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Cowboys at Chaos (Proboard: Cowboys 8-5) – Game of the Week

(From Derek Brenner – Cowboys)

In one of the most highly regarded matchups this season the Cowboys will be coming to the Chaos in Melrose Park on Friday night. These two teams met each other 3 times during the 2011 regular season. The Cowboys swept the series in very close contests. The Chaos got the best of the Cowboys round 1 in the playoffs beating the Cowboys and going on to lose to the Lynx in the second round of the playoffs. The Cowboys have been chomping at the bit for redemption against the Chaos. Both teams have changed in drastic ways in the offseason and the stage is set for a battle to be remembered.

(From Steve Thorpe – Chaos)

The Chicago  Chaos are only in their second true year of existence, yet are being thrown around as one of the true title contenders for the 2012 season. The team is built around their stellar defense, and has had a bit of a makeover on offense. Gone is the five wide receiver sets, and in comes the veer type run first offense. Many have questioned how the team would respond to the change, and we will find out right away in week 1 as they take on the perennial powerhouse Lake County Cowboys. This game is sure to kick off the 2012 season with a bang, and show the entire GFL just where the Chaos stand this season. The Proboards voted the Cowboys as the favorites for this game…but the Chaos will try to prove them wrong.

Lynx at Phoenix (Proboard: Lynx 13-1)

(From Derek Brenner – Lynx)

It is an understatment to say that these 2 teams know each other very well. Last season the Lynx all but dominated the series against the Phoenix during the regular season. They met each other round 1 in the playoffs and again the Lynx came out victorious, dashing any hopes the Phoenix had at a playoff run. The Lynx went on to be the GFL champions for the 4^th time in league history. Both teams have revamped their roster during the offseason. The Phoenix believe in themselves as a team and it is fitting that they will be battling it out in the season opener for their chance at redemption.

Rage at Gladiators (Proboard: Rage 11-5)

(From Adam Knoll – Rage, Gladiators)

The South Milwaukee Rage have never lost more than 3 games in any season since joining the GFL in 2009, they have also never won a playoff game in that span. The Racine Gladiators have made the playoffs twice in that same time span, yet they have never finished a season above .500. This is a matchup of two very good, veteran organizations with major defects in their past that they are trying to shake, this game could go a long way toward setting the proper tone.

The Rage scored 190 points last year (21.1ppg) and returns much of their core from that squad even though they have added 13 new players to the league this year. The Gladiators (11 rookies) scored 205 points last season, albeit in 10 games (20.5ppg) and boast what could contend to be the best wide receiving core in the league. Quarterback play will be paramount to the success of this team which is not known for rushing the ball. In the end, this game will come down to the defenses, in which the Rage dominated last season, turning in the 5^th best PPGA in the league (15.6); The Gladiators finished 11^th, giving up 27.8 points per game.

Raiders at Sabers (Proboard: Raiders 15-2)

(From Mike Meeker – Raiders, Sabers)

The Kenosha Sabers start off the 2012 season trying to maintain the momentum of 2011 in which this GFL founding team had a 7-3 record and won their first ever playoff game. The roster had a little bit of a shakeup over the off season with some of their core players leaving but they recruited new faces in their place. The Sabers will take on the expansion Waukesha Raiders, who have been turning heads due to their thrashing of the Jefferson Scorpions 45-7 in a preseason game about a month ago. Not much is known about the Raiders other than their QB Don Kazel can throw. This will be an interesting match-up, are the Sabers rebuilding or reloading and are the Raiders for real?

Guardians at Scorpions (Proboard: Scorpions 16-0)

(From Mike Meekerc- Scorpions)

The Jefferson Scorpions have improved every year since their inception in 2010; to the point that they are looked at by most as the #1 contender for the American Conference Title. After some hiccups in the preseason including losing to the expansion Waukesha Raiders, they look to right the ship versus the expansion Sturtevant Guardians. Will the Scorpions prove the preseason was just for trying out new things, or was it a sign of things to come?

(From Adam Knoll – Guardians)

The Sturtevant Guardians are a prime example as to why the league instituted a different climate for new teams this season. They are undersized and undermanned, yet that do not lack for resiliency or heart. Owner Tim Thornton knows what it takes to field a class organization and is trying hard to prove to his charges that even though this season will be difficult, it is those who sacrifice and play with passion that will see the fruits of the team’s labor. It just depends on his coaching staff and players buy into his ideal.

This first match against the Jefferson Scorpions is going to be a tough draw for this young squad. During the preseason, the Guardians did not measure much of an attack or defense. The Scorpions front lines and running back Ira Howard could have a big day if the Guardians line cannot control their assignments.

