There is a wide conception that 8-Man football is not ‘real’ football; that it cannot be compared accurately to the traditional 11-man game. Some feel the field is too big for 8 players, that the additional space between ball carrier and defender is too wide. The most constant comparison is to the AFL and the AFL II, leagues in which each offense usually captures over 40 points a game and where defense is an afterthought.

During the past five years, the GFL has done as much as it can to prove that although a regulation field definitely makes it harder to guard against offenses, the league is not interested in offensive dominance. Rules like no blitzing outside the ‘box’ (a shifting, phasing portion of the field in front of the offensive line), and no shoulder tackling below the knee, while a nuisance to the defense, are added for the safety of our players and not for an offensive advantage.

The numbers happen to back up these claims. Comparing Offensive statistics, scoring per game last year was averaged out at 26.2 points a game. When looked at against to Div III college ball, 26.2 points per game lands the GFL average at 108^th in the nation. We are using Div-III Football as our comparison for two reasons: some of the top teams in this league use players with college experience and also because other Semi-pro league around our area have inconsistent or missing scoring data for their leagues.

The 108^th finish this past season seems to confirm that playing good defense is a key component to winning a championship in this league. Three teams gave up less than 100 points last season and all of them won more than 8 games, and the top two of them made the Championship game. Interestingly, scoring in the GFL is on the rise. Offenses are becoming more sophisticated and capable, mainly due to improved quarterback play as well as better coaching entering the league. In 2007, the GFL’s first season, running the ball was the choice idea on offense. As the league has landed quarterbacks capable of moving the ball through the air consistently, the league has been able to take a step forward.

That being said, defenses have not been forgotten and are still just as integral as ever. The Conference Championships last season were played between four of the top five offenses in the league, yet each game was more of a defensive battle. This includes the Championship game, in which the final score was 20-0; a full 32 points less than the GFL per game average.

As the league continues, it is unclear if league offensive scoring will ever suddenly rocket upward. Player turnover is a real challenge in this league, keeping teams together hinders a drastic offensive rise. What will make the numbers jump up a little more is that the lack of forfeits this season will allow teams to play out their matches instead of taking a 21-0 victory. Overall scoring in the league might well advance by 3-5 points per game this season; yet with weaker teams becoming stronger, new teams learning faster and the top teams becoming tighter, competitive football may make the final scores somewhere around 28-24, instead of 42-10.

It may be fair to say that the 2012 GFL schedule puts together one of the best slates of games the league has ever seen. Each and every week is full of games that should feature close, competitive affairs; which is all any fan can really ask for. As with every schedule, some games are more interesting than others, whether it be a tilt between top flight teams or a game between clubs that feature a unique storyline. Here are some of the most anticipated games of the 2012 season, which features games picked from the good folks at the GFL Proboards.

Lynx at/vs Cowboys (Week 5, 10)

These two teams will meet twice this season, and in both weeks the entire league will be eagerly awaiting the results. For years the Lake County Cowboys have chased the Lake Shore Lynx, trying to topple the giant and perhaps win a championship for their fans. Every year, the Cowboys have come up short; losing in the Championship game of 2009 was as close as they have gotten. This season, it seems the Cowboys have gone for broke, they feel like this is their year. True to form, the Lynx have reloaded as well, ensuring that when these two teams collide it will be the best form of football this league has to offer.

Cowboys at/vs Cougars (Week 3, 7)

The Lake County Cowboys and the Kenosha Cougars have always been at each others throats, yet for the first time in their rivalry they will play each other twice during the season. The first one in Kenosha will be memorable, all the games between these two teams are; yet it’s the second match that has folks around the league wetting their throats. The Cowboys, with extensive work being done by Owner Ricky Tolliver and Navy vet Randi Dey, will welcome the Cougars down to the Great Lakes Naval Base to treat the members of our armed forces with a game that is sure to be remembered.

Lynx at Chaos (Week 4)

The fact is that the match-up between Lake Shore Lynx and Chicago Chaos, who played each other in the 2011 National Conference Championship, should be enough to make this game one of the most anticipated of 2012.  What takes this match-up to an even higher level, however, is that former Chaos quarterback Jay Fortuna defected to the Lynx this off-season, and will be facing his former team for the first time. Tensions will be running high in Chicago on this night.

