Rattlers Defense Stymies Sugar Skulls

By Alyssa Buruato ꟾ Rattlers Media

Momentum continues to build at the right time for the Arizona Rattlers.

The Rattlers won their third straight game Saturday night, defeating the Tucson Sugar Skulls, 41-25, before a season-high crowd of 12,403 at Desert Diamond Arena. The victory improved Arizona to 10-5, extended the franchise's streak of double-digit win seasons to 16, and kept alive its hopes of earning the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round home playoff game.

"It was ugly at times on offense, and we've got to get better," Head Coach Kevin Guy said. "But sometimes you've just got to will your way to a win. We played two playoff teams back-to-back on a short week, and our guys found a way."

After scoring at least 60 points in each of the last two games, Arizona relied on its defense to carry the load. The Rattlers held Tucson to just one field goal and one touchdown in the second half, keeping the Sugar Skulls out of the end zone until just 1:25 remained in the game.

It was the defense that turned the tide in the third quarter.

Trailing 19-17 after Tucson opened the second half with a field goal, Arizona answered with 24 straight points. It began when rookie defensive back Yahsyn McKee Sr. intercepted a Ja'Rome Johnson pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to give the Rattlers the lead for good. The pick-6 was McKee's second in as many games and increased his league-leading interception total to 10 at the time.

Later in the quarter, defensive lineman Josh Ellison blocked his second kick of the game to set up a short touchdown drive capped by Ron Brown Jr.'s four-yard rushing score. Matthew Cook followed with a deuce on the ensuing kickoff before John Pius recorded a safety, turning a two-point deficit into a commanding 34-19 advantage.

"Our chemistry has gotten a lot stronger from Game 1 until now," McKee said of the Rattlers' defense. "Everything we do is together, we watch film together, we hang out together, and I think that's what's made this defense special."

McKee wasn't finished. He added another interception in the fourth quarter, giving him 11 on the season and his fourth multi-interception game of the year.

Guy praised his defense for responding after a shaky first half.

"I was unhappy with how we tackled in the first half, but once we started lowering our pad level, we started making plays," Guy said. "We had a pick-6, we had a safety, and Yahsyn is having a phenomenal rookie season."

Quarterback Max Meylor continued his strong play since returning to the starting lineup three weeks ago. Meylor rushed for a touchdown on Arizona's opening drive and later connected with Arland Bruce IV for two touchdown passes while finishing an efficient 10 of 13 through the air. Bruce's two TDs give him 17 on the season, which moves him into the top five in the league.

The offense wasn't as explosive as it had been the previous two weeks, but Meylor was content taking what the defense gave him.

"They did a good job with some coverage," Meylor said. "I didn't force anything. If I didn't like something, I threw it away. We'll take an ugly win over a loss, especially this time of year."

The victory continued Arizona's dominance over its in-state rival. The Rattlers improved to 14-4 all-time against the Sugar Skulls and 9-2 against Tucson at home.

The win marked Arizona's 16th consecutive season with at least 10 victories. Every Rattlers team coached by Guy has reached the postseason, extending the organization's playoff streak to 17 straight seasons.

"There's a standard here," Guy said. "Tonight was our 16th year in a row with double-digit wins and 17 straight playoff appearances. We've got to play to that standard."

Arizona closes the regular season next week on the road against the San Antonio Gunslingers while awaiting the outcome of the Western Conference playoff race. The Rattlers can still earn the No. 2 seed and a first-round home playoff game with the right combination of results.