The Gridiron Times - Virginia Steelers
Transcription
The Gridiron Times - Virginia Steelers
NAFL EASTERN CONFERENCE 2010 January 2010 ISSUE 1.0 The Gridiron Times Syracuse Ready to Shock the NAFL Inside this issue: AFN has New Board Members for 2010 2 ITC Aggression Makes Changes for 2 Central Penn plays for 2 AAA National Champion- East All-Stars Lose Close Battle 3 NEW Team looking to make an”IMPACT” 3 About the NAFL 4 Outlaws look to Steal a NAFL Championship 4 Explosion in DC Area 5 Crimson Cards New Nest 5 Coming Attractions 6 December 18, 2009 Eden Prairie, Minnesota Four of the countries top 25 teams will meet January 16 -17, 2010 at Harris Field Sports Complex in Homestead Florida just south of Miami, to prove who will be the top team at their level in Minor League Football for 2009. This year the defending USA Bowl DI/3A Champion Monroe County Sting (12-1) take on Kings Comets (11-1) MCFL for the 2009 USA Bowl 3A/DI National Championship both team are league champions and ranked in the nations top ten, they will play Saturday January 16th at 2PM. Next up 3 time USA Bowl DII champion the DC Explosion (NAFL) take on the Louisiana Patriots league champions of the Texas/Louisiana Football League for the AFNT/USA Bowl DII Championship on Sunday January 17th at 6PM. SYRACUSE, New York - Players and staff participated in different events The first of many new around the area, including teams from the Empire Big Brothers/Big Sisters, State to join the NAFL in Dr. Week’s elementary 2010 is the Syracuse Shock. The Shock will com- school functions, Boys and pete in the North Atlantic Girls Club, and the AmeriRegion of the NAFL's East- can Cancer Society (Relay for Life)," states Syracuse ern Conference. Shock Team President Melissa Johnson. The Shock are a Syracusebased 501C (3), not-forIn this being the third seaprofit sports organization. son, the Syracuse Shock The team is comprised of still have their eyes set on local residents whose pas- league and national titles. sion for football and desire With a strong base of vet to test their athletic proweran talent and an excellent ess hasn't waned, even crop of young recruits, the though their high school, stage is set to start a new college, and/or profeswinning tradition. As memsional careers have ended. bers of prior Syracuse In their second season, the Shock recorded an 8-4 record and made it to the semifinals before losing to the Lyndonville Tigers. "We had a very successful season off the field as well. teams, current Shock players have experienced many successful campaigns. Over the past five years, these players have contributed to teams that achieved the following: SYRACUSE SHOCK Won a combined total of 64 games Won 2 regular season titles Won a Harvest Bowl Championship Won a 2004 National Championship Greenjackets Named to 2009 NFE Three Glens Falls Greenjackets were Selected as 2009 NFE AllAmericans. NAFL 2009 Player of the Year Zorry Williams was Selected as 2nd Team RB and DB Jason Guzman was also selected as 2nd Team. Brian Howard - LB was selected as a 3rd Team All-American. December 18, 2009 Eden Prairie, Minnesota Four of the countries top 25 teams will meet January 16 -17, 2010 at Harris Field Sports Complex in Homestead Florida just south of Miami, to prove who will be the top team at their level in Minor League Football for 2009. This year the defending USA Bowl DI/3A Champion Monroe County Sting (12-1) take on Kings Comets (11-1) MCFL for the 2009 USA Bowl 3A/DI National Championship both team are league champions and ranked in the nations top ten, they will play Saturday January 16th at 2PM. Next up 3 time USA Bowl DII champion the DC Explosion (NAFL) take on the Louisiana Patriots league champions of the Texas/Louisiana Football League for the AFNT/USA Bowl DII Championship on Sunday January 17th at 6PM. Page 2 American Football News 2010 The American Football News Today web site was founded in 2008, by Dick Suess, who founded the Minor League Football News and MLFN Hall of Fame. Dick sold both in 2008, hoping to retire, but decided that a football web site that included all forms of the sports was needed, and the American Football News was born. Included in the editorial was stories, scores, and other information from the NFL, NCAA, Pro Indoor, Women's Pro Football, and Minor League Football. The web site info on minor league football avoided coverage that was already being given by the Minor League Football News. In June, 2009, Dick Suess was approached by Mercedes & Jesse Wiggins, both members of the Minor League Football Hall of Fame, and owners of two teams in the Southeast (Florida) Football