| |  | | Kane County Eagles running back J.R. Taylor, a former teammate of Tony Romo’s at Eastern Illinois University and a free-agent signee of the Green Bay Packers in 2003, says “I think everything turned out for the best. I have no ill feelings about not being in the NFL.” (Photo provided) | |
NFL glory rushes by
It was the spring of 2003. Taylor and Eastern Illinois University teammate Tony Romo were coming off historically prolific senior seasons. Romo had been named the Walter Payton Player of the Year in Division I-AA football (now the Football Championship Subdivision); Taylor, a running back, joined him as an All-American.
Neither was drafted, and instead entered the NFL through the back door as undrafted free agents.
Romo signed with the Cowboys and famously rose from undrafted obscurity to NFL quarterbacking fame.
Taylor had a cup of coffee – more like a shot of espresso, really – as a priority free agent signee with the Packers. He survived in Green Bay for a single minicamp before moving on to the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League, then the United Indoor Football League’s Peoria RoughRiders (now the Pirates), before joining the semi-pro Kane County Eagles two years ago.
“It’s pretty funny, actually, because Tony’s from Wisconsin and he grew up a Packers fan and now he’s the Cowboys quarterback. … My dad was a huge Tony Dorsett fan, so I was always a Cowboys fan, but I went to the Packers,” said Taylor, a native of downstate Decatur. “I signed just before Tony, and then when he signed, we had a good laugh about it.”
Taylor, 28, said he still shares the occasional laugh with Romo, “but I try not to bother him too much because he’s a busy guy.” He keeps up with Romo’s career – Taylor insists that “Tony won’t play football for long because his heart is golf. That’s his No. 1 sport. He’s unbelievable.” – and doesn’t give off the it-should-be-me vibe.
“I think everything turned out for the best. I have no ill feelings about not being in the NFL,” said Taylor, who by day works as a recruiter. “I realized pretty quickly that being an NFL player wasn’t for me. There’s no free time, no private life. I’m happy with how things are.”
Since joining the Eagles and, a year later, the Chicago Slaughter of the Continental Indoor Football League, Taylor has continued along the same trajectory he established at Eastern. As an EIU senior he rushed for 1,522 yards, including a school-record 308 yards in a single game, and 18 touchdowns. His name appears in the EIU Football Guide record books only two fewer times than Romo’s – 44 to 42.
This spring with the Slaughter, Taylor scored 22 touchdowns on only 66 rushing attempts. It should be more of the same outdoors with the Eagles, who are looking to defend their North American Football League national title from a season ago.
“The thing about J.R.,” said Eagles center John Binish, “is he can run through you and, with his vision, he can run around you. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Taylor began playing football in third grade, and said he never has missed a game. Still, given the pounding he’s taken over the years, he knows he doesn’t have too much time left in the sport.
The two biggest things keeping him coming back to the Eagles, he said, are the camaraderie among teammates and the impending birth next month of his first child.
“I think my body will tell me when it’s time to stop,” said Taylor, who’d like to play three more years. “It would be nice if my son could see me play and maybe understand a little bit that his dad could play.”
Either way, it should make for a good story one day.
Going there ...
Remaining home games for the Eagles, all played at 7 p.m. at Mooseheart:
Saturday vs. Wisconsin Wolfpack
Aug. 2 vs. Milwaukee Marauders
Aug. 9 vs. Racine Raiders
Admission:
Adults: $7
Seniors, students with ID and children: $5 Oklahoma Thunder 101
By GLENN HIBDON World Sports Writer 7/19/2008
Last Modified: 7/19/2008 2:45 AM Remember the World Football League from the 1970s?
It's been resurrected, and Tulsa has a team. As a matter of fact, the Oklahoma Thunder is the top-ranked minor league squad in the country.
Standing 6-0 after outscoring opponents 352-33, the Thunder is looking for its first true test of the season when the Dallas Diesel, the practice squad of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, visits S.E. Williams Stadium for a 6 p.m. Saturday kickoff.
Powered by area standouts like former Oklahoma star Kejuan Jones, Booker T. Washington's Rico Watkins and Bristow's Joey Crawford, players earn $50 to $800 a game while maintaining a future in professional football. The Thunder has a 47-man roster, featuring 16 from Bacone College, seven from Northeastern State and five from Northeastern A&M.
Below are some facts about the Oklahoma Thunder and the World Football League.
Glenn Hibdon 581-8396
glenn.hibdon@tulsaworld.com
Coach of the Thunder: Bruce Madden, a Foyil native who played at Bethel College in Newton, Kan.
