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Quick Hits:

- The Lake County Venom took sole possession of first place in the American Conference with their 33-8 victory over the Vipers in the GFL Game of the Week.

- The Chicago Chaos improved to 3-0 on the year following a 66-6 drubbing of the Wilmot Phoenix. The Chaos are alone atop the National Conference.

- The Kenosha Cougars improved to 2-1 with a last second 49-48 victory over the Racine Gladiators and are now one game back of the Venom in the American Conference

- The underdog Oak Creek Arsenal scored a 26-21 win over the Kenosha Storm, the Arsenal are now tied for second in the National Conference

- The South Milwaukee Rage defeated the Waukesha Raiders 20-13, both teams are now 2-1 in their respective conferences.

- The Milwaukee Avalanche forfeited to the Madison Wolves 21-0 due to poor field conditions. The Wolves are now 1-2

Recap Page

	League Results	Top Players
	Scores: Chaos def Phoenix 66-6 Venom def Venom 33-8 Rage def Raiders 20-13 Cougars def Gladiators 49-48 Arsenal def Storm 26-21 Wolves def Avalanche 21-0 Conference Battle: Week 2 - (AC 1-0) Total - AC (5-4) Border War: Week 2 - (Tied 1-1) Total - (ILL 7-2)	Coming Soon

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Chicago Vipers @ Lake County Venom

Vipers (Adam Knoll):

The Chicago Vipers are a very confident bunch and they have all the reason to be. Through two games, the offense has scored 72 points while the defense has given up 42. Quarterback Jay Fortuna has thrown for over 200 yards in both games this season, running back Eli Williams missed week 2 yet still figures in as a top rusher this season. The passing attack has been spreading the ball around, which means there are many targets to contend with. The Defense has been good, picking up 5 sacks last week in their win over the Gladiators. The Vipers needed to win their first two games this year to keep pace with the Lake County Venom, who are Chicago’s main opposition in the American Conference. The winner of this game will hold the main tie-breaker and have the advantage of being at least a game up over everyone else in the conference as the season moves forward.

Venom (Mike Melody):

The Venom won their home opener last week against the South Milwaukee Rage. The game was lopsided early, but became close down the stretch. In the end the Venom ended up with a 34-20 victory. Murrell Rodgers breathed some life in to the Venom ground attack with a 123 yard and 2 TD performance. Nick Olson had a league leading 4 interceptions, and DeTuan Inmon added a Defensive TD off a fumble recovery. A solid game against a tough opponent has the Venom at 2-0 on the young season.

This week the Venom welcome the Chicago Vipers to their field. The matchup between these two undefeated teams is heavily anticipated by everyone that follows the GFL. It’s only week 3 but, this game will have huge playoff implications as both teams will be fighting for the top spot in the American Conference. The Venom and the Vipers are off to very similar starts, they have both won their first two games by nearly identical margins. Taking a look at the numbers, the Vipers enter the game with the #2 ranked offense in the GFL. QB Jay Fortuna has taken every snap for the Vipers so far, and also leads the team in rushing attempts. The Venom defense will have to shut him down if they hope to be victorious. The Vipers have already predicted a championship this season, making this game the test that determines who the team to beat in the American Conference is.

Madison Wolves at Milwaukee Avalanche

Wolves (Mike Melody):

The Madison Wolves suffered a tough loss at the hands of the Chicago Chaos this past Friday. The bright spots for Madison last week were a fine TD grab by WR Eric Lackey, and a 17 tackle performance by LB Kolby Gunderson. They will have to shake that off that loss quickly as they travel this week to Milwaukee to take on the Avalanche. Both Madison and Milwaukee are both in their first year, and both sitting at 0-2. Milwaukee has lost their two games to the Storm and Arsenal, both of which missed the playoffs in 2012. Madison has already played two games against playoff teams from a year ago, and perhaps this experience will help them this Friday. This game will be played at Browning Field in Milwaukee, at 7:30pm

Avalanche (Adam Knoll):

The Milwaukee Avalanche are still searching for their first victory of the season and  this may be the best chance the team has in the early season. The Madison Wolves are away for the first time this year while the Avalanche are at home. Defensively, the Avalanche are a rough team to follow, giving up 92 points in two games. Offensively, there are signs of hope as QB Damian McNeill seems to be a dual threat, gaining 180 yards total last week in a loss to the Oak Creek Arsenal. The Avalanche have speed at some skill positions, yet their weak point on the offense seems to be the offensive line which has kept the Avalanche running attack from being potent despite their quarterbacks ability to scramble out of the pocket. The Wolves are heavily favored in this matchup even though both teams are winless on the season.