League, about a new idea they had of a Hall of Fame, which would include Minor League, NFL, Pro Indoor, College, High School, and Women' players, coaches, executives, etc. It would be called the American Football Hall of Fame. Dick was asked to be on the board of directors as he had organized his own hall of fame. Dick accepted, and also asked the Wiggins if they would like to take over the American Football News and use it as the sponsor of the new hall of fame. The Wiggins accepted, and made Dick the Executive Editor, and changed the name to American Football News Today. Among that class is former Glens Falls Greenjackets player/coach, Jon Gifford. Jon has also been appointed to the American Football Hall of Fame Board of Directors. He joins Jesse & Mercedes Wiggins, Dick Suess, and James Sanders on the Board of Directors. The American Football News Today is the sponsor of the 8th Annual "Sunshine Bowl" Super Extravaganza of Championship, Bowl Games, and All-Star Games, January 15, 16, &17, 2010 in Homestead, Florida, which the Wiggins owned. On Thursday, January 14, 2010 at Keys Country Club in Homestead, Florida the 1st Annual American Football Hall of Fame's first class will be inducted. To learn more about the AFNT and the Hall of Fame, go to their web site at www.americanfootballnewstoday.com. ITC Aggression get aggressive and changes team name to “Elmira Express” The Elmira Express of The NAFL Will Begin Play Later This Spring Eastern Conference Announces New Leaders EDEN PRAIRIE, Minnesota In an effort to fill the void in administrative positions in the NAFL, Scott Forest (Eastern Conference Commissioner) has appointed Hank Pelton to fill his former position as the North Atlantic Region Director. Elmira – To forget its rough past, the ITC Aggression of the North American Football League is starting over. The team is changing its name to the Elmira Express and will relocate from Ithaca to the Elmira area. The Aggression struggled with numbers in more ways than one in 2009, from barely being able to field a team to not scoring a point until the last game of the season. Charlie Owens is the team president and is looking to fill up Elmira’s roster with local players. Owens tells 18-Sports that he’s already been contacted by at least 40 guys looking to play for the Express. He also mentioned that he has a number of commitments from former Southside and EFA players. Elmira plans to practice at McKinnon Park and play its games on Saturday afternoons at Edison High School in Elmira Heights. Between June and September, the Express expect to have around nine home games, that includes preseason and regular season games. Elmira will remain in the Eastern Conference of the NAFL which is the same division the Southern Tier Warriors are in. If you’re interested in playing or coaching for the Elmira Express, you can contact Charlie Owens at (607) 738-3459 or email him at ElmiraExpress@live.com. Hank Pelton, Co-Owner of the Glens Falls Green Jackets with Craig Matuszak, formerly held the position of Empire Division Director. Hank has been involved in minor league football for many years, both as an owner and as a player. "Hank Pelton will bring to the Eastern Conference a strong ability to communicate with owners and players alike. He has established a good foundation with the Green Jackets for both on and off the field," says Forest. Central Penn Prepares for Central Florida in Class AAA Championship With experience of operating within other leagues for numerous years, Capano experienced issues first-hand that he felt were detrimental to the success of minor league football. Now that he is in the NAFL as a Division Director, Mark feels that he will be able to ensure that those short-comings created in other leagues will not be duplicated in the NAFL. The Central Penn Piranha (13-1) are preparing for a Bowl Game when they take on the Central Florida Thoroughbreds (13-1) in the American Football News Today (AFNT) AAA Minor League Football Championship Game. Game Information Date: Saturday January 16, 2010 Site: Homestead, FL Kickoff: 8:00 PM Green Jackets' games now are a true sporting event involving the whole community in more then just a game. On field the Green Jackets are supported by an experienced coaching staff and a new group of young players to surround the core of veterans. The team won many awards from the 2009 season, including NAFL Player of the Year (RB Zorry Williams), Eastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year (QB Michael Leonbruno), and Eastern Conference Offensive Line of the Year. Scott Forest has already seen benefits from