He has 10 years of experience in coaching minor league teams.
He won two division championships in the Southwest Football League.
Teams in the WFL: In addition to the Thunder, the league is made up of the Dallas Diesel, Austin Gamebreakers, Southeast Texas Demons, Texarkana Warriors, Arkansas Warcats and Texas Bulldogs.
How Tulsa got a team: Madden was putting together investors for a team in the North American Football League, a semi-pro group.
He contacted people in the minor leagues and when word got around that Tulsa had signed Kejuan Jones and was looking at big names, WFL head man Chip Pierce offered Madden a spot in his new league.
Players' backgrounds: In addition to those from Bacone, NSU and NEO, the Thunder roster is made up of two from Langston University, two from Enid and one each from OU, University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts, Kansas State, Auburn, North Texas, North Carolina A&T, Central Oklahoma, Southern Nazarene, Kansas Wesleyan and Booker T.
Washington, Beggs, Nowata and Central high schools.
Top players: In addition to Jones at running back, Rico Watkins went from a tailback at BTW to a quarterback at NEO and North Carolina A&T. He's playing that position with the Thunder.
Chris Chappell is a linebacker from Auburn who was with the Atlanta Falcons in camp. Madden calls running back Brandon Ishem, who played at NSU, the "fastest kid I've ever seen." Michael Swalley from Nowata is a top receiver.
Linebacker Joey Crawford from Bristow (6-foot-4, 260) is the "best player I've ever coached," said Madden.
Thunder statistics: Madden said his team leads the WFL in offense and defense with the "best stable of running backs in the country." In the Thunder's first five regular-season games, Watkins completed 35 of 66 passes for 924 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Ishem ran for 297 yards on 27 carries, Clint Thomas for 295 on 27 carries and Jones for 173 on 23 carries.
Swalley caught eight passes for 295 yards and five TDs.
Crawford compiled 36 tackles, 12.5 for losses, with two sacks, two safeties, one interception, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
Kansas City Shockers announce new field at William Jewell College in Liberty, MissouriCrusaders skin Sharks
2008-07-01 13:20:00
By BILL GAMBLIN
PENSACOLA – The Panhandle Crusaders were on more than a mission; they were bent on winning and winning big.
After an opening season loss to the Pensacola Wolfpac, the Crusaders are marching into a bye week at 3-1 overall after dropping the Mobile
Sharks 46-20 in a rain-shortened game.
The Crusaders got on the board on its second possession of the night when Kelvin King punched it in from four yards out.
King’s touchdown was triggered by David Jennings’ punt return to give the Crusaders first and goal from the Sharks 4.
Then things got interesting as the Sharks created a little excitement of their own with a 75 yard kickoff return to make it a 7-6 contest as they
failed to convert the extra point.
The Crusaders then capitalized on a very short Sharks punt and took the lead for good as kicker Yancy Gordon, who just signed with the team,
booted one through the uprights from 36 yards out to make it 10-6.
Then in the second quarter the Sharks were turned to sushi by the Crusaders.
Brandon Sanders carried the load to start the next drive before a pass from Octavias Smith to Matthew Canellare covered 46 yards to give the
Crusaders first and goal from the Mobile 7.
Three plays later Smith would score from one yard out on what would be his first of three touchdowns for the game as he finished the night
with a game high 144 yards.
Up 17-6, the Crusaders defense led by former Patriots Rustin Peck and Brett Boyett pinned their ears back and destroyed the Sharks shotgun.
Peck sacked the Sharks quarterback on first down for a four-yard loss, and then on third down it was a jailbreak as the Sharks quarterback ran
for his life as the Crusaders defense forced him back for a 17-yard loss to the Mobile 2.
A high snap on fourth down led to a safety as the punter stepped out of bounds to make it 19-6 with 4:30 remaining in the half.
Jennings then lit the jets on the ensuing free kick and returned it 60 yards to make it 26-6.
But the Crusaders wanted one more touchdown and after the defense forced the Sharks into a three and out they had one last chance.
With less than two minutes on the clock Smith led the Crusaders down the field highlighted by a run where he went 44 yards down to the
Mobile 27.
Jennings caught a pass for nine yards from Smith who would rumble 18 yards on fourth and one to make it 33-6 after Gordon added the extra
point.
After Smith scored his third touchdown of the game in the second half the Crusaders got a little sloppy and the Sharks struck scoring 16
unanswered points.
Then the Crusaders woke up and to together a drive in the early stages of the fourth quarter which was capped off by Joe Carter carrying the
ball seven yards for the final scored of the game to make it 46-20 after Gordon’s kick.