Arsenal at Mayhem (Proboard: Arsenal 10-6)

(From Steve Thorpe – Arsenal)

Expansion teams have not fared well in the GFLs years past…This year will be different. The new conference design has paved the way for new teams to develop and grow to be stronger overall teams; The Arsenal plan to take full advantage of it this year. Led by quarterback Jeff Dull, the Arsenal are a strong contender for the American Conference title with a strong passing attack and decision making.  The Arsenal go into Milton to take on last year’s winless Mayhem who have improved themselves in the offseason. The Arsenal are favored to win this game by the Proboard voting, and plan to show the rest of the GFL and American Conference opponents that they will be a force to reckon with all season long.

(From Adam Knoll – Mayhem)

In a match featuring two teams who have a lot more in common than you’d think, the Milton Mayhem are looking to achieve something in week 1 that they failed to do all last season: win a football game. Make no mistake, finishing a season without a win is difficult, yet getting that team back together to give it another shot is far more difficult and the Mayhem deserve to be applauded for getting their ship back together for 2012. Led by former quarterback Martell English, who will be playing multiple positions during the game, the Mayhem have reloaded and have 19 brand new players to the league on their roster. The Arsenal are a new team in name, yet their core is league veteran and they have a mobile QB as well. This should be a intense, close matchup between two very similar teams.

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Cougars at Rage:

The Kenosha Cougars went up to South Milwaukee for a scrimmage with the Rage on Friday night to resume one of the best rivalries in the league. These two teams are perennial powerhouses and both figure to be in the mix for a high playoff spot during the season. Not many specifics from this match have been reported so far; the only one of real consequence is that the Cougars QB suffered a lower leg injury that will take over six weeks to heal. Ended off in a 14-14 tie with a pair of touchdowns a piece, 2 attempts at a 2 point conversions by the Cougars with one successful, and two 1 point conversion by the Rage with both successful.

The Cougars will play the Sabers next week to finish out their Pre-season.

Aftermath:

Rage (via Facebook): Rage win 14-13. We pray for the Cougars QB who broke his fibula.

Cougars (via Facebook): Good scrimmage tonight! thank you to the South Milwaukee Rage for coming out. Good job by both teams.

Sabers at Guardians:

The Sturtevant Guardians were hoping to put in a better performance than at the GFL Tournament, and succeeded in scoring 19 points against the Kenosha Sabers. The downside of course is that they gave up 51 and had a small group of men to work with. The Guardians are a team with alot of heart, and they will need it as the season fast approaches. The Sabers are once again peaking before the season starts, they hope to carry this momentum into the 2012 regular season.

The Sabers will play the Cougars next week to finish out the GFL’s 2012 Pre-season slate.

Aftermath:

Guardians (via Facebook): Great job out there today guys, that was a lot more then I ever would’ve wanted to ask of you guys, but you still brought it. That was literally the most fun I’ve had so far and its because of the positive attitudes and hard work that was put in. The score doesn’t reflect it, but we kept it competitive for playing mostly the same eight people for every snap.

Sabers (via GFL Proboard):  We played on a half field. Red shirted qbs. They barely had enough to play, had to play both sides of the ball. Some of their players didn’t even have equipment.

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Arsenal at Sabers

After an impressive showing at the GFL Tournament, the Oak Creek Arsenal used that momentum to defeat the Kenosha Sabers 18-14 at the Tremper JV field in Kenosha. Continuing to let the Quarterback lead the attack, the Arsenal built an early lead that continued throughout the entire game. However, in the second half, the Sabers stalled the Arsenal offense and began making strides of their own; closing the gap and threatening to win the game late. It was not to be, and Oak Creek crept away with a four point victory. The Arsenal continue to show improvement every week and are climbing the ladder in the American Conference.

The Sabers are at it again next week against the Sturtevant Guardians. The Arsenal will take a week off before playing the Cougars on May 11^th.

The Aftermath:

Arsenal: We played the sabers tonight and we came out with a win.Good job Arsenal. Keep up the good work

Cougars at Scorpions

Coming off a shocking 45-7 defeat at the hands of the Raiders a few weeks back, the Jefferson Scorpions were looking to right the ship against the Kenosha Cougars, what most would think is a much stiffer challenge. The defense seemed up to the task, giving up only 6 first half points, while the offense could not take advantage as the score was merely 7-6 at the half. Either the offenses woke up, or each team forgot how to play defense as the final score ended at 33-26 in favor of the Cougars. The Cougars are no strangers to close games, something the Scorpions can learn from as they will try to make the playoffs for the first time in 2012.

