Commandos stay perfect, Mayhem in 2nd The Cincinnati Commandos (4-0) proved to be too much for the Wisconsin Wolfpack (1-1) and rookie quarterback Dan Roberts. Former University of Cincinnati quarterback Ben Mauk passed for six touchdowns, including four to Dominick Goodman, in a 48-26 victory over the Wolfpack at the Cincinnati Gardens. Rookie Wolfpack quarterback Dan Roberts looked brilliant at times, including a 15-yard rushing touchdown in the first half where he broke several tackles to give the Wolfpack their first points. Roberts finished 10 of 20 passing for 86 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. University of Dubuque standout Mark Mashburn led the way on defense with 10-1/2 tackles while former University of Wisconsin-Platteville defensive back Andre Drye recorded six tackles, two pass breakups and returned an interception ten yards for a touchdown. The Wolfpack try to rebound against the Fort Wayne Firehawks on Friday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne while Cincinnati has their first bye week. FireHawks 44 - Silverbacks 28 The Fort Wayne FireHawks (1-1) picked up their first victory in CIFL action at home against the Miami Valley Silverbacks (0-3), winning 44-28. FireHawks quarterback Kota Colors, playing in his first game with the FireHawks, completed 17 of 30 passes for 200 yards and seven touchdowns. Wide receiver Justin Wynn caught seven of those passes for 114 yards and four scores. Miami Valley would cut the FireHawks lead to 10 in the fourth quarter on a Adell Givens 1-yard touchdown run with just under three minutes to play but could not get any closer. A late FireHawks touchdown would close the scoring and end the game. Billie Tremaine had a game high 10.5 tackles to lead the Fort Wayne defense. Fort Wayne will host Wisconsin on Friday, April 16 and the Silverbacks will travel to Villa Park, Ill. to face the Chicago Cardinals on Saturday, April 17. Marion 19 - Chicago 14 A record-setting night in Villa Park as the Marion Mayhem (2-1) and Chicago Cardinals (0-2) combined for the lowest scoring game in CIFL history as the Mayhem were victorious 19-14. The 33 combined points were the lowest since the Chicago Slaughter and Muskegon Thunder combined for 37 in a 27-10 affair in 2008. Marion would score first on special teams as Andre Troy would return a blocked field goal 50-yards for the opening score. The Mayhem would then add a Victor Tolbert 3-yard touchdown run and hold a 13-0 lead after the first quarter. Chicago would score the last eight points of the first half on a Brandon Wogoman 1-yard touchdown run with just 45-seconds in the half to cut the Mayhem lead to 13-6. A safety by Jaran Rutledge with 15-seconds left would send the game to halftime with Marion leading 13-8. Each team would score just once in the second half, both on touchdown passes in the third quarter. Mike Tatum caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Josh Davis for Marion and Shawn McKeown scored on a 19-yard reception from quarterback Ron Ricciardi to end the scoring. Jim Cichon recorded a game high 9.5 tackles and picked up a sack to lead the Chicago defense which allowed just 19 points a week after the Mayhem scored 60 in the first meeting. Chicago hosts the Silverbacks Saturday, April 17 in Villa Park, Ill. and the Mayhem are on a bye week.
