TUCSON, AZ – The Tucson Sugar Skulls will take on head coach Dixie Wooten's former team, the Iowa Barnstormers, in their home opener at the Tucson Convention Center on Saturday, June 5 at 6:05 p.m. MT.
Aerial Attack
Quarterback Demry Croft got down to business in his last matchup against the Duke City Gladiators. Throwing for five touchdowns and running for another, Croft guided the Sugar Skulls to their first victory of the season. Croft leads the team in passing touchdowns and is tied with Mike Jones for the most rushing touchdowns on the season.
Kent Shelby II delivered another great performance in the second game of the season. Shelby II and Ryan Balentine caught two touchdowns each and made huge plays throughout the game. Mike Jones also left his imprint on the game with three total touchdowns.
Lockdown Defense
The Gladiators entered the last match with the best scoring offense and the most touchdowns per game in the IFL, led by IFL Offensive Player of the Week, Nate Davis. The Sugar Skulls defense blew up the top passing offense in the league with three first half interceptions, and holding Duke City to only 35 points.
Through their first two games of the season, the Sugar Skulls rank fourth in scoring defense, averaging 38.5 points. The Sugar Skulls have also forced five turnovers in only two games, ranking third in the league in interceptions. Defensive back Cory Butler-Byrd has an interception, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble in his first two games. Butler-Byrd is tied for second in the IFL in fumble recoveries and tied for sixth in interceptions.
Battling the Barnstormers
Saturday night's matchup against the Iowa Barnstormers will be Dixie Wooten's first match against his former team since joining the Sugar Skulls after the 2019 season ended. In 2018, Wooten led the Barnstormers to their first ever IFL Championship victory.
This year, the Barnstormers rank first in touchdowns per game and boast the second ranked scoring offense in the IFL. While Iowa's offense is among the league's best, defensively it ranks seventh in scoring. The sturdy Sugar Skull defense will look to contain dual-threat quarterback Daquan Neal, who ranks third in passing yards per game and second in rushing yards per game, having earned IFL Offensive Player of the Week Honors in Iowa's first game of the season during Week 4.
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About the Tucson Sugar Skulls
The Tucson Sugar Skulls were founded in 2018 and are proud members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). In their inaugural 2019 season, the Sugar Skulls qualified for the postseason, immediately establishing themselves as an entertainment staple within the Tucson community for generations to come.
Click here to purchase tickets to the Sugar Skulls' home opener on Saturday night, June 5 at the Tucson Convention Center, with kickoff slated for 6:05 p.m.!
To catch all of the Sugar Skulls' home games in Tucson, inquire about Boneyard membership by clicking here!
