3 ranked team in the country, and it shows. Players are responsible for buying their own helmets, pads and shoes. Gist-Holden wasn't arrested until June 18 at the conclusion of a high-speed chase in Georgia, per the complaint. They dropped a 26-12 decision in their opener Saturday to the Missouri Cyclones at Summit High School in Fenton, Missouri. The Independents shared the stadium with the minor league baseball Moline Plowboys. Search for Quick Approved Loans - Get One Now! Field 4 is a tournament-size soccer field which is suitable for IHSA sanctioned play. The Hunger Walk is a fun opportunity for all types of . We get players from a variety of sources. [8] After the 1925 season, Thorpe formed a team composed primarily of his teammates from the Rock Island Independents, that would play several games throughout Florida. The new coach was Conzelman!" We have played most of our games in smaller communities around Central Illinois, Myles said. In the third quarter, the Force takes a 17-13 lead, but in the fourth quarter, with 2:44 left in the game, Eagles quarterback Jeff Bryant tosses an 18-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ed O'Reilly, the son of the team's offensive coordinator. A running back during his playing days, Myles played junior College football in Mississippi and went in the former USFLs draft to the Tampa Bay Bandits. Sounds like the pros, except for the pay: nothing. Force players and the rival DuPage Eagles drive up in their own cars and tote their own equipment to the field. We are a semi-pro football. [2][10], A week later, on October 3, 1920, the Independents defeated the Muncie Flyers 450 at Douglas Park in the first full week of APFA league play. This year, the national championship will be held on Dec. 10 in Orlando, Fla., and the winning team will take home the Arthur S. Arkush Memorial Cup, named for the founder and original publisher of Pro Football Weekly. Getting around Chicago and Illinois is easy with our guide to ways to travel around the state. The Eagles run out the clock, improving their record to 3-0. "My main goal is to win a semi-pro national championship," said Kurt Baldyga, 28, of Crestwood, the Force's place kicker for eight years and a graduate of Marist High School in Chicago. Myles said fan support was strong for the season opener in Fenton, "Our fans, Cougar Nation, helped us,' Myles said. These new players would help improve play and help secure the team an invitation to join the NFL. Although the Roscoe Rush left the MSFL to compete in the Ironman Football League, 2006 saw two new teams join (the Mid-State Steel and the Lafayette Lions). Theyre an affiliate team of fellow Chicago-area hockey team, the NHLs Chicago Blackhawks. Douglas Park. Fans will be able to see the next up and coming athletes, as well as former High School and college stars. He spent the 1991 Arena Football League season with the now defunct Denver Dynamite. We were having a tryout there and one of my coaches called me and said he saw artificial turf. ", (If the Bears are any indication, the dreams of the semi-pros will go unfulfilled. BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) Attention football fans! ALTON Kinney Myles has been in the football team ownership business for more than 20 years and hes always on the lookout for ways to help his team. The Cougars will play this season in the Hidden Gemz League, a branch of the Hidden Gemz Sports Scouting service. I had contacted Alton last season about the possibility of our team playing there, before the turf was put in, said Myles, whos owned the Cougars since 1998. [23][24][25], Browning Field, the Independents' home in 1926, is located at 16th Street and 23rd Avenue in Moline, Illinois. Although the Metro East Stallions folded after only one season, the MSFL was able to double in size by adding the Detroit Seminoles, Michiana Saints, and Michigan Huskies from the Michigan Football League, as well as the new expansion team the Lake County Steelers. [18] On June 24, 1922, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League (NFL). In addition, two had won league titles in 2003 (Chicago Falcons and Lake County Chiefs). On a recent Saturday, the Force played a 7 p.m. home game at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. Field 4 is a full-size soccer field, while Field 3 is marked for both football and soccer. They hosted what has been retrospectively designated the first National Football League game on September 26, 1920 at Douglas Park. The meeting was held at the Jordan and Hupmobile auto showroom in Canton, Ohio and resulted in the formation of the American Professional Football Conference (APFC). Once Coughlin was safely on his way toward the sideline, Healey delivered a message to Jimmy Conzelman from Flanigan, it read: "Coughlin was fired! December 9, 1923. Douglas Park hosts an annual tribute football game to the Independents, played in retro uniforms and using early football rules. Newspapers.com makes these newspapers available for the purpose of historical research, and is not responsible for the content of any newspapers archived at our site. After its founding, the 1910 team went undefeated and were not scored on in five games. The American Football Association is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax exempt corporation in its 38th year of operation and is dedicated to the advancement of adult (minor league/semi-pro) football from coast-to-coast. Andy Albrecht (former all-area and all-conference Rockford QB from 1994-1995) named head coach of Illinois high school team. Games will provide more than just amazing football competition but also other entertainment such as performances, concessions, contests, and prize giveaways. But after suspected voting fraud (the lead name Nutz was suspected to have business ties), he started the poll over. Today, Browning Field is home to Moline High School sports teams and the adjacent Wharton Field House is the former home of the National Basketball Association's Tri-Cities Blackhawks, today's Atlanta Hawks.