July 30th:
Phoenix Season Ends with Another Hard Fought Loss
The Phoenix lost 34-13 to the Lake County Cowboys, in a game where the score does not dictate how the game was played. The Phoenix took the field with 14 players (in actuality 13, Chris Bella was unable to play untill the second half due to his pads not being at the field with him), against the blitz happy undefeated Cowboys squad who are hungry for thier first title. The game looked like an outright mismatch, yet it didnt descend into that untill a nasty turn of events in the second half.
It was clear the Cowboys didnt expect much of a fight, ecspecially when it was clear from the begining that they wanted to put the game away quickly. Throwing deep very often, the Phoenix corners did everything they could to dispell the arial attack. The Cowboys also found it very difficult to run the ball as the Phoenix defenders swarmed to the carrier and dropped them for mostly minimal gains. Big plays did indeed happen however, and thats how the Cowboys scored thier first TD just past the mid-way point in the first half. However, it was clear by that point the Cowboys were in for much more of a fight than what was anticipated earlier on.
The area the Phoenix did have problems with however, was the blitzing linebackers of the Cowboys. The Cowboys are a pressure team, they try to make you make mistakes. And while the Phoenix did everything they could with a thinned out offensive line, the Cowboys got through early and often to break up plays. The Phoenix offense did move the ball on a few drives, yet it was nothing close to normal. Going into this game the Phoenix averaged 297.8 yds per game, yet in the first half it would be surprising if we made it to 80. The Phoenix ground game was non-existant, the Cowboys know how to run blitz and get outside. The only big yardage Wilmot was able to gain was over the middle while the Cowboys emptied out the area to blitz. There are only so many times you can go to the well, however, and that route closed up pretty fast. A promising drive late in the first half died out with offensive line problems, and an integral first down catch by Kyle Ritter was negated due to a hold in a later drive. In reality, the Phoenix never came close to scoring in the first half.
With 57.9 seconds left in the first half, I'm sure most people were stunned to see the score at 7-0 still. On 4th and 11, the Cowboys pulled out a nice play which led to a coverage breakdown, and thier second score. At the half, the Phoenix were down 14-0, and the season only had 45 minutes left in it.
The Phoenix came out for the second half looking to score quickly and make the game close again...what happened was the exact opposite. The Cowboys overran the offensive line on three straight plays to drop Wilmot behind thier own 20. The Phoenix were forced to punt, and the Cowyboys went down the field to score again. The next Phoenix drive, and subsequent Cowboys drive ended in punts, yet the Cowboys were effectively killing clock. Seeking desperation, the Phoenix took a more down the field approach and got a pass interference called on a Cowboys defener. The momentum however was momentary as a horrible snap led to a turnover on the very next play. The Cowboys would benifit from a pass interference call as well, this one in the endzone to put them at the one yard line. After a stuffed run and a sack, the Cowboys found thier way to pay dirt, and suddenly the score was 27-0, and every bit of the blowout people were expecting.
On the next drive, the Phoenix did indeed make strides towards pulling the game closer. Ricky Martinez, in for his scrambling ability, hit Ryne Johnsen on a beautiful pass down the left sideline as the Phoenix found themselves on the Cowboys 20 yard line. However, the blitzing scheme hurt the Phoenix again, as the drive ultimately ended up with a turnover on downs. Sensing the game was in hand, the Cowboys decided to have a little fun. On a hook and ladder play, the Cowboys 'hook' player lateralled the ball into the ground, which was picked up by Jeff Thorpe for a touchdown. the Phoenix were on the board and the was still some game to play. The Cowboys responded with a TD a few minutes later, effectively ending any sort of comeback. However, the Phoenix, in thier final drive of the season, marched the field to score just before the game was called for darkness. Nick weiss set up the score with a beautiful run to the outside in which he ran over a tackler to make it to the 2 yard line. On the next play, he busted his way through the line for the Phoenix's second score, and last points of the season. After all was said and done, the Phoenix played another game all the way through, and gained respect for who they are, and how they play.
The season did not end where we wanted it t be, yet I'm sure we gained a few fans along the way, both on the field, and off.
July 16th:
Phoenix Dealt a Body Blow
The Wilmot Phoenix Offense defeated the Wilmot Phoenix 18-6 on a perfect night in Janesville....
All jokes aside, the Janesville Nighthawk offense needed to do very little to defeat the Phoenix this past Friday night as the Phoenix continued to do what they do best, play really well untill an opportune moment comes along to mess with everything. The Phoenix threw 5 interceptions and lost a fumble (more on that later); 3 of which were taken back for scores. Yes, you read that right, 3 were taken back for scores. One could simply brush it aside as a bad game, the Phoenix only had 14 players (15 after halftime), and honestly, when will we ever see so many turnovers taken back for scores? Yet it gets to the point where we shouldn't have to make excuses, the season is almost over, and the same problems keep coming up. The reffereeing, which has been ok as of late, also played a heavy hand in this.
