TUCSON DROPS HOME FINALE VS BARNSTORMER’S
TUCSON - The Tucson Sugar Skulls dropped their home finale in a tough one against the Iowa Barnstormers by the score of 61-48.
In order to secure the third overall seed in the West, Tucson will need to either defeat the Bay Area Panthers next week, or for Duke City to drop their contest to the Northern Arizona Wranglers.
Explosive Start
Benjamin Jones got things off to an electric start with a kick return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff. Jones has been one of the most efficient kick returners in the IFL this season, and he continued his torrid run tonight. He had 4 returns for 96 yards and one touchdown.
The Sugar Skulls scored on all three of their first drives to jump out to a 21-14 lead before the Barnstormers regained control.
Offensive Struggles
Quarterback Daquan Neal went 8-for-21 on the night, his lowest passing percentage of the season. He threw for 100 yards and three touchdowns on the evening. Neal has surpassed 2,000 passing yards on the season, putting him in elite company at the top of the league with just Drew Powell and Ramone Atkins
Mike Jones was his usual stellar self, running for 120 yards to go with his two touchdowns, including a 43-yard run.
Wildcat Debut
Newcomer Rashie Hodge Jr. posted a team-high 6.5 tackles on the evening, making his Sugar Skull debut a memorable one despite the loss. The former Wildcat had his hands all over the game defensively in his first-ever IFL game. Tony Winslow finished with 5.0 tackles on the night, good for second on the team.
Up Next?
Tucson will travel to the Bay Area to take on the Panthers as they look to clinch the third seed in the West ahead of the 2022 IFL Playoffs. The game will be streamed on the IFL's YouTube channel.