Football Returns To Albany
April 1, 2010 - Southern Indoor Football League (SIFL)
Albany Panthers News Release
ALBANY, GA (April 1, 2010) - It was a rush to get here, but Saturday will mark the beginning of a new era in the city of Albany, as the Albany Panthers of the Southern Indoor Football League take the field for the first time.
There's no question that South Georgia is hot bed of football talent and a stomping ground for some of the biggest indoor fans. When the Columbus Lions (1-0) come rolling into town on Saturday, Albany's newest football team will be not be playing just to be playing, they will playing for a city that fought for its right to continue playing indoor football.
After all, it was a year ago when the South Georgia Wildcats decided to close it doors following a five-year run and in if you factor in the Cape Fear Wildcats before them, indoor football has been a mainstay in Albany. Once approval was granted through the city officials, an on again off again relationship between the Panthers and SIFL was resolved, the new Albany franchise was not left with much time to put together a team fro the 2010 season.
Through much hard work and great front office implementation, the Panthers will be set when Saturday comes around. Through the leadership of Rod Chappell, the Panthers are incorporating a winning attitude that city is used to. It began with the hiring of former Wildcat general manager Will Carter and got extended when former defensive coordinator Lucious Davis was hired to lead the Panthers.
The roster features seven former Wildcats, seven new Panthers that will see significant playing time with a roster that also contains a lot of newcomers. Expecting to see significant time are veterans like defensive back Demetrie McCray, who led the Wildcats in tackles in 2009, and quarterback Cecil Lester, a constant behind center for South Georgia for the past couple of seasons.
Saturday's pitting against the Lions is to be the first of three battles on the 2010 season with the two clubs looking to establish a rivalry considering the two cities are only separated by less than 80 miles.
This Saturday's Easter Weekend showdown between the Albany Panthers and Columbus Lions will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. Fans will be able to follow all the action from this Saturday via Twitter. Just log on to www.southernifl.com see these new rivals cement themselves among the elite of the indoor football world.
Southern Indoor Football League Stories from April 1, 2010
- Football Returns To Albany - Albany Panthers
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