The 蜜柚直播 Sugar Skulls are the new kids on the block in the Indoor Football League. And although the expansion team is off to a 2-0 start, there is still plenty to prove.
蜜柚直播 will receive the biggest challenge of its young history on Saturday, when it takes on the powerhouse 蜜柚直播 Rattlers in Phoenix. The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. kickoff.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not the coaching staff to downplay big games. I鈥檒l tell them off the rip, 鈥楬ey this is a big game, don鈥檛 let your underwear get in a wad,鈥欌 Sugar Skulls coach Marcus Coleman said. 鈥淚f we go down and take care of business, we are one step closer to our goal, which is playing in that last game of the season. If you鈥檙e not thinking about that, then you don鈥檛 have a competitive spirit.鈥
The Rattlers are led by coach Kevin Guy, who has won four league championships since joining the team in 2008. The Phoenix sports institution is the only franchise to win a championship in both the IFL and Arena Football League.
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Guy is also, along with wife Cathy, owner of the Sugar Skulls. They both were in the stands for last week鈥檚 home opener, a win against the Bismarck Bucks that drew 5,198 fans to 蜜柚直播 Arena.
The setup 鈥 one coach owning another team in his own league 鈥 is unique. But Kevin Guy made it clear this week that coaching the Rattlers is his top priority.
鈥淲hat we do in 蜜柚直播 has nothing to do with the 蜜柚直播 Rattlers,鈥 Guy said. 鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 really hit me because there is so much going on with the 蜜柚直播 Rattlers, I haven鈥檛 even had time to stop and think about it. 鈥 There鈥檚 always separation.鈥
蜜柚直播 Sugar Skulls defenders impede the forward progress of Bismarck Bucks wide receiver Fredrick Abraham in the first quarter on March 10, 2019. The Sugar Skulls defeated the Bucks 62-40 in their inaugural game at the 蜜柚直播 Convention Center Arena. A.E. Araiza / 蜜柚直播
Sometimes, the separation is physical. Cathy Guy has relocated to 蜜柚直播 to help run the Sugar Skulls, while Kevin continues to live in Gilbert 鈥 or, as he calls it, 鈥淣orth 蜜柚直播.鈥 The Guys鈥 daughter, Alexa, is a high school junior with plans of attending the UA. The Guys plan to relocate as a family when Alexa enrolls in college; their son, Kody, plans to attend high school in 蜜柚直播.
Guy is all-in when it comes to The Old Pueblo. It鈥檚 one of the reasons why he first explored putting a team here, and then pushed for it to join the IFL and not the other two major indoor leagues.
鈥淲e wanted 蜜柚直播 to be in this league,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all about growing the league and I thought 蜜柚直播 deserved an opportunity to have a team.鈥
Guy and his 蜜柚直播 partners 鈥 minority owner Ali Farhang, executive director Mike Feder, sales director Rob Gallo and media relations director Jay Gonzales 鈥 learned from the experiences of past, failed professional teams.
鈥淲hat I found out was when teams went down there, they didn鈥檛 make it about 蜜柚直播,鈥 Guy said. 鈥淭his team had to be about 蜜柚直播. All of my people that I partner with are 蜜柚直播 people. We鈥檙e gonna make this about 蜜柚直播 so it can become sustainable for the future and built for the long haul. There鈥檚 nothing counterfeit about me. If I tell someone I鈥檓 gonna do something, I鈥檓 gonna do it. We鈥檙e committed to蜜柚直播 because I鈥檓 invested in 蜜柚直播. We put our money where our mouth is.鈥
Guy received the OK from Rattlers owner Ron Shurts to pursue the 蜜柚直播 team. The IFL has rules in place to prevent collusion between franchises. Commissioner Mike Allshouse said last summer that Guy鈥檚 reputation in the league made the expansion to 蜜柚直播 鈥 and the coach鈥檚 continued role with the Rattlers 鈥 an easy 鈥測es.鈥
鈥淚t works because of integrity,鈥 Guy said. 鈥淚f everyone thinks there is a conflict, then that鈥檚 how they feel. I certainly don鈥檛 feel that way. We鈥檙e partners off the field and we only compete on game day.鈥
Now that the first matchup between the two 蜜柚直播 IFL franchises is here, the Sugar Skulls and Rattlers are focused on the game.
鈥淲e鈥檙e worried about the Rattlers players versus the Sugar Skulls players. And the end of the day, that鈥檚 it,鈥 Coleman said. 鈥淭he business side turns off and we turn into competitors.鈥
The Sugar Skulls will face a road test at Talking Stick Resort Arena, a venue with a capacity of 18,422. The team set a single-game attendance record of 18,381 fans last year against the United Bowl champions Iowa Barnstormers.
Coleman was there, serving as Iowa鈥檚 defensive coordinator.
鈥淚t gets so packed and loud and crazy. I love it, to tell you the truth. I think it鈥檚 a great environment,鈥 Coleman said. 鈥淗opefully it鈥檒l be rocking this weekend because it鈥檚 the Sugar Skulls versus the Rattlers. 蜜柚直播 versus Phoenix.鈥
Sweet nothings
- Sugar Skulls quarterback Matt Behrendt was named IFL Offensive Player of the Week after completing 19 of 25 passes for 234 yards and a league-high eight touchdowns in last weekend鈥檚 win against the Bucks. Behrendt is fourth in the IFL averaging 150.5 passing yards per game.
- Former 蜜柚直播 Wildcats Steven Gurrola will start at center for the Rattlers on Saturday. Gurrola last played at UA in 2014, when the Wildcats fell to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.
- 蜜柚直播 cornerback Dee Maggitt Jr. is expected to return after missing last week鈥檚 game with an ankle injury. Maggitt won IFL Defensive Player of the Week honors two weeks ago after recording two interceptions against San Diego.
- Rattlers running back Jabre Lolley leads the IFL with 87.5 yards per game and seven rushing touchdowns.
- The Sugar Skulls have three former Rattlers on their roster: Behrendt, running back Shad Thornton and defensive lineman Michael Kluge.
