'It's playoff time': Former Sugar Skulls coach Dixie Wooten 'excited' to face Tucson in IFL postseason

It almost seems like the Indoor Football League hired script writers. 

"All sports are scripted these days," said Bay Area Panthers co-head coach Dixie Wooten. 

Second-seeded Bay Area is hosting the third-seeded Tucson Sugar Skulls in the first round of the IFL playoffs on Sunday. Winner will go on to face either the top-seeded Arizona Rattlers or the defending IFL champion Northern Arizona Wranglers. 

A year after Tucson parted ways with Wooten, the Sugar Skulls' former head coach and general manager will face his former team in the postseason. 

"Man, it's going to be a blast," Wooten said. "It's playoff time, so I know Tucson is going to come out here to the Bay Area and give us a good show. I'm excited, man." 

In three seasons (one was cut short due to the pandemic) with the Sugar Skulls, Wooten posted a 15-16 record and a first-round exit in the playoffs last season. After Wooten, who originally came over to Tucson from his successful stint with the Iowa Barnstormers, was fired and accepted the offensive coordinator position with Bay Area, he was replaced by offensive coordinator Hurtis Chinn, who became the third head coach to lead Tucson to the postseason. 

Tucson beat the Panthers 34-30 on the road in the season opener, then fell to Bay Area 44-42 at Tucson Arena in May for Wooten's first return to the Old Pueblo.

Entering this week, the Sugar Skulls have the third-best defense in the IFL, meanwhile the Panthers have the third-best offense, averaging 51.7 points per game. 

Ahead of the rubber match, Wooten joined "Spears and Ali" on ESPN Tucson Wednesday morning to preview Sunday's showdown, and answer other pertinent questions. 

What changed after Bay Area's 1-2 start to the season?

A: "Just letting these guys know that everything football-wise isn't going to change. We made sure that we were on point with the schedule, and when we passed them out, they knew where they had to be at all times. We made it more consistent and it was easy to get those guys to come out hard and play for us." 

How do you reflect on the two games between the Sugar Skulls and Panthers in the regular season?

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A: "Two tough games. When you play a Hurtis Chinn team, they are physical. They out-physical'd us the first game and we matched them the second game, but knowing whoever wins this game is going to the next round, it'll be even more physical. That's the biggest part that I saw from both games, the physicality."

It's easy to do business as usual this week, but we're all human, so does this game add any personal zest knowing it's your former team?

A: "It's a championship mindset since Day 1. I love Tucson and the organization was great. At the end of the day, it's a business and they had to make a change, and they made a great change with Hurtis Chinn, but at the end of the day, I'm not like, 'Oh, it's Tucson, let's beat them bad.' No, it's a game where if those guys come, I go to the hotel, meet up with them.

"When the game comes around, I'm trying to win and move on to the playoffs." 

Sugar Skulls defensive coordinator Xzavie Jackson, who is the IFL's all-time sacks leader, was recently inducted into the IFL Hall of Fame for his playing career as a standout defensive end; as his former colleague, how do you weigh that achievement? 

A: "When I first saw it, I texted him 'Congratulations,' because X is like my brother, like Chinn. We've been around each other for a long time and he was looking forward to this. I knew as soon as he got into the Hall of Fame, he was going to be a first-ballot guy. I was able to play alongside him and coach him, and he's one of the best in the business.

"I love him to death because of who he is and what he means to him. I'm so happy for him. It felt like I was being inducted into the Hall of Fame."

Overall, what's your assessment of the IFL this season going into the playoffs?

A: "This is probably the best season I've ever been a part of in the IFL. The parity in this league is unreal. You can be beaten by any team on any given day. It gives a shout out to the owners that put a good product out in the community. It starts from the owners and it goes down to the players."