MFL News

Tuesday, August 30th

Still Perfect... T-Birds vs Warriors: Recap

T-Birds vs Warriors: Recap
Still Perfect...
2005-08-28
The Central Minnesota Thunderbirds kept their perfect record intact Sunday afternoon, as they rolled to a 42-0 victory over the Minnesota Valley Warriors.
But even with the shutout victory, the coaching staff was not pleased.
"We didn't play a very good football game," Coach Chad Baldwin said.
Baldwin explained that his team played down to the level of its opponent - particularly in the first half.
"I thought we had grown out of that, but today all we had was struggles mentally," he said. "We just had stupid mistakes and that's what really frustrated me a lot."
The Thunderbirds had opportunities to score early on, but dropped passes and poor coverage kept the game scoreless until late in the first quarter.
Quarterback Chris Esterley took matters into his own hands and put the Thunderbirds on the board with a 1-yard touchdown run. Mike Jacobs was good for the point after and Central Minnesota led 7-0 after the first quarter of play.
Esterley completed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Sam Cruver on the first play of the second quarter, but the kick failed and the Thunderbirds led 13-0.
Mental lapses continued to plague the team in the second quarter, and the Thunderbirds were unable to score for the remainder of the half.
"I don't think it's been as bad this year," Baldwin said, "Maybe it's because I expected more."
After a long talk at halftime, the Thunderbirds came out with newfound focus and scored on the opening play.
The Warriors attempted to catch the Thunderbirds off guard and went with an on-side kick to start the third quarter.
Unfortunately, their attempt at a surprise backfired when Thunderbird Tim Larmouth made the grab and ran the ball 40 yards for a touchdown. The kick was good for a 20-0 lead.
"I was surprised that they kicked it to me," Larmouth said, adding that he was wide open after the catch. "I wish I would have had more receptions, but overall I was happy with the win."
The Thunderbird defense held the Warriors nearly motionless throughout the game and never let the opponent across mid-field.
"The guys did a good job of controlling the game and controlling the score," Baldwin said.
Later in the third quarter, Eric Tarasewicz scored on a 5-yard run. Esterley then completed the two-point conversion with a pass to David Knutson. The Thunderbirds lead stretched to 28-0.
Early in the fourth quarter, Central Minnesota added seven more to the scoreboard when Esterley completed his second touchdown pass of the game. This time, he went to Andy Bogenholm for a 3-yard score. Jacobs was good for the extra point.
After taking the 35-0 lead, the game clock continued to run.
Will Kladek ran 9-yards into the end zone with five minutes to play. Jacobs put the extra point straight through the uprights for a 42-0 lead that the Thunderbirds held until time ran out.
Tarasewicz led the running game with 18 carries for 162 yards. He also caught a pass for 44 yards. Esterley completed 10-of-18 pass attempts for 122 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
On defense, Damion Patterson had three tackles and an interception. Rob Baumgarn recovered a fumble and Jeremy Gothman forced a fumble. Three Thunderbird players had sacks in the game - Baumgarn, Chris Camacho and James Bruns. Jeremiah Duvall blocked a punt.
The Thunderbird defense dominated throughout the game and kept its opponent scoreless for the second time this season.
Leif Murphy had four tackles before pulling his hamstring in the 1st quarter. Mike Illies added four assists.
Offensive lineman Nick Ruud was named the player of the week for his solid play throughout the game.
"It feels great to come in and play with these guys," said Ruud, who was playing just his second game with the team and had ridden a Greyhound bus 10 hours from Omaha to get to here.
Rudd agreed with the coaches and admitted that Sunday's game was not one of the Thunderbirds' best, despite the score.
"We played all right, but I think as a team we understand that we can play a lot better," he said. "We're a better team and we played down to their level."
Baldwin said that the team had taken it easy during practice on Saturday, but added that it won't happen again.
"Every time we give them a little bit, they take a mile and it's killing us," Baldwin said of his players. "We've got the Titans next and we can't play like this. Hopefully we can learn something from this."
Central Minnesota is now 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the Mid-America Football League. The Thunderbirds will play the Twin Cities Titans in the final regular season game on Sept. 10. The Titans are 6-1 in league play and will be looking to knock off the undefeated Thunderbirds with the league title on the line.
A victory will be crucial for the Thunderbirds if they want to remain near the top of the national rankings. Prior to Sunday's victory, Central Minnesota was eighth in the North American Football League rankings and fifth in national polls.