The Nighthawks had possession first and pillaged thier way down the field for an early 8-0 score. The Phoenix, led again by Dan Mikal, flew down the field in 6 plays as Mikal hit Tight End Andrew Menard on a corner route for what was sure to be a great score...however, Menard, running open down the field, was badly led on the throw and had to go low to catch it. He dove on his knees, came up with the ball and lept back up to his feet to run straight into a Nighthawk defender. Stretching with all of his might for the goaline, Menard came up short and fell a few feet shy of the line. As he hit the ground, the ball came lose, and it was ruled a fumble even though the ball clearly was knocked lose by the fall. But wait...there's more! A Nighthawk defender carried the ball back all the way for a score as the stunned Phoenix team (literally everybody) are aghast as the Nighthawks take a 14-0 lead. It was a sign of things to come as the Phoenix, back on offense, gained considerable yardage yet still missed catches, blew assignments and gave up sacks while Wilmot let the score slip to 22-0 before halftime.
In the second half, the defence played truly inspired football. After the Nighthawks scored early in the half, the Nighthawk offense did not touch the endzone again. However, that responsibility fell soley to the Nighthawk defense, who took two more interceptions back for scores. More would have been taken back...yet the Nighthawks have a nasty penchant for blocking in the back. In an Ironic twist, Jeff Thorpe intercepted a ball and weaved his way through the Nighthawks offense seemingly twice to take the ball back for a score mid-way through the half (which would have made the score 30-6), yet a penalty was thrown 50 yards behind the play, calling the score back and killing any Wilmot momentum. In actuality, the Phoenix scored on that drive, as Thorpe finally got his Touchdown as Mikal slipped a ball to him in the endzone. However, that was one of the few highlights for the rookie QB, as he threw two more INT's and refused to move around in the pocket. The Phoenix changed Quarterbacks half-way through the second half, untested and mightily overmatched Kyle Ritter stepped in, and while he threw 2 INT's of his own, he made a few nice passes and ran when he could. In many ways it should never have come to that.
Going back to the defense for a minute, not enough can be said for how they scrapped in this game. Only giving up three scores on a night like tonight is commendable, yet having multiple turnovers and really keeping the team as a whole in this game far longer than they should have been. At times this season, they have let us down, tonight however, was all on the offense.
All in all, the struggling Phoenix are 1-7. We have played well at times this season, yet you'll never see that in the record books. The Phoenix have yet to be truly outplayed this season, instead making the deal harder on themselves than on opposing teams. This is the plight of a first year team, and all signs point toward a much better record in 2011. The team has a solid core, and although we are running on fumes right now, we have very much to look forward to.
July 9th:
Phoenix lose on Last Second Field Goal Block
The Phoenix, now at 1-6, will have to think about what might have been in their expansion season in the GFL. Close losses to the Cougars, Nighthawks and now Gladiators have nearly drenched all the fire out of a playoff campaign. With each new week, the Phoenix find many new reasons to believe the team is only this close from being a playoff team, and yet, the bane of this season is that mistakes will kill you at the worst time, if you continue to let them.
Taking the field on defense, it was clear from the start that the Gladiators have no set offense anymore, and considering they have now won two in a row, perhaps it’s for the best. Running reverse passes and overload screens, the Gladiators wiggled their way down the field to take an early 6-0 lead. The Gladiator offense would only score twice on the night, continuing to entrench the Phoenix defense as once again a solid unit.
Knowing the importance of this game, the Phoenix offense took the field with starting QB Adam Knoll back at the helm after having his knee blown out by a Premier player three weeks ago. It would turn out to be a good decision as the Phoenix needed only 5 plays to score and even the game up at 6. The two point conversion was missed as the Gladiators field is quite crowned, and it played havoc on both Phoenix quarterbacks during the night.
After this, the Phoenix defense kept standing tall against the Gladiators’ offense. After forcing a few punts, the Phoenix offense once again drove the field to the Gladiator 15. On 4th and 5 the Phoenix pulled the Gladiators offside, yet the penalty resulted in a 4th and inches instead of a 1st down. A well executed blitz forced a very quick throw and the resulting play was an incompletion.
