Mike Jones and QB's Matt Behrend and Jake Medlock spoils San Diego's home opener
By David A. Willauer-Contributing Writer-Pechanga Arena-Sunday, March 2, 2019-San Diego, CA: It was the first home game at the Pechanga Arena known throughout the city at the San Diego Sports Arena the former home of 2 basketball team in the San Diego Rockets before they moved to Houston and the former Buffalo Braves moved to San Diego and became the Clippers before they moved to Los Angeles but one thing about the memory was in 1975 where UCLA played Kentucky won the NCAA Men's Basketball Title under the late legendary John Wooden. The arena is also home to the San Diego Sockers indoor soccer team, the San Diego Seals Indoor Lacrosse league and the San Diego Gulls currently playing in the American Hockey League as a farm team of the Anaheim Ducks.
Arena Football is known for their fast paced high scoring touchdowns along with a lot of quarterback passing is which makes the game exciting but for the Tucson Sugar Skulls it was their first game of the season as their opener went their way as they defeated the San Diego Strike Force by a 65-44 score.
With 4:59 left in the first quarter the Strike Force's offense had moving the ball but had to settle for a 23 yard field goal to go up 3-0. The play went 11 plays 39 yards in 6:33
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Tucson came back to go up at 2:30 of the second quarter when tailback Mike Jones (11 carries for 43 yards) scored on a 4 yard run with the PAT good which took 4 plays 41 yards and 2:04 on a Strike Force mishandle as Tucson's Keith Jones recovered a 2 yard fumble with the PAT perfect to make the score 14-3
In the second quarter Strike Force QB Derrick Bernard (19 completions out of 40 attempts for 179 yards along with 3 touchdown passes) put the team within 14-10 as he threw a 4 yard pass to Julian Stafford (8 receptions for 53 yards) with the PAT good that 4 plays 30 yards and 2:12
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The Sugar Skulls went up 21-10 as Mike Jones scored his second touchdown or the game on a 3 yard run with the PAT good. The drive took 4 plays 28 yards at 2:40. At 7:44 the Strike Force came back to cut the lead at 21-17 as George Moreira (6 carries for 18 yards) scored his first touchdown on a 5 yard run with the PAT good. 2 plays 30 yards 1:01.
Tucson up the score at 35-17 at 5:06 of the second quarter where qb Matt Behrendt 4-6 for 67 yards threw his only touchdown of the contest to Shaquan Curento (4 receptions for 82 yards 3 touchdown receptions) for 32 yards with the PAT good 4 plays 45 yards in 2:05, followed by a qb Matt Behrendt (4 carries for 29 yards) scored on a 15 yard bootleg 1 play 15 yards in :35
The Strike Force came with time running out as QB Derrick Bernard threw his second touchdown pass on a 1 yarder to Julian Stafford (8 receptions for 53 yards and 2 touchdowns) at the half to put San Diego within 14 at 35-21. 5 plays 15 yards and :35
With the start of the second half at 8:04 the Strike Force came within 35-30 as Sean Potts Harris returned a fumble recovery of 45 yards as the PAT failed.
The Sugar Skulls followed back as they went up 42-30 with backup quarterback Jake Medlock (4 completions out of 6 attempts for 67 yards 2 touchdown pass) threw a 29 yard pass to Donovan Rasberry (4 receptions for 53 yards) with the PAT good 4 plays 30 yards in 2:10 After George Moreira scored on his second touchdown on a 4 yard run for the Strike Force to go within 5 at 42-37, the Sugar Skulls on 2 Jake Medlock passes of 18 to Shaquan Curento for 18 yards (Drive 2 plays 28 yards in 1:12) along with an 11 yarder to Mike Jones in the beginning of the fourth quarter (1 reception for 11 yards) made the score 56-37.
With 6:20 left in the fourth quarter the Strike Force on Derrick Bernard's 8 yard pass to Rashad Ridley (1 reception for 8 yards) with the PAT good made the score 56-44. 9 plays 32 yards and 4:40
The Sugar Skulls scored on the last 2 possessions of the game as Strike Force qb Derek Barnard was tackled in the end zone for a safety and backup qb Jake Medlock threw his second touchdown pass of the day to wide receiver Shaquan Curento with the PAT good which made the final score 65-44 in favor of Tucson.
Burt Grossman San Diego Strike Force Head Football Coach: "After an 0-2 start you've got to have patience in this league with us being a new team everyone is getting together but as coaches and players I feel that we need to step up in our zone coverages along cover schemes we need to make changes like that but it's hard to match up to the expectations and for us to have a young team most of our guys have come from regular football teams for them to get the spaces along with the experiences on the field and were struggling with that."
On Friday, March 29, 2019 these the Strike Force battle the Cedar Falls River Kings on the road their next home game will be on Friday, March 22nd when they will take on the Green Bay Blizzard.
