Tucson’s Indoor Football League franchise is named the Sugar Skulls, but the start to the 2025 season has been anything but sweet for the club.
The Sugar Skulls (1-3) started the season 0-2 and are coming off a 23-point loss to the San Diego Strike Force. Tucson’s only win this season is against the winless Northern Arizona Wranglers.
In a 14-team league, Tucson has the second-worst scoring offense in the IFL, averaging 28.8 points per game, and the worst passing offense at 85.5 yards per contest.
Tucson is 3-17 under second-year coach Billy Back — 1-12 dating back to last season that ended on a nine-game losing streak.
If the Sugar Skulls hope to overcome their biggest slump in franchise history, they’ll have to do it against the defending IFL champion and undefeated Arizona Rattlers (4-0) at Tucson Arena on Saturday at 6:05 p.m.
Arizona has the second-best passing offense (179.8 yards) and best scoring offense (54.8 points) in the IFL this season.
The Rattlers, coached by Sugar Skulls co-owner Kevin Guy, are 11-2 against the Sugar Skulls since Tucson’s first season in 2019. The Sugar Skulls haven’t beaten the Rattlers in Tucson since 2022. The Rattlers opened the season in March with a 56-28 win over Tucson in Glendale.
Tucson Sugar Skulls co-owner Kevin Guy is also the coach of the defending champion Arizona Rattlers.
Since then, Tucson has upgraded at the quarterback position. After the Sugar Skulls threw six interceptions and just three touchdowns in the first two games, Tucson signed IFL veteran Jorge Reyna, who completed 10 of 16 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Reyna, among several other Sugar Skulls players, battled the flu last week and was impacted in last week’s loss to San Diego.
Tucson linebacker JaQuez Jackson, who previously played at Georgia Tech, was named IFL Defensive Player of the Week for recording nine tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and a blocked kick in the Sugar Skulls’ win over Northern Arizona two weeks ago.
The Sugar Skulls have improved since the season-opening collapse against the Rattlers, but Tucson has its work cut out for it.
Back joined “Spears & Ali” on ESPN Tucson this week to talk about the season and what Tucson learned from its first battle with the Rattlers earlier in the season.
Sugar Skulls head coach Billy Back mulls over his options during a timeout against San Antonio in the second quarter of their IFL game on July 13, 2024, in Tucson.
What do you think has led to the sluggish start to the season for Tucson?A: “Last week, we had four guys who were sick. Our main pieces were sick during the week, and we probably shouldn’t have dressed our quarterback because he didn’t practice all week. But we threw him out there, and he was rusty and off. I tell the guys we’re 1-1. The group we had the first two weeks is the same group we have now.
“We still feel really good about the young men we have. We had a chance to tie the game in the third (quarter) last game (against San Diego), but the offensive line shot ourselves in the foot constantly. At the same time, I’m very optimistic about what we got moving forward with quarterback, receivers and the defense that we have. We’re excited about this opportunity to play the Rattlers.”
What lessons did you take away from the season opener against the Rattlers?A: “In that first game, we needed a quarterback. ... We went out and got Jorge Reyna from Fresno State and he came in and played against (Northern Arizona) for us real well. That was the first week of practice. We realized we have a great defense. We know what the Rattlers are going to do. There’s some things they’re going to do that we’re going to stop. Their game plan doesn’t change much from week-to-week. Our guys have to match their intensity. And their confidence level is up. They’re 4-0 and have had tight games and then pull away late in the game. But at the same time, our guys have confidence, too. ... Reyna had the flu, but we’re looking for him to bounce back this week.”
Sugar Skulls head coach Billy Back and quarterback Vincent Espinoza pick their play against San Antonio in the first quarter of their IFL game in Tucson on July 13, 2024.
Considering the slow start, along with a juggernaut franchise in the Rattlers coming to Tucson, how are you anticipating Saturday evening at Tucson Arena?A: “We want it to be rowdy. We’ve been to places, like Northern Arizona, where it was rowdy. Our fans actually followed us to San Diego and Northern Arizona. At every away game, we have like 20 fans. The Boneyard will get loud. You can’t speak enough about how Tucson supports the team, the fan club we have. You go to San Diego and you have 20 people travel, then you throw a turd out there like we did, it’s frustrating because they came to see us win and support us. But at the end of the day, they gave us high-fives and handshakes.
“You can’t ask for a better fanbase. With the IFL championship game coming to Tucson, we gotta get more fans excited by putting wins on the board and having a good showing at home. It can’t just be a close loss. I know some people like the exciting, close losses, but I like home blowouts where you can relax going into the third quarter. ... We have the opportunity to knock off three powerhouses in a row, so good things can happen.”