Mobile started to move the ball on their next possession, but lightning and the ensuring rainstorm caused the officials to end the game.
The Crusaders will be off this week and return to action on July 12 when they visit the Louisiana Hurricanes. Their next home game will be on
July 19 at 7:30 p.m. when they host the Pensacola Wolfpac at Emmitt Smith Field on the campus of Escambia High School.
Lynx Defeat RAFL Defending Champs PW Monarchs
June 28, 2008,
South Jersey Lynx Staff
CAMDEN - The South Jersey Lynx opened up the 2008 season with a win over last years Minor League Football News #1 ranked team 16-6. The Prince William Monarchs finished last season with a 20-0 record. The Monarchs came into this contest 3-0 and looking to continue their impressive winning streak.
After a long off-season, the Lynx had to regroup and start this new season off fresh. This game was the Lynx first chance to compete against another team. Both teams played well with a few miscues but it was a good hard-nosed football game.
Good Luck to the 2008 Prince William Monarchs and good luck with your season.
The Lynx will be idle until the season opener against arch-rival New Jersey Terminators on July 12. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00pm but may change to 7:00pm. The Lynx have a 7-0-1 record against the Terms. The Terminators are sure to be a test for the Lynx as the hit they field looking for their first win.
BY PETER JACKEL
Journal Times
Saturday, June 28, 2008 11:49 PM CDT
RACINE — Before one gets too carried away with the Racine Raiders’ 28-0 preseason victory over the Rochester (Minn.) Giants Saturday night at Horlick Field, a little perspective is necessary.
While the Giants have gone 59-4 in the Great Plains Football League the last five seasons, they made the five-hour bus trip to Racine with only about half their team. Six starters on defense and three on offense were among those absent, according to player-coach Donny Holcomb.
“We’ve had a lot of trouble on our team as far as losing guys with injuries and other things going on,” Holcomb said. “No excuses. They kicked our butt.”
With that personnel disclaimer out of the way, there is no denying the Raiders were downright impressive at times under first-year coach John Mamerow.
From the promising poise of 25-year-old quarterback Shawn Kain, to the running of Bryan Jennings Jr. to the dancing feet of Sam D’Alie to the steadying presence of Wilbert Kennedy, this one offered the makings of something special.
“I’m excited because, this year, it seems like everybody is pretty much on the same page as far as, ‘Let’s go back to the Racine Raiders smash-mouth football that we used to play,’ ” said Jennings, a Park High School graduate who rushed for 130 of his 134 yards and scored two touchdowns in the first half.
“We just want to be that beat ’em up team that we used to be.”
If you were among the 750 fans who showed up for this game, you likely would have had visions of some vintage Raiders teams.
Kain, a protege of all-time Raiders great Charlie Bliss, passed for 151 yards in the first half, with D’Alie accounting for all but two of those receiving yards.
Before giving way to Ricky Irbe Jr., Kain had completed 11 of 18 passes for 182 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for a touchdown.
Jennings, who played largely in the shadow of Cory Tenner 10 years ago at Park, ripped through huge holes. And D’Alie was a downright acrobat, catching seven passes for 181 yards.
Defensively, cornerback Eric Feest broke up three passes and had an interception.
If there was a negative to this game beyond the fact that the Raiders were forced to play against a strapped Giants team, it was a letdown in the second half.
And as the even-tempered Mamerow addressed his team afterward, that was the theme he pushed.
“We can’t play to our opponent’s level,” Mamerow said.
“I think we were obviously the better team today, but there were times when our performance level went down. That’s something we’re going to work on this week.”
_________________
STRATFORD HIGH SCHOOL, NASHVILLE, TN- Someone finally scored on the
Nashville Storm. Specifically, the Nashville Kings' Chris Benton scored
on the Nashville Storm on a 90-yard kickoff return with 4:37 left in
the 3rd Quarter of Saturday night's game at Stratford High School's
Buster Boguskie Stadium. Only problem was that the Nashville Storm,
ranked #1 nationally in the nationwide NAFL's power rankings, scored a
lot MORE than the Kings, rolling to a 33-0 halftime lead en route to a
46-6 victory, bringing the Storm to 3-0 on their June schedule with a
114-6 scoring margin over their 3 opponents.
