The championship-or-bust expectations for the Tucson Sugar Skulls’ first official season under head coach and general manager Dixie Wooten resulted in, well, bust.
Tucson’s IFL team started the 2021 season 1-6, then finished with a 6-8 record. After gutting nearly the entire roster from last season, the expectations in 2022 have not changed.
“It’s the same,” Wooten said. “When you win a championship, it’s hard to say something else. When you get the taste of juice at the end of the season, it’s tough to say, ‘We’re just trying to make it through the season.’ Now we have the quarterback, now we have the linebacker, now we have the (offensive) line, a solid (defensive) line and we have some receivers and (defensive backs) that can play as well. As long as we get better every week, we have a chance to win it all.”
After spending less than a month in preseason training camp, Wooten said he experienced “a different vibe from these guys.” The Sugar Skulls will open their season on Sunday at the Las Vegas Knight Hawks. The 1:05 p.m. game will be broadcast live on IFL’s YouTube channel.
The Sugar Skulls will then have a five-day turnaround to play the Frisco Fighters in Texas on Friday. Tucson’s home opener will take place April 9 against the San Diego Strike Force.
“These guys just really understand what it takes to be successful and to win a championship. Not only that, it’s the way they’re trying to make it to the next level,” Wooten said. “Every practice in camp was tough and guys were competing. From Day 1 until now, every day was a competition.”
Leading up to the season-opening showdown in the suburbs of Las Vegas, the star spoke to Wooten about five players who are expected to make an impact in 2022. Here’s who they are:
Connor Taylor
Position: Linebacker
Hometown (college): Kaysville, Utah (Louisiana Tech)
Height: 6 feet
Weight: 230 pounds
IFL season: Rookie
Coachspeak: “You have to have a quarterback and a linebacker to make a run at a championship. I think we got both. Connor is a leader and is also a football nut. He studies every day and asks the right questions, but he’s a leader as well, so we’re looking for him to do a lot for us this year. We just picked him up from Louisiana Tech, where he was the MVP of a bowl game against Miami, so that lets you know what type of talent he is.”
Mike Jones
Position: Running back
Hometown (college): Sarasota, Florida (Bethune-Cookman)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 210 pounds
IFL season: Third
Coachspeak: “Mike Jones is Mike Jones, man. He’s great in the running game and we can also use him as a wide receiver in the passing game. He came into this season in super shape, so he’s ready to tuck that ball as much as we need him to, but he also put on muscle so he could block better. He’s a problem in the passing game as well. I think he’s going to have one of those type of years like in 2019, which was his coming-out party. Having him back is big-time.”
Isame Faciane
Position: Defensive line
Hometown (college): Slidell, Louisiana (Florida International)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 295 pounds
IFL season: Second
Coachspeak: “Man, he’s got a lot of NFL experience. Now, he’s in camp and back in tip-top shape and he’s a whole different person. Last year on whim, we needed him in the middle of the season, so we brought him in. Now he’s focused on being here the whole time. He’s moving around well in camp, smiling and is looking like the days he was in the NFL.”
Maurice Jackson
Position: Defensive line
Hometown (college): Levittown, Pennsylvania (Richmond)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 279 pounds
IFL season: Rookie
Coachspeak: “We feel like he’s going to be one of the best in the league and an All-IFL guy.”
Daquan Neal
Position: Quarterback
Hometown (college): Franklinton, North Carolina (Elizabeth City State University)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215 pounds
IFL season: 3
Coachspeak: “He’s going to return to his MVP form. Not just being the leader that he is, but also being a big part of the offense and scoring on every drive. He’s got experience and he understands what he sees on the field. He’s going to put guys in the right situation and keep us above the change. I think he’s going to be that factor that takes us to the next level. … When he first came into the league in 2019, he was a rookie, so I got with him and basically taught him the game, but I also tried to prepare him for the next level. I built a relationship with him all of a sudden, I know his family. We’ve built more than just a coach-player relationship. That’s why he was comfortable coming out here, it was more than just football. He had someone that’s always looking out for his best interest.”