[26][27]. My name is Jon Bacarella and I was one of the co-captains on the 1996-1997 Rockford team. Two men shot and killed a bank security guard in Indiana to rob nearly $10,000 in order to pay off the bills of an amateur football team one of the men owned and coached, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Minor League Sports Teams of Illinois. Scout Mike McCartney said there are "plenty of guys who have played in the NFL this year alone" to fill the Bears' needs. The meeting was again at Canton owner Ralph Hay's Hupmobile dealership in Canton and Independents owner Walter Flanigan was present to represent the Independents. "Probably 20 percent of the players want to take the next step ," said Ed O'Reilly of Lisle, the offensive coordinator for the semi-pro DuPage Eagles and a coach on that level for 25 years. Workers were smoothing the concrete for the first section of parking lot and drive-through lane An East Alton man has been charged with four felonies related to gunfire on Tuesday night in Alton. "You can't push them real hard in practice" because it's not their full-time job, said VonHolt, who played football at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in the 1970s. In what proved to be a fatal move, after the 1925 season Johnson moved the team to the American Football League. Giannis suffers hyperextended knee in Game 4 loss to Hawks, Goodwill: Giannis injury more proof season was never normal, Report: Woman accuses Dodgers pitcher Bauer of assault, NFL preview: Panthers bet big on Darnold change of scenery. The majority of the players were in the employ of the Company. Never having lost a game in their MSFL tenure, the Detroit Seminoles decided to move to the Mid Continental Football League for stronger competition. The association organizes the playoffs, a series of games leading to the Super Bowl of the semi-pros. Theyre minor league in name, but these Illinois sports teams are major in excitement and talent. Our schedule runs from May to August, so you can enjoy the beautiful spring weather while enjoying one of America's greatest pastimes.Check out our semi-pro football team this season to see what all of the hype is about. For that season, the Force of Illinois and Lake County Steelers played in the Chicagoland Football League. "With the new guys, we needed every minute for practices getting prepared for the season. Hit up Santos Sports for all your pregame accessories tape,mouthpieces,gloves,belts,socks,etc. DuPage leads 6-3 when the half ends at 8:05 p.m., and during the 12-minute halftime, several dozen of the 345 fans go to their cars to warm up or drive to a nearby convenience store. A field goal by the Cyclones made it 6-6 at halftime. It will be a unifying experience for people to come and cheer for a common cause, and most importantly to have fun! Its something we have wanted to emphasize, that the turf field can be used for a variety of sports and activities.. The minutes of this meeting are in Pro Football Hall of Fame archives. Although the Force of Illinois shut down, their owner Howard Huntington decided to stay as MSFL Commissioner. We only have two days to prepare for a team, which is difficult. This is a carousel. As a result, the Independents ended their season with a 261 record. For information on the playoffs or the Force, phone 312-445-2947. We've put together a list of facts so you can understand everything there is to know about Revolution Football: We have five to six home games every year, We practice weekly, both in person and virtually, New players pay $250 and returning players pay $150, Our games are held on Saturdays at the Rockton Sports Complex, We're proud to be fierce competitors and championship contenders. Myles cousin, former NFL running back Wilbert Montgomery serves as a consultant for the Cougars. Mid-States football league - 2010 Standings, List of Washington Redskins starting quarterbacks, List of Baltimore Ravens starting quarterbacks. We plan to be supported by major and minor corporations, small business, as well as current and former professional athletes. See them play atLanghorst Field @ Elmhurst University. Team officials expect the final league schedule to be complete soon. The Quad City Storm is Illinois newest professional hockey team, starting up in the 2018-2019 season. Theyve posted a winning record every one of their 24 seasons, gone to playoffs 19 times and won four championships. November 18, 1917. He played with the Force until signing with the Bears during the NFL's 1987 strike season. Theyre also renowned for their pre-game pyrotechnics. Chicago,IL60653-2197. He joined The Telegraph in Alton in 1982. The team charges spectators at games $2 for children and $4 for adults and also generates money from a yearly team ad book and raffles. The Cougars and the city of Alton are expected to officially announce the agreement at 3 p.m. Friday. Three teams have won national semi-pro football championships under the MSFL banner; the Detroit Seminoles in 2002 and the Chicago Thunder in 2006 and 2008. We will be collecting lightly worn coats, new coats, and new TOYS for 8-14 ages. Rock Island left the NFL to join the new league. 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