On offense, Storm QB Tye Forte (Bacone College) threw for 193 yards and
3 TDs, all in the first half. Anthony "Batman" Martin led the Storm
rushing attack (which again used 5 running backs) with 51 yards in 11
carries, while WR Mario Merriweather (Clarksville HS/Bethel College)
had 6 catches for 115 yards and 2 TDs (also all in the first half) . WR
Albert Winn (TSU) and TE Marc Ingram (Lane College) also had TD catches
for the Storm, and Storm RB Chris Humes (Mt Juliet HS) had a rushing TD
for the 2nd straight game.
On defense, the Storm was as dominant as they had been in their
previous two games, holding the Kings offense to (-3) yards of total
offense for the game. Led by a spectacular performance by Jeremy Sims
(Georgia State), a 290-pound LB moved to DT for this game (4 Tackles
For Losses, 3 QB Sacks), the Storm defensive front racked up 11 Tackles
for Losses including 8 QB Sacks, bringing the Storm's QB sack total to
25 for the season's first 3 games. The Storm secondary picked off 3
Kings pass attempts, one each by S Michael Curtis (Campbellsville), S
Danarius Fowler (Pearl-Cohn), and CB Cromwell Stewart (Father
Ryan/UT-Martin), with Stewart returning his interception 32 yards for a
touchdown. The Storm defensive unit has still not surrendered a point
in the 2008 season.
The Storm scored on their first possession of the game for the 2nd
straight game as QB Tye Forte hit Mario Merriweather with a 20-yard TD
pass to cap off an 8-play, 58 yard drive. On the Storm's 2nd
possession, though, Forte had the ball stripped from him by a blindside
tackle, and the Kings' Jeremy Winnott scooped up the fumble and
returned it to the Storm 14-yard line. 2 plays later, the Kings'
Broderick Crayton caught an Adam Taylor pass to give the Kings first
down at the Storm 3. The Storm, however, held the Kings on downs as
Storm CB Rod Higgins (MTSU) broke up Taylor's throw to Crayton on 4th
down.
Starting from the Storm 2, the Storm marched 98 yards in 9 plays to
score their 2nd touchdown on Forte's 24-yard TD pass to Albert Winn
early in the 2nd quarter. Then, after a Kings' 3-and-out, Storm SS
Jonathan Weaver (Cerritos CC) ran a shanked Kings' punt 23 yards for a
TD to raise the Storm lead to 20-0. Late in the 2nd quarter, Cromwell
Stewart's TD interception return raised the Storm lead to 26-0, and,
with a little more than 2 minutes left in the half, Forte hit Mario
Merriweather with a short pass near the Storm sideline; Merriweather
used his 4.28 40-yard dash speed to reverse his direction to the other
side of the field and jet down the visitors' sideline for a 47-yard
score, giving the Storm a 33-0 halftime lead.
In the 3rd quarter, the Storm, following Michael Curtis' interception
and 21-yard return of a Kings' pass attempt, drove 56 yards to score on
Chris Humes' 1-yard run. On the following kickoff, the Kings' Chris
Benton's 90 yard kickoff return put the Kings on the scoreboard and cut
the Storm lead to 39-6. The Storm's last score came late in the 4th
quarter on backup QB Jason Hankins (Rainy River CC) 18-yard pass to TE
Marc Ingram, moving the score to the 46-6 final.
The Nashville Kings (0-2) will take next weekend off before traveling
to Memphis, TN to take on the Memphis Panthers in a Saturday, July 12
game.
The Nashville Storm (3-0) will also take next weekend off before taking
on their next opponent, the Memphis Blast, who will travel to Nashville
to play the Storm Saturday night, July 12, at Stratford High School in
a game with a 7 PM kickoff.
GAME SUMMARY
1 2
HALF 3 4 FINAL
NASHVILLE KINGS 0 0 0 6 0
6
NASHVILLE STORM 7 26 33 6 7
46
STORM- Mario Merriweather 20 pass from Tye Forte (Coble Kick)- 9:48 1st
Qtr
STORM- Albert Winn 24 pass from Tye Forte (Coble kick)- 13:13 2nd Qtr
STORM- Johnathan Weaver 23 punt return (Coble kick blocked)- 9:55 2nd
Qtr
STORM- Cromwell Stewart 32 interception return (Coble Kick missed)-
4:45 2nd Qtr
STORM- Mario Merriweather 47 pass from Tye Forte (Coble Kick)- 2:01 2nd
Qtr
STORM- Chris Humes 1 run (Coble kick missed)- 4:56 3rd Qtr
KINGS- Chris Benton 90 kickoff return (2-pt conv pass failed)- 4:37 3rd
Qtr
STORM- Marc Ingram 18 pass from Jason Hankins (Gorecki Kick)- 4:50 4th
Qtr
-->
ROGERS - The Arkansas War Cats released a revised schedule for the remainder of the season after another World Football League team was dropped.