Waukesha Raiders at South Milwaukee Rage

The Waukesha Raiders are for real, at least when it comes to the middle tier of the GFL. After wining in Madison to begin the year, the Raiders prevailed in a match with the Wilmot Phoenix in week 2. New Raider Quarterback Troy Lessard has kept his turnovers low, hitting quick safe passes and letting his receivers gain some yards after the catch. Ryan Semler led the Raider receivers with 5 receptions for 100 yards. Last week, the Raider rushing attack gained 120 yards total, but that was enough to keep the offense in balance and take some pressure off the new quarterback. Waukesha didn’t light up the scoreboard last week, but they did enough to win and in the end that’s all that matters.

Opposing the Raiders this week will be the South Milwaukee Rage, who are this season’s trendy pick as the league darkhorse. The Rage are a well organized, veteran team that just continues to play good football even though they are counted out alot of the time due to missing last years playoffs. South Milwaukee likes to throw the ball, alot, and depending on the state of the Raiders offense, this could become an aerial battle and really intrigue the fans in the stadium.

The Rage are a 61% favorite in this game.

Racine Gladiators at Kenosha Cougars

The Racine Gladiators are 2013′s road warriors so far this season. Twice the team headed to Chicago, and twice they came back without a victory. During that time, Racine gave up 86 points and only scored 20. But dont sleep on last year’s runners-up, this is a team that can get hot quickly, and they will get a chance this week to prove it against the Kenosha Cougars. The Gladiators are again on the road, but the drive is much shorter this time, and the Gladiators always play the Cougars tough. Last season, Racine defeated the Cougars on a final play 2pt conversion failure that rocketed the Gladiators to #4 in the playoffs and started their well documented trek to the Championship game.

For the Cougars, this is a chance to elevate themselves while also making life much tougher on a conference foe. If the Cougars win, the Gladiators will be 2 games out of an assured playoff berth and have lost the main tiebreaker with both the Cougars and Chaos. This is just another great game this week in the GFL, the proboards have the Cougars as 76% favorites this week.

Wilmot Phoenix at Chicago Chaos

The Chicago Chaos have been absolutely on fire so far this season. The offense has scored over 100 points already while giving up just 8 points total. The Chaos have two quarterbacks with more than 250 yards thrown, multiple running backs who can take it to the house at any time and a defensive lineman with 8 sacks already. This is a complete team from top to bottom and it will be a test for any team that comes to face them. This week’s challenger, the Wilmot Phoenix, is a team that has it’s positives and it’s negatives. On the plus side, the defense has been better than expected, giving up 45 points in two games to upper level offenses. Saftey Kevin Barrett and OLB Lawrence Wallace have been as good as advertised and the D-Line has done a good job getting pressure in the backfield. On the flip side, the Phoenix offense has scored just 6 points. Last week, the offense actually gained over 350 yards, but stats dont win games, and crucial mistakes at the perfectly wrong time doomed the squad. While this week is a monumental challenge for Wilmot, the team is simply trying to improve enough during these difficult early games so they can be stronger in the second half of the year.

The Proboards have the Chaos as 89% favorites this week.

Oak Creek Arsenal at Northern Storm

The Oak Creek Arsenal got their first win last week against a team that would have been in the developmental conference this year, if the league had a developmental conference. In fact, both of these teams beat up on the same team while losing out to higher level competition in their second game of the year. The Storm are veteran, have a swollen new roster and play at a new home. The Arsenal have the look of a team that is ready to take the next step and finally beat an established team. Oak Creek has the talent to do it, quarterback Max Adrian is doing well so far, picking his spots and not throwing interceptions. He has also ran the ball well when forced to, which gives the offense a dynamic look that can keep a defense honest. Receiver Alfredo Jackson has done some decent damage with the opportunities given to him, catching 7 passes on this young season. Running back Jeff Dull had a breakout game in week 2, having 114 yards on 6 carries and 2 scores. This game promises to be a close one, and it’s certainly a win both squads need.