The Scorpions pre-season schedule is finished with a record of 0-2. The Cougars will host the South Milwaukee Rage next weekend.

The Aftermath:

Cougars: Great job last night Cougars. 33-26 win. Our new guys did a lot of great things. Thank you to the Jefferson Scorpions for hosting this game.

Scorpions: End of the game controversy with a minute left changed the game and the cougars got the ball back and won

(Full Table: http://gflmw.com/standings/power-rankings/ )

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Although a few pre-season games are in the books and the GFL Tournament is now in the rear view mirror, the voters are still hesitant to let exhibition games sway their opinion on which teams are ready to contend this year. Unlike in past years, the changes made between autumn and the spring are nominal; the notable exception being the Waukesha Raiders who jumped a massive seven spots over the winter. There are those in the league that wanted to post the Raiders higher over the winter as more information about the team has surfaced, yet a lack of hard facts about them kept their ranking low. The 45-7 thrashing of the Scorpions in a pre-season game two weeks ago seems to have given backers a license to rate them as high as they like, the apex being #4 on one ballot.

The biggest fall belongs to the Scorpions, who dropped two spots to number 10. While still considered a favorite to make the playoffs from the American Conference, the Scorpions are seen as being exposed a little, giving the rest of the conference a confidence boost. Also falling this spring are the Lake County Cowboys, who relinquished the top spot back to the four-time champion Lake Shore Lynx. The Cowboys are considered the top contender this season for the crown. The Racine Gladiators dropped a spot mostly due to inactivity while almost every other team was at least getting into action. The Sturtevant Guardians took a hay-maker to the chin during the GFL Tournament and have fallen to #13, only the newly minted Cook Count Grizzlies stopped them from ending up in last.

Risers this month are the aforementioned Raiders, joined by the Oak Creek Arsenal who ran over the Guardians at the Tournament and played tough to some National Conference competition. There is a healthy buzz about the Arsenal offense. Also rising is the Milton Mayhem, who are looking to get their first win as quick as possible in 2012. The rest of the rankings were stagnant, with the Chaos, Cougars, Rage, Phoenix and Sabers all staying put in their respective spots.

Dominance; it’s the only reason I can think of for why Illinois teams are seen as the GFL’s elite. The Lynx have won the last four championships and that really should be all I have to say.  Everyone in the GFL knows what they can do and what they have done.  Everyone wants to beat them, however every team can learn from them as well. The Lynx recruit well, they keep things fun for their players, and they win. Anyone that questions their dominance up to this point has clearly never stepped onto the field with them.

When you pair them with the other two Illinois teams (four if you count the new franchise, the Grizzlies, who won a championship of their own in 2008), the picture becomes clearer. The Cowboys have made one Championship themselves, and won a total of 23 games in the past three seasons, better than either the Cougars or Rage in the same time span. The Chaos have already had a playoff victory in their two year history.

Illinois have a wider range to recruit from, benefiting from not having 7 teams within 20 miles of each other.  It’s much easier to demand more during tryouts when players have limited options as to where they can play, the same goes for finding coaches. Unless you’re team is comprised of players that played D1 to D3 college ball, you need to have coaches that know football in this league. Many younger players in this league have the potential to help their team be competitive, but potential means nothing without direction, discipline, and accountability and that’s what good coaches bring.

Of course this is opinion; if four more teams were added from Illinois things might be different.  On the other hand, if the Wisconsin region had fewer teams then that would also help even things out, but we want to grow as a league not shrink.  So for now lets all hope that we add some teams from Illinois next season. Lastly, for all we know this season the teams south of the border might be in for a surprise, the only way to find out is to come to the games and watch the GFL in 2012 as a journey in progress.

(The views in this article are solely the authors and do not represent the GFL or any of it’s franchises)

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After waiting out the winter and the first month of spring, neither the the Chicago Chaos or the Lake County Cowboys entered the 2012 pre-season with an exhibition game on their schedule. Instead, the rivals waited out in the shadows giving little public information, while slowly understanding that even though playing each other an epic four times last season was brutal, it also welded them together: To get a GFL trophy, to gain a chance to topple the four-time defending Lake Shore Lynx, they would have to go through one another.

Now, three days after watching both teams put in flawless efforts at the Tournament, the rest of the league understands that the landscape has changed.

The Chaos, victorious over the Phoenix, Cougars and Mayhem, have picked up the pieces offensively from what could have been a disastrous off-season. The Chaos defense is stronger, the offense operates with purpose.