The WFL, in its first year of existence under new CEO Chip Pierce, started the summer season with nine teams from four states. Seven teams remain.
The San Antonio Warriors decided not to play in the WFL while the Louisiana Lightning out of Baton Rouge were dropped for not doing the work required to be part of the new semipro league, War Cats owner James Burkheart said.
The Warriors were playing in the Texas United Football League - a semi-pro team in the Lone Star state - and were expected to join the WFL after the spring TUFL season.
But after the Warriors lost the TUFL championship game 22-15 to the Hunt County Longhorns on June 7, players decided not to continue playing this summer, Burkheart said.
The Lightning, on the other hand, was voted out after canceling two games because of financial problems. Burkheart said the Lightning could not make a trip to Dallas for a game two weeks ago and couldn't travel to Beaumont, Texas, for a game against Pierce's Southeast Texas Demons last weekend.
When Pierce suggested his team travel to Baton Rouge, Lightning officials said they could no longer afford their home field either.
The War Cats, who are 1-3 and in a fifth-place tie in the league, have a bye the next two Saturdays before play resumes July 12 at David Gates Stadium in Rogers.
They will host the Tulsa Knights in a nonleague game that night before finishing the WFL schedule with two home games and three trips to Texas.
The new schedule has the War Cats playing the Texarkana Warriors twice after the break as well as second games against the Oklahoma Thunder - who beat Arkansas 37-0 in the season opener - and the Dallas Diesel - who beat Arkansas 16-7 last week.
Arkansas also travels to Texas to play the Austin Gamebreakers.
The Thunder are 4-0 and have outscored opponents 201-19 this season. The Southeast Texas Demons are 3-0.
Dallas and Austin are also ahead of the War Cats in the league standings with 3-1 marks.
The original WFL folded in 1975 before finishing its second season and the name had laid dormant until Pierce resurrected it by buying the rights.
| 06/28/2008 |
| Drillers cancel another game |
| By PERRYN KEYS , The Enterprise |
The Beaumont Drillers are 0-for-June.
The beleaguered indoor football team, which hasn't played since May 31, canceled today's home game against the Conroe Storm.
In an e-mail to Ford Park general manager John Hughes, Drillers official Renty Rollins confirmed what almost everyone in town, from the coach to his players and their fans, already believed - that today's game would be wiped out.
Rollins, however, did not give an explanation.
"John, this letter is to inform you that the Driller Organization is canceling this Saturday's game June 28, 2008," Rollins said in the e-mail.
"Thanks for all of your cooperation in this, and we would like to thank Ford Park and SMG for their patience in this matter."
It is the second consecutive home game the Drillers have canceled.
Ford Arena also was empty on the night of June 14, when the team was supposed to play the Texas Regulators.
Then again, it's sort of hard to have a game without players.
Drillers players have repeated this week what they'd already said before - that they haven't been paid for games dating back to May.
Since then, players have refused to practice or play until Drillers management catches up.
Conroe Storm general manager Marc Mooney said Friday he received a text message from Drillers coach Bryan Blake, who said the Drillers' players haven't seen the money they've been promised.
"He told me that their guys are not playing for free," Mooney said. "But I still need to hear from the league that there's not going to be a game."
Ralph Adams, commissioner of the American Professional Football League, assured Mooney earlier this week that there would be a game in Beaumont. Attempts to reach Adams at his Topeka, Kan., office have been unsuccessful.
Attempts to reach Blake and Rollins have also been unsuccessful.
Even as the Drillers kicked off their sixth season in Beaumont, signs of trouble were showing up elsewhere within the league.
The Drillers announced in March that ownership had changed hands from Roy Reap, a Louisiana businessman, to Rollins, who spent much of the last year as operations manager at Ford Park.
Reap still is listed as the Drillers' owner on the APFL Web site.
The Drillers' season opener April 4 was a 95-8 laugher over a team calling itself the Wichita Falls Diablos. But the visiting team that night reportedly never had played before, and they showed up in Beaumont wearing jerseys with the nickname "Cougars" on the front.
|
Phenix City Falcons Answer the SFL Commissioner's Accusations:
Before anything else is said let it be known that the the SFL commissioner owns and coaches the "Forest Park Vikings".
The Forest Park Vikings lost the SFL Championship game to the Falcons 22-5. This is the same Forest Park Vikings team that had it's opponent walk out in the Third Quarter of the Division Championship game due to accusations that the Forest Park Vikings were blatantly cheating.