Scorpions at/vs Raiders (Week 4, 6)

The two games the Jefferson Scorpions and Waukesha Raiders will play against one another will have a substantial impact on who claims the #1 position in the American Conference. For many, the conference is at best a three team race, with these two teams leading the way. A series sweep for either side could greatly swing the standings, maybe even enough to let another team gave a shot at grabbing a play-in spot.

Chaos-Cougars (Week 8 )

The Chicago Chaos and the Kenosha Cougars are both widely considered to be elite teams in the GFL, and this game will go a long way toward proving the direction of both of these teams. The Cougars have always been known for their defense, routinely finishing toward the top of the league in points against. Last season, the Chaos were able to overwhelm lesser teams on offense while keeping pace with the top teams. Both teams have lost key players during the off-season; this game may come down to who adapted better to those changes.

Rampage vs Gladiators (Week 5)

The battle of Racine will begin again as the Racine Rampage will take on the Racine Gladiators as each team will try to force their way above the play-in slots for the 2012 playoffs. The Rampage won the battle last season, beating the Gladiators twice, however, the Gladiators have gotten stronger during the off-season while members of the Rampage left to form a new expansion team. Although it’s only a singular game in a ten week season and it is unlikely to form the playoff picture much, there is something to be said of beating your cross-town rival. This game should be close, intense and well played.

Rage at Scorpions (Week 3)

39-38. That was the final score of the week 9 match-up last year between the South Milwaukee Rage and the Jefferson Scorpions that effectively ended the Scorpions playoff chances. These teams respect one another and are forming a little bit of a rivalry, which the league desperately needs up north. Both of these teams are going to need to win this game early in the season in order to set the tone for the bulk of their schedule.

Phoenix at Cougars (Week 6)

These two teams last played in 2010, with the Kenosha Cougars topping the Wilmot Phoenix by six points, leaving both teams wanting a rematch as soon as possible. Two years later, the teams will square off again with much more on the line. The Phoenix are fresh off a playoff berth and if they want a chance at contending with the elite, this is a game they have to play well in. The Cougars are looking to prove they have staying power after last season’s Championship game loss.

Chaos at Guardians (Week 10)

This game features the Sturtevant Guardians, a brand new team to the GFL, against the Chicago Chaos, a team which made the conference championships last season. The Guardians this past month chose to pick a fight with the Chaos, claiming that if the game was played in Sturtevant it was a guaranteed win for the Guardians. The outcome to the spat has led to widespread interest in this game, even though it takes place in week 10.

Raiders at Sabers (Week 1)

This week one game between the expansion Waukesha Raiders and sixth-year Kenosha Sabers has almost become a tradition in the GFL; every year since 2008 the Sabers have opened with a game against a first year franchise. Up till now, that good fortune has worked out, yet the Raiders are not your typical expansion team full of new players and league hopefuls: this club comes equipped with college level athletes. That this game comes so early will test this new team to the max, the Sabers were in the conference championship game last season.

Lynx at Phoenix (Week 1)

These two teams met three times last season, and none of the outcomes were pretty. The Wilmot Phoenix, who lost all three games last season, have made improvements to the team and are hoping to make strides toward joining the elite in the GFL. The Lake Shore Lynx have set the standard for the league every single season, and are looking toward another march toward a championship. This game should say more about whether or not the Phoenix have improved enough over whether or not the Lynx have what it takes to win another title.

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The first league-wide Power Ranking Poll was taken just this past week and it seems that a major shift in perspective is at hand. The Lake County Cowboys, despite dropping their round one playoff game last season, has been deemed the best team in the GFL.  The Lake Shore Lynx did not fall far behind, taking the #2 spot, however, right on their heelsare the Chicago Chaos, the breakout team of 2011.

Falling out of the top three for the first time in perhaps the leagues history, the Kenosha Cougars to the #4 position, barely ahead of the South Milwaukee Rage whom most believe are due for a major playoff run. Falling a spot since the last rankings, the Wilmot Phoenix hold the #6 spot by a fairly wide margin; if the rankings turn out to be true for 2012, all of these teams would advance to round 2 of the new GFL playoffs.

