Post by Banana Cat on Jul 8, 2011 18:04:49 GMT -5
The previous 5 years of NIFL and AIFA was against soft competition, but at least this year they did improve and I think became tougher at the end...which should serve them well for next year.
trib.com/sports/article_2169d7d8-5ff8-50b0-af9a-e6631f511765.html
trib.com/sports/article_2169d7d8-5ff8-50b0-af9a-e6631f511765.html
Cavs deal with early playoff exit, lower attendance
By JACK NOWLIN Star-Tribune staff writer
July 8, 2011
LOOKING BACK: The Wyoming Cavalry's first season in the Indoor Football League ended with a first-round playoff loss on June 19.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: Veterans Matt Strand, Dante Dudley, BJ Charlton and DL Tomasi Kongaika have all told coach Dan Maciejczak that they're hanging up their cleats.
HE SAID IT: "I thought our fans got what they asked for ... quality football teams coming to Casper and closer football games." - Maciejczak.
Mike and Argeri Layton were in unfamiliar territory over the Fourth of July weekend.
“We didn’t know what we were supposed to be doing,” Mike Layton, general manager of the Wyoming Cavalry, said. “We were getting pity phone calls from people asking us to come over.”
The reason for the phone calls was because the Cavalry, who had played in four consecutive indoor football championship games, were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in their inaugural season in the Indoor Football League.
Seasons that in previous years had extended into mid-July — with the Cavs seemingly always hosting a game on July 4 at the Casper Events Center — instead ended June 19 when Wyoming lost on the road to the Allen (Texas) Wranglers.
The loss ended an up-and-down season for the franchise. And it raised questions as the Cavs prepare for what lies ahead as they head into their 13th year.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Wyoming joined the IFL on Sept. 1 of last year, leaving behind a trail of blowout wins and championship-game losses over the course of its three-year stay in the American Indoor Football Association.
The Cavs also left behind a financially unstable league that merged with the Southern Indoor Football League before shutting down operations for the 2011 season.
While the AIFA is scheduled to return in 2012 with possibly 12 teams, the IFL will enter its fourth year of operations with at least 22 teams.
The Cavs will definitely be one of them.
“Although they were a first-year franchise in our league, the Wyoming Cavalry are one of the more stable and respected teams in indoor football,” IFL Director of Football Operations Mike Allshouse said. “We look forward to having them back for many, many years in our league.”
WHAT WENT RIGHT
The Cavs were 6-5 and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in seven years after a 70-30 home loss to Sioux Falls on May 20.
But with veteran quarterback Matt Strand coming out of retirement and taking over the reins from rookie Joe McLain, the Cavs put together a three-game winning streak to end the regular season.
Unfortunately, that run ended in the playoffs.
“I was excited that we were able to finish 9-5 and I thought the way we finished our season — winning four of our last five — gave us some momentum heading into the playoffs,” longtime Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak said. “But we kind of self-imploded [against Allen]. I thought we were the better team, we just didn’t execute.”
Still, considering league-wide expectations at the start of the season, the Cavs more than held their own.
“When we went into this season, I was told by a few people that we would be lucky to win a game,” Maciejczak said. “We very easily could have been 12-2 or we could have lost a few more games.
“In the IFL, there is good competition every single week ... there are no easy games.
“Our fans got what they asked for ... quality football teams coming to Casper and closer football games.”
WHAT WENT WRONG
Obviously, losing in the first round of the playoffs was new territory for the Cavs, who had advanced to at least the second round the past five years.
Of greater concern, however, were the noticeably smaller crowds at the Events Center.
“Hopefully we can get a bigger fan base,” Maciejczak said. “The crowds were down a little bit this year, but those who did show up brought a lot of excitement.”
Mike Layton said that while the fans and sponsors remained supportive, scheduling played a big part in the decreased attendance.
This year, Cavs games coincided with Memorial Day weekend, Mother’s Day weekend and the Wyoming State High School Track and Field championships — all of which helped to keep people away from Cavs’ games.
“We’ve already started working with the Events Center staff on our home dates for next year,” Layton said. “We want to get home dates where there is less competition with other things going on. And we’re working with our sponsors to promote new giveaways and events at each game.”
According to Layton, after he and the Events Center staff figure out some potential home dates, they will then forward it on to the league office.
“The league has a scheduling committee that takes all these variables into account,” he said. “They’ll try to make sure each team has the most advantageous home schedule in terms of fan base and revenue. It’s a big puzzle that has to magically line up.”
The Cavs just hope the pieces fit a little better for them next season.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
When the Cavs return to the IFL next season, they’ll do so with a revamped roster.
Strand, receivers Dante Dudley and BJ Charlton and defensive lineman Tomasi Kongaika — the cornerstones of the team for the past six years — have all told Maciejczak that they’re walking away from the game.
“It was good closure for a lot of guys in that we went to the IFL and we did some good things,” Maciejczak, who will likely call it a career after next season, said. “Those guys had always been told that we couldn’t beat teams like Omaha or [Colorado], but we proved that we could.”
That leaves McLain and a number of other young players to expand on the Cavs’ legacy.
Obviously, the Cavs still have room for improvement — on the field and in the stands.