Article written by Commissioner on 08.30.05 @ 06:00 PM CST [...more]

Monday, August 29th

Jacks end Regular Season with a bang

The Minneapolis Lumberjacks took on the Midwest Pioneers Sunday in a rematch of last years Championship game. Although this years Pioneer team had lost a lot of management and players the Lumberjacks geared up for a heated rivalry game. The game featured hard hits and another great showing from the Jacks defense. The Pioneers, who were light in numbers, came ready to knock the Jacks off but in the end the Jacks prevailed 31-0.
The scoring began early for the Jacks as in the first quarter Nate Middleton connected with Ben Seiben for a spectacular 30 yard TD catch. Seiben was able to come down with the ball keep two feet in the back of the endzone before crashing into the padded fence. The defense was very stingy in the first half setting the offense up with great field position. The Jacks scored again in the first quarter on a 35 yard field goal by Kevin Erickson. In the second quarter the defense took matters into their own hands, following a blocked punt that gave the Pioneers the ball on the 10 yard line, when AJ Johnson picked up a fumble and rumbled 95 yards, with the assistance of a convoy of blockers, to the endzone.
The second half featured more strong play from both sides of the ball. Wil Staples threw two touchdown passes one to Isaac Brown and another to Paris Moore. Behind the strong running of Robbie Johnson and Paris Moore and the strong up front play of the offensive line the Jacks were able to keep the defense off the field. Other notable offensive plays were Edwin Reed making so key 3rd down catches and Nate Middleton scrambling for a first down. Defensively the continued to force turnovers in bunches as Dion Wilson, Norm Alston, Quincy Jones and D-lineman Ray Craft all collected interceptions. Overall for the game the Jacks forced 6 turnovers. The defense also received another strong showing from Linebackers Dante Jenkins and Jay Kotz and linemen David Smith and Brian Cipala.
stats to come soon.
With the victory the Jacks finish the Regular season 6-1 and now await the completion of 3 games over the next 2 weeks to find out what seed they will have in the playoffs. The Jacks do not have any non-conference games scheduled so their next game will be in the weekend of the 17th of September. More details to come soon.
Article written by Minneapolis Lumberjacks on 08.29.05 @ 12:37 PM CST [...more]

Saturday, August 27th

Thunderbirds vs Warriors: Preview

Thunderbirds vs Warriors: Preview
Division Title on the Line
2005-08-25
Heather Douglas
The 6-0 Central Minnesota Thunderbirds will look to continue the winning streak when they host the Minnesota Valley Warriors on Sunday afternoon.
The Warriors started the season with five straight victories, but have lost two of the last three games - both to Mid-America Football League opponents - to fall to 6-2 overall.
With only two games to go in the regular season, a Thunderbird victory would ensure the team at least a share of the Mid-America Football League regular season title. (The Twin Cities Titans have just one loss this season and will face the Thunderbirds in the final week of the regular season.)
Not only does the game have importance in the league standings, but also in the division standings. The winner of Sunday's contest will claim the North Division Championship, as both teams are 2-0 in games against one of the four teams in the North.
Although the game is an important one, Thunderbird Jeremy Gothman said he's looking at it like he would any other.
"Every game's important," he said. "You just play the best you can and hope everyone works together. The outcome is the bonus."
Coach Chad Baldwin said that if his team plays to its potential, the Thunderbirds should come out on top.
"I think they have the potential to make a good game out of it," he said of the Warriors. "If we do what we always have done with our execution, I think the game will be a little more than they can handle."
But that doesn't mean Central Minnesota is taking the Warriors lightly.
"They definitely will come in with the idea that they can surprise us," Baldwin said. "We're defiantly not overlooking them at all. We consider them a definite threat. It's a great opportunity for them to knock us off."
The Thunderbirds are ranked No. 8 in the North American Football League POWER RANKINGS and are No. 5 in the overall NATIONAL TOP 25 POLL.
"It's not very easy to crack into that top 25," Baldwin said. "We're in good company.
But Baldwin knows that staying on top will only happen if the Thunderbirds keep winning.
"At any point, if we lose a game, we're gonna struggle for home-field advantage for the national playoffs," Baldwin said, adding that having the home field is critical because it means local referees would officiate the games and the team would save a lot of travel expenses.
Gothman, a defensive lineman, is in his fifth season with the Thunderbirds. He picked up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown in the team's last contest on Aug. 14. He said this year's team is one to remember.
"The team that we have this year is one of the best team's I've ever been on," he said. "The type of people we have is more on a personal level. I play for the guys."
Linebacker Mike Illies agreed.
"All the guys are getting along," he said. "We're all gelling really well. We just execute the plays and play our game. Whatever happens, happens."
Gothman said that in addition to having highly-skilled players, the key to success this season is the team's strong chemistry on and off the field.
"We mesh it together and we have twice the talent," he said.
Gothman credited the team's newest addition - defensive lineman Leif Murphy - for helping raise the bar in his own game.
"He's showed me a lot," Gothman said. "It's a whole new level now."
The game, which will kickoff at 3 p.m. Sunday at St. John's University, holds importance in the division and in the league. But for the Thunderbirds, it's its just another step in the ladder to national success.
"I think it should be a pretty good game," Illies said. "If we play our game the way we're capable of playing, we should be unstoppable."