The Proboards have the Storm as 77% favorites this week

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Recap Page

	League Results	Top Players
	Scores: Chaos def Phoenix 66-6 Venom def Venom 33-8 Rage def Raiders 20-13 Cougars def Gladiators 49-48 Arsenal def Storm 26-21 Wolves def Avalanche 21-0 Conference Battle: Week 2 - (AC 1-0) Total - AC (5-4) Border War: Week 2 - (Tied 1-1) Total - (ILL 7-2)	Coming Soon

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South Milwaukee Rage at Lake County Venom

Venom (Mike Melody):

The Venom have their home opener this week against the South Milwaukee Rage. Both teams are coming off victories last week. Lake County shut out the Wilmot Phoenix 24-0, in a game that showed the Venom defense is as potent as ever. The Venom sacked the Wilmot QB 16 times, forced 3 fumbles and completely shut down the Phoenix running backs allowing only 23 yards on 12 carries. The Lake County offense struggled a bit, turning the ball over 6 times. They will have some weapons back this week, which will hopefully help improve those numbers.

This will be the Venom’s first game at their new home field, the Waukegan Sports Complex. The Rage come to town after defeating the Kenosha Cougars 12-7, in a defensive struggle last week. When asked if there were any surprises in store for the Rage, Kevin Heerdegen replied “The Venom really don’t have any surprises, cause we are terrible. We added a kicker.” As usual Lake County is keeping their cards close to their vest in this high stakes game that is GFL football.

Last season the Rage fell to the Venom (then Cowboys) 38-24, in a tough fought game. The Venom have a great deal of respect for their opponent this week stating “we are not looking to impress anyone, just hoping to leave the game with a W.” However sources have reported that Nick Olson has been flipping tires throughout the streets of Waukegan announcing to all……the arrival of the Venom.

Chicago Chaos at Madison Wolves

Wolves (Mike Melody):

The Madison wolves opened up their inaugural season at home last week against the Waukesha Raiders. The Raiders, a playoff team from 2012, were to provide a test for the Wolves to see where they stood. Madison stood their ground and passed this test. When Paul Wedig was asked before the game how he felt his team would perform, he shared that he felt the defense would be solid and the offense will need some time to find their identity. The 15-6 loss, proved his prediction to be an accurate one. Madison’s D held their own against the Raider offense, generating 4 turnovers and holding them to just two touchdowns. The offense struggled, but showed glimpses of what  could be when QB Jake Wedig hooked up with Kendal Kedrick for an 80 yard touchdown. All in all it was a good performance by a first year team, in their first game.

This week the Chicago Chaos travel to Madison where the Wolves will be waiting. The Chaos are coming off a solid week 1 victory and will be looking to keep the momentum rolling. The wolves will be tested on both sides of the ball, and quite possibly at the bar afterwards. A new team needs to grow and learn from their mistakes week to week. It will be interesting to see how Madison responds to this challenge.

Racine Gladiators at Chicago Vipers:

Gladiators (Kevin Heerdegen):

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Racine Gladiators at Chicago Chaos

Gladiators (Kevin Heerdegen):

In 2012, no one saw a 6-4 Racine Gladiator team making a championship game appearance.  When they did, no one saw the Gladiators making an actual game of it.  In 2013, consensus remains the same as the year before. Why?  “Well, to be honest we have been so busy working we have not even addressed captains, have not even thought about it,” says Head Coach Dave Miller.  He continues “And even more surprising, no one has asked about it.”  That’s the attitude of a team on a mission looking to improve focus, discipline, and consistency in 2013.

