In a game defined by momentum swings, one of the brightest spots for the Tucson Sugar Skulls came from a new face in the backfield.
In his debut as a Sugar Skulls running back, Brandon Mackey made an immediate impact, finding the end zone twice and providing a spark for Tucson’s offense that struggled to find rhythm early. It wasn’t enough as Tucson fell to San Diego, 48-42, on Saturday night at the Tucson Convention Center.
Tucson (1-2) will next host the New Mexico Chupacabras (1-2) next Sunday at 4:30 p.m. The Sugar Skulls won at New Mexico 45-40 on April 4.
Mackey’s performance against San Diego became a key part of Tucson’s second-half surge, when the team scored four touchdowns after a slow start.
Mackey’s biggest moment came on a 29-yard touchdown run, a play that reflected both preparation and patience. He finished with 50 yards on six carries (8.3 yards a carry) with two touchdowns.
“All week, coach was telling me just be patient in the backfield, it’s going to open up,” said Mackey, who played for Kentucky Wesleyan in college. “Because they like to overflow everything, and we got in the game and coach called it and when I (saw) it, there it goes.”
A second-year pro who played for the Arena League’s Ozarks Lunkers last season, has the ability to read the defense and wait for the play to develop. That skill gave Tucson a much-needed boost as the offense began to settle in.
After being held to just one touchdown in the first half, the Sugar Skulls came out of the break with renewed energy, leaning on their ground game and capitalizing on key – Mackey? – opportunities.
Mackey, alongside other running back Tavion Thomas, helped shift the pace of the game and briefly put Tucson in position to take control.
Yet, despite the late push, the Sugar Skulls were unable to close out the game, something Mackey acknowledged remains a focus moving forward.
“We gotta learn how to close games out,” he said. “We gotta learn how to handle business, just finish strong.”
Head coach Rayshaun Kizer echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the team’s need to put together a complete performance.
“We’re a good second-half team, but we were struggling in the first half for whatever reason,” Kizer said. “We’ll watch the film, make our corrections, and we’ll fix it.”
For Tucson, Mackey’s debut offers a glimpse of potential as the team looks to build consistency early in the season, and turn flashes of momentum into full-game results.
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