Box Score  

Tucson, AZ - The Sugar Skulls take a 2-0 series lead over their rivals from Prescott. Winning both games by double digits. Tucson came out hot early and didn't look back as they held the lead wire to wire in this one, with a final score of  59-38 against the Northern Arizona Wranglers.

 

Strong Start

The Sugar Skulls' defense came out on fire in this one, stuffing the run and shutting down the pass game. Brion Murray highlighted this effort with an early interception. The offense was given great field position thanks to their defense and return team. They consistently marched down the field with strong runs and utilized the short-intermediate pass game. This allowed them to control the tempo and put points on the board. Davonte Sapp-Lynch and Jamyest Williams were a two-headed monster out of the backfield, churning out yards and touchdowns for Tucson. Quarterback Jorge Reyna was efficient and spread the ball out while limiting turnovers, leading the offense to points on every drive in the half.

 

Comeback Attempt

While the majority of the first half was dominated by Tucson's defense and surgical offense, Northern Arizona showed that they weren't done fighting yet. On the final drive of the second quarter, the Wranglers scored after a huge pass on what appeared to be a sure sack for the Sugar Skulls. Tucson's special teams stymied that momentum, however, when John McMullen blocked the subsequent PAT and Tariq Bracy returned it all the way for two points.

The Wranglers came out of the half with plenty of fight left in them, causing an interception on the first Tucson drive. This led to great field position for their offense who capitalized and scored a touchdown plus a two point conversation.

 

Too Little, Too Late

Despite trading touchdowns, the Wranglers simply weren't able to slow down the Sugar Skulls' offense enough to give themselves a shot late in the game. Three Sugar Skulls ended up with multiple rushing touchdowns in Trip Harrington, Sapp-Lynch, and Williams.

 

Looking Ahead

Tucson looks to keep its hot streak going at home next week against the Vegas Knight Hawks. The Sugar Skulls have dispatched both of their in-state rivals in back-to-back weeks, but face a daunting challenge in Vegas who just put up 82 points in a dominant victory. For tickets and team updates, visit www.tucsonsugarskulls.com and follow the Sugar Skulls on all social media platforms.