Wolfpack Sign Former Badger Quarterback Matt Schaebert The Wisconsin Wolfpack agreed to terms with former University of Wisconsin quarterback Matt Schabert today. Schaebert will join the team this week and compete with last week's starter, rookie Dan Roberts, for the starting position. "Matt is a great acquisition for us at this stage in the season," said offensive coordinator Dave Mogensen. "He has the indoor experience that we need and will team with Dan Roberts to give us a great set of quarterbacks." The Wolfpack began discussions with Schabert after the team lost Brian Ryczkowski to a broken collarbone and Shane Adler left the team for personal reasons. It left the Wolfpack with rookie Dan Roberts as the team's only quarterback. Schabert is best known in Wisconsin for a 2003 game against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Schabert came in off the bench for an injured Jim Sorgi and threw a game-winning, 79-yard touchdown pass, handing the Buckeyes their first loss in 19 games. Schabert spent three years at Wisconsin and saw time on the field as a true freshman. He was named the ESPN player of the game twice as a Badger and was also a three-time Badger offensive player of the week. After losing the starting quarterback spot to John Stocco in 2004, Schaebert transfered to Eastern Illinois University where he made the All-Ohio Valley Conference Team. Schabert is no stranger to the indoor game, playing on multiple professional teams since college. He began his pro career with the Peoria Roughriders of the United Indoor Football (UIF) league in 2006. Schabert led the Roughriders in both passing and rushing touchowns. In 2007, he played with the Chicago Slaughter of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL), starting five games. In those five games, he threw 12 touchdowns and just three interceptions and also rushed for eight touchdowns. Schabert spent 2008 and part of 2009 with the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Pioneers of af2 before landing with the Milwaukee Iron, also of af2. Schabert played his prep ball for his father at Larkin High School in Elgin, Ill. He was named to numerous all-state teams and still holds the Illinois high school record for most consecutive games with 100 or more yards passing with 32. "Matt is excited about coming back to Madison," said Mogensen. "He loves the city and is looking forward to giving Madison football fans some more great football memories."
CIFL Players of the Week The Continental Indoor Football League is pleased to announce the players of the week. The awards are based on play from the weekend of April 10. Offensive Player of the Week Kota Colors, Fort Wayne - Colors, making his FireHawks debut, completed 17 passes for 200 yards and seven touchdowns to lead Fort Wayne to their first win of the season over Miami Valley 44-28. Colors would also add 49 yards on eight carries. Up 10 in the fourth, Colors recorded his seventh touchdown pass to put the game away, a 29-yard strike to Jermaine Woolfolk. Defensive Player of the Week James Spikes, Cincinnati - The Commandos have the defensive player of the week for the second time this season as James Spikes wins the award. Spikes recorded five tackles, three for loss, a forced fumble and two sacks of Wolfpack quarterback Dan Roberts. Cincinnati improved to 4-0 with the 48-26 win. Special Teams Player of the Week Brandon Wogoman, Chicago - Wogoman used his return skills in the 19-14 loss to the Mayhem on Saturday night. Wogoman had 146 yards on five returns, for a 29-yard average.
Wolfpack Pitch Shutout The Wisconsin Wolfpack (2-1) pitched the first shutout in team history, and fifth in the five year history of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL), beating the Fort Wayne Firehawks (1-2), 49-0, at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Former University of Wisconsin quarterback Matt Schabert threw for four touchdowns and 113 yards in his Wolfpack debut. Former Northern Illinois receiver Marcus Lewis hauled in seven passes for 46 yards and four touchdowns while Marques Johnson caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. The defense was stellar in the victory, holding the Firehawks to just four first downs and forcing four turnovers. Former Wisconsin Badgers contributed heavily to the defensive success. Kurt Ware recorded two sacks while Josh Nettles had 3-1/2 tackles, an interception, and two passes defensed. College of DuPage standout Andre Drye led all players with six tackles and two passes defensed. The Wolfpack return home to battle the Marion Mayhem (2-1) next week at the Hartmeyer Arena. The game begins at 7 p.m. and it's Stoughton Youth Football Night. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.wiwolfpack.com/indoor