The defense did a great job shutting down the Gladiators on the ensuing drive, and the Phoenix took the ball over around the 30. Another great blitz by the Gladiators caused another quick pass, only this time it was intercepted and taken back for the score. Down 14-6, the Phoenix took the field again with 1:37 left in the 1st half. Aching to redeem himself, Knoll stood tall in the pocket, avoided a blitzer and rocketed a pass down the sideline that ended up in Ricky Martinez’s hands as he bolted down the field to score. A great lob to Kyle Ritter tied the game at 14, and the Phoenix once again had life.
The second half though, was another case of missed opportunities. Knoll, driving the team down the field again, had his knee swiped from the side and was injured again. Dan Mikal took over and immediately completed a ball, yet was sacked twice in a row, and another scoring threat was killed. The defense didn’t give up much, and the offense now back to being run in the style of the last few games, did enough to gut the ball into the end zone a third time. Ricky Martinez had a great game, catching three touchdowns, cementing that the Phoenix has one of the top receiving corps in the entire league.
Up 20-14, the Phoenix needed to play well for about 11 minutes. However, we bit ourselves in the butt again, racking up needless penalties and allowing a Gladiators receiver to be alone, uncovered in the end zone some 50yards downfield. The Gladiators style of scrambling quarterback who runs around while his receivers find a hole hurt us twice in two plays, as the 2pt conversion was scored in the same manner.
With time ticking down, the Phoenix turned in one of the sloppiest drives of the season, yet somehow we reached the 8 yard line. The Gladiators are a hard hitting ballclub, yet there over eagerness to get a good shot turned against them as they gave up lots of penalty yardage. Dan Mikal was able to calm down and find receivers deep in the Gladiators zone, getting us to within Kyle Ritter’s range for a late field goal try. A timeout by both teams set the stage as the Phoenix lined up and took a shot at winning their second game, and staying alive for the playoffs….
Unfortunately, the Gladiators have a guy who is 8 feet tall, and he got his big fat mitt on it to send the ball into the ground.
The Phoenix, now at 1-6, is left to wonder what the season could have been if they could have pulled out a win here or there. However, they have proven without a doubt they can play in this league, and play well. With at least two games remaining, we will make our push to end on a high note beginning with a rematch with the Nighthawks next week. It’s sure to be a good one.
July 2nd:
The Phoenix Fall in another Classic
The Wilmot Phoenix took the field against the Nighthawks this past Friday night, battered and bruised, yet focused as their season hung in the balance. The team played with all the heart and intensity promised in the early season, and one only can wonder what the team would have been like if the Phoenix could have played like this every game. That being said, it was a loss, and a hard one at that. Yet the game was a blast, and it was everything the GFL should, and is starting to be.
For once, the Phoenix defense took the field first and forced an early punt from the Nighthawks unit. Immediately following, the Phoenix drove the field in 3 plays to take the early lead. Dan Mikal, who is hardly an inexperienced player anymore, connected beautifully with Kyle Ritter on the right side for a quick touchdown pass. The score very early was 6-0 Phoenix, and the game has a jet fighter feel to it the rest of the game.
The Nighthawks, with their spread offense and impossibly tall quarterbacks, forced the tempo on the Phoenix, which lead to a quick lead change. This is not to say that the Phoenix turned the ball over or had quick punts, in the first half Wilmot drove within the 20 3 more times, yet if there has been a trend this season it is that Wilmot has trouble in the red-zone. Give credit to the Nighthawk defense, a quick and hard-hitting squad, the Phoenix had Janesville on the ropes, yet failed to land the body blows at the correct time. Before the half was out, the Nighthawks controlled the game, and the momentum was seemingly drained from the Phoenix, as their season hung by a thread.
And then, the second half came.
If the first half was an aerial assault, the second half was much more of a contained brawl. The Nighthawks only pieced the Phoenix 40 yard line once, and that was on their only scoring drive of the half. The rest of the game was fought on Nighthawk turf, and the Phoenix took the fight the Janesville all the way to the final whistle. Dan Mikal, who made a few poor decisions, also kept the Phoenix in the game with spectacular throws and decision making at crucial times. Kyle Ritter exploded to catch a ball over 3 defenders, and made countless catches over the middle as he cemented his status as the best receiver the Phoenix has.
The game wore down to under 20 minutes, and finally, Wilmot’s defense starting doing something they hadn’t done with regularity all season…they started creating turnovers. Janesville fumbled the ball at least four times during the game, yet not once was the Phoenix able to pounce on it. However, three beautiful Interceptions, two of which came late in the second half, gave the offense great field position and a shot at winning the game. Chris Bella had perhaps the play of the game, reaching incredibly high to grab a Nighthawk pass; the play breathed life back into the team, and again proved why he’s the heart of the defense. A Touchdown run by Trion Brown put the score at 25-19 with barely under 4 minutes left. The din was incredible; the feeling of comeback was in the air…
It just wasn’t meant to be.