The Falcons have provided proof to the league offices that all Phenix City Falcon players were a part of our team and played in our regular season games per the rules set forth by the league. The Commissioner; unable to accept the sound defeat of his Vikings by a 22-5 score (including 8pts scored on defense), has instead choosen to try and cheat the Falcons out of their rightful place as SFL Champions by declaring his personal team paper champions.
The Falcons have provided game tape of regular season games with all Phenix City Falcons players playing in league games per the SFL rules.
We appologize to the Phenix City Falcon Fans for the dishonesty and lies the commissioner has tried to put forth and assure you that the Falcons have played with in the rules that the SFL has set forth. Maurice Mullins the Championship QB for the Falcons and member of the regular season Falcons squad has NEVER appologized to the Commissioner or the league. Such accusations are complete falsehoods and attempts to slander the reputation of our players and organization.
The true blemish is to the game of football, and men such as Commissioner Mike Frazier who betray the integrity of competition and sport.
The Falcons have filed a Cease and Desist against the SFL and EFA to immediately stop all such slander and defamation, we will defend our reputation and Championship.
At the end of the day they can't take back the pride that was taken from them on the field no matter how much they cry. The Falcons are and will remain the 2007 SFL Champions.
Piranha's Jarmon looks for redemption
Friday, June 27, 2008
BY JOSH LANGENBACHER
Of The Patriot-News
Central Penn Piranha quarterback Mark Jarmon could only cringe no matter who wanted to discuss the minor league football season he had recently completed.
How else to explain the sinking feeling of losing the first home game in franchise history on the doorstep of competing for the North American Football League championship?
"I actually cried that game. ... It was the worst feeling," Jarmon said of last summer's 32-21 loss to Kane County of Illinois. "It felt like losing your best friend or having your dog hit by a car."
Jarmon, who said it took him a month to get over the loss, has the chance to get back on the football field Saturday night, when the Piranha begin the next chapter of franchise history in the Rick Gilliam Memorial Bowl at Big Spring High School.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. The opponent is the York Silver Bullets.
He'll begin the season with a new-look offense. Central Penn has adapted a spread formation to maximize the abilities of wide receivers Troy Hamm and Sean Scales, a former Virginia Tech player who saw limited experience with the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers.
Scales, whose busiest time of the year as a physical therapist coincided with the playoffs, missed the team's first home loss in 127 games. But a three-hour, 30-minute drive to the weekly Wednesday practices from his Manassas, Va., home has given him plenty of time to reflect.
"People know we're an older team, yet we'll probably dominate the league again," Scales said. "That's why I'm coming back. Yeah, the Piranha have one loss. But it's a totally different ball game."
That one loss has also been a sore spot for Ron Kerr, whose year-long commitment to the program continues on vacations.
"My phone was ringing off the hook," Kerr said. "My wife was like, 'Can you just relax? Can you just put the phone away and relax?'
"This team means that much to me. ... It's minor league football. It's not supposed to mean that much. To me, it does. This is as good as it gets for a lot of us."
Kerr's recruiting efforts have landed him two former North Carolina teammates in defensive end Shelton Bynum and middle linebacker Malik Brown, who played for the Tar Heels through the 2006 season.
Brown lives in Camden, N.J., giving him a 90-minute drive to practice and games. He, like Jarmon and Scales, have bypassed minor-league football teams closer to their homes to play for Central Penn.
The unanimous theme separating the Piranha from other minor league franchises, each player says, is the sense of professionalism that begins with Kerr, who also owns the team.
When Jarmon played for the Philadelphia Scorpions, he said, there was a laissez-faire attitude. Tardiness, or missed practices entirely, went unpunished.
Scales played for the Prince William Monarchs, a team located in his home county, yet decided to continue coming to Harrisburg because a selfish attitude rampant with the Monarchs is nonexistent, he said, with the Piranha.
"You can't find professional football in minor league football," Scales said, "but you can get as close as possible. That's what I saw. ... I was in awe."
NOTES: Saturday's game is in memory of Rick Gilliam of Big Spring High School. Gilliam, who died in February 2007 at age 29, was a PIAA wrestling champion and played football for West Virginia University. Team owner Kerr said last year's inaugural benefit game raised $4,000 for the Rick Gilliam Memorial Fund. "He was like a gentle giant," Kerr said about Gilliam. "He had plenty of time for everyone. He only had to meet you once and you were his friend. The next time he saw you, he would remember your name and treat you like he'd known you forever."