Silverbacks Snap 17-Game Losing Streak A new quarterback resulted in a new result for the Miami Valley Silverbacks Saturday night at the Odeum Sports Complex in Villa Park, Ill. outside of Chicago, as Keynes Mincy led the Silverbacks to a 46-29 win, ending a 17-game losing streak that dates back to a 35-29 win against the Fort Wayne Freedom on May 2, 2008. "I'd like to thank God for everything," said Mincy. "It feels good to get something in that win column, because we've been struggling for a long time." Mincy, who played receiver for the Silverbacks in their first three games this season, accounted for seven touchdowns, five passing and two rushing, in his first game as a quarterback for the team. Saturday, Mincy completed eight of 16 passes for 155 yards and one interception, also rushing eight times for 77 yards to lead the team. The switch to Mincy, Miami Valley's third starting quarterback in four games, got off to a shaky start, as he was sacked on his first play, and lost a fumble on his second that Chicago recovered at the Miami Valley 12. The Silverbacks defense held, however, and Mincy showed what he could do with his first pass, a 43-yard touchdown strike to Daniel Stover. "At first I didn't know he caught it, because I got hit on the play," Mincy said. "But I saw him still running with the ball and (running back Derrick) Moss picked me up and said 'It's a TD!' " Will Ducey, who started for Chicago because Ron Ricciardi was in the hospital with an infected cyst, immediately answered with a 36-yard touchdown to Brandon Wogoman, but the Silverbacks defense held the Cardinals scoreless the rest of the first half. Meanwhile, Mincy and Stover hooked up for a six-yard touchdown to make the score 12-6 by the end of the first quarter, and Mincy ran for two touchdowns to expand that lead to 24-6 by halftime. "We knew they couldn't cover Stover one-on-one," said Miami Valley head coach Brian Wells. "We tried to isolate their coverage on Stover and that opened up other things. If everybody was covered, Keynes is still dangerous with the ball in his hands." Mincy's first touchdown run came after Miami Valley faced a third-and-14 from its own 22. Mincy scrambled for 11 yards on third down and ran in a 17-yard touchdown on fourth down. On Miami Valley's next possession, Mincy scored on a 19-yard touchdown run. "That's my triple threat," Mincy said. "Most people don't think I can run, but I can run with the best of them." Chicago adjusted to contain Mincy's running ability in the second half, enabling the Cardinals to twice pull within 10 points. Phil Taylor's 6-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion run by Wogoman made it 24-14. A 30-yard score from Mincy to Stover and a two-point pass to Adell Givens made it 32-14, but Chicago responded with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Ducey to Alex Nunez and another two-point conversion by Wogoman to make it 32-22. A blocked field goal gave Chicago the ball at the Miami Valley 9-yard line towards the end of the third quarter, putting the Silverbacks hopes of ending their losing streak in jeopardy. "My thought was, here we go," said Wells. "We still had a whole quarter to play. We had to stay focused on finishing out." Will White and Derrick Crawford helped Miami Valley finish out the win, stopping the Cardinals for a loss on two of the next four plays to turn the ball over on downs. White led the defense with four tackles, three-and-a-half for a loss, and a sack. Chris Stanford added three-and-a-half tackles, one tackle for loss, a sack, an interception, and a pass breakup. Crawford had one-and-a-half tackles and a quarterback hurry. As a unit, the defense held Chicago to minus-eight rushing yards on nine attempts despite the return of running back Phil Taylor to the Chicago lineup. An interception gave Chicago another chance to pull to within single-digits, but a touchdown pass from Ducey to Shawn McKeown was called back for holding, and a short completion followed by three incompletions gave the ball back to the Silverbacks. By then, the Silverbacks had been able to adjust to Chicago's halftime change of defense, and Mincy found Stover for a 26-yard touchdown, Stover's fourth score of the night. "He ran a lot of good routes and our offense is designed for the 'Y' (receiver) to get a lot of good routes," Mincy said of Stover, who had 105 receiving yards with all four of his catches going for touchdowns. Mincy's fifth touchdown of the game was a 23-yard score to Melvin Bryant that put Miami Valley ahead, 46-22, with 46 seconds remaining. Chicago scored the game's final touchdown on a 20-yard pass from Ducey to McKeown with 29 seconds remaining, and Julie Harshbarger closed out the scoring with an extra point, making her the second female to score in a CIFL game this season. "She was pretty good and after the game I took my daughters up to meet her and my oldest daughter got her autograph," Wells said. Meanwhile, Mincy's thoughts were already to next week's rematch against the undefeated Cincinnati Commandos, who handed Miami Valley a 53-26 loss in the opening game of the CIFL season on March 13. "I actually Facebooked (before Saturday's game) that we needed this 'W' going into this game next week," Mincy said. "A lot of people don't know that we're from Cincinnati, too. They're undefeated, but they've got something coming."
