Xplosion and Sting Will Scrimmage February 23
February 18, 2008 - Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
Kalamazoo Xplosion News Release
KALAMAZOO-The Kalamazoo Xplosion, of the Continental Indoor Football League, will host a pre-season scrimmage Saturday night against the Saginaw Sting. The Sprinkle Road Soccer Zone, located at 7187 S. Sprinkle Rd, will be the venue for the franchise?s first ever scrimmage against a CIFL opponent.
The Saginaw Sting, who are owned and operated by the same ownership group as Kalamazoo, is a 2008 CIFL expansion team and will play it?s home games at the DOW Events Center in Saginaw, Mich. For more information, visit www.saginawsting.com
The pre-season contest is set to begin at 7 p.m. and will feature all the aspects of the indoor game with the exception of kick offs and returns. The scrimmage will be Saginaw?s first taste of full contact action in 2008, while Kalamazoo participated in an intra-squad scrimmage Feb. 16 at Soccer Zone.
The Xplosion roster has started to take shape, being narrowed down from 40 to 30 players since the scrimmage last weekend. Head Coach Mike Sparks expects to have his 25 man roster finalized by the end of the month, which means this scrimmage could be the last chance for some of these athletes to impress the Xplosion coaching staff.
?We were very impressed with the turn out of new players, and we were even more excited about the number of veterans who returned in better shape than last season. We have some very welcomed additions, like L.J. Parker, Brent Lesniak, and Mike Benson,? said Sparks.
L.J. Parker and Brent Lesniak both come from the Muskegon Thunder where they each had substantial success, Parker at linebacker and Lesniak at running back. Mike Benson just finished his college career at Kalamazoo College, and is being evaluated at running back as well as at defensive back.
While Saginaw has not released an official roster, Flint?s ABC 12 reports former Michigan State quarterback Damon Dowdell will be calling the plays for the Sting in ?08. Dowdell spent time with the Port Huron Pirates in 2007, as a back up to Shane Franzer.
Two other former Pirates were at Saginaw?s camp earlier this month, linebacker James Hackett and 2007 Defensive Player of the Year, Eddie Bynes.
?They?ve quietly accumulated a quality roster, and we?re very anxious to see how we watch up against a first year organization, as we were last season. This scrimmage will help us see how we adjust to another team?s game plan, and will really be a test for our coaching staff as well,? added Sparks.
The scrimmage is open to all members of the media, as well as the general public. There is no cost for admission. For more information on the Kalamazoo Xplosion, visit www.kzooxplosion.com.
Continental Indoor Football League Stories from February 18, 2008
- Xplosion and Sting Will Scrimmage February 23 - Kalamazoo Xplosion
- Muskegon Thunder Opens Training Camp - Muskegon Thunder
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