Photo: Mason Newton puts a hit on Sugar Skull quarterback Mylik Mitchell
Northern Arizona quarterback Joshua Jones threw for 248 yards and seven touchdowns, but the Wranglers needed a final second pass interception by Travion Banks to hold on in a 60-53 win over the Tucson Sugar Skulls. Banks duplicated the interception from the week before to save a 41-40 win at Massachusetts.
The first half saw the Wranglers light up the scoreboard with a whopping 44 points, their highest total in any half this season. Northern Arizona went to the locker room up 44-23, knowing that they would receive the second half kickoff with a chance to extend the lead.
Tucson came out on a mission and it darn near worked. They stopped the Wranglers on four plays and scored to start their comeback. The same cycle repeated itself until it got to the point that there was doubt that the Wranglers would come out with the win.
Photo: John Maldonado braces himself for a hit as he scores the first Wrangler touchdown of the game
The Sugar Skulls held the Wranglers to just nine points in the second half to that point and ready for the equalizer. Mylik Mitchell scored a touchdown, followed by the extra point, and Fotinos split the uprights on the kickoff for the deuce, the game was tied at 53.
Jones and company didn’t bat an eye as they moved down the field, burning up clock in the process that forced Tucson to use their timeouts. Jones, who had thrown for six first half touchdowns, needed one more, this time running the ball in from a yard out to give the Wranglers a seven point lead with under a minute to play. Tucson was still in striking distance with plenty of time, but Mitchell’s pass was read perfectly by Travion Banks who snagged the pass to close out the battle in Prescott Valley. Banks said, “That was close. I mean you gotta give them credit. They battled back after we handled them in the first half. I just got a good jump on the pass and that was that.” Will the Wranglers need Banks make it three in a row? Tune in the IFL YouTube channel to watch and see as Northern Arizona travels to take on the Las Vegas Knight Hawks on Saturday at 6:05 pm.
NORTHERN ARIZONA WRANGLERS 60, TUCSON SUGAR SKULLS 53
Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T
Tucson 9 14 14 16 – 53
Northern Arizona 15 29 3 13 – 60
Scoring Summary
NAZ-Maldonado 34 yard pass from Jones (Perez kick)
T-Fotinos 40 yard FG
NAZ-Coleman 36 yard pass from Jones (Perez drop-kick)
T-Sapp-Lynch 18 yard pass from Mitchell (Kick failed)
NAZ-McCorker 42 yard pass from Jones (Perez kick)
NAZ-Oyekanmi 20 yard pass from Jones (Perez kick)
T-Jones 9 yard run (Fotinos kick)
NAZ-White 4 yard pass from Jones (Perez kick)
T-Mitchell 4yard run (Fotinos kick)
NAZ-Maldonado 18 yard pass from Jones (Perez drop-kick)
T-Mitchell 3 yard run (Kick failed)
T-Carrigan 37 yard pass from Mitchell (Mitchell run)
NAZ-Perez 29 yard FG
T-Mitchell 7 yard run (Fotinos kick)
NAZ-Coleman 43 yard pass from Jones (Kick failed)
T-Mitchell 2 yard run (Fotinos kick)
T-Fotinos deuce
NAZ_Jones 1 yard run (Perez kick)
ATT:2800
IFL STANDINGS
Western Conference W-L
Bay Area 8-1
Vegas 7-1
WRANGLERS 6-3
San Diego 5-4
Arizona 5-4
San Antonio 4-5
Tucson 2-6
Duke City 0-8
Eastern Conference W-L
Frisco 7-2
Green Bay 7-2
Massachusetts 6-3
Quad City 4-4
Tulsa 3-6
Sioux Falls 2-6
Iowa 2-7
Jacksonville 1-7
SCOREBOARD
Northern Arizona 60, Tucson 53
Arizona 55, Duke City 53
Bay Area 42, San Antonio 31
Frisco 44, San Diego 41
Green Bay 54, Iowa 40
Massachusetts 23, Tulsa 22