Wolfpack Kicker Could Get NFL Call One member of the Wisconsin Wolfpack will watch the National Football League (NFL) draft this weekend with more than a passing interest. Kicker Tony Smidl, a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is draft-eligible. While it's a long shot that Smidl will hear his name called during the seven rounds of the NFL draft, which begins Thursday, there's a good chance he could receive a phone call in the days following the draft. Smidl's story is one of great perserverance and patience. A soccer player for much of his life, Smidl picked up football during his senior year at Oshkosh West High School. After just four weeks on the team, Smidl broke his kicking ankle right before homecoming. "After that, I figured it was over," said Smidl. "I didn't think I'd kick again." Smidl focused on selecting the right university, one where he could major in industrial engineering. He looked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Michigan Tech University, and Platteville. He chose Platteville and decided to give football another chance. He walked on and grey-shirted his freshman year. Smidl beat out stiff competition in his first year of eligibility and did reasonably well, converting 30 of 31 point-after attempts and was 2-5 in field goals. Following his first season, Smidl attended the Aguiar Kicking Camp, run by former NFL kicker Louie Aguiar. Smidl says Aguiar taught him how to kick straight and he just built off of that foundation. "Everything really started to come together in 2007," said Smidl. "I really began focusing on my kicking and became a student of the game." In his next two seasons, Smidl converted 15 of 24 field goals and missed just three extra point attempts. Smidl really stepped up his game in 2009, converting 15 of 19 field goal attempts and hitting on all 20 of his extra point attempts. Smidl earned Second Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region honors following his senior season. He also became the first Platteville player since 2001 to earn Division 3 All-American honors. Smidl finished his collegiate career at Platteville with six school records, including most field goals in a game (4), season (15), and career (32). Smidl finished his career as the fifth all-time leading scorer in Pioneer history. Following the football season, Smidl played in the Division 3 Senior Classic in Salem, Virginia, and the All-American Bowl in Minneapolis. Smidl was 4-4 on field goals in the All-American Bowl game, with a long of 44 yards. Shortly thereafter, he signed with an agent and attended the Aguiar/Husted Pro Camp in Las Vegas at the end of March. The camp is sponsored by the National Combine Series and is an annual event operated by NFL players and coaches. Smidl was the lone Division 3 kicker to participate in the combine and finished third among the draft-eligibile players that participated. "To be in the top with all those scholarship kickers that came from big name schools like Nevada, South Florida, and North Alabama felt great," said Smidl. "I don't have the atmosphere that they do with 80,000 fans in the stands, but how many of them have the experience of kicking the ball in cold weather?" Finishing in the top five at the camp was important because it meant that former NFL kicker Michael Husted would talk to the NFL scouts in attendance for the camp about Smidl. "Husted evaluated me and he really thinks I can compete to be a starter in the NFL," said Smidl. "That gives me a lot of confidence." It was also Smidl's only opportunity to put himself in front of NFL scouts as he didn't get an invite to the pro day in Madison in early March. "This is my only way to showcase who I am and what I can do," said Smidl. "These scouts probably had no idea who I was until I made the top five and the organizers told them they should take a look at me." Smidl decided to play indoor football for the Wolfpack, even though his agent thought it was a little counter-productive with the low ceiling at the Hartmeyer Arena, where the Wolfpack play all of their home games. "I've always been known for height, not distance," said Smidl who consistently averaged over four seconds of hang time on his kickoffs at the camp. "Since I started playing arena, I've probably been kicking the ball five or ten yards further." Smidl is hoping that a call comes following the NFL draft, which runs Thursday through Saturday. Teams typically sign a few young kickers and bring them into their rookie camp in May. From there, one or two kickers per team might be invited to training camp to compete with the starter, according to Smidl. Should it not work out, Smidl has a backup plan in place, having already landed an engineering job near South Bend, Indiana, for after graduation. The company already agreed to hold the position until October should Smidl make camp with an NFL team. If the call from the NFL doesn't come, however, Smidl is committed to helping the Wolfpack win a Continental Indoor Football League championship this year. "I plan on driving back to Madison for every game," said Smidl. "I'm committed to the Wolfpack and want to win a championship. I'm willing to drive five hours every Saturday to get it done." The Wolfpack begin a two game homestand this Saturday at 7 p.m. against the Maron Mayhem at the Hartmeyer Arena. It is Stoughton Youth Football Night and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the organization. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.wiwolfpack.com/indoor.
