Interstate 10 Rivalry Renewed as Rattlers Host Sugar Skulls
By Alyssa Buruato ꟾ Rattlers Media
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Rivalries in indoor football are usually built over time, not distance, but the one between the Arizona Rattlers and the Tucson Sugar Skulls was built on both − 116 miles on Interstate 10 to be exact.
On Sunday night, the two Arizona franchises will meet again at Desert Diamond Arena in the latest chapter of one of the Indoor Football League's most unique rivalries. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. MST and the game will be broadcast on Yahoo! Sports.
This meeting carries added significance for Rattlers Head Coach Kevin Guy, who faces the Sugar Skulls for the first time since he and his wife, Cathy, sold majority ownership of the Tucson franchise. The Guys remain minority owners, but Sunday marks the first game between the teams without Guy overseeing both organizations from the top.
The connection between the two franchises has always run deep. When Tucson joined the IFL in 2019, the organization was founded by the Guys, creating an instant in-state rivalry with the Rattlers. Since then, the matchup has consistently brought added emotion, physicality and intensity whenever the teams meet.
While the rivalry has grown over the years, the Rattlers have largely controlled the series on the field. They have dominated historically, posting a 12-3 record against the Sugar Skulls, though the Sugar Skulls have won three of the last eight meetings including a 50-47 victory in Glendale in the most recent matchup in the middle of last season.
The Rattlers enter this week looking to bounce back following a 56-42 road loss to the Vegas Knight Hawks. Despite the defeat, Arizona once again showcased one of the league's most explosive offenses, scoring more than 40 points for the sixth consecutive game to open the season.
Quarterback Max Meylor continues to rank among the top quarterbacks in the IFL, sitting in the Top 5 in both passing yards and touchdown passes. Meylor has also been Arizona's leading rusher with 256 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
The Rattlers' rushing attack has become one of the most dangerous in the league. Arizona enters Week 7 averaging 93.3 rushing yards per game behind a backfield featuring Ron Brown Jr. and Kymani Clarke. The duo has combined for 10 rushing touchdowns this season.
On the outside, rookie receiver Arland Bruce has emerged as Meylor's top target, leading the team with 329 receiving yards. Corey Reed Jr. leads Arizona with six touchdown receptions.
Defensively, Arizona continues to lean on a young group that has steadily developed throughout the first half of the season. Rookie defensive lineman Carson Taylor recorded his first sack of the year in Vegas and leads all Rattlers defensive linemen with 21 tackles, 5.5 of those for losses.
For Arizona, this game presents an opportunity to get back on track while continuing to establish itself as one of the top contenders in the Western Conference.
And for Guy, it is another meaningful moment in a career deeply connected to football in the state of Arizona.