Hank Pelton’s appointment to the position of Regional Director, by securing several new teams for the region, with many more to come. Replacing Hank Pelton as the Empire Division Director will be Mark Capano (Co-Owner of the Glove-Cities Colonials). Mark Capano brings with him many years of experience in minor league football. "Mark has expressed his delight in coming to the NAFL because of the level of professionalism. He would like to carry on that level of professionalism and grow the league and the Empire Division," comments Forest. One final gap that Forest needed to fill was the Atlantic Region Director position. Marty Cross (South Jersey Lynx Owner and 2009 NAFL All-Star Quarterback) was Scott's selection. "Marty Cross had held the position of Metro DiviWinter Team Meetings to sion Director for several years, and is a perfect fit for this new appointment. be held in Glens Falls on Marty has a good working relationship with the teams within this region, as well Jan. 23, 2010 as teams outside of the NAFL." Forest adds, "He knows what is required to grow the Atlantic Region." North Atlantic Region Atlantic Region As a team owner, Cross is always watchful to the bottom line and knows that Winter Team Meetings to travel costs are a big concern for NAFL teams. Growing the region will help to be held in Gaithersburg, MD on Jan. 30, 2010 reduce those costs and help make teams financially sound. Continued on page 4 Page 3 NAFL East All-Stars Lose Close Battle NORTH 24 EAST 21 The NAFL All-Star Game between the North and East teams came right down to the final drive of the game. The game's scoring got started with a bang, courtesy of the strong leg of Chuck Tack. The kicker from the Nebraska Wildcats nailed a 57-yard field goal with 2:01 left in the opening quarter. Tack's 57-yard field goal is the longest in NAFL All-Star Game history. However, the East team would respond in a big way. It only took quarterback Jessie Higgins (Free Agent) 59 seconds to connect with wide receiver Edward Dover (South Jersey Lynx) on a 52-yard touchdown pass. Andar Rehm (Central Penn Piranha) added the extra point to knot the game at 7 points. The second quarter was scoreless, which set-up an exciting second half of football. The East team was able to take their first lead of the game when fullback Nick McConnell (Central Penn Piranha) scored on a 1-yard run. Fellow Piranha teammate Andar Rehm converted the extra point to give the East a 14-7 lead early in the third quarter. Back came the North squad. 62 seconds later, Jamar "Action" Jackson (Dubuque Bruisers) turned in one of the more exciting plays of the day. The North quarterback fielded a dribbling snap on the ground in shotgun formation. With pressure on both sides, Jackson darted up the middle and into the open field. He eluded a couple of defenders and was heading downfield toward pay-dirt. Jamar picked up a great block inside the 20-yard line that allowed him to finish off his scintillating 65-yard touchdown run. Jackson's touchdown run is the longest by a quarterback in NAFL All-Star Game history. The extra point attempt by Tack was no good, making the score 14-9 in favor of the East. A few minutes later, the East answered with another score. Running back Larry Graham (DC Explosion) scored on a 5-yard run. The Rehm extra point gave the New Team looking to make “IMPACT” in NAFL 2010 The mission of Finger Lakes IMPACT Football Team is to build and sustain a successful, semiprofessional, community football team and cheerleader squad. To create a safe, competitive environment in which men and women of 18 years and older can participate in team play football and cheerleading with the opportunity to move on to College or paid Arena / NFL teams. Staff of the Finger Lakes IMPACT Semi-Pro Football Team will develop and maintain a coaching environment of encouragement, discipline, respect and pride. To strengthen the relationship with the Finger Lakes community to which our football team serves by giving back whenever possible through donations and volunteer time. To provide the Finger Lakes community with a source of fun, family entertainment at a very low cost. Finger Lakes IMPACT is an adult football team consisting of players and cheerleaders, ages 18+. We are a fledgling team as the 2010 season will be our first season. The season runs from June through September with play-offs in October. East a commanding 21-9 lead with 4:30 left in the third quarter. The potent North offense responded with a 24-yard touchdown pass, provided by the Dubuque Bruisers. Jackson hooked-up with fellow Bruiser teammate Edward McIntosh on the scoring