Maciejczak meets old team
June 22, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Everett Hawks News Release
Everett Head Coach Dan Maciejczak has the Hawks rolling this season, undefeated at 13-0 with only one game to go in the regular season. But, this is nothing unfamiliar with "Coach Majic" and his team. Maciejczak coached in Billings last year, where he guided them to an 11-3 record. The players are used to the success as well, as about half the team came with "Majic" from Billings, another quarter came from Owner Sam Adams undefeated Semi-Pro team last year, the Eastside Hawks. "The match-up this week vs. the Billings Mavericks is going to be more of a grudge match than anything. They played us close when we traveled to Billings earlier this season and we expect nothing less this Friday in Everett," said Maciejczak.
There are many different angles to this game that makes it an interesting match-up. One of the most interesting things to watch will be the battle between the head coaches - Maciejczak and Curtiss. Maciejczak replaced Curtiss as Head Coach in Billings last year, since than Curtiss has once again been hired as the Mavericks Head Coach and may want some paybacks from Maciejczak for taking his job. Another thing to watch will be the trash talking between these two familiar teams, as 9 of the 16 players starting for the Hawks played for Billings last year. While players on the Mavericks such as, Anthony Bonner, Shon Flores, Brian Meier, Simon Bergen, and Luke Twibell all played for Coach Maciejczak at one point in their career. Other players like Anthony Hughes-Candler and Chris Stallworth were released by the Hawks earlier in the season. And as if all that wasn't enough, the Hawks and Mavericks completed a trade earlier in the season that swapped Defensive Lineman Robert Gaines Jr. for Defensive Back Sedric Ashley.
Everett is looking to do something that has only been done once in the league's five year history and that's to go undefeated through the regular season. In 2003, the Ohio Valley Greyhounds dominated their competition by going 14-0 on the season and continuing that success right through the playoffs and won a championship. The Hawks hope to follow in their footsteps and become the second team in the NIFL history to have this accomplishment. The Odessa Roughnecks are also at an impressive 13-0 mark and play the Beaumont Drillers this Saturday in Odessa. Both the Hawks and Roughnecks are looking to win big, as it will come down to the NIFL's tie-breaking system if both teams stay undefeated.
The Mavericks are 4-8 after their third straight loss last week in their 51-47 defeat to the Wyoming Cavalry. "They're a team that will play tough with anybody. They just about beat Wyoming last week and only lost to Tri-Cities by 3 points the week before," said Maciejczak. "Tri-Cities scored 100 points the following week against Lincoln. That either says a lot about the quality of the Billings team or a lot about the quality of the Lincoln team." Everett defeated Billings 55-43 earlier in the season when the Hawks traveled to Billings.
Info About Everett Hawks Upcoming Opponent: The Billings Mavericks
Head Coach Joe Curtiss
Curtiss was the head coach of Billings for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Curtiss had a successful campaign in 2002 when he led his team to the Indoor Bowl in which his team lost to the Ohio Valley Greyhounds. The loss did something to the morale of the team for the 2003 season; Billings had a disappointing 5-9 record and missed the playoffs. Then Billing's Owner, Duane Anderson, was unpleased with the sudden drop in production by his team and replaced Curtiss with Dan Maciejczak for the 2004 season. Maciejczak brought the team back up to Anderson's standards by guiding the team to an 11-3 record and leading them to the Conference Championship.
With new ownership in Billings this season, and Maciejczak in Everett, the team has turned back to Curtiss this season to run the helms as the head coach. Curtiss will also be the team's defensive coordinator. With quarterback Bob Bees serving as the team's offensive coordinator. Brian Arthun will also help on special teams and defense.
Key Players for the Billings Mavericks
WR Chris Stallworth Height: 6'4 Weight: 211 College: Utah State University
Stallworth is in his first year of professional football after a productive career at Utah State University. He started almost every game in his four year career at Utah St. and was considered the team's top wide out. He earned second team All-Conference honors and Freshmen Player of the Year award. Stallworth is trying to showcase his talent on the field in hopes to make it to the next level, like his cousin Donte Stallworth, who is a starting wide receiver in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints.
QB Bob Bees Height: 6'2 Weight: 200 College: Rocky Mountain College
Professional Experience: Bees was a backup to Danny Ragsdale last year with the Billings Outlaws before joining the Tulsa Talons of AF2...Played two seasons in the AFL...Spent the prior three seasons with Richmond of af2...Was with the Saber Cats in 1999 but did not play...Selected off San Jose's roster by Oklahoma in the 2000 Expansion Draft...Played sparingly in 2000 with the Wranglers...Signed as a free agent on January 14, 2003....Played three seasons (2000-02) with the Richmond Speed of af2...Completed 262-of-502 attempts (52.2%) for 3,579 yards and 73 TDs leading the Speed to the 2001 ArenaCup title game...Had his most productive af2 campaign going 293-of-481 (60.9%) for 3,650 yards with 64 TDs...Joined Richmond midway through the 2000 season and guided team to a 7-2 record after the Speed had gone 0-7...Was under center for all 34 wins in Speed history and owns a 34-13 record as Richmond's starter...Attended a San Francisco 49ers tryout following his senior year at Rocky Mountain.
College Highlights: Bob Bees was an All-America quarterback at Rocky Mountain College in 1996. Bees passed for 4,315 yards and 36 touchdowns in guiding Rocky to a 6-4 record during his one season with the Bears. Rocky had gone 0-10 in football in 1995, and before Bees arrived the Bears had lost 41 consecutive games. In gaining NAIA Division I All-America status in his one season at Rocky, Bees led the nation in passing offense and total offense. His average of 431.5 passing yards per game is an NAIA record, and his 685 yards in one game against Carroll College is also a record. Bees' 4,315 passing yards in 1996 is the fourth-highest single-season total in NAIA history.
DL Anthony Bonner Height: 6'2 Weight: 289 College: Mississippi Valley State University
Bonner played college football at Mississippi Valley State as a defensive tackle. He was All SWAC for three consecutive years and was named New Comer of the Year as well as Preseason All American. Bonner started his pro-football experience with the Grand Rapid Rampage of the AFL. While playing for the Bismarck Roughriders in 2002, Anthony racked up 74 total tackles and 15 sacks. He played last year with the Billings Outlaws and went through training camp with the Hawks this year before returning to Billings.
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National Indoor Football League Stories from June 22, 2005
- Maciejczak meets old team - Everett Hawks
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