Harper, Kassanavoid Rejoin Wild for 2014 Season
Published on November 19, 2013 under Champions Professional Indoor Football League (CPIFL)
Wichita Wild News Release
Wichita, KS - The Wichita Wild is excited to welcome back league standouts DB Kendrick Harper and WR Joe Kassanavoid for the 2014 season. Harper and Kassanavoid return to the Wild along with several other members from the championship team.
With his signing, Harper will enter his fourth season in Wichita where he has become beloved by both fans and teammates. In 2013, Harper turned out a spectacular season, contributing to the Wild's first championship win and leading the league with 11 out of the team's 29 interceptions. His tenacity against Wild opponents also earned him CPIFL Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the Bombers in week 10 as well as a spot on the 2013 All-CPIFL Team Defense alongside four other teammates. Harper's re-signing brings the Wild defense one step closer to repeating their 2013 accomplishments which included leading the league in scoring defense, rushing defense, passing defense and interceptions.
Harper talked about his plans for the upcoming season saying, "My main goal is to win another championship. My biggest goal coming into training camp and season is to make sure the newcomers know what they are supposed to do. I just want to thank the Wild organization for another opportunity to do something special."
The Wild has also continued to reload offensively with a commitment from fan favorite, Kassanavoid, for the 2014 season. Averaging 12.4 yards per catch, Kassanavoid led the CPIFL in receiving touchdowns and ranked second in the league for overall touchdowns scored with 20. For his hard work, Kassanavoid was named part of the All-CPIFL Team Offense beside Wild OL Brett Cavanah. Kassanavoid's return will be a key piece to the success of the Wild offense and their ability to outscore opponents in 2014.
"To get something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done, so putting in work is going to be the biggest part," Kassanavoid said about his goals for the upcoming season. "I try to work really hard on and off the field and I think it shows through stats as well as in the community. Hard work is what led to our first ring and we will need it to try for another championship."
Head coach, Paco Martinez, commented on the two players regarding their return:
Kendrick and Joe are proven high-level players in this league. Kendrick was hurting most of last year and was still able to be one of the top DBs in the CPIFL. He's going to be fully healthy heading into this season and I look for him to be better than he has been in the past. Last year, Joe did an outstanding job just catching passes over people and that got him second in the league for touchdowns. This year, I look for him to improve his route running abilities and become a true wide receiver, which should make him even more of an offensive threat. These two fully understand that we all have to be better than we were last year. They will push the vets and new players on our team to reach our goal of a repeat championship.
The Wild's 2014 campaign is set to kick-off on Friday, February 28 at 7:05 p.m. in Lincoln, Neb. against the Haymakers in what will be their first ever meeting. For more information about the Wild including schedules, tickets and players, visit wichitawildfootball.com or join us on Facebook and Twitter (@wichita_wild).
Champions Professional Indoor Football League Stories from November 19, 2013
- Harper, Kassanavoid Rejoin Wild for 2014 Season - Wichita Wild
- Omaha Beef Announce Open Player Tryouts - Omaha Beef
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