play. Pablo Bocardo Jr. (Traverse City Wolves) nailed the extra point to make the score 21-16 at the 0:51 mark. Most of the fourth quarter was scoreless, until late in the game. Jamar Jackson tossed a 24-yard touchdown strike to Grant Dickey (Bridge City Knights) with 3:29 remaining. Brunau Augustin (Dakota Lawdawgs) ran in the 2-point conversion to put the North ahead 24-21. The East only needed a field goal to send the game into overtime, and the target line of scrimmage for Andar Rehm to attempt a field goal was about the 35-yard line. The North defense never let the East get close enough for a field goal attempt, and the game ended with a Hail Mary pass being intercepted on the final play. USA Eagles Recruiting to Fill Positions for Game …………….against Team Canada The USA Eagles Football Club (Team USA Football) is recruiting athletes at the Offensive Tackle, Defensive End, Punter, Free Safety, QB and MLB Positions. In addition, the team is looking for staff and assistant coaches. To express interest you should send an email with your brief playing or coaching background to Head Coach Rudy Wyland at admin@teamusafootball.org. William Robinson, Editor Minor League FootballNews editor@minorleaguefootballnews.com We will be applying for membership to the NAFL, North American Football League. The NAFL is an established league consisting of over 70 teams across the nation and NY State Teams such as: Glens Falls Greenjackets, Syracuse Shock, Southern Tier Warriors, Albany Mallers, Elmira Express, Oswego Outlaws, Tri County Tigers and Glove Cities Colonials. There are a number of other teams considering joining the league as well. In talking with league representatives, we should not have a problem being accepted. We understand the requirements and are prepared to exceed them. Owners of the FLI, Jeff and Penny Teed, are both Waterloo natives, currently living in Newark. Jeff Teed graduated from WHS in 1984. He played football as a youth through the Varsity level. Jeff's dream is to bring Semi-Pro football to the heart of the Finger Lakes; to come home his beloved Waterloo High School. Jeff wants to give every adult player the opportunity to 'Live the Dream'; to be able to play football for the love of the game and provide players the opportunity to move up to a college or paid position on an Arena or NFL team. Jeff has coached players at all levels of youth football (FLYFCL), Modified, JV, Varsity and Semi-Pro. Currently, he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Buffalo Gladiators. His dedication to the sport drove him to travel to Buffalo and all over New York State, from Newark, 3 days per week. He never missed a practice or game. His players had immense respect for him and dedication to him. Jeff has also established a successful website. CoachTeed.com is a Football Coaches Reference Site. He currently has the largest football playbook and reference library on the internet. He has helped coaches from all over the world succeed in their coaching endeavors. His site has had more than 500,000 visitors! Penny was born in Waterloo and moved to Clyde while in Elementary school. She moved back to Waterloo after meeting Jeff and getting married in 1985. Penny has 18 years experience with Football Administration. She spent 9 years on a youth football team Board of Directors; 3 years as Secretary, 2 years as Fundraising Director and 3 years as President. She also spent 2 years as Secretary of the Finger Lakes Youth Football Cheerleading League and 3 years as Team Representative to the League. She is very organized, meticulous, dedicated and fundraiser savvy. FLI currently has 85 players registered; 60 will dress for games and 25 for the developmental squad (similar to an NFL ‘Taxi’ squad), a coaching staff of 7 football coaches and a Cheerleading squad with 25 young women and 2 coaches. FLI has a volunteer staff (Concession, Security, Chain Gang, Medical, Announcers, Photographer, Fundraising and Ticket Sales) of 40 dedicated individuals without whom our organization would not exist. FLI is made up of men and women from all over the Finger Lakes. We have made our team a true Finger Lakes team. One important goal of the IMPACT is to give back to the community. All of our home games will have a charity theme: *Benefit for the Wounded Warriors Project and Recreation Department of the Canandaigua VA Hospital with Veteran’s Appreciation (we will call this game our Red, White and Blue Bowl) *Mercy Flight benefit with Fire, Police and EMS appreciation, *Food drive for Local Food Closet, *One charity TBD as we have asked the Mayor of Waterloo, NY, Ted Young, to