Post by Gene on Jan 27, 2010 3:26:46 GMT -5
By JACK NOWLIN - Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 12:00 am
Now in their 11th year, the Wyoming Cavalry have found some stability in the American Indoor Football Association, even if the teams around them keep changing.
Wyoming and Ogden are the only holdovers from last year's AIFA Western Conference, with Utah Valley joining the new-look Arena Football 1 league and New Mexico deciding to go dark after its owner became ill.
That opened the door for four expansion franchises in Wenatchee, Wash.; Yakima Valley, Wash.; Wasilla, Alaska; and San Jose, Calif.
The AIFA in general went through a transformation, with five other teams -- D.C.; Columbus, S.C.; Carolina; South Carolina and Florence, S.C. -- either disbanding or joining other leagues. To offset those losses the league added teams in New Jersey and Richmond, Va., and restructured into two conferences.
And even though the majority of holdovers are in the East, Wyoming coach Dan Maciejczak believes the West will be stronger than it's been in recent years.
"The teams are new, but there are a lot of players and coaches who have played in this league before," Maciejczak said. "I think the competition is going to be better [in the West] than it's been the past two years.
"And that was a problem for us the last two years ... we didn't face great competition during the season and that hurt us in the championship games."
The Cavalry rolled through conference play the past two years only to lose big when they squared off against the best from the East in the AIFA Bowl.
Wyoming lost at Florence 48-12 in 2008 and to Reading, Pa., 65-42 last year at the Casper Events Center.
While Reading returns to defend its title, the majority of the Florence team, including general manager Bennie King and 2008 AIFA MVP Omar Jacobs, packed up and moved to San Jose.
"All of the new coaches have experience coaching indoor football," Maciejczak said. "The teams are getting better and the talent level is definitely getting better.
"Everything is upgraded from what it was a year ago."
Maciejczak believes that includes the Cavalry.
Quarterback Matt Strand returns to lead the offense along with the majority of his receiving corps. The offensive and defensive lines will be a mixture of veterans and newcomers, while the secondary will have a bunch of new faces.
"I think we upgraded everywhere," Maciejczak said. "Even in areas where we had guys returning we brought in some new players to push them.
"I've always believed that if you build something and it gets knocked down you come right back and make it stronger. I think we've done that."
Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Source: www.trib.com/sports/article_57366b39-88b0-50df-9f87-6b76301e2e4e.html
Now in their 11th year, the Wyoming Cavalry have found some stability in the American Indoor Football Association, even if the teams around them keep changing.
Wyoming and Ogden are the only holdovers from last year's AIFA Western Conference, with Utah Valley joining the new-look Arena Football 1 league and New Mexico deciding to go dark after its owner became ill.
That opened the door for four expansion franchises in Wenatchee, Wash.; Yakima Valley, Wash.; Wasilla, Alaska; and San Jose, Calif.
The AIFA in general went through a transformation, with five other teams -- D.C.; Columbus, S.C.; Carolina; South Carolina and Florence, S.C. -- either disbanding or joining other leagues. To offset those losses the league added teams in New Jersey and Richmond, Va., and restructured into two conferences.
And even though the majority of holdovers are in the East, Wyoming coach Dan Maciejczak believes the West will be stronger than it's been in recent years.
"The teams are new, but there are a lot of players and coaches who have played in this league before," Maciejczak said. "I think the competition is going to be better [in the West] than it's been the past two years.
"And that was a problem for us the last two years ... we didn't face great competition during the season and that hurt us in the championship games."
The Cavalry rolled through conference play the past two years only to lose big when they squared off against the best from the East in the AIFA Bowl.
Wyoming lost at Florence 48-12 in 2008 and to Reading, Pa., 65-42 last year at the Casper Events Center.
While Reading returns to defend its title, the majority of the Florence team, including general manager Bennie King and 2008 AIFA MVP Omar Jacobs, packed up and moved to San Jose.
"All of the new coaches have experience coaching indoor football," Maciejczak said. "The teams are getting better and the talent level is definitely getting better.
"Everything is upgraded from what it was a year ago."
Maciejczak believes that includes the Cavalry.
Quarterback Matt Strand returns to lead the offense along with the majority of his receiving corps. The offensive and defensive lines will be a mixture of veterans and newcomers, while the secondary will have a bunch of new faces.
"I think we upgraded everywhere," Maciejczak said. "Even in areas where we had guys returning we brought in some new players to push them.
"I've always believed that if you build something and it gets knocked down you come right back and make it stronger. I think we've done that."
Contact sports reporter Jack Nowlin at (307) 266-0528 or jack.nowlin@trib.com.
Source: www.trib.com/sports/article_57366b39-88b0-50df-9f87-6b76301e2e4e.html