Taking the #7 spot is the Racine Gladiators who have jumped three spots since August. The first American conference team to make the list is the Jefferson Scorpions at #8, followed by the Kenosha Sabers at #9. Although the Scorpions did not make the playoffs last year, while the Sabers did, the voters are unsure if the Sabers can keep up the pace from last season’s seven win performance.

Finishing off all of the national Conference teams,the Racine Rampage come in at #10. Behind them, the Milton Mayhem claim the #11 spot with the Oak Creek Arsenal and Sturtevant Guardians rounding out the bottom of the rankings. The Wales Raiders were added to the league during the taking of this poll; their last place position is mostly due to lack of league knowledge about them so far.

On Friday, December 9^th, the Oak Creek Arsenal held their first team fundraiser to raise money for the family of Donnasia Renee Jackson, who tragically passed away in October. The 80 people on hand helped raise over $250 by engaging in raffles and passing around a donation plate. The Arsenal would like to thank every person who showed up to help out and they hope to hold another event soon, possibly in February.

Kenosha Cougars

2011 Toy Drive

With the Kenosha Cougars entering our Sixth Season it has remained important to us to continue to be more involved in our community. For the past five years we have participated in the Polar Plunge helping to raise $7,800 for Special Olympics. While we will continue with this event, we wanted to do more to help the immediate needs of Kenosha and its surrounding areas. So this year the Cougars will continue our Annual Toy Drive. This year’s toy drive will again benefit the patrons of Women and Children’s Horizons Emergency Shelter.

The mission of Women and Children’s Horizons, Inc. is to provide support, education, training, and healing to victims of sexual and domestic violence/abuse. Each year the emergency shelter provides a safe haven for over 300 women and children, providing over 5,000 nights in shelter and 10,000 hot meals.

With your support, we can provided a nice holiday for those who would otherwise not have one. We would like to thank you for all of your support in advance!

Wilmot Phoenix

January Donation Drive

The Wilmot Phoenix will be holding their 2012 Donation Drive in January this year to help offset the busy schedule of the holidays. The Donation Drive will last all month long and holds no restrictions on how one can donate. All that the Phoenix ask is that a person finds their favorite charity or community event, whether that be blood donation, soup kitchen, clothing giveaway or anything else in that area and simply participate in that activity. Afterwards it is asked that the person simply notify the team of their donation, which will be made public on the team’s website.

By: Adam Knoll

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At the November 30^thOwners meeting, many ideas were exchanged as the night moved on, however, a bit of league business did get accomplished. Most notably, each team in the GFL got a list of their opponents for the 2012 season, which was highly anticipated. As promised, the hardest schedules were saved for the teams which consistently end up at the top of the standings. After years of clamoring for a fair league-wide schedule, the league finally owns one.

The top three teams last year (Regular Season Wins) will not play any inter-conference games with the American Conference, marking the first time that the league has purposefully tried to match it’s best teams against its better competition. Each National Conference team will play every other team in it’s conference once, yet the top three teams from last year will round robin each other again to complete a ten game schedule. Every other team in the National Conference has at least one inter-conference game, with those finishing with more than six wins last year getting one game, while anyone finishing under six games will have two. In the American conference, each team will play their conference rivals twice, leaving two games apiece to play inter-conference games. In such a way, every team has a set ten game schedule moving forward.

Also brand new this season is a ‘Play-In’ for the playoffs in which the 7^th and 8^th seed in the National Conference will play the 1^st and 2^nd seed to see who gains entrance into the regular 8-team playoff tournament the GFL is more accustomed to. The top 6 seeds in the National Conference will have a bye week during the play in games, and the league is working hard to make this a league-wide event to showcase the GFL.

Among other new news, the Waukesha Raiders were provisionally accepted into the American Conference as the league’s 14^th franchise. Coming from Semi-pro Baseball lineage, it is hoped the owners of that establishment can use their knowledge to build a successful program.

In the next few months, the league will look forward to hearing ideas on a wide range of topics, including a Pro-Bowl game, televised Championship games and even Game of the Week reporting. The league is in recess until January 11^th to come up with ideas on how to better promote the GFL.

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The 2011 Season gave us no shortages of fantastic match-ups and endings. Some were just well played while others gave us great insight into how the league was progressing and changing. The outcomes, while important, sometimes took a backseat to the greater backdrop against which they were set, the story-lines were compelling and some games gave us answers to a lot of our questions about the league itself.