choose a charity important to the local community. * In October, 2010, the Finger Lakes IMPACT Diamonds (cheer squad for IMPACT) will host a Cheer for the Cure competition for Breast Cancer. These games and competition will allow the IMPACT to donate part of the profit from each event, 50/50 raffle, as well as collection buckets for community donations to these important organizations. We hope to bring a new entertainment venue for family fun to Seneca County and surrounding areas. The North American Football League is a self-sustaining level of adult amateur football that allows players to develop their skills or simply participate for "the love of the game." Although we market it as a minor league, it is recognized as an amateur league and a developmental league for colleges and the pros. This type of insight and vision is consistent with the entire structure of the NAFL. The home office of the NAFL is in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Phone: 201-832-7186 E-Mail: SForest@NAFL.org “Taking it to the Next Level”. The NAFL is entering into its 12th season of operations in 2010. Current NAFL CEO and League Founder, Robert F. Licopoli, began this endeavor in 1999 when he realized that there are tens of thousands of people involved in semi-pro and adult amateur football throughout North America. Each group was operating independently of each other. Mistakes were being repeated year in and year out. One of the goals of Licopoli was to create a best practices guide and educate team owners on how to operate a team successfully. In less than 5 years, the NAFL proved itself and is quickly becoming recognized as a viable developmental league for the colleges and pros. Licopoli dropped the name semi-pro, because the term itself includes the word pro, and contradicted the amateur status of the league. Licopoli’s leadership has also proven to be invaluable to executives and coaches at all levels of football. The NAFL conducts annual combines where the players are given the opportunity to sign with NFL and Arena teams. By participating in the NAFL, players are also provided with an opportunity to gain valuable experience as they continue their pursuit of advancing to the professional or collegiate level. The NAFL maintains a national presence with nearly 100 teams. The league is divided into 4 conferences (East, North, South, and West). Each conference has 2 regions. Within each region, there are 4 divisions. Communication is maintained with its almost 6,000+ members on a regular basis. The post season playoff bracket contains America’s top teams where they compete for the National Championship. Continued from page 2 As the Eastern Conference grows, Scott Forest is seeking to fill other Division Director positions. This will help broaden the administrative network of the NAFL and help to lighten the load of the Regional and Division Directors. Forest is always interested in hearing from prospective people that would be interested in assisting the NAFL grow. "Once we have the right people in the right positions, we will be able to take it to the next level." In addition to assisting teams in building a more stable and successful organization, the NAFL promotes its teams on a daily basis to increase the visibility in both their local market and on a national stage. Press releases on NAFL teams are displayed by sports organizations to a national viewing audience, as well as posted on the NAFL website. In fact, the NAFL had feature articles published in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times during the 2005 season. The NAFL’s goal is to franchise its teams and become the McDonalds of minor league football. In its first year, the NAFL accomplished the primary goal of creating a national playoff structure. This is remarkable due to the fact that it was expected to take 5 years to accomplish this task! The next step was to raise capital necessary to pay for playoff travel for teams that qualify for post season play. This was accomplished early in 2007. The 2009 NAFL Championship Weekend took place in Miami Florida (North Miami Athletic Stadium), and was a tremendous success. Notable host cities in the past have been Orlando, Florida (2003-06, Disney Sports Complex) and Las Vegas, NV (2007). In fact, the NAFL landed a signed contract with ESPN for the 2005 Championship Weekend. Oswego Outlaws coming to NAFL 2010 The Oswego County Outlaws is an Adult Minor League Football Team comprised of coaches and athletes from the Oswego County area. We are unpaid athletes who play for the love of the game and the pride of our community. We are currently