Post by DiamondThief on Apr 14, 2019 18:46:47 GMT -8
FINAL - Rattlers 55, Sugar Skulls 41
Rattlers QB Jeff Ziemba threw for four touchdowns in Sunday's win. (SCtoC photo by Gary Royall)
4/14/19 --
TUCSON, AZ - For two-and-a-half quarters, it looked as if the Arizona Rattlers may suffer their first loss of the season.
However, the veteran Rattlers turned on the gas in the latter parts of the second half, outscoring the Tucson Sugar Skulls 27-13 in the final 23 minutes and cruised to a 55-41 victory over their hosts tonight at Tucson Convention Center.
Arizona moved to a perfect 6-0 on the season and remained in a tie with the Iowa Barnstormers atop the Indoor Football League standings. The defending champion Barnstormers dispatched the Bismarck Bucks tonight, 55-16, in North Dakota. The Sugar Skulls fell to 3-3 on their season. It was the second meeting between the teams in Tucson this season. Arizona came away with a 63-28 win in Phoenix on March 16. Rattlers head coach Kevin Guy and his wife Cathy are majority owners of the Sugar Skulls.
Tucson got on the board on their opening drive, scoring on a one-yard run from quarterback Jake Medlock, but Arizona struck back with a two-yard run from Jabre Lolley and the game was knotted at 7-7 with 8:55 left in the opening quarter. Medlock's 41-yard bomb to Rico Brown put the Sugar Skulls back on top just a little over a minute later. The Sugar Skulls held a 14-7 at the end of one.
Jarrod Harrington caught a 22-yard touchdown from Jeff Ziemba to once again tie the score, and then Ziemba found Jamal Miles for six yards to give the Rattlers their first lead of the game at 21-14 with 54 seconds to go in the first half. It took just one play for the Sugar Skulls to respond; a 38 yard touchdown strike from Medlock to Shaquon Curenton. The score was locked at 21-21 at the break.
Lolley's one-yard run put the Rattlers up 28-21 on the third play of the second half. Medlock responded with his second one-yard touchdown of the game, and the teams were in a dead heat at the 9:20 mark of the third quarter. That's when the Rattlers went to work. Ziemba found harrington for 25 yards to give back the lead to the Rattlers. Dillon Winfrey returned a blocked field goal attempt to the end zone, and Harrington rushed in for the two-point conversion, and the Rattlers were up by two touchdowns with 4:16 to go in the quarter. Medlock responded with a 13-yard round touchdown pass to Brown, but the Rattlers came right back on Ziemba's 25-yard pass to Miles to give Arizona a 48-35 lead heading into the final quarter.
With the Sugar Skulls driving early in the fourth quarter, Phillip Henry intercepted Medlock and ran it back 45 yards for a score. The defensive touchdown increased Arizona's lead to 55-35 with just over 11 minutes to go. Medlock rushed in from a yard out with six minutes remaining. Tucson continued its comeback attempt, but Medlock was intercepted by Arizona's Davontae Merriweather with 1:10 remaining and the Rattlers were able to run out the clock to secure the two-touchdown win.
Tucson outgained Arizona in total offense, 259 yards to 233. The Sugar Skulls had a 168 to 126 yard edge in the passing game. The game was relatively clean, with the Rattlers being penalized seven times for 61 yards and the Sugar Skulls being flagged six times for 40 yards. The two interceptions by the Rattlers' defense were the only two forced turnovers of the game. Neither team recorded a sack.
Ziemba was 10 of 18 passing for 126 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing six times for 38 yards. Miles added five rushes for 32 yards to his five receptions for 42 yards and two scores. Harrington led all receivers with five receptions for 69 yards with a pair of touchdown grabs. Merriweather led the Rattlers defense with 10 tackles and an interception, while Henry had the interception returned for a score. Chris McAllister blocked the field goal which was returned by Winfrey for the third quarter score.
Medlock completed 11 of his 23 attempts for 168 yards with three touchdowns and two picks. He also rushed 15 times for 41 yards and three scores. Mike Jones led the Sugar Skulls rushing attack with 49 yards off 13 carries. Brown added three catches for 59 yards to his two receiving touchdowns, and Curenton finished with three grabs for 53 yards and a score. Micah Eugene, Jr. and Cam Gaddis each recorded six tackles, and Eugene added a pass break up to his line.
The Sugar Skulls will head to Moline, Illinois to face the Quad City Steamwheelers on April 20 with kickoff set for 5:05 p.m. pacific (7:05 central). It will be the first-0ever meeting between the teams. It will be a special edition of Monday Night Football for the Rattlers on April 22 as they will visit the San Diego Strike Force, who earned their first win of the season with a 40-34 victory tonight at home over the Cedar Rapids River Kings. Kickoff in that one is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. pacific (8:05 p.m. central).