Week 1

The Highest scoring affair of the opening weekend took place in Wilmot, where the Phoenix began their climb toward the playoffs with a 38-33 victory over the Fox Valley Premier. The loss began the Premier on their epic decline from 9-1 and a championship appearance in 2010, to 3-7 and out of the playoffs in 2011. At one point the Premier were down 31-17, yet they were able to turn the game into a close one which the Phoenix would need to sweat out.

This was the first game of four matches these two teams would play in 2011, and while they were all good matches, this game was an impressive 25 – 19 come from behind win for the Cowboys. The Chaos became instant players in the National Conference playoff race while the Cowboys proved they could come back from a hefty halftime deficit. The Chaos turned the ball over a few times in the second half to aid the comeback effort.

Week 2

The Racine Rampage were always looked at as the cream of the crop when it came to the new 2011 teams, and they came out to play against the Chicago Chaos in a brutal affair that the Chaos eventually won 34-28. While it moved both teams to 1-1 at the time, this game was more important in showing that the conferences, while still unbalanced, had closed the gap quite a bit.

Week 3

Shortly before the season started, it was theorized that the Rampage had a better chance at unseating the Cougars than almost any other American Conference team. The Final outcome of 10-0 in favor of the Cougars did nothing to end that speculation, especially with one more game between the two during the season (and another during the playoffs, both Cougars wins). While the Rampage would pose little challenge to the Cougars later in the season, at this point in 2011, it appeared that the American Conference was pretty tight.

Week 5

The collapse of the Premier continued with a 26-20 loss to the Chicago Chaos, yet what is lost by this point is how hard the premier were fighting with a short supply of men. While only 1-4 by this point, the Premier were still very respected due to their talent level and ability to field a quality team as showed by their continued close losses. By this time, the Chaos were 3-2 and in a fight with the Wilmot Phoenix for the #3 seed in the National Conference that would not be truly resolved until Week 9.

The Jefferson Scorpions, a 2-8 team in 2010, began their climb toward a possible playoff spot with a 22-16 victory over the Racine Gladiators. This win was made doubly important given the Scorpions troubles winning games outside of Jefferson, and the Gladiators ability to win at home. The win moved the Scorpions to 3-2 on the season, the very first time in their history the team was over .500. Sadly, it would not last, yet they would continue to fight for a playoff berth leading up to a fantastic showdown with the Rage in Week 9.

Week 6

Most of the time, the Lynx win big and the outcome is hardly in question; not so in Week 6 against the Chicago Chaos, possibly the only game in 2011 in which the Lynx were actually in trouble. Even though the Lynx eventually did win 32-22, it firmly entrenched the Chaos as a GFL championship contender regardless of their 3-3 record. As for the lynx, their reputation to boast a standout roster even with multiple starters on vacation only grew as a few players from years past slipped on the pads and played major roles in the victory.

The South Milwaukee Rage slipped underneath the GFL radar partly because of the ascension of the Racine Rampage, the new upstart that could upend the establishment in the American Conference. However, the veteran crew of the Rage were able to withstand the Rampage who usually did not travel too well during the 2011 season. This outcome would drop the Rampage to 2-4, yet their ability to play the top teams in the conference tough gave the league little question as to whether the Rampage would vie for a playoff spot.

Week 7

Even though the Premier fell off a cliff and did not travel well at all during the season, the performance they put on in all the way up in Milton should go down in GFL lore. Eight members of the Fox Valley Premier showed up on that Friday night, and those eight members defeated the Milton Mayhem 25-21, a team with easily three times more players on the sideline. The sheer effort put into that game cannot be understated, and while the Premier may not have had a glorious end, this game will live on for it’s lunacy.

At this time, the Sabers were undefeated and were enjoying the best season in their long history; a win would put them in a very good place to win the American Conference. Jefferson on the other hand was fading, a loss in this game could doom any shot the young team had at making the playoffs. Then, the game was played, and a 34-26 win later, the Scorpions had ended the Sabers hopes for a Conference crown, and more importantly saved their playoff hopes….