While the defense was definitely inconsistent last year, the offense was quite the opposite, led by QB Christopher Walsh.  Walsh can beat you with his arm & his legs, and is arguably the best decision making QB in the league.  In the final 4 games including the playoffs, Walsh and the Gladiator offense went on a tear, including putting 36 points against a Cowboy defense that allowed an average of 8 points a game.  “Chris keeps poised behind the line…… He has the respect of the team and my upmost confidence,” says Miller.  After such a successful 2012 season, the Gladiators are rewarded with a week one rematch of the Championship game, back in Chicago.  “They are a tough opponent and defending champs……. It will be good to get that rematch done early and out of our minds (as) it is easy for something like that to become a distraction,” says Miller.  The Chaos will be without starting QB Noel Rivera, adding an additional twist to a game that just a week ago was filled with many of the starters from the championship game.  The Gladiators will approach the game as planned, and will be forced to make adjustments as the competition progresses. This will also be the 2^nd of three straight games the Gladiators will play at Babe Serpico field, which is one of the farthest distances any GFL team has to travel to, as the Gladiators play the Chicago Vipers in week 2.  Nothing like finding out who you are right away.

Chaos (Jeff Thorpe)       

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to a new year of GFL football. I’d like to start by once again congratulating the Chicago Chaos on winning last year’s championship game. In doing so, the new year starts for the Chaos the same as last year finished…with the Racine Gladiators. The Chaos are the clear favorite in the season opener at home against the Gladiators after they beat them in the final game last season and will look to start the year off on the right foot. The Gladiators were last season’s surprise playoff run as they upended both perennial powerhouses the Cougars and Cowboys en route to their loss in the championship. The Chaos would do well to start out fast and never look back because the Gladiators have all that fuel from last season’s defeat.

Both teams competed in this years tournament, the Chaos played as well as expected…QB Noel Rivera went down late, but I expect to see him week one. The Gladiators struggled a bit in the tournament, but they came on very strong late last year…we will see what happens on Friday.

Proboards vote has the Chaos as the favorite by a total of 17 to 3

Waukesha Raiders at Madison Wolves

Raiders (Kevin Heerdegen):

Year 2 for the Waukesha Raiders organization. 17 rookies on a roster of 38.  Doesn’t exactly scream experience.  “With the group of guys we had last year, and bringing in these rookies, they are only going to make us stronger” says WR Ryan Semler.  Don’t underestimate a team with almost half their roster comprising of newbies, because the Raiders had a coming out party during the Pre-season GFL tournament.  Linebacker last year turned QB this year, Troy Lessard II or TL2, will be the center of an offense highlighted by brothers Robert (wr) & Allen (rb) Morris.  Big brother Robert outdid his sibling 4 touchdowns to 1 in the tournament, but more importantly, they put the league on notice that they aren’t here just to make the playoffs again.

The Raiders open the season on the road against the expansion Madison wolves.  If GFL history remains consistent, the Wolves are in for a rude awakening.  Couple that with Madison’s owners Paul Wedig, Adam Wedig, Jake Wedig, and Eric Lackey all being former Raiders……a little extra motivation comes into play.  Each team respects each other, but when someone leaves to start their own team, the unsaid storyline is “I can do it better than you”.  Defensive captain Dan Kachelmeyer is the center of the Raider defense, and the spark plug that they thrive on. “He is involved in just about every play….. You won’t see many guys get more pumped up than he does,” says Semler.  Converted DE Travis Guy and previously mentioned Allen Morris (CB) anchor the defense that expects much improvement from last year.  Waukesha shows some serious potential in only their second year in the GFL.  A storyline to follow this season will be how they deal with higher expectations, and more importantly, a tougher strength of schedule.  Semler concludes “I can’t compliment all of these new guys enough to talk about the hard work they have put in to make us a better team, along with filling those missing gaps we needed to fill from last year”

Wolves (Mike Melody):

The Madison Wolves are entering their first season in the GFL. As an expansion team, they will be tested early facing two 2012 playoff teams to start their year. Week 1 features an interesting matchup for the Wolves, as they take on the Waukesha Raiders. A handful of the team’s leaders played on Waukesha during the 2012 season, and this game will be a good measuring stick to see where the Wolves match up with other GFL teams.

The Wolves have been diligently preparing for the season, as owner Paul Wedig has seen his roster add some key pieces. Madison’s offense will be led by QB Jake Wedig, who played QB for Waukesha during their final 5 games. In this stretch Wedig threw for 1,000 yards, and had a 15 touchdowns, showing that he can be successful in this league. His main targets this year will be WRs Jamie Tranel and Liam Ripp, both of which are new to the GFL, but have high expectations from team management. Defensively the Wolves will feature a strong secondary lead by Logan Taylor and Quincy Hudson. Logan played for 4 years at Loras College, and this will be his first season of semi-pro ball. Quincy played at UW Platteville, and more recently with the Shorewood Monarchs of the IFL. This experienced secondary could cause problems for opposing QBs.