Mike Dukes, former NFL and AFL linebacker, and semi pro coach was killed in a head on collision on I-10 in Beaumont, Texas on Monday. (June 16, 2008) Dukes was 72 years old and a businessman in Beaumont, Texas.
Dukes grew up in Kentucky and Georgia and attended College at Clemson University. He played for the San Francisco 49ers in 1959. He played for the Houston Oilers from 1960 to 1963 and helped the Oilers win the AFL title in 1960 and 1961. Dukes retired after playing in 1964 and 1965 with the Boston (now New England) Patriots.
In 1981 while operating a business in Houston, Dukes was head coach of the Houston Texans, a semi pro team in the Dixie Football League. The Texans defeated the New Orleans Blue Knights quaterbacked by former Pittsburgh Steeler, Joe Gilliam, for the championship of the DFL. In 1982 the Texans changed their name to the Houston Armadillos and joined the American Football Association. The AFA Commissioner, Billy Kilmer, former Super Bowl quaterback for the Washington Redskins, convinced Dukes and others that the AFA could play in the Spring and grow into another Pro league. Unfortunately, the United States Football League began operation in the Spring of 1983 and caused the demise of the AFL. That ended Dukes coaching career.
SPORTS>> Rhinos get defensive in beating Blast
By KELLY FENTON
Leader sports editor
MEMPHIS — The Arkansas Rhinos made their season opener a special one on Saturday in Memphis.
Or, more accurately, a special teams one.
The Rhinos returned a punt and an interception fortouchdowns and picked off three passes in pasting the Memphis Blast 34-7 at Hank’s Field.
“The funny thing is, I’m aspecial teams coach,” said fifth-year head coach Oscar Malone. “The whole defense did a wonderful job.”
No one was better than middle linebacker Enrico Wilkins, who led the way with 15 total tackles — 12 solo. Ken Thompson added eight. Wilkins earned game defensive MVP for his efforts.
“It was between him and Jermaine Kornegay,” Malone said. “Both played a very impressive game.”
Kornegay picked off two passes.
Garrett Morgan put the Rhinos on top with a 17-yard field goal in the first quarter, but the Blast responded with a 29-yard touchdown pass to take its only lead of the game with 4:35 left.
But former Arkansas Baptist quarterback Josh Dixon put the Rhinos ahead for good on Arkansas’ next drive when he hit Morgan for a 12-yard touchdown.
The Rhinos padded the lead on Tony Phillips’ 8-yard touchdown run to make it 17-7.
Though the Rhinos were playing without Ben and Sam Witchers in the secondary, the defensive backfield did a good job on Saturday by picking off three passes. Robert Jemerson returned an interception for a touchdown.
Former Henderson State University wideout Lance Smith capped the Rhinos’ scoring with a 41-yard punt return.
“We went over and scouted (the Blast) a week earlier so we kind of learned their strengths and weaknesses,” Malone said of
Memphis’ season-opening loss to Kansas City. “We felt a lot better about things after that.”
Morgan was named the Rhinos offensive MVP for the game, while Smith picked up the special teams honor.
The Rhino offense totaled 388 yards. Phillips rushed 17 times for 87 yards; Sam Wood picked up 39 yards on eight totes, and Shannon Rhea rushed six times for 42 yards.
Scores from 05/24/2008
Vienna Austria Vikings 44
Team USA 23
This is not the senior Team USA that won the World Championship last year. This team is coached by Rudy Wyland.
LINK TO WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES ABOUT GAME
OKLAHOMA THUNDER (NWFL) 73
JUNCTION CITY SPARTANS (NAFL) 0
Clock ran continously in 2nd half, and Thunder did not pass the ball in the second half.
