Sunday afternoon will be an opportunity for the Tucson Sugar Skulls to shake off the cobwebs and return home with a matchup against San Diego.
Tucson is coming off its first bye week of the season after getting routed by the Arizona Rattlers 63-28 in an Indoor Football League game in Phoenix on March 16. After being tied after the first quarter and having a chance to take a 10-7 lead, Rattlers recovered a block field goal for a scoop-and-score, which turned into a 14-point swing where Tucson was unable to recover from. Arizona’s largest lead over the Sugar Skulls was 42 points.
Like any loss, the Sugar Skulls went back to the drawing board and tightened up mentally over a two-week period.
“It gives us a different approach on how we go on through our week. So far our practice tempo has been really high and there’s been less goofing around,” Sugar Skulls defensive back and rookie Carlos Anderson said. “I definitely think it humbled us just a little bit.
“This bye week was much needed. It gave us all time to regroup and figure out what the ultimate goal was for the season and what we got to do to get there.”
With a 2-1 record, the Sugar Skulls look to get the season back on track with a home date against San Diego, a team still searching for its first franchise win since joining the Indoor Football League as an expansion team this season.
These two teams met in the season opener when the Sugar Skulls cruised to a 65-44 win at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego.
Round 2 between San Diego and Tucson will happen on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Tucson Arena. Here are notable headlines heading into the game:
Tucson sticking with co-QBs
Tucson quarterback Matt Behrendt has been defined as the “swaggiest person on the team” by running back Shad Thornton because of his confident and collected personality. And also his sense of fashion by wearing LeBron James Nike sneakers during games.
Behrendt has started at quarterback in all three games for the Sugar Skulls and won IFL Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for eight touchdowns and 264 yards against the Bismarck Bucks in the home opener. That was the only game backup quarterback and 2018 IFL passing leader Jake Medlock didn’t play. Coleman doesn’t view Medlock as a backup quarterback, but rather “1B” to Behrendt’s “1A.”
“That’s how it’s always been. We’ve been rotating,” Medlock said.
In the season opener against San Diego, Behrendt ended the first half completing 4 of 6 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown and the Sugar Skulls had a 35-24 lead.
Medlock took it up another notch and threw for 142 yards and four touchdowns completing 10 of 14 passes.
Medlock relieved in the Sugar Skulls’ loss to the Arizona Rattlers, but couldn’t get the team any closer.
Other than Behrendt’s explosive game against the Bucks, neither one has bested the other quarterback. And so far, the pair hasn’t thrown an interception all season and Behrendt is seventh in the IFL averaging 112.7 yards per game.
“Right now, we’re leaving everything as is,” coach Marcus Coleman said. “You want to keep it as competitive as possible because it keeps both of them on their toes and nobody can get real comfortable. I’d rather have two guys battle it out so we can get the best production out of them. We’re going to keep it as is and keep it rolling.”
Which RB will it be?
Mike Jones? Or Thornton? One of the biggest mysteries every week is determining who will get the start at running back for Tucson. Thornton is a 6-foot-1-inch, 230-pound bruiser that formerly played at NC State and the CFL for a brief stint. Thornton played in Tucson’s previous home game and rushed for 82 yards on 16 carries whiles Jones sat out.
However in the game against San Diego, the 5-10, 150-pound slasher in Jones scored three all-purpose touchdowns as a key member of Tucson’s rushing and passing attack. Thornton didn’t travel with the Sugar Skulls during that game and didn’t appear in the loss to Arizona, while Jones rushed for 63 yards and two scores.
Jones hinted after the recent loss that he and Thornton have been packaged into the offense together during practice.
“We have great chemistry and with him being a (veteran), I look up to him,” Jones said. “And it shows on the field at practice. You haven’t seen what we can do in games.”
Stopping Bernard
San Diego quarterback Derrick Bernard has proven over four games to be one of the most lethal offensive players in the IFL as he leads the league with 200 passing yards per game. However, Bernard is just seventh in the IFL in accuracy, completing 59 percent of his passes.
Coleman summarized Bernard’s performance through four games as “streaky.”
“One game, he’ll be up and down, but if you catch him on the right day, six or seven touchdowns later, he’ll light you up. He’s just one of those guys,” He said.
In the first matchup between the Sugar Skulls and Strike Force, Bernard completed 19 of 40 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.
For Tucson, the defensive line returns 6-foot-1-inch, 310-pound Keith Jones Jr. who returns to the starting lineup after missing the Rattlers game with a family emergency.
Sweet nothings
- Sugar Skulls linebacker Zach Allen leads the IFL with 10.7 tackles per game.
- Coleman gives the team an overall ‘B+’ grade through the first three games.
- Tucsonan and Sahuaro High product Kori Hurd is no longer on the Strike Force roster. The defensive lineman played in the first matchup against his hometown team and recorded three tackles.
- Tucson held a midseason tryout last Saturday at Kino Sports Complex where about two dozen participants showed up. The team hasn’t acquired anyone from the tryout.