Madison will be hosting the game at Ahuska Park, 400 E Broadway, Monona, WI 53716. This will be the first home game in franchise history and will let the league see exactly what this new team has to offer.

Lake County Venom at Wilmot Phoenix

Venom (Mike Melody):

Nobody is looking forward to this season more than the Lake County Venom. Featuring a new look and name, the venom are looking for “redemption” from a disappointing end to their 2012 campaign.  The Venom open the season against the Wilmot Phoenix, a team they have had great success against in the past. The Venom have never lost to Wilmot, going 4-0 over the last three seasons including a playoff win last year. With Wilmot losing some key players to the Chicago Vipers and having to rebuild their roster, expectations are for the veteran Venom team to win this one. Kevin Heerdegen states “I believe the team is ready to play…..ready to execute with success is another story. We’ll find out soon enough. The Phoenix practice a ton, so it will be a good test.”

Looking at the Venom roster, they are clearly one of the most balanced and experienced teams in the GFL. They only have six first year GFL players listed on the 40-man. When asked who will stand out on this year’s team Venom management stated “our trenches will be better” and “Names look good on paper, but until they produce on the field, a roster of fancy names means nothing.”

People around the league are excited to see the Venom in action this year. We will get our chance this Friday at Bucci Field,  11112 308^th Ave, Wilmot WI at 7:30pm . One thing that is for certain, the only thing in the GFL tighter than the brotherhood on the Lake County Venom, is Nick Olson’s jersey.

 Phoenix (Steve Thorpe):

The Phoenix had a disappointing showing this past year and failed to get out of the first round of the

playoffs losing to the Cowboys. The new season has yet another new look for the Phoenix however,

a new quarterback, a new tailback, and a lot of other new faces. Adam Knoll however is not phased

by all the transition. His team has yet to have a consistant quarterback since the teams inception.

James Jones, the teams leading rusher was forced to leave due to military obligations…we all wish him

the best of luck. This season opens for the Phoenix with the team hosting the new look Lake County

Venom. The Venom are comprised of many of the same Cowboys that knocked the Phoenix out last year

and revenge has to be on the mind of many of the players. Although hosting, the Phoenix are heavy

underdogs as they look to upset what is expected to be a championship caliber team in the Venom. Lake

County did not compete in any preseason games this year so we will see if maybe a little rust will slow

them down.

Proboards has the Phoenix as heavy underdogs by a total of 14 to 3…

Chicago Vipers at Oak Creek Arsenal

Vipers (Adam Knoll):

The Chicago Vipers, who may be a new team technically, are in reality one of the most veteran teams in the league. Quarterback Jay Fortuna is now on his fourth team in as many seasons and he will want to prove that his team is on the right track against the potentially overmatched Oak Creek Arsenal. Running back Eli Williams gives the Venom an all around back, he can take over a game all by himself. The wide receiving core is strong and it has been reported that the Vipers O-line is very good. The Viper defense is just as stacked as the offense, which makes this team a serious threat to win the American conference.

The Vipers match up well with the Arsenal, who are making their transition out of the GFL’s developmental conference. The Arsenal will have a higher roster total than they did last season, and they have some nice pieces  on the team. The Vipers will come out and try to put their foot down early. If successful, this game could get ugly very quickly.

Arsenal  (Jeff Thorpe):

The Oak Creek Arsenal begin their new season and new experience playing all of the GFL’s competition on neutral ground in Kenosha, WI as they take on the Chicago Vipers. Both teams expected to play someone else week one, but folding teams forced the league to reshuffle and reorganize. Last season showed flashes of contention for the Arsenal as at one point they shared their conference lead with the eventual champion…Scorpions…but injuries and a tough finish to the season left them wondering what could have been. They get to find out early this year what the GFL is all about as the Chicago Vipers roster is filled with GFL veterans. The Arsenal hope to stun the league with an upset and make their names known as a contender and not a pretender in 2013. Friday nights game will be played at Tremper High School on the JV field at 7:00pm. Fans from both sides will be ready and waiting for some good football action.