Week 9

…Only to have it destroyed a week later against one of the GFL’s old guard. The South Milwaukee Rage and the Jefferson Scorpions put on a heck of a show late in the season, and both teams had more than just pride on the line. The Rampage were making a strong push in the conference, and a loss by the Scorpions would end their playoff chances. For the Rage, a win meant they were still alive for the conference championship. After the bombs stopped falling, the Rage pulled out the win by a single point, 39-38, and ended the American Conferences playoff push once and for all.

Week 10

In week 10, not much was on the line but bragging rights. The Sabers had been the darling of the season, 7-2 and gliding toward the #2 seed in the American Conference. The Phoenix meanwhile were 4-5, beaten up during the year and not looking to be the lone GFL playoff team that finished under .500. On top of that, debate truly raged to whether the American Conference was truly so inferior to the National conference, and this was seen as the perfect match-up to illustrate the point. A 20-13 decision for the Phoenix put the debate to bed, and insured that for the first time in years, the entire GFL playoff core would be comprised of winning teams.

Week 11

Both of these teams deserve credit off the bat, they both could have chosen to accept their forfeit wins and not played in this game at all, the fact that they did shows that the GFL cares more about good football than about straight wins and losses. That being said, the playoff picture was known, no spots were at risk, even the seeds had been decided. There was much speculation that these teams would not even field starters, yet both did, and with a good amount of GFL players and fans in the stands, the two teams put on a good game that ended 21-14 in favor of the Cougars.

Playoffs

Coming into this game, the rage were favored and the Sabers were looked at as a team that could not continue regular season success into the playoffs. After a 18-14 victory, the Sabers, in their first postseason in five years, also won their first playoff game in the teams’ history. On the other end, the Rage took an early exit again, making the playoffs three straight years, and finishing their season’s shortly thereafter.

The Chicago Chaos, after losing all three regular season match-ups with the Cowboys, finally stormed the castle and pulled out a thrilling 21-20 victory against their rivals. The Cowboys, a team that had the Lynx down by 13 points in a game during the season, would not get a chance to play for the National Conference Championship; instead the Chaos would arrive as one of the GFL’s final four teams.

By: Adam Knoll

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Would the league be open to realignment after the season to maybe even out the talent between the conferences?

In a convoluted way, yes. With the discrepancies the GFL experienced last season with the scheduling, a few things are changing for this upcoming season. Having four teams drop out within the month leading up to the start of the season created havoc in the National Conference, yet let’s not forget that there were troubles in the American Conference as well. Almost every team in the AC got a forfeit win (the Gladiators had two), which is definitely not what any team wanted. In the NC, the problems were well documented; teams played each other twice, sometimes three times, which should never happen in a ten game season.

To alleviate these problems, the league will continue to have two conferences, yet the American Conference will transfer to a conference with the new teams that are added during the 2011-2012 offseason. The National Conference will become the conference with the established franchises, teams that are strong enough administratively and physically to compete for at least the playoffs. Some 2011 teams will end up in the American Conference. Of course, the newly minted Sturtevant Guardians and Oak Creek Arsenal will be in the AC, yet as many as three established non-first year team’s could end up in that conference as well.

The alignment will make it so the newer teams get a chance to play real football against common opponents without getting shredded by the power teams in this league.  Since the beginning of the 2009 season, there have been eleven expansion franchises to actually play a game in the GFL, of those eleven teams; only three had a .500 or better record and only four teams made the playoffs in their first year.  We won’t count the teams that were added to the league only not to play in a single game.  During their first year, the expansion teams cobbled together a 35 – 66 record, this with a 9-1 and 8-2 record from the Premier and the Rage in their first seasons. A .346 winning percentage brought on the suggestion that the league as a whole is becoming too strong to simply throw the new teams into the water to fend for themselves, which would be accurate, considering the new teams from last year held a 6 – 25 record with the Rampage being a 5-5 team, saving the numbers from looking even worse.

Along with the American Conference changing, the National Conference will be adding divisions that will cut up the landscape to feature rivalries along with helping to solve the pesky traveling problem the league has. Overall, the league looks strong enough to feature, once again, more teams for the 2011 season, than we had the season before it.

Will the schedule making be tinkered with for next season?

