Post by cavfan on Jan 3, 2009 13:38:05 GMT -5
By DAVID BUCK
Star-Tribune staff writer
Friday, January 2, 2009 12:25 PM MST
Last year the Wyoming Cavalry came up just short of their goal.
With a chance to host AIFA Bowl III, the Cavs would like nothing more than to win the American Indoor Football Association title game this year at the Casper Events Center.
"2009 is no different than '08," Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak said. "You learn from mistakes and the previous season, and the goal is to win the national championship. We got the kids we wanted to come back and replaced the ones we didn't."
Not much went wrong for the Cavs in 2008, the team's first in the AIFA. Wyoming started the season 9-0, and ended it 13-4 after a 48-12 loss to the Florence (S.C.) Phantoms in AIFA Bowl II.
The new year will bring multiple changes to the AIFA, but with the Cavs returning the majority of their roster, the team should be favored to win its division.
One major change is the composition of the league. The AIFA will still have 16 teams in 2009, but the Augusta (Ga.) Colts, Florida Stingrays, Huntington (W.V.) Heroes, Mississippi Mudcats and Utah Saints are no longer in the league. The D.C. Armor, Harrisburg (Pa.) Stampede, Ogden (Utah) Knights, South Carolina Force and Utah Valley Thunder are new teams to the AIFA this season.
The addition of the Knights and Thunder and loss of the Saints means the Cavs will have an extra opponent this year in the West Division.
"It's great," Argeri Layton, Cavs director of business operations, said. "No. 1, the travel to Utah is nice. We travel twice to Ogden and twice to Utah Valley. That's nice that we have one shorter trip than last year. The diversity of one more team for our fans to see is nice."
Having a fifth team in the West Division also means that Wyoming gets multiple bye weeks, which is will be a refreshing change. Last season the Cavs played 15 games before getting a week off between the first round of the playoffs and the conference finals. The 2009 season begins the first week of March, but the Cavs don't play until the third week of the schedule, then have byes in Week 12 and Week 17.
The cancellation of the Arena Football League season shouldn't have much of an impact on the field at AIFA games.
"I don't think it will bother us at all because their fight is about payroll and salary cap," Maciejczak said. "Our guys get paid league mandate."
AIFA players make $200 a game and players on the winning team get a $50 bonus. Teams compensate for the lack of salary by helping with housing, food and other expenses.
The lack of the top indoor football league in 2009 might create some changes in how teams operate.
"Indoor football meets the smaller markets much better," Layton said. "As far as impact, it's a wake-up call to new owners. 'Pay attention to what has not worked favorably and stay the course. Do things the right way.'"
Wyoming has been a model for doing things the right way. Entering the 10th year of indoor football in the state, the franchise would like to end it with a championship game in Casper. Things are stacked in the Cavs' favor to get there. To reduce travel costs, the top two teams in the West get a bye to the semifinals, and the winner of that playoff game hosts AIFA Bowl III.
"When the playoffs come, we want to have that road run through Casper," Maciejczak said.
It did last year until the title game, and hosting that game in 2009 could turn the runners-up into champions.
"They are hungry to redeem themselves," Layton said.
Contact sports reporter David Buck at (307) 266-0596 or david.buck@trib.com.
Wyoming Cavalry 2009 Schedule
Week Date Opponent
1 - Bye
2 - Bye
3 March 19 at Utah Valley
4 March 28 at Ogden
5 April 3 New Mexico
6 April 10 Arizona
7 April 19 at New Mexico
8 April 24 Ogden
9 May 2 at Utah Valley
10 May 8 Utah Valley
11 May 15 at New Mexico
12 - Bye
13 May 29 New Mexico
14 June 5 Arizona
15 June 13 at Ogden
16 June 20 at Arizona
17 - Bye
18 July 4 Utah Valley
Star-Tribune staff writer
Friday, January 2, 2009 12:25 PM MST
Last year the Wyoming Cavalry came up just short of their goal.
With a chance to host AIFA Bowl III, the Cavs would like nothing more than to win the American Indoor Football Association title game this year at the Casper Events Center.
"2009 is no different than '08," Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak said. "You learn from mistakes and the previous season, and the goal is to win the national championship. We got the kids we wanted to come back and replaced the ones we didn't."
Not much went wrong for the Cavs in 2008, the team's first in the AIFA. Wyoming started the season 9-0, and ended it 13-4 after a 48-12 loss to the Florence (S.C.) Phantoms in AIFA Bowl II.
The new year will bring multiple changes to the AIFA, but with the Cavs returning the majority of their roster, the team should be favored to win its division.
One major change is the composition of the league. The AIFA will still have 16 teams in 2009, but the Augusta (Ga.) Colts, Florida Stingrays, Huntington (W.V.) Heroes, Mississippi Mudcats and Utah Saints are no longer in the league. The D.C. Armor, Harrisburg (Pa.) Stampede, Ogden (Utah) Knights, South Carolina Force and Utah Valley Thunder are new teams to the AIFA this season.
The addition of the Knights and Thunder and loss of the Saints means the Cavs will have an extra opponent this year in the West Division.
"It's great," Argeri Layton, Cavs director of business operations, said. "No. 1, the travel to Utah is nice. We travel twice to Ogden and twice to Utah Valley. That's nice that we have one shorter trip than last year. The diversity of one more team for our fans to see is nice."
Having a fifth team in the West Division also means that Wyoming gets multiple bye weeks, which is will be a refreshing change. Last season the Cavs played 15 games before getting a week off between the first round of the playoffs and the conference finals. The 2009 season begins the first week of March, but the Cavs don't play until the third week of the schedule, then have byes in Week 12 and Week 17.
The cancellation of the Arena Football League season shouldn't have much of an impact on the field at AIFA games.
"I don't think it will bother us at all because their fight is about payroll and salary cap," Maciejczak said. "Our guys get paid league mandate."
AIFA players make $200 a game and players on the winning team get a $50 bonus. Teams compensate for the lack of salary by helping with housing, food and other expenses.
The lack of the top indoor football league in 2009 might create some changes in how teams operate.
"Indoor football meets the smaller markets much better," Layton said. "As far as impact, it's a wake-up call to new owners. 'Pay attention to what has not worked favorably and stay the course. Do things the right way.'"
Wyoming has been a model for doing things the right way. Entering the 10th year of indoor football in the state, the franchise would like to end it with a championship game in Casper. Things are stacked in the Cavs' favor to get there. To reduce travel costs, the top two teams in the West get a bye to the semifinals, and the winner of that playoff game hosts AIFA Bowl III.
"When the playoffs come, we want to have that road run through Casper," Maciejczak said.
It did last year until the title game, and hosting that game in 2009 could turn the runners-up into champions.
"They are hungry to redeem themselves," Layton said.
Contact sports reporter David Buck at (307) 266-0596 or david.buck@trib.com.
Wyoming Cavalry 2009 Schedule
Week Date Opponent
1 - Bye
2 - Bye
3 March 19 at Utah Valley
4 March 28 at Ogden
5 April 3 New Mexico
6 April 10 Arizona
7 April 19 at New Mexico
8 April 24 Ogden
9 May 2 at Utah Valley
10 May 8 Utah Valley
11 May 15 at New Mexico
12 - Bye
13 May 29 New Mexico
14 June 5 Arizona
15 June 13 at Ogden
16 June 20 at Arizona
17 - Bye
18 July 4 Utah Valley
