Tucson Sugar Skulls 'playing good team football' during four-game streak

Before last week, Tucson only had four wins against its in-state rival — and a dozen losses.

The Sugar Skulls won their fifth game against the Rattlers since becoming a franchise in 2019, beating Arizona, 35-28, in front of nearly 4,000 fans at Tucson Arena this past weekend. 

Considering it was the fourth straight win for the Sugar Skulls since starting the season 2-6, and Tucson avenged its 66-14 loss to the Rattlers earlier in the season, the Old Pueblo's IFL team made a statement as one of the hottest teams in the IFL — and a team peaking at the right moment with playoffs just over a month away. 

"Any time we beat the Arizona Rattlers, it's always good, especially considering it's an in-state rivalry," said Sugar Skulls head coach Rayshaun Kizer. "The guys played well. We've been playing well the last four weeks and I'm just happy with the all-around performances — offense, defense and special teams."

After falling down 14-0 early, Tucson's defense forced three interceptions, including a game-sealing pick by cornerback Aaron Jackson, and allowed only 14 points over the final three quarters. 

Tucson kicker Ben Woodard made both field goals, including a 44-yarder, and a deuce late in the fourth quarter to give the Sugar Skulls a 35-28 lead. Since joining the Sugar Skulls midway through the season, Woodard is 7 for 11 on field goals and has a career-long of 58 yards.

Even though Tucson quarterback Ja'Rome Johnson — who has been the catalyst to the Sugar Skulls' winning streak since joining the team after the 2-6 start — struggled and completed 7 of 20 passes for 62 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, the offense controlled time of possession, 36:17-23:43, and Sugar Skulls running back Brandon Mackey scored two rushing touchdowns — and a receiving touchdown against the Rattlers.  

"Defense played really well and won the game for us," Kizer said. "The offense had some hiccups and turned the ball over three times, can't do that, so we gotta clean up on the offensive side. The special teams side has been great. It's been great.

"It's complementary football. I'm happy with the performance. ... We shot ourselves in the foot early on, but it's a 60-minute game. No game is won in the first quarter, so we always tell the guys to keep our composure. We know who we are and we have a really good defense. We just took it one play at a time." 

Since shaking up the roster halfway through the season, the Sugar Skulls have won four straight games, and three of those wins were against playoff-caliber teams in the Orlando Pirates, the defending IFL champion Vegas Knight Hawks and the Rattlers — three teams with a combined 23-12 record this season. 

Tucson won't return home until July 19, when it hosts the Northern Arizona Wranglers for the final home game of the regular season.

The Sugar Skulls (6-6) battle the Wranglers (1-11) at Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley on Sunday, then enter a bye week leading up to the rubber match with the Rattlers in Glendale on July 11. Tucson's final regular-season game is against the San Diego Strike Force on Friday, July 24.

Tucson has a two-game lead over the San Antonio Gunslingers for the No. 4 seed (the final playoff spot) in the Western Conference standings this week.

Kizer recently joined "Spears & Ali" on ESPN Tucson to discuss the Sugar Skulls' latest triumph, the key components to the four-game winning streak and the upcoming "trap game." 

With Johnson not having his best performance and the Sugar Skulls finding a way to win, was this the best team win of the season?

A: "It was a good team. Everyone gives Ja'Rome Johnson a lot of credit, but the defense has been solid all season and they showed it this past game. Holding the top-scoring offense to 28 points is very impressive. After they were up 14-0, they only scored 14 points the rest of the game, so that's really good. It's just good complementary football all around. We're playing good team football right now." 

How much has Jackson, who was named IFL Special Teams Player of the Week last week, influenced Tucson's defensive secondary and special teams units this season?

A: "He's a big-time playmaker. I had him for his rookie season in Omaha, when he first came into the arena game. I knew what type of big-time player he was, and I was very excited when he wanted to come play for me this season. Now he's living up to the expectations I had for him.

"He's showing his versatility on the field with kick returns, making interceptions. He always finds his way around the football. He's playing well at the right time. He's giving the secondary a ton of confidence. ... The whole secondary is playing well — the whole defense as a whole. The big boys up front do a good job putting pressure on the quarterback to make it easier for the guys on the back end." 

Who has been the unsung hero for the Sugar Skulls this season?

A: "That's an easy answer: Brandon Mackey. He doesn't get enough credit. Brandon Mackey is an unsung hero and is always making plays. He scored three touchdowns this past game. Another one you gotta throw in there is (wide receiver) Jaivian Lofton. He's made some big catches for us in critical moments. Between those two, they've been stepping up and making some big plays for us lately." 

Nearly 4,000 people attended the game at Tucson Arena on Saturday. How was the atmosphere from your perspective?

A: "It was great. The first drive, I couldn't hear when I was calling plays, so I was yelling at Ja'Rome. It was electric in there. The front office, the whole staff does a great job putting butts in seats. The city of Tucson is embracing us and is coming out to support us. I'm upset that we don't have a home playoff game, because I feel like we would've had a home-field advantage." 

With four games remaining, including this week against a struggling Northern Arizona team, what is your message to the team?

A: "This is a trap game. Northern Arizona is a really good home team. The crowd shows up for them, and they do a really good job at home. In the past, we've always gone there and started slow, so we're keeping these boys locked in, and we know how critical these last four games are for our playoff seeding.

"We control our own destiny. If we win out, we know good things are going to happen. We're dialing it in at practice and paying attention to details and making sure these guys are focused and hungry." 

Extra points

— Tucson defensive back Bri'On Murray is tied for the fourth-most solo tackles (41) in the IFL. 

— The Sugar Skulls were named "Fanbase Champions" by the IFL for Week 15, a weekly accolade given to the best fans.  

— The Sugar Skulls' final home game against Northern Arizona on July 19 will be "SpongeBob SquarePants Night." Tucson is wearing SpongeBob SquarePants-themed uniforms. The Sugar Skulls have worn Star Wars-themed uniforms this season, along with camouflage jerseys for "Military Appreciation Night."