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Rattlers coach Kevin Guy suggested there would be personnel changes after his team blew a 34-9 second-half lead and fell to the Tucson Sugar Skulls 50-47 on Saturday, June 14, at Desert Diamond Arena.
It was the Rattlers' third straight loss, after having the best record in the Indoor Football League at 7-1 a month ago. It was the second time this season they blew at least a two-touchdown lead to Tucson (4-6) and lost.
This was one of the biggest meltdowns by the Rattlers since Guy took over as head coach in 2008.
The Rattlers turned the ball over five times.
Quarterback Dalton Sneed was intercepted three times, including on the first possession of the third overtime. Wide receiver Isaiah Huston fumbled three times, losing one, that coming in the final minute of regulation after Tucson had taken its first lead of the game.
Receiver Corey Reed Jr. fumbled the ball away during one of the overtimes.
"We're about to do some soul searching," Guy said. "We may have to move on from some guys who have been here. They're not playing at the level they should. I warned a handful of them. They've been great players for this organization. I didn't want to have to be in the position to have to cut them. But they needed to think really hard. Guys we're used to hanging our hats on just aren't making plays. Then, you throw in the lack of discipline and the turnovers, and it is what it is."
The Rattlers (7-4) built a 34-9 lead with nine minutes left in the third quarter on Sneed's 19-yard scoring pass to Reed.
Tucson's Jorge Reyna, who played quarterback for the Rattlers two years ago, hooked up with another former Rattler, Tripp Harrington, with a 28-yard score, then found him again in the end zone for the two-point conversion.
A deuce by kicker Kevin Macias on the ensuing kickoff — splitting the uprights for two points — made it 34-19, and Tucson kept chipping away at Arizona's lead.
A Sneed interception turned into a 5-yard scoring run by tailback Davonte Sapp-Lynch, the brother of former NFL star running back Marshawn Lynch. Another turnover led to another touchdown by Sapp-Lynch, who caught a 12-yard pass from Reyna on fourth down that tied the score at 34 with 9:30 left.
Dawson Evitts gave the Rattlers a 37-34 lead with a 24-yard field goal with 4:06 to play.
On another fourth-and-goal play, Reyna found Harrington from 4 yards out in the back of the end zone with 38 seconds left for a 40-37 lead. Macias missed the point after.
Huston fumbled the kickoff return and Tucson recovered. But the Rattlers, using all three of their timeouts, stopped the Sugar Skulls, as Macias missed a field-goal try with 16 seconds left. The Rattlers moved to the Tucson 10 before Evitts sent the game into overtime with a 27-yard field goal as time expired.
After a Reed fumble on the first play of the first OT, the Sugar Skulls settled for a field goal, but Macias missed again, this time from 34 yards. In the second OT, the teams traded touchdowns.
In the third OT, Sneed's third interception led to Macias making up for the misses with the game-winning 19-yard field goal.
"Everybody's got to look in the mirror," Guy said. "We've got to play better. We've got to coach better. That's the only way you're going to come out of this deal."
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rattlers blow 25-point lead, fall to Tucson Sugar Skulls in 3 OTs
Continue reading...
It was the Rattlers' third straight loss, after having the best record in the Indoor Football League at 7-1 a month ago. It was the second time this season they blew at least a two-touchdown lead to Tucson (4-6) and lost.
This was one of the biggest meltdowns by the Rattlers since Guy took over as head coach in 2008.
The Rattlers turned the ball over five times.
Quarterback Dalton Sneed was intercepted three times, including on the first possession of the third overtime. Wide receiver Isaiah Huston fumbled three times, losing one, that coming in the final minute of regulation after Tucson had taken its first lead of the game.
Receiver Corey Reed Jr. fumbled the ball away during one of the overtimes.
"We're about to do some soul searching," Guy said. "We may have to move on from some guys who have been here. They're not playing at the level they should. I warned a handful of them. They've been great players for this organization. I didn't want to have to be in the position to have to cut them. But they needed to think really hard. Guys we're used to hanging our hats on just aren't making plays. Then, you throw in the lack of discipline and the turnovers, and it is what it is."
The Rattlers (7-4) built a 34-9 lead with nine minutes left in the third quarter on Sneed's 19-yard scoring pass to Reed.
Tucson's Jorge Reyna, who played quarterback for the Rattlers two years ago, hooked up with another former Rattler, Tripp Harrington, with a 28-yard score, then found him again in the end zone for the two-point conversion.
A deuce by kicker Kevin Macias on the ensuing kickoff — splitting the uprights for two points — made it 34-19, and Tucson kept chipping away at Arizona's lead.
A Sneed interception turned into a 5-yard scoring run by tailback Davonte Sapp-Lynch, the brother of former NFL star running back Marshawn Lynch. Another turnover led to another touchdown by Sapp-Lynch, who caught a 12-yard pass from Reyna on fourth down that tied the score at 34 with 9:30 left.
Dawson Evitts gave the Rattlers a 37-34 lead with a 24-yard field goal with 4:06 to play.
On another fourth-and-goal play, Reyna found Harrington from 4 yards out in the back of the end zone with 38 seconds left for a 40-37 lead. Macias missed the point after.
Huston fumbled the kickoff return and Tucson recovered. But the Rattlers, using all three of their timeouts, stopped the Sugar Skulls, as Macias missed a field-goal try with 16 seconds left. The Rattlers moved to the Tucson 10 before Evitts sent the game into overtime with a 27-yard field goal as time expired.
After a Reed fumble on the first play of the first OT, the Sugar Skulls settled for a field goal, but Macias missed again, this time from 34 yards. In the second OT, the teams traded touchdowns.
In the third OT, Sneed's third interception led to Macias making up for the misses with the game-winning 19-yard field goal.
"Everybody's got to look in the mirror," Guy said. "We've got to play better. We've got to coach better. That's the only way you're going to come out of this deal."
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rattlers blow 25-point lead, fall to Tucson Sugar Skulls in 3 OTs
Continue reading...