CIFL Names Players of the Week The Continental Indoor Football League is pleased to announce the players of the week. The awards are based on play from the weekend of April 16-17. Offensive Player of the Week Kyenes Mincy, Miami Valley - Mincy threw for 155 yards, five touchdowns and ran for 77 yards and two scores as he guided the Miami Valley Silverbacks to their first win since May of 2008, snapping a 17-game losing streak in a 46-29 win over the Chicago Cardinals. Defensive Player of the Week Kurt Ware, Wisconsin - Ware recorded three tackles, two for loss and two sacks in the Wisconsin 49-0 win against Fort Wayne on Friday night. The shut-out was the fifth in league history. Special Teams Player of the Week Tony Smidl, Wisconsin - Smidl was successful on all three field goal attempts in the Wolfpack 49-0 win. Field goals were from 28, 41 and 40 yards. He was also 4-5 on extra point attempts.
Ware, Smidl Named CIFL Players Of The Week Two Wisconsin Wolfpack players earned player of the week awards in week five of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) season. Former Wisconsin Badger Kurt Ware was named defensive player of the week and NFL kicking prospect Tony Smidl received special teams player of the week. Ware recorded three tackles, including two sacks, in the Wolfpack's 49-0 victory over the Fort Wayne Firehawks last Friday in Fort Wayne, Ind. The shutout was the fifth in CIFL history. Smidl connected on three field goals in the win and converted four-of-five extra point attempts. Smidl kicked field goals of 28, 41, and 40 yards. "It's great to be recognized," said Smidl. "It's difficult to kick in the Hartmeyer with the lower ceiling so it was nice to be able to show what I'm capable of at the Fort Wayne arena." The Wolfpack (2-1) return home Saturday to play the Marion Mayhem (2-1) at the Hartmeyer Arena. The game begins at 7 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from Saturday's game will go to Stoughton Youth Football. Former Badgers Matt Schabert, Andy Crooks, and Kurt Ware will sign autographs following the game. Fans should bring items to be autographed. Fans can pre-purchase tickets on the Wolfpack website at http://www.wiwolfpack.com/indoor.
Wolfpack Subdue Mayhem The Wisconsin Wolfpack (3-1) defense pitched another shutout, this time in the second half of a 34-20 victory over the Marion Mayhem (2-2) in Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) action at the Hartmeyer Arena Saturday night. Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Matt Schabert settled down after a rocky first half and finished with 121 yards passing and four touchdowns in the victory. Wolfpack running back Eric Donoval rushed for one touchdown and caught two second half touchdown passes from Schabert. He contributed 40 yards rushing and 32 yards receiving. Four former Badgers contributed heavily on defense. Defensive lineman Kurt Ware recorded three tackles, all for loss, and two sacks. It was the second straight week that Ware recorded multiple sacks. James Kamoku had 4-1/2 tackles while defensive back Josh Nettles recorded a tackle, three pass breakups and an interception. Defensive lineman Ricky Garner contributed two tackles and one sack. The Wolfpack are now in sole possession of second place in the CIFL with the win, a game ahead of the Mayhem and the Fort Wayne Firehawks. The Firehawks visit the Hartmeyer Arena next Saturday, May 1, to try and avenge a 49-0 shutout at the hands of the Wolfpack last week in Fort Wayne. The game begins at 7 p.m. and tickets can be ordered online at http://www.wiwolfpack.com/indoor.