Proboards have the Arsenal as underdogs with a total of 17 to 3…

Kenosha Cougars at S. Milwaukee Rage

Cougars (Adam Knoll):

The Kenosha Cougars begin their trek to make their seventh straight playoff appearance against the South Milwaukee Rage, a team that has the ability to flip the American Conference on its ear if everything is going right. The Cougars are healthy for the first time in over a year, Quarterback Dave Cajka has overcome his leg injury from last season, an injury that had alot to do with the teams struggles last season. In reality, both  teams had the same problem last season, as Quarterback Robert Kowalewski missed some time last year which pushed the Rage out of playoff contention.

The Cougars and Rage have both been very consistent during their runs in the GFL. The two teams are no longer in the same conference though that does not diminish their rivalry at all. Over the past 10 combined seasons, only once has either team missed the playoffs. This game has the possibility of being the week’s best after everything is said and done.

Rage (Kevin Heerdegen):

In the South Milwaukee Rage’s inaugural 2009 season, you’d be hard pressed to find a better offense led by star QB Mikey Bernal & RB Chuck Mcguire.  Guess what GFL?  Chucky’s back.  With the league expanding each year, very few veterans that played in 2009 remain in the league, so for the new guys, Chuck was arguably the best in the league.  Speed, size, hands, & power, the man has all the tools.  It’s these tools the Rage hope to give their offense more diversity than just a spread formation, in addition to solving their red zone offensive issues from 2012.  In place of Bernal is returning owner & QB Rob Kowalewski, who last year established himself as one of the best in the GFL.  The Rage also have 4 capable wide receivers that could start on any GFL team in Dequan Cave, Adam Gerasch, Andy Soerhman, and DaVonte Staten.  Health, & Rob’s availability to play (family & military commitments come first) are the only things that will stop the Rage offense from reclaiming 2009 glory.

So what about the Defense?  Great question.  Still in development, & until they become a cohesive unit, it looks like the offense will bear the load and be expected to keep pace early in the year. In week one, the Rage are at home & get the Kenosha Cougars at the Milwaukee Sports complex.  The Cougars are coming into the game with a lot of momentum from their pre-season success.  The Cougars have also made it point to recruit younger athletes, addressing one of their weak spots from last season.  Adding additional pressure to their season opener, the 2013 schedule does the Rage no favors as their next three opponents are the Venom, Raiders, & Vipers….all playoff teams from last season.  A week one loss for the Rage could open a wound that may not heal until week 5.  This game has the recipe to be the highest scoring game of the week, and the winning team could be the one who has the ball last.

Milwaukee Avalanche at Northern Storm

Avalanche (Adam Knoll):

The Milwaukee Avalanche are a brand new team to the GFL in 2013 and they have a daunting challenge in front of them in week one. The Avalanche, during the preseason tournament, put in what could be described as a decent day of work, mostly doing damage on the offensive side of the ball. The Northern Storm are a veteran team on a mission. The Storm are strong up front on both sides of the ball, and after their 4 win season last year, the team will be looking to make a statement to start the season off on the right foot. The Avalanche have a small roster, many of their players will be spending time on both sides of the ball. The Avalanche will also be the smaller team physically, yet they will need to find a way to keep the Storm’s offense on the sideline and try to speed up the game.

The Avalanche are major underdogs in this game according to the Proboards.

Storm (Mike Melody)

The Northern Storm open up their 2013 season against the Milwaukee Avalanche. The Storm (formerly the Kenosha Sabers)  are looking to rebound from a very tough 2012 season. Last year, the storm finished with a 3-7 record and a last place finish in the National Conference. It was a season plagued with bad breaks and injuries. The Storm, much like their opponent have remained very quiet this offseason, so not much is known about this team.  I have heard they have re-tooled adding a lot of new players, but that is all hear say. Will moving the team to IL, change the fortunes of this team? Find out Friday at 7:00 pm at the Waukegan Sports Complex, 3391 W. Beach Rd, Waukegan IL 60087.

