Duke City almost pulls off the upset, drops three in a row

The Duke City Gladiators lost a close one to the Bay Area Panthers June 22. The final: Duke City 32, Bay Area 34.

It was a battle all night, and Gladiators certainly made things difficult for the Panthers, who happen to be the top team in the Western Division with a 10-2 record.

For the third week in a row, Gladiator quarterback Hasan Rodgers led the team in passing yards (82) and rushing yards (50). He also threw for three touchdowns with zerp picks.

Gladiator receiver Gourney Sloan had a nice night, scoring two touchdowns on five catches.

Tamorrio Terry also contributed with three catches, 24 yards and a touchdown. Since being traded to the Gladiators May 21, Terry has scored seven touchdowns in a Gladiator uniform and has scored at least one touchdown in four straight games.

On the defensive side, Jamel Williams had a nice night with five quarterback hurries, two sacks and was able to force a fumble.

After leading at halftime, the Gladiators came up empty and were outscored by 13 points in the third quarter.

What also left some points on the field for the Gladiators were a couple of missed fields in the second half; one was a missed field goal in the third quarter, and the other one was blocked in the fourth quarter.

The Gladiators losing skid extends to three straight games, and they now fall to 1-11 record, which is last in the Western Division.

The Gladiators will have all eyes on their June 29 game, when they take on the Tucson Sugar Skulls (2-10) at the Rio Rancho Events Center. Kickoff is at 6:05 p.m.

This will be the second matchup between the two, and the last time the teams played, the Gladiators won 21-20.