Pioneers GM Recalls His Peoria Days
Steve Robinson
Saturday May 15, 2004
An expansion club two years ago, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers make their debut here in a 7p.m. game toting a 4-1 record with them.
Three of those wins have been against Peoria’s fellow af2 Midwest Division opponents, Quad City, the Louisville Fire and the Green Bay Blizzard. Green Bay caught the worst of it on April 16, the Pioneers calming the Blizzard, 75-39. Louisville lost by eight, 59-51 on May 1.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will play road games in Louisville and Quad City before the season ends.
Last season, the Pioneers finished third in a four-team Northeast Division, squeezed between Albany, Mohegan (Now Manchester, N. H.), and Rochester, finishing 6-10, winning five of those away from home. They finished 2002 at 6-10, as well.
Familiar GM: Dave Berryman is a name which should be familiar to Peoria Pirates fans. Berryman served as president and chief operating officer of Orlando Predator Entertainment, where he oversaw day-to-day operations of the AFL`s Orlando Predators, and the ECHL`s Louisiana Ice Gators. Berryman has also served as Chairman of the Board of arenafootball2. OPE owned the Pirates from October 2000 until last winter.
Berryman is now vice president and general manager of the Pioneers. He admits playing Peoria, for him at least, will seem strange. “I know (Pirates head coach) Bruce (Cowdrey) will have the team prepared for us.
“I realize (Peoria is) not off to the start Bruce would like, but we are aware they have a fine football team there and it will be a great game for the fans,” Berryman said.
Berryman said he became acquainted with Pioneers owner Greg Smith while Berryman was af2’s board chair.
“Being an established team, this has been a real challenge for me,” Berryman said. “After two 6-10 seasons, we’re trying to turn the corner up here and get our program heading in the right direction.”
The Pioneers are going in the right direction at the turnstiles as well as on the field -- a result of their current record. Berryman said nearly 2,000 more people per game have been attending games than before, which is not bad for a team which, last season, averaged 4,975 fans per game at home.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s motor was thrown in reverse last week, courtesy of a 52-45 loss at Albany last week. “A team’s toughest challenges usually come while on the road, so I know the Peoria game will be a tough one for us.”
Balanced Attack: Even from the front office, Berryman can critique the progress of his troops. “We’ve got a balanced attack. We’ll run the ball, probably a little bit more than most teams at the af2 level,” Berryman said.
Peoria defenders might have trouble getting their hands on offensive specialist J. R. Thomas. Against Albany last week, Thomas’ six catches turned into 127 yards and two touchdowns.
Throwing to Thomas is rookie quarterback Tim Hicks, who went 20-for-34 for 310 yards, with one interception, against Albany. His backup is Mike Gluski, who has been a few places in af2, last season with the Columbus (Ga.) WarDogs.
Players Wanted: Cowdrey might be considered the master of recruiting, but these days, the veteran coach has had some problems finding new players at this juncture in the season.
The trouble is, Cowdrey said, convincing the recruits, particularly, quarterbacks he said, to come play ball in af2 for $200 a game with a $50 win bonus. “There isn’t a quarterback that I haven’t talked to that will play for $200 a game,” he said.
“I have talked to some good quarterbacks and they ask ‘what do I get?’ and I tell them $200 a game (and) $50 win bonus. Next thing (you know) they’re laughing and saying, ‘ha ha ha, good joke. Now what?’”
New Man In Albany: Steve Matthews resigned as Albany Conquest head coach May 5 and was replaced by Rick Buffington. Albany was an AFL team in the early 1990’s when Buffington last served as their head coach. Conquest assistant Dave Bouchette coached one game in the interim, namely the Conquest 52-45 victory over the Pioneers. Albany visits Peoria on May 29.
Steve Robinson, a freelance writer since 1984, has written about the Peoria Pirates since the Pirates were members of Indoor Football League, beginning in 1999. He covers the Pirates currently for the Bloomington IL Pantagraph.