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Toughest Schedule in the National Conference:

While not quite as difficult as the Rage’s schedule, the Oak Creek Arsenal lead the National Conference in overall difficulty. While the Arsenal play the Vipers in week 1, which is a home game in name only (neutral field), the Arsenal actually are not bombarded early in the season. There is a three game stretch where the Arsenal play only the Gladiators and Chaos. How difficult is the middle of the season for the Arsenal? They play three games against expansion teams and they still rank #2 overall in the league.

Easiest Schedule in the American Conference:

The Chicago Chaos, but mostly because they dont have to play themselves. An away game with the Chaos holds a score of 11 points, combine that missing total along with playing the Gladiators once, it makes sense that the Chaos’ score would be low. What’s interesting is that the rest of the schedule is difficult enough to get it all the way to 58. The Chaos play all the top teams in the league, and really only play the Arsenal and Wolves due to schedule changes. They will be tested plenty during their title defense.

Surprise within the Numbers:

Three teams tied at 63, which qualifies for third highest in the league. The Gladiators, Phoenix and Gladiators, while they dont play entirely the same opposition, cannot complain during the playoff race about their fellow rivals. These are the same three teams that fought it out for the #4 seed last season, which the Gladiators won, and we all know what happened after that. Considering the National Conferences have 5 playoff teams in it from last year (compared to zero in the American conference, technically. The Venom and Vipers both sport roster full of players from playoff teams last year though), competition will be fierce for a set playoff spot among the top 3. Do not be suprised if it comes down to the wire again.

The Favorite:

The Chaos, who are the Champs and have received the amount of respect a champion deserves. This team won 8 games last year and are certainly capable of doing so again. Cross-conference games will play a key role in deciding whether or not there is a fight for the top spot in the National Conference.

Underrated:

The Raiders. Not the hardest schedule and they are still shrugging off the stigma of the developmental conference. The Raiders made the playoffs last year, but was it legit? How will they fare against the top teams in the league they didnt have to play last season? Against the Chaos last year, the Raiders got beaten pretty badly, and then it happened again in the playoffs. The question is simply, have the Raiders improved enough in the offseason to play with the best in the GFL, or have they simply become a respectable second tier team who needs to fight it out and hope for a home playoff game.

The top three seeds:

The way the playoffs are set up, the first three seeds in each conference get into the playoffs with the final two spots going to the highest record (in either conference).  It would do little good try and pick who the final two spots will go to, so instead, lets try to go with the top 3.  The Chaos should be in the top 3, easily, and are the early favorites for a #1 seed. Games against the Arsneal (twice) and the Wolves should put them on a good pace while the rest of the conference is beating itself up. The Raiders have yet to play a true schedule, if they have solidified their O and D lines, this team can be very good. The Gladiators are coming off a championship run and should be listed as an early season favorite to make the top 3. The Cougars had injury problems last year and shocked alot of people in making the playoffs. They are veteran, and they are healthy; the Cougars are a smart bet to make the top 3. the Phoenix are in transition, however quickly their rebuilt roster can gel will be the key to whether or not the team can join the playoff chase.

Statistical Breakdown:

Key:

W – 2012 Score (2012 Wins)
*Exceptions
No established team received less than a 4
Venom (Assessed Cowboys win total from 2012 combined with new team score / 2)
Vipers (Assessed Lynx win total from 2012 combined with new team score / 2)
Raiders (Docked one win from 2012 total due to Developmental Conference)
Arsenal (Docked one win from 2012 total due to Developmental Conference

P – Playoff team (= +1 to score)
@ – Away Game (= +1 to score)
C – Championship Game Participant (= +1 to score)
E – Expansion team (Established a win total of 3)

SoS Formula: (2012 Opponent Score) + (Expansion Teams x 3) + (Playoff teams) + (Away Games) + (Championship Teams) = 2013 initial Strength of Schedule

By: Adam Knoll

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 Toughest Schedule in the American Conference:

The South Milwaukee Rage have the most difficult schedule in the GFL, in either conference, based on the 2013 Strength of schedule formula that has been used since 2009 to predict the upcoming season (*Note – it took a hiatus last season due to the imbalance of conferences). The Rage scored out at 68, thanks mostly to playing the Venom, Vipers and Chaos all away, which gives added points to their difficulty. The Rage also play the Gladiators twice, the Cougars, the Raiders and the Storm. This is a very difficult schedule.