Comparatively, the Cowboys, who overcame the Sabers, Guardians and Mayhem, looked nearly unstoppable. The taste of their upset loss in the playoffs last season has left a scar that will not heal. They have added new pieces to an already Championship quality core.

Both teams appear ready for their meeting on May 18th, the first weekend of GFL games. While staying humble and respectful throughout the off-season, there is an undercurrent of confidence to both teams. Both know of each others quality. There is little doubt that the rivalry between these two teams has become the biggest that the league has seen to date. The methodical manner in which both teams took care of business this past weekend assures that they understand the huge stakes at play during their one and only match-up of the 2012 regular season.

- The distributors of Kick Energy Drink would like to attempt to become a league sponsor by giving a certain percentage back from each drink sold at league games. Each team is eligible for a ‘Kick Event’ in which representatives will set up a station and promote their brand. As of this writing, half the league has expressed interest in joining this promotion.

- The Playoff system has undergone a minor tweak. Instead of holding a ‘play-in’ weekend for the final two slots of the playoffs, there will be a make up weekend where the entire league has off between Week 10 and the first round of the playoffs.

-Additionally, the 1st and second seed after week 10 in the American Conference will receive the 5th and 6th spot in the leagues 8 team playoffs due to the extreme differences between the leagues major and minor conferences schedule.

- The vote was 9 in favor, none in opposition, 1 abstain

- Directions and rules were handed out for the league’s tournament on April 20th. The tournament will feature 8 teams and play upwards of 12 games.

- The Racine Rampage have officially been phased out of the 2011 schedule, replaced by the Cook County Grizzlies, a sixth year team that last played in the Alliance Football League. The Grizzlies were put into the National conference simply because no American Conference team wished to move over to the vacant spot.

- The league needs copies of each teams contracts and a completed week 1 roster by May 16th. Any player not on a teams roster at that point will not be able to play in week 1 games.

- After week one, the league reverts back to it’s 2&2 rule, you can only add two players to your roster per week, and only if you subtract the same amount of players you are adding.

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Waukesha Raiders at Jefferson Scorpions:

The GFL exhibition season kicked off on Saturday afternoon between two American Conference rivals. The game resulted in a 45-7 victory for the freshly minted Raiders, this being the first time they have played in an organized match in 2012. The Raiders used their superior speed and solid quarterback play to take advantage of the Scorpions defensive backs.

The final score sent minor shock-waves throughout the league as even though this was a pre-season match, there was no doubt that both teams were excited and ready to go. There has been some thought that the American Conference would come down to a two horse race between these two teams due to the Scorpions experience and the Raiders recruiting class. This game did little to change those feelings.

On the side, this game was also being run for charity as well, and reports are that the 300 person crowd may have donated as much as $1500.

The Aftermath:

Scorpions (via Facebook): The score wasnt the goal for todays game. it was to raise money for the kids and we did with 300 plus people in the stands we will get to donate a large sum!!!

Raiders (via Facebook): Great game yesterday guys! We want to thank everyone for the great support yesterday, and we hope to see you all year long! Let’s keep it rolling! RAIDER NATION!

Lake Shore Lynx at Oak Creek Arsenal:

The now four time defending Lynx went on the road to meet the Arsenal, a 2012 newcomer and American Conference challenger on Sunday April 14th. The final score of the game was not too surprising, a 28-0 shutout by the Lynx, yet it was clear from the before and after game rhetoric that both teams were far more interested in working the kinks out than worrying about the score.

The Lynx were both stout on the ground and in the air, which is no different than in past seasons. The Arsenal did get within scoring distance twice only to be turned away. Particulars of the game were few and far between, yet what is certain is the Lynx appear to be in fine form to defend their championships while the Arsenal have a veteran core that is capable of pushing for a playoff berth.

The Arsenal will be participating in the GFL Tournament on Friday, April 20th.

Contributors: Ricky Tolliver, Mike Meeker and Ryan Schuk

GFL Greatest Games: Lake County Cowboys at South Milwaukee Rage (2009 Playoffs)

Historical Perspective: Pregame

The South Milwaukee Rage entered the GFL in 2009 and took the league by storm, earning an 8-2 record and the #2 seed in the league playoffs. Led by smart management and one of the league’s first coaching staffs, the Rage engaged in many memorable games in 2009, yet none equated to their round one playoff game. The Lake County Cowboys were fresh off a 7-3 season, which was also their first campaign to finish over the .500 mark. Due to the leagues formatting in 2009, the Cowboys had a first round playoff game while the Rage has a bye week. The Cowboys defeated the Racine Gladiators to earn a spot in the Semi-finals.