The Phoenix Defense, stout for so long underneath the Janesville onslaught, gave up a first down on a third and long with under two minutes left. With only one timeout remaining, the game was essentially put on ice. The Nighthawks would live to even up their record, and put pressure on in the Conference. They made the plays when it mattered, the Phoenix are left to wonder what could have been. Again.
These two clubs return to action against each other in two weeks, this time in Janesville. It’s sure to be another great match.
June 16th:
Time to Rebound
The past two weeks have been a dark point in the Phoenix's short history. Firstly, getting railroaded by the Premier led to the realization that we have a very unihibited team; at least verbally. Those problems may have been cleared up mostly by the second wave of problems the team has faced.
At the beginning of the season, the team was nearly divided between veterans in this league and rooks brought on for thier first season. Most of the GFL vets had played the year before for the Kenosha Storm, a now disbanded club. About 14 players on the opening day roster had played for the Storm at some point the previous season. Going into the Sabers game this week, only about 6 of them are still playing on this team. A massively talented core of players has essentually deserted the Phoenix to play for a local 11 man team, the Racine Threat. Hector Carrasco, David Haywood and Richard Linkowski all broke for greener pastures instead of sticking it out and grinding to find a way to win with this club. All 5 of them were starters on this team, All of them at one point asked to be leaders of this team, all of them decided against rising to the level of responsibility that they had asked for. Lynier Cole has also left the team due to work reasons.
Making matters worse, the retirements of Nic Purtee and Aaron Knoll, coupled by dibilitating knee injuries to Adam Knoll and Frank Kiczula have indeed left a mark on the team as many of the entrenched talent on this team is now gone. Moving forward, it will be our talented, yet undermanned, group of rookies who will lead the way as we try to right the ship here in the second half of the season. The Phoenix will rebound, this team is here to stay, we just had a reality check on who is going to fight when it gets tough, and who is going to flee. We have the correct name for our situation.
June 5th:
The Trend Continues
The Wilmot Phoenix stayed true to form tonight, we played lights out football for a full half of the game, playing the defending Champion Lake Shore Lynx stride for stride all the way through to the final whistle. Unfortunately for the Phoenix, the half in which they played so well was the second half, after amassing a 32-7 deficit in the first period. The Lynx are as advertised, they are a fundamentally sound football team that knows exactly who they are.Unfortunately for the Phoenix, the transition between a team with talent and a team who knows who they are takes time. When we stayed true to form, the game was tight and competative. When we got cute, we got burned.
Now, we move on to the Fox Valley Premier, basically the same exact squad we just faced and we have got to come out stronger. We cannot afford to take an entire half to get into the match, seeing as we have yet to play a full football game yet. The road gets tougher, and the moutain gets higher, the conference will not wait for us, we are un full catchup mode now.
May 22nd:
Wilmot Beats Milwaukee Gators
The Phoenix came in to Friday nights game against the Gators looking to even thier record and stay aloft in the National Conference, where with a win they would only be able to keep pace with the leading teams. The game, one of the few non-conference games the Phoenix have, gave the Phoenix a chance to work on a few kinks in the system while still playing a determined opponent, one that came to play with only around twelve men.
The Phoenix opened up the game with a scoring drive that took six plays. The most noteworthy play came from Kyle Ritter who dragged a few Gators behind him as he trudged for 30 yards. The Phoenix's first team was not stopped during the first half, putting up all 26 points the team would score. The only hiccup was an interception thrown out of a specialty package, one that looked good otherwise. The Gators did score in the first half on a nifty catch and run, the ballcarrier wove his way through a forest of Phoenix defenders before using his burst to outrun the chasers. That score put the Gators up briefly at 7-6, yet it was a lead the Gators would hardly enjoy for long.
The second half was alot more jerky on offense, as some of the reserves took the field for some much needed PT. The unit did produce drives, yet botched snaps and hurried plays caused those drives to break down. A few untimely penalties did not help the cause either. The defense in the second half held thier ground untill the very end. With the game out of reach and darkness descending the refs allowed a final drive to be played. The same Gator receiver caught another short pass and did his bob and weave all the way down for the last score of the game. A ref was hurt on the play, getting sideswiped while a Phoenix defender tried to make a tackle inside the 5. It was an unfortunate accident and we hope he is okay. The final of the game would end up at 26-13.
This next week is Memorial Day weekend, and the phoenix, as well as every other GFL team, will have a bye week. The Phoenix return to action vs the Defending GFL Champion Lake Shore Lynx, at home. We would like to have a huge turnout for this game as we will have to throw everything we have at them to be victorious.