Yes, scheduling will now follow a stricter guideline, such as the better teams will play better opposition. It is true that the AC teams will need to play some out of conference games, yet those games will tend to the lower end of the National Conference. The true top teams in the NC can expect to only play one game against a AC team, if any.

Also, with the new divisional format coming in, each team will play their conference foes twice, taking care of some scheduling conflicts. This will skew schedule difficulty however, in that whichever teams have the Lynx twice, or the Cougars twice, will ultimately have the higher preseason SOS.

When will the 2012 Schedule be released?

Hopefully, on Jan 1^st we will be able to release a full schedule that will be good for the entire 2012 season. We still have yet to see if any new teams will be added by our next league meeting on November 30^th, yet things are progressing that will allow us to have the schedule out faster than in any other year. Having a more stable set of new teams, as well as a place to put them, will help with that.

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Here are your Nuggets of Knowledge for the week of October 15th:

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* The Chicago Chaos have undergone an ownership change. Former part-owner Jay Fortuna has moved on to become the starting quarterback for the Lake Shore Lynx and has rescinded his stake in the team to Derek Brenner who will decide in the coming months whether to share ownership again or leave himself as the sole owner. Fortuna did not become a part of the ownership with the Lynx.

* The Rampage will be undergoing an ownership change as both Chris Colon and Kerry Cook will be leaving the team. Ownership will be changing hands in November as the new owner, as yet to be named, will join the GFL at the owner meetings.

* The Fox Valley Premier have folded and will not remain a member of the GFL. In two seasons the Premier had a 12-8 record to go along with a 2-1 postseason record, featuring an appearance in the 2010 GFL Bowl.

* The Sturtevant Guardians have become a member of the GFL and in the next month will be evaluated as a full member or as a developmental franchise.

* The Oak Creek Arsenal have become a member of the GFL and in the next month will be evaluated as a full member or as a developmental franchise.

* The GFL’s Developmental Conference as of now holds two teams. For a competitive conference to develop, the GFL Owners will need to fill the conference with three or more teams within the next month or add the Guardians and Arsenal as full members in the National Conference.

* Nine GFL franchises have agreed in principal to sponsor youth league teams as part of a league initiative to become more involved with our communities. The youth league is to take place during the summer and feature 8on8 play.

By: Adam Knoll

The GFL Season will come to a close this Friday night as the Kenosha Cougars will meet the Lake Shore Lynx in Libertyville for the 2011 Championship. Both of these teams led their Conferences throughout the season and share only one loss between them, when the Lynx defeated the Cougars 35-8 in Week 9. Other than that, both teams have been running roughshod over the entire league all year.

2011 Points Scored:
Lynx – 389 (2^nd in GFL)
Cougars – 305 (3^rd in GFL)

2011 Points Against:
Lynx – 60 (1^st in GFL)
Cougars – 70 (2^nd in GFL)

The Lake Shore Lynx finished off their second undefeated regular season, most of the time in brutal fashion; winning games by an average of 38 points. The only three to lose by less than average were the GFL elite:  the Cougars, Cowboys and Chaos. In week 9, the Lynx traveled to Kenosha to take on the also undefeated Cougars and beat them by nearly four touchdowns, showing the league that Lake Shore will rise to any challenge and is perhaps the mightiest juggernaut this league has ever seen.

2011 Points Diff
Lynx – +329 (1^st in GFL)
Cougars – +235 (3^rd in GFL)

The Kenosha Cougars began the season in convincing fashion, winning their first two matches by over 40 points. After a close game and a forfeit win, the Cougars scored over 34 points the next three games. Only the Lynx in week 9 could slow them down. After that, the Cougars defeated the Cowboys in a game of redemption, and not even playoff opponents could muster enough of a challenge on their way to the title game.

The GFL Season is three months long, from beginning to end. These two teams have held the #1 rank in each conference since Day 1. The Cougars were so favored in the American Conference that many proclaimed anything less than a Championship appearance would have been a failure. For the Lynx, they faced ramped up competition in the National Conference, and muscled through every obstacle. This is the match most of the league thought we were going to get before this season even started. Does that make it boring? Quite the opposite, it makes it compelling; these are the best two teams in the league fighting it out for the 5^th League trophy. It’s going to be a good one.

GFLmw.Proboards Vote: Lynx 21, Cougars 5