another touchdown. The Wranglers lead the Sugar Skulls entering the fourth quarter by a score of 39-34.

The game's intensity continued to mount in the final quarter and came down to the wire. Northern Arizona's offense turned the ball over on downs early in the fourth, and Tucson capitalized with a touchdown. The Sugar Skulls regained their lead for the first time since the second quarter. On the following drive, Jones connected with Maldonado for their second touchdown connection of the game. The Wranglers jumped back in front with 46-42 lead. The Sugar Skulls and Wranglers traded touchdowns yet again on the next two possessions. Wranglers' wide receiver David Elder took a handoff from Jones and walked in for the 1-yard touchdown with just 11 seconds to go. Wranglers kicker Axel Perez nailed the drop kick on the PAT for two points, and the Wranglers led by a score of 54-48. The Sugar Skulls gave a last-ditch effort with a Hail Mary type of heave towards the end zone. The pass was intercepted by Wranglers defensive back Malik Sonnier, and the final nail entered the Sugar Skulls coffin.

The Wranglers got their first victory in game two of the 2024 season, taking the Sugar Skulls down by a score of 54-48. An exciting game that came down to the wire showed the Wranglers making great progress in all three phases of the game. The offense seemed to be firing on all cylinders except for a few drives, Jones ended the game with five touchdown passes. RZ McCorker continues to shine on both special teams and offense. Perez has been nailing kicks and even drop-kicking PATs with his strong leg. The Wranglers defense continues to look stout and step up in the big moments.

The Wranglers will head on the road next weekend to take on the San Antonio Gunslingers next Saturday evening. The next Wranglers home game will be on April 20th against the Duke City Gladiators. Grab your tickets for the next Wranglers home game through the link below.

The Northern Arizona Wranglers 2024 HOME games, with dates, matchups, and results are listed below.

Saturday, March 16th, 6:05 P.M. vs Arizona Rattlers Loss 51-40

Saturday, March 30th, 6:05 P.M. vs Tucson Sugar Skulls WIN 54-48

Saturday, April 20th, 6:05 P.M. vs Duke City Gladiators

Saturday, May 11th, 6:05 P.M. vs Bay Area Panthers

Saturday, May 25th, 6:05 P.M. vs Tucson Sugar Skulls

Sunday, June 23rd, 3:05 P.M. vs San Antonio Gunslingers

Saturday, June 29th, 6:05 P.M. vs San Diego Strike Force

Saturday, July 13th, 6:05 P.M. vs Vegas Knight Hawks

Season Tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now! Sign up to become a Wranglers Season Ticket Holder for 2024 by visiting the link below.

https://sparkpages.io/cart/2/?i=_jTV&c=&ocu=

A Deposit of $50 per seat is required to hold, and we will contact you for seat selection after submitting your deposit through the link below.

You can check our website, nazwranglers.com, for a seating map of the Findlay Toyota Center, and a pricing breakdown. This is located under the Season Tickets tab on the homepage.

For any Season Ticket inquiries, call us at 928-379-5581

You can also email ticketdirector@nazwranglers.com

Single Game Tickets for the 2024 season are on sale now! Visit the link below!

https://www.ticketmaster.com/naz-wranglers-tickets/artist/2769030




Images from this story

Northern Arizona Wranglers wide receiver John Maldonado catches a touchdown against the Tucson Sugar Skulls
Northern Arizona Wranglers wide receiver John Maldonado catches a touchdown against the Tucson Sugar Skulls
(Blushing Cactus Photography)		   



Indoor Football League Stories from April 1, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central