Commandos Win Fifth Straight It was a tale of two halves for the Commandos Saturday night at the Cincinnati Gardens. After jumping out to a 24-0 lead en route to a 32-6 halftime edge, Cincinnati was outscored by the Miami Valley Silverbacks 44-26 in the second half, but held on 58-50 to remain undefeated at 5-0. "I'm pretty disappointed in our performance," said Commandos head coach Billy Back. "We're 5-0, I'll take the win every time. But as a coach, I'm a perfectionist." Miami Valley fought back from a 50-26 fourth-quarter deficit and cut Cincinnati's lead to six at 50-44 with 2:35 remaining in the game. Commandos QB Ben Mauk responded by throwing a touchdown pass to WR Robert Redd two plays later, pushing Cincinnati's lead to 58-44 with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. The Silverbacks quickly scored when QB Kyenes Mincy ran 24 yards to the end zone, making the score 58-50 with just 40 seconds remaining. Miami Valley recovered the ensuing onside kick and returned it all the way inside the Cincinnati 10-yard line, but an illegal touching penalty nullified the play and gave the Commandos the ball. With the Silverbacks in possession of several timeouts and Cincinnati K Travis Johnson inactive with a rib cage injury, the Commandos decided to go for the touchdown rather than opt to run out the clock. This proved costly as Mauk threw his third interception of the season on a fade-pass intended for WR Dominick Goodman in the back of the end zone with 17 ticks left on the clock, giving Miami Valley one last opportunity to tie the score. On Miami Valley's final drive, Mincy's first pass attempt was tipped at the line of scrimmage and Commandos LB Clayton Mullins made a diving catch for an interception to seal the victory for Cincinnati. Mullins finished the game with a game-high eight total tackles. Mauk, who went 14-18 passing for 148 yards and seven touchdowns, including four to Redd, now has 27 TDs on the season. "(Up until Mauk's interception) He did play a perfect game," said Back. "His series of play calls were perfect. When he called the plays on certain series, we moved the ball right down the field." Due to the Johnson injury, the Commandos attempted nine two-point conversions, succeeding on only two of those attempts. "We did leave six points on the field we should've had," Back said. "Which would've made it a different game. But you still can't say enough about the Silverbacks for what they did." Mincy finished the game 10-24 passing for 102 yards, five touchdowns - including four in the second half - and two interceptions. On the game's opening drive, Mauk started the night with his 21st touchdown pass of the season, firing a 4-yard dart to Redd. Commandos DB Jeff Franklin recorded his fourth interception of the season after picking off Mincy on Miami Valley's opening drive. Three plays later, Goodman made a one-handed grab in the back right corner of the end zone for his 10th score of the year to give Cincinnati a quick 12-0 lead with 5:33 left in the first quarter. Defensive end James Spikes got to Mincy in the backfield twice and now has 9.5 sacks on the year, while DT Terrill Byrd added another sack, increasing his total to six. Mauk extended the Commandos lead to 18-0 after racing 12 yards to the end zone with 1:16 left in the first quarter. Miami Valley had a chance to get on the board early in the second quarter after driving to the Cincinnati 3-yard line. But after three Miami Valley pre-snap penalties, the Commandos defense preserved their early shutout by pushing the Silverbacks back to midfield and holding them on fourth down. Wide receiver Brandon Boehm celebrated his 25th birthday by scoring his fifth touchdown of the season after he took a quick swing pass from Mauk two yards to the end zone with 6:01 remaining in the second quarter, increasing Cincinnati's lead to 24-0. Boehm later added another score with 5:07 left in the third quarter on a 31-yard pass from Mauk. The Silverbacks temporarily stopped the bleeding with 3:07 left in the first half after Mincy found Adell Givens open for a 12-yard touchdown pass, making the score 24-6. Mauk then calmly drove Cincinnati down the field and scored in four plays after tossing a 2-yard pass to Redd with 43 seconds left in the first half and increasing the lead to 32-6.