But all parties concerned believe the team is moving in the right direction, and that it’s doing so in the right league.
“We are pleased [with the IFL],” Layton said. “There was no drama throughout the year. All of the little things were taken care of.”
By JACK NOWLIN Star-Tribune staff writer
July 8, 2011
LOOKING BACK: The Wyoming Cavalry's first season in the Indoor Football League ended with a first-round playoff loss on June 19.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: Veterans Matt Strand, Dante Dudley, BJ Charlton and DL Tomasi Kongaika have all told coach Dan Maciejczak that they're hanging up their cleats.
HE SAID IT: "I thought our fans got what they asked for ... quality football teams coming to Casper and closer football games." - Maciejczak.
Mike and Argeri Layton were in unfamiliar territory over the Fourth of July weekend.
“We didn’t know what we were supposed to be doing,” Mike Layton, general manager of the Wyoming Cavalry, said. “We were getting pity phone calls from people asking us to come over.”
The reason for the phone calls was because the Cavalry, who had played in four consecutive indoor football championship games, were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in their inaugural season in the Indoor Football League.
Seasons that in previous years had extended into mid-July — with the Cavs seemingly always hosting a game on July 4 at the Casper Events Center — instead ended June 19 when Wyoming lost on the road to the Allen (Texas) Wranglers.
The loss ended an up-and-down season for the franchise. And it raised questions as the Cavs prepare for what lies ahead as they head into their 13th year.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Wyoming joined the IFL on Sept. 1 of last year, leaving behind a trail of blowout wins and championship-game losses over the course of its three-year stay in the American Indoor Football Association.
The Cavs also left behind a financially unstable league that merged with the Southern Indoor Football League before shutting down operations for the 2011 season.
While the AIFA is scheduled to return in 2012 with possibly 12 teams, the IFL will enter its fourth year of operations with at least 22 teams.
The Cavs will definitely be one of them.
“Although they were a first-year franchise in our league, the Wyoming Cavalry are one of the more stable and respected teams in indoor football,” IFL Director of Football Operations Mike Allshouse said. “We look forward to having them back for many, many years in our league.”
WHAT WENT RIGHT
The Cavs were 6-5 and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in seven years after a 70-30 home loss to Sioux Falls on May 20.
But with veteran quarterback Matt Strand coming out of retirement and taking over the reins from rookie Joe McLain, the Cavs put together a three-game winning streak to end the regular season.
Unfortunately, that run ended in the playoffs.
“I was excited that we were able to finish 9-5 and I thought the way we finished our season — winning four of our last five — gave us some momentum heading into the playoffs,” longtime Cavs coach Dan Maciejczak said. “But we kind of self-imploded [against Allen]. I thought we were the better team, we just didn’t execute.”
Still, considering league-wide expectations at the start of the season, the Cavs more than held their own.
“When we went into this season, I was told by a few people that we would be lucky to win a game,” Maciejczak said. “We very easily could have been 12-2 or we could have lost a few more games.
“In the IFL, there is good competition every single week ... there are no easy games.
“Our fans got what they asked for ... quality football teams coming to Casper and closer football games.”
WHAT WENT WRONG
Obviously, losing in the first round of the playoffs was new territory for the Cavs, who had advanced to at least the second round the past five years.
Of greater concern, however, were the noticeably smaller crowds at the Events Center.
“Hopefully we can get a bigger fan base,” Maciejczak said. “The crowds were down a little bit this year, but those who did show up brought a lot of excitement.”
Mike Layton said that while the fans and sponsors remained supportive, scheduling played a big part in the decreased attendance.
This year, Cavs games coincided with Memorial Day weekend, Mother’s Day weekend and the Wyoming State High School Track and Field championships — all of which helped to keep people away from Cavs’ games.
“We’ve already started working with the Events Center staff on our home dates for next year,” Layton said. “We want to get home dates where there is less competition with other things going on. And we’re working with our sponsors to promote new giveaways and events at each game.”
According to Layton, after he and the Events Center staff figure out some potential home dates, they will then forward it on to the league office.
“The league has a scheduling committee that takes all these variables into account,” he said. “They’ll try to make sure each team has the most advantageous home schedule in terms of fan base and revenue. It’s a big puzzle that has to magically line up.”
The Cavs just hope the pieces fit a little better for them next season.
WHAT LIES AHEAD
When the Cavs return to the IFL next season, they’ll do so with a revamped roster.
Strand, receivers Dante Dudley and BJ Charlton and defensive lineman Tomasi Kongaika — the cornerstones of the team for the past six years — have all told Maciejczak that they’re walking away from the game.
“It was good closure for a lot of guys in that we went to the IFL and we did some good things,” Maciejczak, who will likely call it a career after next season, said. “Those guys had always been told that we couldn’t beat teams like Omaha or [Colorado], but we proved that we could.”
That leaves McLain and a number of other young players to expand on the Cavs’ legacy.
Obviously, the Cavs still have room for improvement — on the field and in the stands.
But all parties concerned believe the team is moving in the right direction, and that it’s doing so in the right league.
“We are pleased [with the IFL],” Layton said. “There was no drama throughout the year. All of the little things were taken care of.”