Easiest Schedule in the American Conference:

Tie between the Avalanche and the Storm, though not by much. The Avalanche have six away games, and only one game against a fellow expansion team, so why do they have an easier schedule? Because they dont play the Chaos or Gladiators, the only team that plays neither of last seasons championship duo. The Avalanche do play the Venom, Vipers and Raiders away, yet they would be the underdog no matter where they play those teams. The Storm, on the other hand, have a pretty decent schedule, they just play the more difficult teams at home. In the GFL, travel stinks sometimes, driving 30 miles may be the difference between having 28 guys or 23. Does playing a good team at home weaken them to the point where upsets are likely? No, but it can make a difference in a close game if your missing a few starters in key places.

Surprise within the Numbers:

The Vipers play three games against expansion teams, and still have a score of 60. This means that their other 7 games are pretty solid (with an average score of 7. Examples of this would be an away game against the Cougars, or a home game against the Raiders). That being said, if the Vipers take care of business in those three games, they would just need to be 3-4 the rest of the way to probably host a first round playoff game.

The Favorite:

The Lake County Venom are still viewed as the cream of the American Conference. Their schedule is two points harder than the Vipers’, which should mean little over a ten game season. As always, the match between these two will go a long way toward deciding the final outcome, but the Venom have more than enough to take the top spot in the conference this season.

Underrated:

The Rage and the Storm both had a 2012 score of 4, based on their win total from last year. Understand this, both of these teams are better than that number. The Rage have a really good Quarterback that makes that team go and the Storm are revamped and hungry. It just so happens that the Rage have a much harder schedule than the Storm do (numerically, you could say it’s like playing an extra home game against the Venom) Which leads me to the next point….

The top three seeds:

The way the playoffs are set up, the first three seeds in each conference get into the playoffs with the final two spots going to the highest record (in either conference).  It would do little good try and pick who the final two spots will go to, so instead, lets try to go with the top 3.  The Venom and Vipers should fight for the top spot throughout the year, the Vipers may have a scheduling advantage with those three expansion games, but the Venom are pretty imposing; it may be hard for the Vipers to take the #1 spot with anything less than 8 wins. The third spot will most likely end up with the Storm who have a much improved team due to their change of venue. The Rage definitely can take one of those spots, but they have a hard climb to get there. South Milwaukee should be in the thick of the playoff hunt all the way to the end, unless the schedule beats them up early.

Statistical Breakdown:

Key:

W – 2012 Score (2012 Wins)
*Exceptions
No established team received less than a 4
Venom (Assessed Cowboys win total from 2012 combined with new team score / 2)
Vipers (Assessed Lynx win total from 2012 combined with new team score / 2)
Raiders (Docked one win from 2012 total due to Developmental Conference)
Arsenal (Docked one win from 2012 total due to Developmental Conference

P – Playoff team (= +1 to score)
@ – Away Game (= +1 to score)
C – Championship Game Participant (= +1 to score)
E – Expansion team (Established a win total of 3)

SoS Formula: (2012 Opponent Score) + (Expansion Teams x 3) + (Playoff teams) + (Away Games) + (Championship Teams) = 2013 initial Strength of Schedule

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Mahone Stadium, Kenosha WI

Starts: 11:00am

Two games at once

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Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/574267492592303/

Educated Insanity Interview: http://educatedinsanity.com/2013/04/12/

Schedule:

Start at 11am
Phoenix vs Arsenal
Storm vs Gladiators
11:30
Break
11:35
Storm vs Arsenal
Gladiators vs Avalanche
12:05
Break
12:10
Phoenix vs Rage
Gladiators vs Arsenal
12:40
Break
12:45
Rage vs Storm
Phoenix vs Avalanche
1:15
Break
1:20
Cougars vs Raiders
Chaos vs Avalanche
1:50
Break
1:55
Vipers vs Rage
Chaos vs Raiders
2:25
Break
2:30
Vipers vs Raiders
Chaos vs Cougars
3:00
Break
3:05
Vipers vs Cougars
End 3:35