National Conference Preview
Michael Vergane
Tuesday March 26, 2002
Louisville Fire (2001, 6-10). Head Coach, Jeff Brohm (1st year).
Former Louisville Cardinal Jeff Brohm takes over the reigns of the Lousiville Fire. The former NFL and XFL quarterback replaces Ron Selesky, who takes over the head coaching ranks of the expansion Albany Conquest.
Brohm’s roster is full of U of L alumnists including WR/DB Ibn Green and Charles Shefield.
Peoria Pirates (2001, 7-9). Head Coach, Bruce Cowdrey (1st year, 2001 Pensacola Head Coach).
Bruce Cowdrey returns to the midwest where he enjoyed great success in 1999 and 2000 as the head coach of the IFL Pirates. Cowdrey replaces Gary Porter, who moves on as the head coach of the expansion Mohegan Wolves.
The Pirates will be led on offense by QB’s Walt Church and Ronnie Gordon. Church broke many of Charlie Batch’s passing records while at Eastern Michigan.
Quad City Steamwheelers (2001, 18-1). Head Coach, Rich Ingold (1st year).
Rich Ingold takes his turn as the head coach of the two-time af2 defending champions.
Although the Steamwheelers are ineligible for post-season play, it has not hurt Ingold’s ability to recruit new talent. Ready to take over for af2 Offensive Player of the Year Jay McDonough is former Pitt QB, Tony Zimmerman.
Wichita Stealth (2001, 7-9). Head Coach, Land Jacobsen (2nd year).
Land Jacobsen returns as the head coach of one of the most sucessful af2 expansion franchises of 2001.
However, the schedule makers did not do the Stealth any favors. The Stealth, along with playing Midwest foes Quad City and Peoria twice, also play non-division Tulsa and Arkansas twice.
South Division
Birmingham Steeldogs (2001, 12-5). Head Coach, Bobby Humphrey (3rd year).
Bobby Humphrey welcomes back QB Chris Windsor and OS Wayne Thomas for their third season at Birmingham.
Along with the Steeldog’s top pitch-catch tandem returning, Humphrey is also high on newcomer Michael Feagin, a defensive specialist who spent the 2001 season in Peoria.
Birmingham should also receive immediate help from WR/DB’s Larry Huntington (Mississippi State) and Maurice Little a 6’4” 225 from Oklahoma.
Mobile Wizards (expansion team). Head Coach, Chad Lindsey.
Chad Lindsey comes to Mobile after spending the 2001 season as the Offensive Coordinator for the Louisville Fire.
Along with playing in a division with three teams from the ‘original 15’ and having two of them (Birmingham and Tennessee Valley) making the 2001 playoffs, the Wizards also find themselves on the road for the month of April.
The Wizards also have the distinction of being the only expansion team not to play an expansion team.
Pensacola Barracudas (2001, 5-11). Head Coach, Mike Buck (1st year, 2001 Norfolk Head Coach).
Former Nighthawk head coach Mike Buck moves on to Pensacola to try and trun around the Barracuda program.
Returning for his third season is WR/LB Robert Stromas, the Barracudas career leading tackler.
Tennessee Valley Vipers (2001, 15-3). Head Coach, Kevin Guy (1st year).
Kevin Guy becomes the third head coach in Viper history, and hopes to follow his predecessors by leading the Vipers to their third straight playoff berth.
The former New Jersey assistant will have a large front line averaging well over 300 pounds with Curtis Jeter, Tyree Allison and Derick Shepard.
Behind center may be the problem area early on as Tennessee Valley loses 2001 starter Matt Sauk. Hoping to take the reigns is three year vet at WR/LB Tracy Kendall, a former college QB at Alabama A&M, and former Middle Tennessee State star, Wes Counts.
Central
Arkansas Twisters (2001, 6-10). Head Coach, Gary Anderson (2nd year).
Gary Anderson returns for his second season at the helm of the Twisters.
After suffering with the league’s most difficult schedule in 2001, the Twisters hope to build on last year’s lessons and break into the playoffs in 2002.
Returning will be QB Ricky Hebert, and WR/LB Anthony Eubanks and OS John Dollar.
Bossier City Battle Wings (2001, 7-9). Head Coach, Pat Tilley (2nd year).
Pat Tilley returns 16 players from a very solid 2001 squad.
Offensively, Tilley returns QB Sherrard Poteete and his favorite target Sean Cangelosi.
Pushing Poteete for the starting job, will be former NFL camper with the St.Louis Rams, Jason Martin. Martin, who played his college ball at Louisiana Tech, also spent time with the Grand Rapids Rampage.
Memphis Xplorers (2001, 3-13). Head Coach, Danton Barto (1st year).
After spending the 2001 season as the defensive coordinator, Barto moves behind the boards as the Xplorers new head coach.
The Xplorers were devastated by injuries early on in their debut season, but began to put things together as the season went on. With Barto as coach, look for the Xplorers to abandon the running game and go with a more conventional Arena styled offense.
Returning at quarterback is former XFL QB, Tim Lester.
Tulsa Talons (2001, 13-4). Head Coach Skip Foster (2nd year).
If titles were won on paper, the Talons would be crowned National Conference champions before the season starts. They are loaded.
Even though the Talons lose OS Jarrail Jackson (Buffalo), QB Craig Strickland (Detroit) and DS Jeremy Flowers (Grand Rapids), the Talons have found more than capable replacements.
Joining the two-time playoff participants are former Iowa Barnstormers QB Anthony Buich, OS Mitch Allner and DS Jamarcus Powers.
Also new to Tulsa are former Tulsa Golden Hurricane OS Wes Caswell, Former Texas Longhorn WR/DB Shon Mitchell and Oklahoma Sooner WR/DB Brandon Daniels.
West
Bakersfield Blitz (expansion team). Head Coach, James Fuller.
James Fuller comes to Bakersfield after spending two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Oklahoma Wranglers.
As is the case with the Blitz’ Western Divison foes, the Bakersfield schedule consists of 10 games against expansion teams within their division.
Fresno Frenzy (expansion team). Head Coach, Rick Worman.
This is the team that Peoria Pirate Head Coach Bruce Cowdrey feels could be ‘a real buzzsaw’ because of their homefield advantage and their crazed fans.
Rick Worman comes to Fresno after spending time in the CFL as Winnipeg’s Offensive Coordinator.
Worman hopes to build his team around former Fresno native, and NFL running back, Ricky Whittle.
Hawaii Islanders (expansion team). Head Coach, Guy Benjamin.
After guiding the IPFL Hawaii Hammerheads to a 1999 championship, Benjamin returns to the islands to coach the expansion Islanders.
Joining Benjamin on his staff is former NFL & AFL lineman, Al Noga.
Hawaii will be led offensively by former University of Utah graduate, Darnell Arceneaux.
San Diego Riptide (expansion team). Head Coach, Cree Morris.
Former San Diego State Aztec quartback, Cree Morris, returns to San Diego to guide the expansion Riptide.
His pre-season roster includes ten Aztecs.
Morris, who has built a pre-season roster of top talent, has already seen two of his players move up to the AFL’s Arizona Rattlers.
Michael Vergane was a writer for ArenaFan Online from 2000 to 2002.