May 15th:
Phoenix Drop a Classic
The Phoenix’s 2010 season started with jitters, and ended with an explosion. The Kenosha Cougars, well renowned for their staunch defense and mobile Quarterback play, threw every haymaker they could muster, and in the end, it was barely enough. The Cougars outlasted the Phoenix 12-7 on a balmy May night where the entire GFL had already finished up, and all eyes were on the entrenched, classy Cougars squad, and the scrappy, determined Wilmot Phoenix.
The Phoenix held their own during the first half of the game, driving the field a few times, setting up for a field goal once (it was blocked). The theme of the night in the first half however was that we would start to get momentum, and would create a bad play or penalty that would halt everything. Too many times, throughout the game, a penalty would kill a drive that had great promise. The Cougars mobile passing attack led the way for a 12-0 halftime score.
The story up to that point however, wasn’t the score, yet who was forced from the game. Chris Bella, the heart and soul of the Phoenix Defense, was ejected for what was considered to be a helmet shot to a Cougars receiver. Film would later show that the hit was far cleaner than what had been called, yet the damage was done. Bella was gone. Also in the second half, Richard Linkowski and Nic Purtee also left the game due to differing circumstances, leaving the Phoenix defense without 3 of their top players. Losing these three guys is like the Chicago bears loosing Urlacher, Briggs and Tommie Harris. You don’t replace what you have lost. Yet…the Cougars never scored again.
The game could have gotten ugly, yet instead, the Phoenix defense put on one of the grittiest performances I have ever seen. Put up against the wall more times than what could be remembered, the defense held fast while the offense played a bit of a field position battle to shorten the field and gain an advantage. The tactic almost didn’t work, time was getting short, with almost 7:00 to go, the Offense on 4th and 12 decided to punt. It wasn’t a popular decision, yet it backed the Cougars up to their 10 yard line. And then, lightning struck.
In trying to put away the game, the Cougars ran a boot in which the pas was underthrown. Jeff Thorpe made a terrific play on the ball, and gave the Phoenix field position inside the 40. The game was now a contest again. The drive would result in a touchdown, and the extra point made the game 12-7. With less than 2:00 to go, the Cougars would have been wise to put the game away, and indeed they tried to, yet they lost a fumble which was recovered inside the 50. The Phoenix were far from dead.
Rumbling, stumbling and grinding the whole way, the Phoenix made it to the Cougar 15 with 42.7 seconds left. However, the comeback was not to be. A tripped up receiver and a well played ball ended up with the Phoenix’s only turnover of the game. The Cougars escaped.
Barely
Chapters could be written about how this game was played. Intense, classic and smash-mouth are all words that come to mind. However, what will be taken away from this game the most is how the Phoenix came of age while on the field. In the first half, the team was jittery, a little overanxious. As an observer would say after the game, “Everyone knew what to do, yet everyone was just a beat away from getting there”. In the second half, after we took the shots, and withstood the uppercuts, we rebounded. We know who we are now, and we know how much better we can be.
Next week, the Gators come to town as the Phoenix will look to rebound and even up their record. Come out and show support as the season is far from over.
May 12th -
Giving Back
It may only have been an hour, it may only have been a regular day, within a regular week; yet the day before the Phoenix were to kick off thier 2010 campaign, the Phoenix could be found serving ice cream to the residents of Sheridan Medical Complex in southern Kenosha. The Phoenix have always been about more than just strapping on equipment, hitting people, scoring touchdowns and going to celebrate afterwards. We are about engraining ourselves in the society in which we inhabit. Coupled with the Phoenix Blood Drive held a few months ago, and a few more engagements being circulated around in the short future, the Phoenix as a whole look to become THE GFL franchise associated with public works programs. We are more than just a football team.
Sheridan Medical complex ahs agreed to become a sponsor this season, and I cant think of a better associate to help us get our feet wet in this area. We as a team will visit with the residents at least twice a month, and the residents will be bused in to our home games this season. it has the makings of a beautiful partnership indeed.
May 8th:
Phoenix split GFL Tournament games
The Phoenix beat the Razorbacks 7-0 early in the night, and then fell a few yards short to the Gladiators by the same score, 7-0. All in all, it was a good experience, the Phoenix really pulled out the kitchen sink in the opener, which probably killed momentum a little bit, yet alot was able to be seen. In the second contest, the Phoenix played alot more vanilla, using backups primarily, ecspecially on offense. Still, the team played hard and almost tied it up late.
Next week, the game counts, so all the preparation is over. The Cougars pose a threat, not only to having a good start but by also being in our conference. The season is here, and it's time to work.
