TUCSON - In a matchup of the two highest scoring offenses in the Indoor Football League, the Tucson Sugar Skulls outpaced the Arizona Rattlers by a score of 74-63 in the Boneyard on Saturday night. 

With the victory, Tucson has now won three straight games, and they improve to 4-3 on the season --  their first time sporting a winning record this season since going 1-0 after the season opener.

On the Offensive 

The 74 points scored by the Sugar Skulls represents the third time this season that Tucson has set a franchise record in that category. Entering this season with two 65-point outputs against San Diego in 2019 holding the top spot, the Sugar Skulls scored 66 on April 9th in their home opener, also vs. San Diego. Two weeks later, Tucson beat Northern Arizona at home by a 72-62 score. 

Saturday's high-scoring affair yielded 137 points between the two teams, earning it the distinction of the highest combined scoring game in Sugar Skulls history. 

After six lead changes in the first half, Tucson never trailed in the second half, and even led by 18 points early in the fourth quarter. The Sugar Skulls scored more points by halftime, 42, than the Rattlers had allowed in any entire game this season.

Rivalry Cemented

For the Sugar Skulls, the win was a milestone in franchise history, as it marked the first-ever triumph over the inter-state rival Rattlers, in a showdown that has become known as the 'I-10 Tussle.' Tucson was 0-7 all-time vs. Arizona going into the game, and the storyline was that the Sugar Skulls needed a win for the matchup to truly attain rivalry status. 

"For us to be around three years and to beat these guys is important. Now, you know, we can start a rivalry," head coach Dixie Wooten said after the game. 

The Sugar Skulls and the Rattlers will meet again on June 25th in Downtown Phoenix at the Footprint Center.

Neal The Steal

2019 IFL MVP Quarterback Daquan Neal, the crown jewel of Dixie Wooten's off-season overhaul, continues to play at an MVP level in 2022, having a hand in 7 touchdowns on Saturday night. Neal was 12-for-15 with 152 yards and 5 touchdowns through the air, while contributing 26 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.

The game marked Neal's very first time facing the Rattlers, in his third season in the IFL. "As a competitor, you always want to play at the top, to see where you're at," Neal said. "They brought it, (but) we brought it, too."

Wide receiver Quinton Pedroza hauled in two touchdown receptions, including a 39-yarder in the first quarter that tied the score at 14. His 2-yard touchdown with seven seconds left in the first half marked the largest Tucson lead at the time (10 points), and gave them critical momentum heading into halftime. Pedroza also later played a key role on special teams in three unsuccessful Rattlers' onside kick attempts in the fourth quarter, in addition to serving as a holder for kicks and making three tackles.

Dutiful Defense

An ever-improving Sugar Skulls defense was able to overcome a couple of debilitating mid-game injuries to slow the Rattlers' top-ranked offense just enough to let their own high-powered offense take over the game. After defensive back Vincent Sellers was helped off the field in the first quarter, wide receiver Carrington Thompson stepped in and ultimately finished second on the team with 4.5 total tackles on the night. 

Late in the third quarter, defensive lineman Tony Winslow filled in at linebacker after an injury to starter Connor Taylor and the defense didn't skip a beat, never allowing their lead to get lower than eight points. Winslow, last week's Co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his game-winning blocked PAT vs. Duke City blocked yet another extra point Saturday night, and also recovered a key Drew Powell fumble during the same series in which he took over at linebacker. 

Jonesing For the Endzone

Sugar Skulls running back Mike Jones, the longest-tenured Sugar Skull, had been on the losing side of all seven of the previous matchups vs. the Rattlers. However, on Saturday night, his versatility was on display like never before and contributed heavily to the winning effort, as he led the team with 34 yards rushing and 2 scores, in addition to a 24-yard reception, and 2 kickoff returns for 46 yards.

Mike Jones' backfield mate, Benjamin Jones (no relation), came into the game Saturday night with 395 more kick return yards than anybody else in the league and continued his stellar 2022 campaign with 107 more kick return yards and a 50-yard kickoff return touchdown late in the first quarter. Jones left the game with an injury in the second quarter having been on pace for over 200 kick return yards in the game.

Next Up

Following a sweep of their three-game homestand, the Sugar Skulls return to the road next Saturday at 6:05 pm, as they head to Pinnacle Bank Field at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott, Arizona to face the Northern Arizona Wranglers. On April 23rd at Tucson Arena, Tucson beat the Wranglers 72-62, and they went 1-1 vs. Northern Arizona on the road in 2021. The Sugar Skulls will wait until May 28th to return home to the Boneyard, where they will again face Northern Arizona.