Fourth quarter heroics lift the Tucson Sugar Skulls over the Duke City Gladiators to shoot a five-game skid | National

If it hadn’t been for two penalties at the end of the fourth quarter of the Tucson Sugar Skulls’ thrilling 41:40 win over the Duke City Gladiators on Saturday, who knows if the outcome would have been the same.

After all, head coach Dixie Wooten had the game-determining PAT in mind eight seconds before the end and relied on the comfort of playing extra time in the Tucson Arena.

The Sugar Skulls players wanted to end the game on the spot.

“When (Duke City) got those two flags I still had an extra point on my mind, but when I looked to the sidelines I saw my entire offense come up against the wall and say, ‘Go for two!’ I had no choice but to go in pairs, “said Wooten.

Wooten added, “It shows that they believe.”

So, with the game – and maybe the season – at stake, the Sugar Skulls field goal unit was swapped for the starting offense, and quarterback Demry Croft grabbed and with a block of keys hurried to Mike Jones on the left diamond in to convert the green two point conversion.

“I honestly don’t know who called it, but after the first penalty we thought, ‘Ah, there are two of us!’ I have a feeling it was all, “said Croft.

More importantly, the brave call allowed the Sugar Skulls (2-6) to take a five-game demise and claim their second win of the season.

“These guys understand what it feels like to get done,” said Wooten. “So this game was tough because we haven’t been able to finish this game all year. Now we have finished this game and we hope to finish more and more.”

For the first time since the Sugar Skulls beat Duke City in May, Tucson had a two-player lead over their opponent when they led 12-0 after two Jones touchdowns in the first quarter, but a pair of PATs were botched. Jones, the lone Sugar Skull who participated in the 2019 inaugural season, finished Saturday night with 58 all-purpose yards and a total of five touchdowns, including the one setting up the game-winning two-point conversion.

“We had to get on his back. Our coach said Mike was 100% so I’ll just let Mike Jones do what Mike Jones does,” said Wooten.

After another stop in the red zone, the Sugar Skulls responded with a third Jones touchdown to take a 19-3 lead at 2:59 in the first half, but the Gladiators battled it off with two pass touchdowns from Nate Davis back. The Duke City quarterback completed 23 of 41 passes for 232 yards and five touchdowns, with most of his production occurring in the past three quarters. Davis, a former Ball State star and 2007 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, had just 34 yards in the first quarter.

Tucson led 19-16 at halftime, but the Gladiators took their first lead at 23-19 after a 15-yard pass touchdown. After stopping Tucson at fourth deficit, Gladiators kicker Daniel Bowen, who was fired from Tucson three weeks ago, sank a 39-yard field goal to take a 26:19 lead. Duke City scored 23 unanswered points.

With just under four minutes to go in the third quarter, Tucson wide receiver Jazeric Peterson returned a 30-yard kick to Duke City’s 8-yard line. Croft, who passed 9v16 for 55 yards, met with Juju Augustine for a touchdown to tie the game at 26 at 1:53 in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Tucson stopped Duke City in fourth to regain possession in midfield. The Sugar Skulls scored a touchdown after a disastrous five-yard loss, but Jones dodged some Duke City defenders for a three-yard score.

“I just saw the end zone,” said Jones. “I just saw how much time we had and I just had to do a piece.”

Duke City leveled it with a 14-yard touchdown from Davis to Xavier Amey, his second score of the game. The Gladiators then recovered an onside kick on the ensuing whistle, the same tactic the Arizona Rattlers used in the first half of last week’s competition, with the same result – a touchdown; Duke City took a 40-33 lead with 56 seconds remaining after Davis’ passing touchdown to Jared Elmore on the pylon.

The Gladiators (3-5) attempted another onside kick, but the deliberate Sugar Skulls pounced on the ball at the 12 yard line to bring the offense deep into Duke City territory. A few games later, Jones’ late game exploits gave the Sugar Skulls a chance to win the game.

Tucson Sugar Skulls are 41-40 ahead of Duke City, 8 seconds behind after a two-point conversion from Demry Croft. Mike Jones scored the touchdown, his fifth of the game. pic.twitter.com/pUUh789G0D

– Justin Spears (@JustinESports) July 11, 2021

Bowen had a chance to win the game with a field goal, but the kick was blocked by the Tucson Arena overhead speaker system, ending the game. Bowen could have been the second ex-Sugar Skull to lose his former team this season by joining Massachusetts Pirates kicker Josh Gable, but one stroke of luck went in Tucson’s favor.

“I’m glad it worked out for me,” said Wooten. “It’s crazy, but it would have been a little neglected because he kicked it. But we’re giving the speaker the honor today.”

Next up: Tucson will head out on Saturday at 7 p.m. to face the Spokane Shock (5-2)

Extra points

• Sugar Skull wide receiver Ryan Balentine missed Saturday’s game with a knee injury. Balentine leads the team in Reception Yards (422), which ranks fifth in the IFL. Balentine will be back in the coming week.
• Tucson added defensive lineman Seyvon Lowrey, a 6-foot-4-inch, 280-pound product that last played for the University of Central Florida 13-0 squad in 2017.

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