April 24th:
Phoenix crush Scorpions
Generally, not too much stock is put into pre-season games, yet a 70-0 score speaks for itself. Scoring just as much in the second half with all reserves as we did in the first half with the starters, the Phoenix's first pre-season game could not have gone any better. 7 rushing TD's, 2 Passing TD's and a defensive score helped shut out the Scorpions, who only truly threatened to score once. The game began in the best way possible, a 70 yard TD rush by Ronnie Orr in which he was barely touched.
Believe it or not, the Phoenix came out quite conservitive in the opening half, throwing on less than 10 occasions. However, the lack of an aireal assault did not equal a passive start. After Orr's TD scamper, Orr added another one of equal brilliance while Nick Weiss had a two running scores as well. Adam Knoll threw a perfect corner pass to Hector Carrasco in the middle of the ground attack to lead the way at halftime 35-0.
With a few of the starters taking off thier pads before the second half even begun, Dan Mikal led the offense in the second half in which the Phoenix reserve core dominated the Scorpions as well. Connecting on three deep passes, Mikal also had a TD pass while also leading the offense to three rushing scores as well, Ronnie Orr had his third of the day, David haywood added one and Trion Brown also had a long scamper. The night ended on a Nick Weiss fumble recovery in the endzone to cap off the 10 TD night.
Along with all the scoring, the defense played masterfully, allowing only one big play while administering hit after hit upon the Scorpions Wideouts and Running Backs. Before the game, all that was asked for was intesity, and thats all the Phoenix delivered, all game long.
However, not all was peaches and cream. The Defense did give up that one play, and it would have been more if the shots they were landing on the wideouts didnt jar the balls loose. The Phoenix in the second half fumbled the ball away on a QBHB exchange, and sporatically the shotgun snapping was a bit off. Tackling, while good, fell short of great at a few points. All of these problems will be looked at in depth. As good as the Phoenix looked, we have a long way to go.
April 14th:
GFL Owners Meeting April 14th:
The Owners meeting on Wednsday night held a few surprises as we are only now a month away from kicking the season off. Included in the mayhem was:
The Wolves have dropped from the league, making the GFL a 13 team institution instead of a 14 team one. COncerns were made that the Wolves couldnt field a club and thusly they were dropped
The League will now play games on the July 4th weekend, which previously was held off limits as a holiday weekend. With the Wolves dropping, every team that played them needed a game added to the schedule, and that was the week that was chosen.
For us Phoenix, that means that our week 9 games against the Wolves is gone. Instead we will have a bye week there. We will play the Janesville Nighthawks on July 2nd. It will be a home game.
Anyone astute enough to take notice, the makeup game with the Nighthawks means that we play them twice, both games in a 3 week span. Janesville was our logistical rivals before this move, now they are certainly our main rivals in truth.
There is talk of making one of the weekends a Breast Cancer awareness weekend, like in the NFL. Pink armbands or spat, recieving gloves, the whole nine yards. No timtable is set for the declaration of this weekend, and I'll be sure to pass it along once I know.
The GFL Tournament on May 7th will feature nine teams, including us. Each game will last 30 minutes of running clock. If our game starts at 7:30, at 8:00 we are done. Hopefully we will play anyone we play during the season.
We may move our week 2 game against the Gators to 6:30 so we dont loose time with the sun. I'll keep you posted on that as well.
April 10th:
Season Field (Finally...) Finalized
The Phoenix now enjoy a full time practice facility and Home field for the entire season, after a few months of hand wringing and uncertainty. The good people in Paddock Lake have agreed to allow the Phoenix to practice on a nice sized field for both of thier practice days. This agreement wasn't set in stone untill literally the first weekday practice of the season. It's good to have a set place to go to every week.
Also, the Phoenix have nailed down a Home field, even though it's not in thier home area. The town of Wilmot turned the Phoenix down to use thier state of the art field turf for our 5 home games this season, which left the team in a scramble to find a place to play thier home games. Two months (and around 50 phone calls later, no really), the Phoenix can thank Bullen Middle School in Kenosha for giving us a spot to play out our schedule. The field boasts no lights, so discussion between the Gators and the Phoenix will have to take place to see if that game should be moved to 6 oclock.
Mar 23rd -
Roster Finalized
The Roster has been cut down to 27 and locked for the 2010 season after a very interesting meeting on Monday. 6 players were cut, some for lack of showing up to tryouts, some because they failed to maximize thier time during the practices. All told we think we have a very solid roster and are looking forward now to our pre-season, which, after 6 long months, is finally upon us. Our practices will be on Sundays at noon, and Wednsdays at 5. We will go full pads starting April 7th, and our first game action will be against the Scorpions on the 23rd.