The Verbal Accounts:

Ricky Tolliver (Cowboys Owner, 2008-Present):

The 2009 game cowboys vs rage was a slugfest. It was my favorite game of all time. Even with bogus refs.

Michael Meeker (Rage Owner, 2009-Present)

Yeah that was ridiculous. The Cowboys came up to see us as we were the #2 seed and they were #3. The Cowboys beat us 34-22 down in Round Lake earlier in the season for our 1st loss of the season. The game went back and forth all game.

Ryan Schuk (Rage Defensive Back, 2009-2010)

The Rage jumped to a 12 point lead, which didn’t last long as the Cowboys scored two quick touchdowns to go up 14-12. We took back the lead at 19-14, I had a takeaway, took it all the way for a touchdown but the play got called back. The Cowboys later scored on that drive, putting them up again.

Meeker:

With about 3 minutes left we started our drive down 20-19. We got stalled at about mid field with a minute left and were facing a 4th and 20 or something like that. It was 4th and a long way let’s go with that. We went for  it obviously and came up with like a 40 yard TD pass and completed the XP to go up 26-20 with a minute remaining.

Schuk:

They came out and completed a HB pass, or something like that, for a big gain.

Meeker:

The first play the Cowboys came out with was a WR screen option pass and Jaime Barrazo threw it 30 yards down field and the WR made a great catch. 3 plays later the Cowboys scored to take the lead 27-26. We had 14 seconds left and didn’t get out of bounds in time to win.

Tolliver:

It truly was the best game I’ve ever witnessed as a coach. It could’ve gone either way. We hope to make new history this year with the Rage, we haven’t played each other since.

Historical Perspective: Aftermath

The Cowboys would go on to play the Lake Shore Lynx for the league championship that year, losing out to the league’s first undefeated champion. Since then, the Cowboys have been a league force, losing a grand total of 3 regular season games the last two years. This fantastic run has only been slowed by a 1-2 postseason record during those two years. The Rage have put together an impressive string of seasons themselves having never had less than seven wins in any of their three seasons. However, the Rage are still searching for a playoff victory, holding an 0-3 postseason record.

Since this game, the two teams have not met each other; they will resume their rivalry in Week 6 in 2012.

The GFL held a board meeting on Wednesday night to quickly come up with a solution to the Racine Rampage folding this past week. According to GFL guidelines, the empty spot in the National Conference should be filled with a team from the American Conference.

Due to the American Conference being a developmental conference, every effort is taken to ensure that the National Conference’s schedule gets played in full by pulling teams over when a hole opens up due to a team having problems. While important that the American Conference is full of games and strong teams as well, the teams in the conference are generally first or second year teams still trying to find their way.

As late as a few days ago, the league had a team from the AC ready to jump to the NC, yet after further discussions, the talks broke apart. With only a little over a month before the season starts, it’s getting a little too close to have a major schedule change.

In the past month the league was contacted by the Cook County Grizzlies, who played in the Alliance Football League during the 2011 season. The team is six years old and is said to have won a championship during it’s tenure. With the GFL having trouble moving a team from the American to the National, and with a seasoned team waiting in the wings, the decision was made to bring in the Grizzlies for the 2012 season and plant them with the Rampage’s schedule. The league is now again with 14 teams, with a full schedule set to play.

The Racine Rampage, who began play in 2011, were originally a team comprised of former Racine Gladiators that broke off and made the playoffs in their first season. They are one of only four teams to make the playoffs in their first season since 2009. Many of their former players have found homes on other GFL teams already.

Further discussion at the Board Meeting revolved around the final talks on the schedule, conference setup and playoff system, all of which will stay the same as voted on during the November/December Owners meetings. A vote was not needed as no member wanted anything to change.

There was one issue voted on, and passed during the hour meeting, and the rule book will be updated as soon as possible. The league has made a slight shift in policy and will no longer allow a team that has any more than one forfeit loss to enter the playoffs. Under said arrangement, a team can be 8-2, yet if they have forfeited two games they are ineligible for the postseason.

Additionally, all teams will be required to play every game on their schedule regardless of a weather emergency or if the final week of games becomes irrelevant. Teams will have to exhaust every avenue in order to make up the game before a call to the league office can be made. If a game is postponed due to weather or another emergency and both teams have done everything possible to make up the game, the commissioner will have final say on whether or not the game will need to be made up.