Bonecrushers host Wisconsin Wolfpack at U.S. Cellular Arena Saturday
March 26, 2009 - Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
Milwaukee Bonecrushers News Release
Fresh off their first win of the season and just their second victory as a franchise, the Milwaukee Bonecrushers will open their home season Saturday night against the Wisconsin Wolfpack. The rival Wolfpack are new to the Continental Indoor Football League in 2009 and are based out of Madison, Wis. The game will be "webcast" on mkebonecrushers.com with Dan Pfeifer providing play-by-play. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
ABOUT THE BONECRUSHERS (1-1)
The Bonecrushers' promised they would be much improved at the start of 2009, but t didn't look like it at first as the Chicago Slaughter lived up to their name and dismantled the Bonecrushers, 84-24, in a disorganized season opener for Milwaukee. The team rebounded, though, and showed its potential last week in Rockford, Ill. The Bonecrushers never trailed as they easily beat the Rock River Raptors, 53-34, Friday night at the Rockford MetroCentre. Former Raptor and 2008 CIFL Offensive Player of the Year Randy Bell scored three touchdowns and accumulated 170 all-purpose yards in the victory, earning himself the CIFL's Offensive Player of the Week award in the process. The announcement marked the first time a Bonecrushers' player has won a weekly award from the league.
ABOUT THE WOLFPACK (1-1)
While the Wolfpack are technically new to the CIFL in 2009, many of the coaches got experience in the league in 2008 as a number of them were part of the staff that took over on-field operations for the Bonecrushers following the team's mid-season turmoil period. The 'Pack were impressive in their first game, traveling to Rock River and holding the lead most of the contest before fending off a late Raptors comeback with a last-second touchdown to score a 40-38 victory. Last week, though, the Chicago Slaughter came to Madison and spoiled the Wolfpack's home opener, falling 40-36.
RANDY IS DANDY
The CIFL named running back Randy Bell as its Week 3 Offensive Player of the Week after the 2008 CIFL Offensive Player of the Year accumulated 170 all-purpose yards and scored three times in the Bonecrushers' 53-40 victory over Bell's former team, the Rock River Raptors, in Rockford, Ill. In all, Bell had his hands on the ball 12 times, averaging 14.2 yards per touch and one score every four opportunities. Bell caught two passes, both for touchdowns, for 26 and 30 yards, respectively. He also carried the ball eight times for 48 yards and a touchdown of 11 yards and returned two kicks for a total of 66 yards. The announcement marked the first time a Bonecrushers' player has won a CIFL Player of the Week award in the team's two-year history.
TINKER, TAYLOR, SOLDIER, SAILOR
Hopefully not lost in Bell's award-winning performance was the running of fellow back J.R. Taylor. The former Chicago Slaughter star found the end zone three times on the ground and actually outgained Bell in the same number of carries, accumulating 51 yards compared to Bell's 48. The bigger, bulkier Taylor provides a powerful change-up to Bell's small frame, shifty moves and second gear, while Taylor's hands allowed LeRoy McFadden to line him up at a receiver position during much of the Slaughter game.
GORDON GETS GOOD GAINS
Prior to the Raptors game, the Bonecrushers announced the acquisition of quarterback Ronnie Gordon. Gordon not only started against Rock River but had four of his eight completed passes go for scores en route to throwing for 183 yards in leading the Bonecrushers to their first win of the season and just their second win as a franchise.
Gordon brings a wealth of indoor experience to the Bonecrushers' quarterback position, having played for the New York Dragons of the Arena Football League in 2005 and a variety of teams in Arena Football League 2, including the 2006 Arena Cup 7 runner-up Green Bay Blizzard and the 2002 ArenaCup III champion Peoria Pirates. Gordon spent the last two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Chicago Slaughter, leading the team to playoff appearances each year.
INSERT FOOTBALL 'A' IN SLOT 'B'
Ronnie Gordon might have completed just eight passes on the night against Rock River, but four were good to slot receiver Shatone Powers, including a 38-yard pass for the Bonecrushers' first touchdown. Powers' excellent route-running gave the Bonecrushers a mid-range passing threat to go with the versatility of Randy Bell, the power of J.R. Taylor and a deep threat in Willie Tolon.
NOT JUST ANOTHER "PICK" IN THE WALL
Without question, the biggest highlight in Friday night's Bonecrushers' win over Rock River was a second-quarter interception by Owen Gilleand. Gilleand and Raptors' receiver Bryce Stevens each went for a Bryan Ryczkowski pass in the back-right corner of the end zone. The pass was thrown high by Ryczkowski, causing both Stevens and Gilleand to leap in the air, then spectacularly tumble backwards over the padded Rockford MetroCentre wall into the entrance tunnel area for the Raptors. When the officials came over to check the result of the pass, Gilleand had his hands on the football and the Bonecrushers were awarded possession at the five-yard line.
SEND 'EM HOME HAPPY
A win at the U.S. Cellular Arena on Saturday would be particularly sweet for the Bonecrushers, who failed to win a game at The Boneyard last season. The closest the 'Crushers came to capturing a victory for the hometown fans was on April 27, when the team mounted a furious comeback against the Miami Valley Silverbacks before failing to recover an onside kick at the end of the game and losing, 43-42.
WELCOME BACK, MR. KOPAC OF THE WOLFPACK
The Wolfpack are coached by minor-league football legend Jordan Kopac. An inductee of two minor-league football halls of fame, Kopac is best known for his years with the storied Racine Raiders football team, including 2001, when he took over as head coach and led the Raiders to a United States Football Alliance national title. Kopac assumed the role of general manager with the Bonecrushers in the second half of last season and helped keep the team in operation through a difficult time for the team. This past fall, he announced plans to bring a number of players from the Wolfpack, which began as an outdoor venture in the North American Football League, to the CIFL and an indoor version of the Wolfpack team.
Along with Kopac, fellow Wolfpack coaches Tom Karthausser and Dave Mogensen were also notable members of the Bonecrushers' coaching staff at the end of the 2008 season. Karthausser was the Bonecrushers' head coach at the end of last year and Mogensen was the offensive coordinator. Mogensen now fills the same role for the Wolfpack while Karthausser acts as a special assistant for the Wolfpack in lieu of his role as tight ends coach for the NCAA Division III runner-up UW-Whitewater Warhawks.
THE FAN STIMULUS PACKAGE
The Bonecrushers have announced their Fan Stimulus Package for the 2009 CIFL season and highlighting the package is news that most children age 14 and under will receive FREE ADMISSION to all Bonecrushers' home games.
Officially, two (2) children ages 14-years-old and under will be allowed free admission with the purchase of any one (1) parent or guardian ticket. Youth tickets must be requested at the time of the parent or guardian ticket purchase.
Additionally, Milwaukee-area college students presenting a current school ID, individuals on active military duty (or on leave) and seniors age 65 and older will receive a $2 discount per ticket for all available seats at the U.S. Cellular Arena for Bonecrushers' home games.
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Continental Indoor Football League Stories from March 26, 2009
- The Princess and the Monsters of the Midway - Chicago Slaughter
- Wheeling Wildcats Add Two Former WVU Stars to Roster - Wheeling Wildcats
- Bonecrushers host Wisconsin Wolfpack at U.S. Cellular Arena Saturday - Milwaukee Bonecrushers
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