Mar 10th -
GFL Owners Meeting (Mar 10th)
- The Milwaukee Warriors have dropped out of the GFL, leaving room for the Lake County Desperadoes to take thier place. Lake County will take up residence in the American Conference and play the Warriors schedule.
- A new GFL Tournament will take place one week before the season starts on May 7th. All team are welcome to join as the tournament is basically a day long pre-season match. Games will be full padded, full teamed 30 minute scrimmages with refs and running clock.
- The Phoenix have locked up a pre-season date with the Waukesha Scorpions on April 23rd. We will be traveling up to them for the scrimmage which will be controlled as to not induce injuries.
- Leaguewide Insurance is now availiable, and the Phoenix are covered underneath the leagues umbrella policy.
Mar 5th -
Tryout Primer:
With the Tryouts only 10 days away, a few things need to be gone over so everything is ready for that fated weekend:
- The first day will be vey skill based as well as combined. Every players Shuttle, Cone and 40 yard dash will be taken, as well as a verticle. Players will be divided based upon Primary Position, to even out the gorups and get a feel for a players best spot. Remember, if you are a player that wants to play multiple spots, pick the position you think you are the best at since you want to make as big of a splash as possible. We can go over a second position later. Expect the practice to go about 2-2.5 hours.
- The second day will be again skill orientated at first, then more of a team activity later. We will only be going through our most basic schemes to best judge talent, we will not throw too much at you at once. Again, it is encouraged that you do your best position first, even if we have multiple players trying for the spot. We encourage healthy competition and we may be looking at yor talents in places you wouldnt expect anyway.
- Ecspecially for the first day, bring cleats and regular running shoes, in case we run the drills on concrete. If the field is in any way wet or muddy, we will not be tearing up the grass by doing 50 40 yard dashes or cone drills. These skills can be done on asphalt. The second day, all of the skills should be done, so cleats will be the shoe of choice.
- If the day is rainy, foggy, snowy or any other weather related crud, we will run practice anyway. Football is played outdoors and we will practice in the weather. However, that being said, we will take utmost care of the field we are on and do everything possible not to damage it. Be aware of the conditions and plan accordingly. I personally would object to steel cleats either for practices or games, and would encourage rubber cleats to be used ecspecially at our practices.
Mar 1st-
The Pre-Season is Here:
With February now gone, all GFL teams are ramping up for thier 2010 campians, and the Phoenix are no different. If you are interested in trying out for the team, you only have but a few chances left. The roster will become final after March 21st which is at the end of our last Tryout date. If you want to try to see if you can play at this level, it is very important you fill out a Player application as soon as possible.
Phoenix Players, after the tryout, the season practice schedule will go into effect. That means twice a week during the pre-season, and three times a week during the season you are expected to be at team practices. If you cannot make that commitment, you need to speak with an owner as soon as possible. Be honest, and maybe we can work something out.
Let 2010 Begin!
Feb 24th -
GFL Meeting Snowed Out:
The Owners Meeting set for Wednsday night was cancelled due to a huge snow storm that passed through. The winter is ecspecially tough for the GFL, seeing as we start play in May. Navigating the pre-season around the snow and the cold is a focal point for all teams. The meeting will be attempted to be made up in a few weeks. Hopefully by then things warm up a bit.
Feb 19th -
Phoenix Facilities:
The Board of Salem has denied the Phoenix the possibility of practicing at Salem Oaks Park for the upcoming year. Poor drainage systes and the possibility of destroying the turf were the two beiggest concerns. However, the Board did say that thier new football field that was built just last year will be ready by next spring. Salem has asked that we consider moving our practices to there next season. We may be happy to oblige.
Hope is not lost on the field front however as a field at Silver Lakes Park is open and unused this spring. We will be heading out to look at it in a few days and it it meats our needs, the Park Agent has told us we can have it. We will know the rest by next Wednsday. We will keep you posted.
On the final front we had a good meeting with the Athletic Director, Kelly Dineen, out at Wilmot today. Plans are in motion to set up our home games there in 2010, and possibly beyond.
Feb 14th -
Madden Tournaments Finished
The second Madden tournament Champion is Cody Sisk, who used the Wildcat formation to his distinct advantage on route to his victory. Both madden tournamnets were good times, yet a bit on the smallish side. The Phoenix would like to thank both the Hideaway (in Salem) and Linda's Wilmot Cafe for hosting our events. Both locations were beyond what we were expecting in term of hospitality.
Next, the Phoenix turns it's head to the Plasma Blood Drive that will take place between the 14th and the 20th. Any and all Wilmot Players are incouraged to go as we make donations to help those in need. Also, if you are a family member, friend or fan of a player, you are also encouraged to come on out and support the cause.
