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NY/NJ Revolution Season Preview

April 2, 2006 - Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
New Jersey Revolution News Release


On October 5, 2005, the Great Lakes Indoor Football League announced its sixth franchise, which guaranteed a 2006 kickoff for the league's inaugural season. That team, the NY/NJ Revolution, will play all of its inaugural season games on the road, and will look to play home games for the 2007 season. This is the fourth in a series of six team previews; one for each team in the new Great Lakes Indoor Football League.

"Allright, an easy win," thinks the uneducated. A traveling team is supposed to go on the road for ten straight games, take their beating, and go home. A traveling team may have a physical location in which to practice, but no regard for where that place is. Why, then, would the Revolution walk at an American Cancer Society Cancer Walk at Columbia University? Why would they be involved in numerous community events, such as helping at soup kitchens and other gatherings? This is not your ordinary traveling team. The Revolution are simply a team through and through. They care about the greater community, and they just might be the most experienced team in the GLIFL.

"These guys have a lot of heart," said Revolution offensive coordinator Kevin Hanratty, who will double as the team's starting quarterback. "We're mature far beyond our years. We're adults, we're professionals. We have the intangibles." Those intangibles start with the 50-yard playing experience. "The guys who started here," said Hanratty, "have played before. That's huge in this game. It's a different field. It's a small field. Learning the timing here will be huge." Receiver Ron Mason looks to be the go-to guy on offense, as he's had a great camp. Hanratty has played indoors before, but only sparingly in 2004. Any experience, however, helps with timing throws, timing the pass rush, and all of the intangibles that makes a quarterback. RB Albert Jones looks to have a big year behind an athletic and well-conditioned offensive line, as well.

The defensive line is equally conditioned. Though maybe a little undersized, the Revolution defensive line will execute good plays. Charod Howard and Ed Chan provide a linebacking corps more experienced than any other in the GLIFL. "They love that this league doesn't force a blitzer to raise his hand to blitz," added Hanratty.

The defensive backfield may have some problems early, as a key injury to a safety forced the Revolution to give significant playing time to rookies Devon White and Shevar Whittaker. "They're athletic, they should not be overlooked," noted the coach. "But rookies take time to develop in this game." Wil Edwards, another experienced player on the Revolution defense, will help speed up that development.

One place the Revolution will have no trouble is in the kicking game. Jerry Lakin comes over from the APFL Champion Kansas Koyotes, where he kicked a 33-yard field goal with no time left to give the Koyotes their third straight APFL title. That kind of big-game experience will bode well for if the Revolution are down a point or two with time running out. It also bodes well for the other 59 ½ minutes of the game. "We know that we will have two or three extra scoring drives a game because of Jerry," said Hanratty.

Go for it. Write the Revolution off before the season starts just because they play ten road games. Just don't be surprised if they happen to be playing an eleventh. "We really are a team. I'm proud of these guys," said Hanratty. "They are an incredible bunch of players, and an incredible bunch of people." And in 2007, don't be shocked if they are an incredible bunch of players watching a banner being hung up in their own arena.

The Great Lakes Indoor Football League kicks off its inaugural season on Friday, April 7, with two games. The Revolution travel to Rochester to face the Raiders, and the Port Huron Pirates stay in Michigan for a trip to Battle Creek and the Crunch. The Marion Mayhem close out GLIFL Kickoff 2006 with an April 8 home game against Lehigh Valley. For more information about the league and the Quest for Great Lakes Bowl I, please visit the GLIFL website at www.glifl.com, or contact GLIFL Director of Media Relations Josh Stein at jstein@glifl.com.

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Continental Indoor Football League Stories from April 2, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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