The Tucson Sugar Skulls were 5 seconds away from another disappointing loss.Β
In a 42-41 thriller at Tucson Arena, the Duke City Gladiators scored the go-ahead touchdown to take a one-point lead, setting up for another fourth-quarter meltdown by Tucson's IFL club.Β
Then Sugar Skulls defensive lineman Tony Winslow bulldozed his way through the middle, blocking the PAT; defensive back Jovon White picked up the ball on the goal line, evaded defenders, breaking one tackle in the Tucson end zone and running it 50 yards for the two-point conversion.Β
Craziest ending to an IFL game. Ever. Tucson Sugar Skulls block a PAT and return it for a game-winning 2-point conversion, beating Duke City 42-41. #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/fib6qtbOeI
— Justin Spears (@JustinESports) May 1, 2022
Two points later, the Sugar Skulls avenged their 57-52 loss to the Gladiators from two weeks ago.Β
"We won," said Sugar Skulls head coach Dixie Wooten after sighing with relief. "That's all you can say about that one: We won. It was crazy, but we came out winners on that one. ... That was huge. That was effort. He was getting grabbed on, tackled and everything. What he did was break that tackle, hit the sideline and nobody was going to catch him."Β
The win for the Sugar Skulls moves them to 3-3 on the season and brings Tucson to .500 for the first time since the end of the 2019 season, when the team entered the postseason 7-7.Β
Tucson quarterback Daquan Neal completed 11 of 16 passes for 149 yards.
On the second play of the game, Neal heaved a 42-yard pass to Sugar Skulls wide receiver Raheem Harvey, who signed with the team two weeks ago, to take a 7-0 lead. Neal and Harvey connected for another touchdown on the following possession to go ahead 14-7 in the first quarter.Β
Prior to Saturday, the Sugar Skulls' previous three games included the opposing team attempting to kick a combined five onside kicks, with Tucson only recovering one of them. Ahead by a touchdown, Tucson attempted an onside kick and Benjamin Jones recovered it, however the officials ruled a Sugar Skull illegally touched the ball before the 10-yard line. Duke City scored on the shortened field, but missed the PAT.Β
"I wanted to get some possessions for our offense. The game plan was to get an onside kick every quarter," Wooten said.Β
Tucson wide receiver Carrington Thompson had a chance to an eight-point lead, but fumbled the ball on the goal line and Duke City recovered. The Sugar Skulls defense forced a three-and-out, but the Gladiators nailed a 53-yard field goal to move ahead 16-14.Β
Tucson running back Mike Jones responded with a three-yard touchdown run, but Gladiators quarterback Ramone Atkins' draw resulted in a touchdown, and Duke City went into the locker room winning 22-21 at halftime.Β
The Gladiators missed a 40-yard field goal on their opening drive in the second half. The Sugar Skulls converted their defensive stop into a Thompson touchdown, leading 28-22.Β
On the final drive of the third quarter, Atkins scored on a three-yard runΒ
Cue the onside kick.
Duke City beamed a line-drive kick off the shin of Sugar Skulls defensive back Ephraim Kitchen, a Louisiana Tech product who returned to the team this week after a personal leave of absence at the start of the season, and recovered the kick. Sugar Skulls defensive lineman Tony Winslow denied points for Duke City, blocking the Gladiators' chip-shot field goal attempt.Β
Returning from his rib injury he suffered last week against Northern Arizona, Sugar Skulls wide receiver Arthur Jackson scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Neal to take a 34-29 lead.Β
This time, Tucson attempted the onside kick. Kicker Logan Justus tapped the ball with his foot, allowed the ball to dribble before Benjamin Jones dove on it to give the Sugar Skulls another possession.
With just under two minutes remaining on fourth-and-2, Neal took the snap, cut left and bolted 22 yards for a touchdown.
"We knew they were going to be in (man-to-man) defense. ... (Offensive lineman) Isame (Faciane) sealed the left side and I just went down the sideline," Neal said.Β
Duke City scored a touchdown with 28 seconds left to cut the deficit to 40-35. Duke City kicked it off to Tucson and all the Sugar Skulls had to accomplish was burn 24 seconds to secure the win.Β
Not so fast.Β
The shotgun snap between center Kordell Brewster and Neal was botched and Duke City recovered it with a chance to win the game.Β
"Just a bad center-quarterback exchange," Neal said.Β
Tucson was facing yet another fourth-quarter collapse. The Sugar Skulls gave up a late lead against Duke City two weeks ago. Three weeks ago, Neal threw a late interception in the fourth quarter to give the San Diego Strike Force another possession in the 67-66 loss.Β
"Just got to play defense. At the end of the day, when there's time on the clock in this crazy game. ... I've been a part of games where we were down by 21 points and we end up winning. ... As long as there's time on the clock, we got a chance," Wooten said.
Atkins threw a dart to Duke City wide receiver Gregory Dent for the go-ahead touchdown with five seconds left. Just when Tucson was on its way to falling to 2-4, Winslow blocked the PAT and White handled the rest.Β
"Just don't touch the wall and take it to the house is the only thing going through my head. ... A lot was racing through my mind," White said. "All I know is that I was tailing it down the field. It was kind of surreal honestly. I wasn't expecting that at all."Β
Up next: The Sugar Skulls (3-3) will turn to its in-state rival Arizona Rattlers next Saturday in Tucson at 6:05 p.m. Tucson went a combined 0-7 against the Rattlers in 2019 and β21.Β
"I've never seen that in my life. That's crazy. ... We've always been taught that the game is not over until that clock hits zero," said Jones.
"Everybody stayed locked in and everybody was tired of losing, so that burning sensation in our stomach allowed us to win this game. ... The football gods were definitely with us this week."Β
