The 蜜柚直播 Sugar Skulls are slowly checking off all the boxes for their inaugural season in the Indoor Football League.
Final roster. Check. Uniforms. Check. First game. Check. First win. Check.
There are only two boxes left to check. Host the franchise鈥檚 first game at 蜜柚直播 Arena, and win a game at home.
At least one of the boxes will be filled out following the Sugar Skulls鈥� Sunday afternoon contest against the Bismarck Bucks (0-1).
The game kicks off at 3 p.m. at 蜜柚直播 Arena, but the fun will start well before then. At 1 p.m., the team will host a free tailgate party outside the arena featuring a beer garden and party games.
鈥淚t sets the tone for the season, and we have a lot of things going on around the game that鈥檚 going to be fan-friendly,鈥� said Sugar Skulls owner Kevin Guy. 鈥淭wo hours before the game, we鈥檙e going to have two live bands, face painting will be going on and someone will be making balloons for the kids. 鈥� We鈥檙e going to have an event around the game.鈥�
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Add coach Marcus Coleman to the list of people excited for the home debut.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the first home game in team history, and we鈥檙e having people come out and see what we鈥檙e like in person,鈥� Coleman said. 鈥淣ot only see us, but see a game. You might get your favorite player in your lap depending on what the play is.
鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to it, and I鈥檓 looking forward to us being home and putting on a good show in front of the hometown folks.鈥�
The Sugar Skulls aren鈥檛 letting the moment overtake the task at hand. The atmosphere around the game is important, but a win is what matters most. (Plus, fans tend to like winning.)
鈥淓very game is the same. First away game, first in history, first at home, every game is the same. You always gotta prepare and go in and execute the gameplan,鈥� linebacker Zach Allen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big one 鈥� don鈥檛 get me wrong 鈥� with it being the first home game, but to me, I approach every game the same.鈥�
Allen led the Sugar Skulls with nine tackles in last week鈥檚 65-44 win over the San Diego Strike Force. 蜜柚直播鈥檚 defense was at its best in the second half, limiting San Diego to 38 net yards and one offensive touchdown.
The showing 鈥渄efinitely meant a lot and it builds up a lot of the new guys鈥� confidence moving forward,鈥� he said.

The Sugar Skulls will wear their all-black uniforms for their first game on 蜜柚直播 Arena鈥檚 gray turf Sunday against Bismarck.
Last week鈥檚 win may have been played on the road, but it had a 蜜柚直播 flair.
Cam Gaddis (Santa Rita High School) and Robert Metz (Canyon del Oro) were two of the team鈥檚 eight defensive starters. Gaddis, a cornerback, recorded six tackles and a pass breakup. Metz had three tackles from the defensive end spot. Offensive linemen Antonio Rosales (蜜柚直播 High) and Alex Rios (Sahuarita High School) started on the other side of the ball.
The Sugar Skulls have more uncertainty at quarterback. Matt Behrendt started last week鈥檚 opener and contributed a passing and rushing touchdown. At halftime, Coleman plugged in Jake Medlock, last season鈥檚 IFL passing leader. Medlock was a last-minute addition to the team after he was released by the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League.
鈥淚 called coach (Coleman) and said 鈥業f I鈥檓 not playing for the Sharks, I鈥檓 playing for you. Do you still need me?鈥� And he said 鈥楢bsolutely,鈥欌€� Medlock said. 鈥淚 packed up everything in my car and it took me 28 hours to get here.鈥�
Medlock fumbled at the goal line on his first possession, and San Diego returned the ball for a touchdown.
鈥淚 was a little rusty,鈥� he said.
Medlock shook off the cobwebs and finished the game 10 of 14 for 142 yards and four touchdowns.
Coleman said two quarterbacks gives the Sugar Skulls options.
鈥淭hose guys are like 1A and 1A-and-a-half, if that鈥檚 even a thing. If you want to label it, 1A and 1B,鈥� Coleman said.
鈥淏oth of those guys are capable of starting in this league, and really any team to be quite honest with you. To have two guys like that where one is a starter and the other is a backup, we don鈥檛 really look at it like that.鈥�
Regardless of who is 蜜柚直播鈥檚 gunslinger against the Bucks on Sunday, the Sugar Skulls will take another step forward as a franchise when it holds the first home game. And ownership has hopes 蜜柚直播 will have the rowdiest fanbase in the IFL.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to build our own traditions here just like we see at basketball games for the Wildcats,鈥� Sugar Skulls minority owner Ali Farhang said. 鈥淥ur fans are going to be the ninth man. You see the 12th man in Seattle; we鈥檙e going to have the ninth man here in 蜜柚直播 and we鈥檙e going to build a tradition by the product we put on the field. 鈥� We鈥檙e going to build an environment where our fans are going to be known as the best fans in the IFL.鈥�
Sweet nothings
- The Sugar Skulls will wear their all-black uniforms in Sunday鈥檚 home debut. The black jerseys have gold numbers with white trim and 鈥淪ugar Skulls鈥� across the chest. The helmets have the Sugar Skulls logo, a skeleton sporting a sombrero and sunglasses.
- Running back Shadrach Thornton didn鈥檛 travel with the team last week for unspecified reasons, but received first-team reps during practice this week. Thornton formerly played for the 蜜柚直播 Rattlers and NC State.
- After the game, fans and spectators can meet players and coaches on the field.
- 蜜柚直播 Wildcats legend Chuck Cecil will serve as a color analyst on the Sugar Skulls broadcast, which will air locally on The CW and will be streamed on YouTube.