looking for a home field facility and when we land one we will be sure to let everyone know. If you are interested in joining the team, at any capacity or if you'd like to help sponsor us, please contact us at ocooutlawscoach@yahoo.com Page 5 2009 Eastern Conference Honors NAFL OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR RB Zorry Williams (Glens Falls Green Jackets) 1,020 yards, 16 TD, 10.5 avg., 77 long #1 TD scored, #2 rushing yards, #2 rushing average EAST - OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR QB Michael Leonbruno (Glens Falls Green Jackets) 1,511 yards, 61.1 %, 26 TD / 6 INT, 119.0 rating #1 passer rating, #2 passing yards, #3 TD passes EAST - DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR LB Roy Webb (Southern Tier Warriors) 97 tackles, 6 sacks, 1 FUM #3 tackles EAST - IRON MAN OF THE YEAR WR Darren Echols (Central Penn Piranha) 1,208 combined yards, 7 TD, 23.7 avg. #2 combined yards, #2 punt return yards EAST - KICKER OF THE YEAR Andar Rehm (Central Penn Piranha) 41-43 PAT, 8-10 FG, 48 long EAST - OFFENSIVE LINE OF THE YEAR Glens Falls Green Jackets 201.5 rushing ypg, 170.6 passing ypg, 372.1 total ypg #4 total ypg, #6 rushing ypg, #10 passing ypg EAST - TEAM OF THE YEAR Central Penn Piranha (13-1) EAST - OWNER / CEO OF THE YEAR Rich Cross, Tim Vaughn (Hampton Roads Hurricanes) EAST - HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR Ron Kerr (Central Penn Piranha) EAST - BEST NEW TEAM OF THE YEAR Glove Cities Colonials Co Owners Matt & Mark Capano BEST NAFL TEAM WEBSITES Glove-Cities Colonials Tri-County Tigers Central Penn Piranha South Jersey Lynx HONORABLE MENTION NAFL TEAM WEBSITES DC Explosion Virginia Crimson Cardinals Glens Falls Green Jackets EAST - PR & MEDIA RELATIONS PERSON OF THE YEAR Great job to all the Eastern Conference honorees. Jeff Hodges (Glens Falls Green Jackets) Now we will look to lead the NAFL into the next EAST - HEART & SOUL AWARD ITC Aggression Decade and beyond. Have a great 2010! Scott Forest Eastern conference Commissioner VIRGINIA CRIMSON CARDINALS BUILDING A NEW NEST With the 2009 season over, Cardinals finished with a 6 - 3 record. Cardinals have now started to prepare for 2010 with a new practice location. The facility will have a practice field and a future home field for the Cardinals. Cardinal president Chad Dudley says this change will help the Cardinals organization move to a new level and will bring alot of changes. We have been waiting for this move for a few years now and we will have to step up our game on community involvment, he says. Dudley also states this move will help management become more productive on finding sponsors for 2010 with its main goal to secure busses for away games. For our club to be more competitive in this nationwide league (NAFL) we need this new facility so we can continue doing the community events that our organization planned from the beginning 9 years ago Page 6 Coming Attractions Coming soon the 2010 NAFL Team Operating Rules Special points of interest: North Atlantic Regional Meeting January 23rd 9am to 5pm Queensbury hotel Glens Falls, NY Atlantic Regional Meeting January 30th 9am to 5pm Holiday Inn, Gaithersburg, MD Bring a team helmet RSVP soon as seating is limited. # attending Contact Scott Forest SForest@NAFL.org New Team Additions With the coming 2010 season coming the NAFL staff and administration has been working very diligently to rebuild the NAFL. Returning it to the status of the Premier Minor League Football Organization in North America. Now with just shy of two weeks from our first Eastern Conference Regional meeting we are filling in slots for teams very quickly. We have just received confirmation from several teams of their commitment to the NAFL like the Albany Metro Mallers, that they will be returning to the NAFL in the North Atlantic Region. The Atlantic Region is reloading with the Pittsburgh Colts, Pittsburgh Storm, and the Virginia Steelers. Watch for news articles here in The next edition of the Grid Iron Times for more updates of new teams coming to the NAFL Eastern Conference. In the next edition we will show all of the teams in their respective divisions. If you haven’t confirmed your seat yet at the Regional meeting. Confirm your seat at the regional Meeting Please do so quickly. Albany Metro Mallers RSVP to North Atlantic Reg—Hank Pelton, (518) 361-4354 Atlantic Reg.—Scott Forest, 201 832-7186 For Hotel Rooms: Queensbury hotel: Shelly www.queensburyhotel.com Holiday Inn: Amanda Amanda.Mowbray@bfsaulco.com We can only hold the room discounted rate for a few more days. PITTSBURGH COLTS And more coming …...