Silverbacks Make Gains In Loss Last Saturday, the Miami Valley Silverbacks (1-4) ended a run of nearly two years of losing. This Saturday night, despite a 58-50 loss to the Cincinnati Commandos (5-0) at the Cincinnati Gardens, the Silverbacks went about proving to themselves they are good enough to win several more. "I think we'll win out," said quarterback Kyenes Mincy, who threw four second-half touchdowns and ran for another during a frenzied comeback. "We know now we have the confidence and drive to play with the best in the league." That kind of attitude was the furthest thought in the minds of any of the Silverbacks at halftime, when a defensive switch by the Commandos helped Cincinnati to a 32-6 lead. "Based on the last few games of watching film, they were playing cover-two invert almost every time," said Silverbacks head coach Brian Wells. "When it came time for us to start playing the first half, they weren't playing cover-two. They were giving us a cover-three look. All the plays we had didn't work." While a confused Mincy completed just three passes and Miami Valley gained only 27 yards in the first half, Cincinnati's Ben Mauk picked apart the Silverbacks, going 10-for-12 for 61 yards and four touchdowns in the first half. A few halftime adjustments and a 50-yard kick return for a touchdown by Adell Givens to open the second half changed things, however. "That was a big momentum booster because I was dry with my head down," Mincy said. Givens' return, in which he twice slipped out of tackles to take the ball the length of the field, started a third quarter in which the Silverbacks were finally able to stay step-for-step with the Commandos, but still found themselves down, 50-26, after Dominick Goodman ran in a one-yard touchdown run on the final play of the quarter. A lucky bounce in the fourth quarter helped Miami Valley finally make up some ground. Aric Evans became the fourth different receiver to catch a touchdown pass from Mincy five minutes in, managing to hang for a juggling, 19-yard catch that made the score 50-34 after a two-point pass to Daniel Stover. The Commandos were flagged for an illegal block on the kickoff that followed, pinning them at their own 1, and a fumbled handoff bounced over the wall in the end zone two plays later to make it 50-36. "That was a huge point to say we can really win this," Wells said. That belief grew even more after Mincy found Stover for a 4-yard touchdown and Evans for a two-point pass that made it 50-44 with 1:48 remaining. Cincinnati responded when Robert Redd made one move to streak 34 yards downfield for his fourth touchdown catch of the game just before the one minute warning, with Greg Moore's two-point run making it 58-44. Mincy kept Miami Valley's hopes alive by escaping pressure and running 24 yards through the Cincinnati defense with 40 seconds remaining to get the Silverbacks back to within eight points, 58-50. "It was a designed roll out," Mincy said. "I didn't see anything open and I kept it. (Cincinnati linebacker Clayton) Mullins has put a few quarterbacks over the wall, so I knew if I gave him a hard move, he'd bite." What followed was a wild final 40 seconds that saw the Silverbacks comeback hopes rise and fall with seemingly every play. Will White recovered an onside kick for the Silverbacks, but was ruled have touched the ball before it went 10 yards, sending head coach Brian Wells into a rage. "The guy recovered it at the 12 yard line. How they could say he didn't say he didn't recover it past the 10 is beyond me," said Wells, who got flagged for two penalties while arguing with the officials about the call. "We had such big momentum and we lost it. I can't believe they took it out of our hands like that. I'll look at it on film and I'll issue an apology if I'm wrong." With the Silverbacks still holding time outs, the Commandos elected to pass on two of their next three plays, with Mauk's third-down pass being picked off by Chris Stanford in the end zone with 17 seconds remaining. Mincy's next pass deflected off one of his own lineman, however, and was intercepted at the 15 yard line, ending Miami Valley's final drive. "I told them they could blame me for the loss," Mincy said. "I saw Moss wide open on a scat. It was tipped and Mullins picked it." Mincy was far more to credit for the Silverbacks comeback, finishing the game by completing 10 of 24 passes for 102 yards and five touchdowns after his three-for-11 start. Four different receivers caught touchdowns, with Melvin Bryant leading the corps with five catches for 47 yards and Daniel Stover scoring on both his catches, which totaled 33 yards. In addition to Evans' fourth-quarter touchdown, Givens scored the Silverbacks only touchdown of the first half on a 12-yard reception. Mauk finished 14-of-18 for 148 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception for the Commandos, also rushing for one touchdown. Robert Redd caught four touchdown passes while Brandon Boehm had two and Goodman one. All three had four receptions in the game, with Boehm leading in yards with 61. The Commandos also ran for 96 yards on 18 carries, utilizing seven different ballcarriers. Still, coming within one possession of a Commandos team that had won every other game by at least 22 points, including a 53-26 season-opening win against them, brought a lot of confidence to the Silverbacks outlook for the second half of this season. "I know one thing," Wells said. "We're got a good group of guys. We've got a good team that rallies around each other and the coaching staff, and we'll make a push for the playoffs. At 1-4, it's hard to fathom that, but we'll do it."