Jan 26th -
January Board Meeting Completed
The Pnoenix held thier monthly meeting a little later in the month in the hopes that we would have a practice or two to draw opinions from. We did, and a snowy one at that. The meeting was based upon a few key factors: Rookie progression, holes in our roster, fundraising possibilities and practice scheduling. The meeting was streamlined, and we accomplished a ton, yet the work is now beginning.
Firstly, each owner filled out a rookie report card, this was for our third rookie report now posted in our blog. Practice this last Saturday was informitive, and it felt really good to get out and throw/catch/run again. The winter has been a hard time. There was a definate expectation this time around as the rookies who have been with us for a while either have shown what we are looking for, or are lacking. It's not time for cuts yet, so there is still time for those who are struggling.
Secondly, the Defense would like to hold a defense only practice sometime in February. So far, most of our meetings/practices this winter have been for the offense, and the D leaders would like to stick thier toes in the water as well.
Third, Fundraising is going to become paramount this next month as we gear up to buy uniforms. A series of ideas was thrown out there, so stay tuned as we will be going all out to get our mission done. By that note, we are looking for ANY sponsors and ANY player fees as well. Everything helps.
Fourth, certain players who have expressed interest yet not been added to the roster were discussed. We will be looking for talent all the way up through our tryout, so this is not abnormal. Just know that once March 22nd hits, the roster will be final, except for in exceptional cases.
Fifth, Many of the Owners and Veterans needed to know that when they joined up here, things would be different. One of the major ways is with practicing, which needs structure in many aspects. Expect practices to be streamlined, intense and informitive as each practice will follow the same structure.
Jan 20th -
Lets Get it Started
The Phoenix on the 20th paid off it's league fee, giving the team the ability to turn it's attention to the pre-season work that needs to be done. that means getting player fees in and setting up futher fundraisers and sponsors. All work now needs to go straight toward our tryout in March and the uniforms we need to purchase.
Other notes from the Owners Meeting:
Full Home/Away schedule has been realeased. It is 95% done, with minor tweaks to be made in the next few weeks. The Phoenix will have 5 Home and 5 Away Games
Stan Perry, head of officials, paid us a visit and it seems that the refs this year will be even superior to the way things went last season. There will still be 4 refs, but an enhanced knowledge of the rules will be required.
The GFL Website is tentively set to debut in full next Friday.
Jan 17th -
Madden Fever
The tournament last night went smoothly, for the most part, as seven contestants (and eight teams) took to the consoles to slug it out. The turnout was consistent with expectations, yet the tournament turned to a double elimination just for the fun of it. Nick Weiss defeated Matt Splitt (twice during the night) to take the championship. Nick never really had any serious challengers as he steamrolled through each match pretty easily. Chris Bella and Adam Knoll would end up taking 3rd and 4th place, respectively. Bella defeated Knoll 10-7 was used as a tiebreaker since they both finished with the same record. All in all, it was a good night, and the Phoenix will move straight ahead toward next months 'Panthers' Madden Tournament, which already has 20 players signed up to play. It should be an interesting night.
Jan 11th -
Half the team sitting in a living room
The Phoenix's first film study as a unit was an impressive success as players new and old gathered around on a Monday night in the middle of January to sit and watch some truly remarkable film. The film was not good, it was hard to watch, yet it was an important first step on the teams way to our first game as a franchise. Just having that many players there, along with all 5 owners, gave the team a real chance to speak in a conference about the direction we want to go, and what we are all looking for out of this season. Accountablility is the number one name of the game when analyzing the past, so it doesnt happen again in the future.
The next offensive meeting will be at the end of January at the earliest. The defense might put together thier own meeting between now and then. we will keep you posted.
Jan 2nd -
Shenanignas Fundraiser a Success!
The first Phoenix event of the new year was a blast as the pool tournaments kept moving and the raffles kept selling; the Phoenix players threw a real good party. Although not a blowout, the turnout was impressive, ecspecially the non-players contingent that showed up. The family members and friends that were networked came out and supported the brand new franchise, and all being told the party netted the team a good chunk of fundraising. The final numbers are not in yet, but they will be released once the tally is finished. Photos will be posted as well.
Jan 1st -
2010 Kicking off with Phoenix Events!
The Phoenix are starting off their 2010 capaign with a bar party on the 2nd, and following it up with three Madden tournaments, the first one on the 16th of January. A second one will be held in February, leading up to a playoff in March to see who can dominate in our tournaments. There will be a fee to participate, and in each event the top three players will receive a payout.
You can sign up to attend any of our events on our facebook page, or you can show up on the day and go from there.
|