It’s been (checks calendar) two years since the Tucson Sugar Skulls played a football game.
Actually, it’s been one year and 11 months, but Dixie Wooten isn’t counting. The head coach and general manager of Tucson’s Indoor Football League franchise stopped counting the moment the IFL announced that this season would begin in May; 2020 was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Wooten spent a few months of assembling a “championship-or-bust” roster, which is a melting pot of returning Sugar Skulls, ex-Iowa Barnstormers and IFL veterans. Tucson will play its first game of the 2021 season on Friday, when it takes on the host Green Bay Blizzard at 5:05 p.m.
Friday night’s contest at the Resch Center is also the first of a two-game road trip to for the Sugar Skulls; Tucson will face the Duke City Gladiators in Albuquerque on May 30.
While the Sugar Skulls yet to even practice on an indoor field this spring, the Blizzard (2-2) has already played four games.
Tucson is, depending on one’s perspective, either inexperienced or fresh.
“I feel like it’s an advantage and a disadvantage,” Wooten said. “The advantage I see is (the Blizzard has) a new offensive coordinator, so with those guys already playing four games, we know exactly how they call plays and things like that, when we see them on film.
“But the disadvantage (for Tucson) is they’ve already played four games, so they know how to get ready for first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter, and for some of my guys, this is their first time playing indoor football. But at the end of the day, we got a veteran coaching staff that understands the indoor game, so we can help our guys through that.”
Green Bay is led by quarterback Damion May, who completed 4 of 13 passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a score, in last week’s loss to Bismarck. The Blizzard’s defense leads the IFL with six interceptions, including 129 return yards and a touchdown.
“Those guys can be dangerous, especially defensive-wise. I think right now, they have the best defensive backs in the league,” Wooten said.
Tucson’s counterpunch to Green Bay’s pesky defense is a wide-receiving corps that consists of All-IFL receivers Ryan Balentine, Jazeric Peterson, Kent Shelby and Sheldon Augustine.
“We have a lot of experience to get things going around here,” Shelby said.
Juju Augustine leads a Sugar Skulls receiving corps that's expected to be amongn the team's strengths.
Tucson quarterback and 2019 IFL Offensive Player of the Year E.J. Hilliard did not travel and remains away from the team for personal obligations, Wooten said. Demry Croft, a former Minnesota Gopher and Tennessee State product, will make his IFL debut under center, with Tahj Tolbert as the second-stringer.
Croft “understands coaching and certain things with football that a quarterback is supposed to understand,” Wooten said. “He knows how to throw a catchable ball and how to get the ball for these receivers to make plays. He’s also a dual-threat quarterback and can take the ball the distance. He can break out for a 30-yard touchdown at any point.”
Wooten spent the days leading up to Friday’s opener game-planning, just like he did last year before COVID-19 scuttled the season.
“Man, it feels great. We’re finally getting to do something that we love and we’re in our element, which is football,” said Wooten.
“Last year was pretty tough when they canceled the season, but seeing teams play games already and knowing we’re in Green Bay getting ready to play is a surreal feeling.”
Extra points
Sugar Skulls co-owner and Arizona Rattlers head coach Kevin Guy became the second-winningest coach in indoor/arena league history on Sunday, when the Rattlers beat the Northern Arizona Wranglers. Guy now has 212 wins, 28 fewer than Sioux Falls coach Kurtiss Riggs (240).
Iowa Barnstormers quarterback Daquan Neal was named IFL Offensive Player of the Week following his 254-yard, six-touchdown performance on 16-for-22 passing against Sioux Falls. Neal signed with Tucson in 2020, before the season shut down.
Tucson will wear all-yellow uniforms against the Blizzard. The Sugar Skulls also have black, white and red uniform options this season.
The Sugar Skulls’ YouTube page will broadcast Friday’s game.