Rattlers QB Jeff Ziemba threw for four touchdowns in Sunday's win. (SCtoC photo by Gary Royall)
4/14/19 --
TUCSON, AZ - For two-and-a-half quarters, it looked as if the Arizona Rattlers may suffer their first loss of the season.
However, the veteran Rattlers turned on the gas in the latter parts of the second half, outscoring the Tucson Sugar Skulls 27-13 in the final 23 minutes and cruised to a 55-41 victory over their hosts tonight at Tucson Convention Center.
Arizona moved to a perfect 6-0 on the season and remained in a tie with the Iowa Barnstormers atop the Indoor Football League standings. The defending champion Barnstormers dispatched the Bismarck Bucks tonight, 55-16, in North Dakota. The Sugar Skulls fell to 3-3 on their season. It was the second meeting between the teams in Tucson this season. Arizona came away with a 63-28 win in Phoenix on March 16. Rattlers head coach Kevin Guy and his wife Cathy are majority owners of the Sugar Skulls.
Tucson got on the board on their opening drive, scoring on a one-yard run from quarterback Jake Medlock, but Arizona struck back with a two-yard run from Jabre Lolley and the game was knotted at 7-7 with 8:55 left in the opening quarter. Medlock's 41-yard bomb to Rico Brown put the Sugar Skulls back on top just a little over a minute later. The Sugar Skulls held a 14-7 at the end of one.
Jarrod Harrington caught a 22-yard touchdown from Jeff Ziemba to once again tie the score, and then Ziemba found Jamal Miles for six yards to give the Rattlers their first lead of the game at 21-14 with 54 seconds to go in the first half. It took just one play for the Sugar Skulls to respond; a 38 yard touchdown strike from Medlock to Shaquon Curenton. The score was locked at 21-21 at the break.
Lolley's one-yard run put the Rattlers up 28-21 on the third play of the second half. Medlock responded with his second one-yard touchdown of the game, and the teams were in a dead heat at the 9:20 mark of the third quarter. That's when the Rattlers went to work. Ziemba found harrington for 25 yards to give back the lead to the Rattlers. Dillon Winfrey returned a blocked field goal attempt to the end zone, and Harrington rushed in for the two-point conversion, and the Rattlers were up by two touchdowns with 4:16 to go in the quarter. Medlock responded with a 13-yard round touchdown pass to Brown, but the Rattlers came right back on Ziemba's 25-yard pass to Miles to give Arizona a 48-35 lead heading into the final quarter.
With the Sugar Skulls driving early in the fourth quarter, Phillip Henry intercepted Medlock and ran it back 45 yards for a score. The defensive touchdown increased Arizona's lead to 55-35 with just over 11 minutes to go. Medlock rushed in from a yard out with six minutes remaining. Tucson continued its comeback attempt, but Medlock was intercepted by Arizona's Davontae Merriweather with 1:10 remaining and the Rattlers were able to run out the clock to secure the two-touchdown win.
Tucson outgained Arizona in total offense, 259 yards to 233. The Sugar Skulls had a 168 to 126 yard edge in the passing game. The game was relatively clean, with the Rattlers being penalized seven times for 61 yards and the Sugar Skulls being flagged six times for 40 yards. The two interceptions by the Rattlers' defense were the only two forced turnovers of the game. Neither team recorded a sack.
Ziemba was 10 of 18 passing for 126 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing six times for 38 yards. Miles added five rushes for 32 yards to his five receptions for 42 yards and two scores. Harrington led all receivers with five receptions for 69 yards with a pair of touchdown grabs. Merriweather led the Rattlers defense with 10 tackles and an interception, while Henry had the interception returned for a score. Chris McAllister blocked the field goal which was returned by Winfrey for the third quarter score.
Medlock completed 11 of his 23 attempts for 168 yards with three touchdowns and two picks. He also rushed 15 times for 41 yards and three scores. Mike Jones led the Sugar Skulls rushing attack with 49 yards off 13 carries. Brown added three catches for 59 yards to his two receiving touchdowns, and Curenton finished with three grabs for 53 yards and a score. Micah Eugene, Jr. and Cam Gaddis each recorded six tackles, and Eugene added a pass break up to his line.
The Sugar Skulls will head to Moline, Illinois to face the Quad City Steamwheelers on April 20 with kickoff set for 5:05 p.m. pacific (7:05 central). It will be the first-0ever meeting between the teams. It will be a special edition of Monday Night Football for the Rattlers on April 22 as they will visit the San Diego Strike Force, who earned their first win of the season with a 40-34 victory tonight at home over the Cedar Rapids River Kings. Kickoff in that one is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. pacific (8:05 p.m. central).
Both games, as well as all IFL games this season, will be streamed live on the IFL's Official YouTube Channel. SCtoC will present previews of those, and all, games this season. Those previews will be posted on the board of the home team in each game.
- ANM
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