THUNDER WILL HOST ARKANSAS WAR CATS ON SATURDAY 05/31/2008 6 P M CENTRAL TIME
TEXAS UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
EDINBURG SHARKS 40 SOUTH TEXAS HEAT 6
FT WORTH AVENGERS 25 N TEXAS STAMPEDE 14
AVENGERS TRAILED 14-3 IN SECOND HALF
HUNT CTY LONGHORNS 27 ABILENE GLADIATORS 14
LAST WEEK ABILENE DEFEATED DEFENDING CHAMPION PORT CITY JAGUARS IN SHREVEPORT
SAN ANTONIO WARRIORS 23 TEXAS COLTS 0
TEXAS COLTS WERE IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN 2007
EDINBURG HOSTS SAN ANTONIO WARRIORS AND FT WORTH AVENGERS TRAVEL TO HUNT COUNTY ON MAY 31, 2008
SCORES FROM 05/17/2008
OKLAHOMA THUNDER 48
SAN ANTONIO STARS 3
SAN ANTONIO WARRIORS 57
BROWNSVILLE HURRICANES 6
PORT CITY JAGUARS 7
ABILENE GLADIATORS 12
KNIGHTS OF MIAMI 24
CENTRAL FLORIDA THOROUGHBREDS 17
UPDATE ON SOUTHERN STATES FOOTBALL LEAGUE
From Florida Football Alliance message board:
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A SEASON OF DISCONTENT
By Gunny7th
For the Southern States Football League (SSFL), last years championship was bitter-sweet. The overtime victory by the undefeated Miami Magic City Bulls over the four-time champion St Pete Sharks in the Citrus Bowl, Orlando was exactly what people wanted to see. Hard-hitting, big-play, see-saw battle football, but even as the newly-crowned champs carried the trophy off the field, the winds of change were swirling. Within a couple of weeks the thirteen team spring league, that was started in 2000, was a shell of it’s former self.
Growing complaints of Owners and Players over the management practices of the league founder and commissioner Dave Rice finally boiled over. Disgruntled owner’s formed a new league, the Florida Football Association (FFA) and took the initial membership and quickly grew to a twelve teams. While back in the SSFL Rice was left with five disgruntled teams.
Like so many things it all started as a small leak. First there was the heavy-handed decision making, the promises unfulfilled, charges of favoritism, the questions about league funds and prize money, and not enforcing league standards. Then accusations that Rice was using the league to promote himself, by naming the championship game for himself and posting articles on the website about himself and not the teams and players in the league started coming. The final straw for most though was the constant changes during the season of how play-off seeding and division champs were determined. Making changes to the play-off format during the season was something the commissioner had done in past years, but three times in one season alienated most of the owners who wanted more of a say in league matters.
So by midsummer, Commissioner Rice had three franchises that had decided to stay, Ft Pierce, Orlando, and Sarasota, none of which had even made it to the League Championship. He had also leveraged the financial woes of the four-time Champion and charter member Sharks to remain in the league. After promising the owners that he would bring in new teams, they entered the season with only one new team, a mediocre SEFL team from Tampa that owed fees to their old league for the previous season. The Tampa team, formerly know as the Nightwolves, changed their name to the Florida Thunder.
January 26 opened with the self touted “Premier League” scheduled for an eleven week regular season in which each team had three bye weeks. By midseason two of the teams were undefeated, two had only one win, and one had lost every game. Having two league games a week with one team on the bye was working and then week five happened. With one game being postponed, the only game on the Schedule was the battle of the two unbeatens. The game was touted by the prognosticators as the “Game of the Week” in not only the league, but in ALL of the four Florida based Spring Leagues. Game time found the two teams waiting on referees to show up while owners tried in vain to get a hold of Rice and the Supervisor of Officials, John Walters. The referees never showed. With one team traveling across the state and the other having fans in the seats, the two teams tried to make the best of the situation by having a glorified scrimmage officiated by HS coaches. The commissioner claimed there was a scheduling conflict with the officials and the whole disgruntled league went into a league wide bye to seethe.
After seven weeks of the season most of the teams will have played only three games and rumor has it that the Thunder, whom the Commissioner Rice had let in without fees and owing fees to their old league, are leaving the league to play in the National Independent Football League(NIFL), a league with virtually no presence or exposure on the web or local media.
Last year the state of Florida had three minor leagues; the Southern States Football League(SSFL), the Southeastern Football League(SEFL), the Diamond Football League(DFL). With the demise of the DFL-Florida and the start of the 8-team Florida State Football League(FSFL), the SSFL days appear to be numbered. All that maybe left of the once proud league maybe the website with Commissioner Rice in a tux holding a silver tray in his gloved hand with a football upon it with the caption below it, “We Play with Style”
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FORMER AUBURN KICKER, WHO WAS KICKED OFF TEAM, BREAKS NFL FIELD GOAL RECORD
The following is from wikipedia:
James Robert Douglas Bironas (born January 29, 1978 in Louisville, Kentucky) is a Greek-American football player. He is currently the kicker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. On October 21, 2007, he broke a NFL record by successfully kicking 8 field goals in a single game.[1]
High school years
Bironas attended Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky, and was a four-year varsity letterman in soccer, a two-year varsity letterman in football and swimming, and also added a varsity letter in track and field. He graduated in 1996.
College career