Mayhem lose, fall to .500 The Marion Mayhem could not get untracked offensively in the second half and lost 34-20 to the Wisconsin Wolfpack in Continental Indoor Football League play Saturday night.
FireHawks get balance back On their first five possessions against Chicago on Saturday, the FireHawks lost two fumbles, threw an interception, turned the ball over on downs and appeared to be headed to a repeat sluggish offensive performance. But, this time, Fort Wayne quarterback Kota-Carone Colors and the offense rebounded from a slow start. The FireHawks finished four of their five second-half drives with touchdowns and beat winless Chicago 69-45 in front of an announced 2,020 fans at Memorial Coliseum. Fort Wayne (2-2) was coming off a 49-0 loss last week, and coach Willie Davis responded to that with tough practices during the week. http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100425/SPORTS0602/304259848/1008/SPORTS
FireHawks rebound, trounce Cardinals The Fort Wayne FireHawks went from zero to heroes in one week. After being shut out April 16, the Firehawks rebounded to take a 69-45 win over the Chicago Cardinals on Saturday at Memorial Coliseum. The win evened their Continental Indoor Football League record at 2-2. The FireHawks play at Wisconsin this Saturday.
Mayhem lose to Wolfpack 34-20 The Marion Mayhem could not get untracked offensively in the second half and lost 34-20 to the Wisconsin Wolfpack in Continental Indoor Football League play.
Wolfpack Clinch Playoff Spot The Wisconsin Wolfpack clinched a playoff spot Sunday when the Fort Wayne Firehawks defeated the Miami Valley Silverbacks 26-8 in Fort Wayne in a rare Sunday afternoon game in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The Wolfpack join the CIncinnati Commandos as the two teams that have clinched spots in postseason play in the CIFL. The Wolfpack also made the playoffs in their inaugural season in 2009. They were the fourth seed and lost to the eventual CIFL champions, the Chicago Slaughter. Homefield advantage for the playoffs is still undecided. Cincinnati and Wisconsin are the frontrunners but the Marion Mayhem and Fort Wayne Firehawks still have a chance to finish in one of the top two spots. The Wolfpack improved to 5-1 with a 44-18 victory over the Chicago Cardinals in Villa Park, Ill. Saturday night. Former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Matt Schabert passed for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns in the win and running back Eric Donoval contributed three rushing and two receiving touchdowns. The Wolfpack begin a three game homestand this Saturday, May 15, at the Hartmeyer Arena at 7 p.m. against the Miami Valley Silverbacks. Discounted tickets are available for this game through a special Internet-only promotion at http://www.wiwolfpack.com/store. All general admission and "In the Game" seats are half off. Tickets in the Wolf Zone, an all-inclusive area at the Hartmeyer Arena, are $20 (regularly $30). The Wolf Zone includes brats, hot dogs, Budweiser and Pepsi products and more.
