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09/11/2006: "Owners saw a need for football in Superior"
Owners saw a need for football in Superior
By KEN OLSON
The Daily Telegram
Last Updated: Saturday, July 01st, 2006 08:06:52 AM
Thanks to Terry Fawcett, Joel Brekken and Marty Schubitzke, area football fans can now again spend their Saturday afternoons watching football at Ole Haugsrud Field.
The three are owners of the newly formed Superior Stampede, a member of the Mid-American Football League.
“The biggest thing is we wanted to bring adult football back to the University of Wisconsin-Superior campus and the city of Superior,” Fawcett said. “It really means a lot to the local players that they get to play in front of their own home crowd again, and on the field they used to play for as member of UWS or the Superior Spartans.
“We know football is very important to the community
Owners saw a need for football in Superior
By KEN OLSON
The Daily Telegram
Last Updated: Saturday, July 01st, 2006 08:06:52 AM
Thanks to Terry Fawcett, Joel Brekken and Marty Schubitzke, area football fans can now again spend their Saturday afternoons watching football at Ole Haugsrud Field.
The three are owners of the newly formed Superior Stampede, a member of the Mid-American Football League.
“The biggest thing is we wanted to bring adult football back to the University of Wisconsin-Superior campus and the city of Superior,” Fawcett said. “It really means a lot to the local players that they get to play in front of their own home crowd again, and on the field they used to play for as member of UWS or the Superior Spartans.
“We know football is very important to the community and we know the people in the area are hungry for football. Now we have to go out and win today’s game.”
The Stampede will host the Iron Range Hitmen at 3 p.m. Superior may be at a bit of a disadvantage as the Hitmen are already 5-0 in the Great Plains Football League, including defeating the Duluth-Superior Shoremen 38-31 last weekend.
“The Hitmen have a lot of good athletes,” Fawcett said. “It should be a very good game.”
The Mid-American Football League was formed in 1995.
“It’s one of the toughest AAA rated leagues in the country,” Fawcett said. “Last year the league boasted one of the top teams in the country in the Central Minnesota T-Birds.
“The main purpose of this league is to get a lot of guys trying to make it to the next level. The league is full of (NCAA) Division II guys and a handful of D-I guys and Arena League players.”
One such player is Minneapolis Lumberjacks wide receiver Edwin Reed, who tried out with the Minnesota Vikings last year.
“So there’s definite talent in the league and there’s never an easy game on your schedule,” Fawcett said. “Players of Reed’s ability give our league credibility.”
No players get paid to play for the Stampede, in fact each player must play a fee of $185. If they did get any money, they’d have to give up their amateur status and not be able to return to college, which is what Superior’s Ryan McKone is doing this fall.
McKone, who played for the Shoremen the past two seasons and played in last year’s All-Star game, will attend UW-Stout this year and play football for the Blue Devils.
“That’s one reason we have this league and that’s the one thing I’m most proud of,” Fawcett said. “It’s great to see a guy get the opportunity to go back to school.”
The Stampede will play their home games at Ole Haugsrud Field.
“The field’s looking great and they have a new scoreboard, which looks spectacular,” Fawcett said. “We have a great partnership so far with UWS.”
As far as owning a football team, Fawcett and his partners are doing it mostly for the love of the game.
“We’re not going to get rich doing this,” Fawcett said. “This is considered football in its purest form. Guys are coming to practice after working at their regular jobs all day and they don’t need to do this. They’re doing it for the love of the game.”
A lot of the Stampedes’ early success falls on the shoulders of Superior’s Mike Sickler, the team’s marketing director.
“Without Mike we wouldn’t have 47 sponsors. He’s been working his butt off,” Fawcett said. “If it wasn’t for his hard work, this would have been a very average product at best.”
STAMPEDE FRENZY: Fawcett and Schubitzke are listed as player/coaches. Brekken has been the defensive coordinator for the Duluth East Greyhounds and Schubitzke is a Duluth firefighter.