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Mesquite Outlaws Announce Signing First Five Players

September 23, 2019 - Major Arena Soccer League (MASL)
Texas Outlaws News Release


The Mesquite Outlaws are proud to announce the first five players they've signed for the inaugural 2019-2020 season. Four have previously played in the Major Arena Soccer League with the Outlaws' cross-town rivals, the Dallas Sidekicks, and three of the players have roots in North Texas. The signed players include forward VcMor Eligwe, defender Cody Ellis, defender Mike Jones, mid-fielder Jamie Lovegrove and defender J. Rio Ramirez. Per team and league policies, terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

"This is a fantastic group of players that will be an important part of the formation of the team and its culture," Outlaws Head Coach Tatu said.  "They bring a strong mix of experience and youth, and will help lead the Outlaws to a strong first season."

Twenty-eight-year old VcMor Eligwe plays forward and has played for the Dallas Sidekicks, Fort Worth Vaqueros, Liverpool Warriors, Laredo Heat and Midland Sockers. He was also selected for the USA Men's National Arena Soccer team at the World Cup in Australia in 2019. He scored 27 goals and 8 assists while with the Dallas Sidekicks, and went to the Final Four in NCAA soccer while playing for Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. Eligwe attended McKinney High School and currently lives in Frisco. Outside of soccer, his interests include painting.

Veteran defender Cody Ellis, 32, played more than six years with the Dallas Sidekicks. During his career, he has participated in an open cup with North Texas Rayados against the Houston Dynamos and beat Manchester United with Solar 87. Ellis is from Richardson and attended Berkner High School. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife and sons, playing Fortnite and skating.  

Mike Jones, 31, is a powerful defender with previous professional experience in Major League Soccer, playing for Dallas Sidekicks, Sporting KC and the New York Red Bulls.  He was selected as the 28th pick in the MLS draft in 2011. Jones hails from St. Louis, Mo. His other interests include watching movies, basketball, hiking and traveling.

Midfielder Jamie Lovegrove, 29, comes to Mesquite from Crawley, England. His previous professional experience has been with Crawley Town FC and the Dallas Sidekicks. Career highlights include playing in an FA Cup (England), being an NJCAA All American and being on Premier Arena Soccer League first team. Other interests include FIFA and hairdressing.

 Rio Ramirez, 21, is a North Texas native who attended Lamar High School in Arlington and Tarrant County College. As a defensive specialist, Ramirez was with the semi-professional Fort Worth Vaqueros for three years. Career highlights include playing a year in Germany, the National Premier Soccer League Lone Star Conference Champions, Dana Cup champions (Denmark), and training with Club Atlético Peñarol and Danubio F.C. in Uruguay. Ramirez's other interests include collecting soccer jerseys and traveling.

The Mesquite Outlaws anticipate announcement of a number of additional players during the coming weeks in preparation for their home opener anticipated for late November.

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