Article written by Commissioner on 08.27.05 @ 03:08 PM CST [...more]

Monday, August 22nd

Jacks win defensive battle 10-7 over the Warriors

Holy Angels Academy in Richfield was the site for another battle between two top teams in the MFL. The 5-1 Lumberjacks took on the 5-1 Warriors. The game seemed to fly by as both teams kept the ball on the ground. Both defenses were able to play solid games but in the end the Lumberjacks came out on top 10- 7.
It didn't take long for fireworks to start as return man Riza Mahmoud took the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Giving the Jacks the early lead. The Jacks offense was able to put together a 13 play drive and a 9 play drive in the first half that ate up a lot of clock but was unable to get in the end zone. The other lone score for the Jacks came on a 38 yard field goal by Kevin Erickson in the second half.
The Jacks Defense had another solid performance highlighted by Free safety AJ Johnson's two interceptions. Johnson was on numerous big hits as well. Defensive backs Lamont Powers and Quincy Jones also collected interceptions with Jones's proving to be the nail in the coffin. This game marks the 5th out of 6 games that the defense forced 4 or more turnovers.
The bright spot to the Lumberjacks offense was the 4 headed monster they have called their running backs. Robbie Johnson led all Rushers with 71 yards on 9 carries, all came in the first half. Also Paris Moore, Keith Williams and Riza Mahmoud chipped in 76 yards .
The Lumberjacks now have their site on last years defending champions, who beat the Jacks in the Championship game, the Midwest Pioneers. Although this years Pioneers have struggled this game will surely be a big hitting, exciting affair. This will conclude the regular season for the Jacks as they have the next two weeks off, after the Pioneers, to prepare for the MFL playoffs.

Article written by Minneapolis Lumberjacks on 08.22.05 @ 06:07 PM CST [...more]

Lockington makes 'big' impression under center for Rough Riders

Lockington makes 'big' impression under center for Rough Riders

By Ian Stauffer / Winona Daily News

.
Tory Lockington is listed as a tight end/defensive lineman and the roster says he is 6-foot-5 and weighs 240 pounds.

But Saturday night, Lockington found himself under center, making his first-ever appearance at quarterback as the River Cities Rough Riders took on the Midwest Pioneers in a Mid-America Football League game. And despite being bigger than most of his offensive linemen � and slower than some as well � he was all over Maxwell Field at Midwest Wireless Stadium, leading the Rough Riders to their second win, 26-3.

"I was kind of nervous coming in, I didn't really know what to expect," said Lockington, who completed 16 of 23 passes for 185 yards, two scores and one interception. "I

am used to playing line, so the preparation was harder and very different."

River Cities was unable to finish a drive in the first half, coming up empty twice on drives inside the Pioneers' 20-yard line.

"We ran into some problems finishing, and that has been the case all year," River Cities coach Paul

Anderson said. "We came around in the second half though and Tory did a great job leading this offense."

On the Rough Riders' second drive of the third quarter, Lockington bowled his way over two defenders and went 13 yards for a touchdown, getting a monstrous block from Julius Shelton at the 2-yard line and put River Cities up 7-3.

That score capped a nine-play, 69-yard drive, during which the oversized quarterback was 5-for-6 for 58 yards.

"That was a great drive, and it really got this team fired up," Anderson said. "His run was great and Julius put on a great block."

On the Pioneers' next possession, the snap went over the punter's head and River Cities took over at the 19-yard line.

The Rough Riders wasted no time, scoring on the third play when Lockington rolled right and threw a pass that Carlos Clayburn ran under in the back corner of the end zone.

It took the same number of plays to score on the next possession, but this time it was a 36-yard scoring strike from Lockington to Aaron Woelful in double coverage.

Woelful fought with both defenders, but came down with the ball. The catch was one of seven for

122 yards for the all-star tight end, who is leading the Rough Riders in receiving on the year.

"Tory did a great job tonight," Anderson said. "He was able to

avoid the rush and he found the open receivers when he needed to. I couldn't have asked for more from him."

Billy Alexander picked off Pioneers' quarterback Mack McLarty and ran it back for a touchdown to ice the victory.

River Cities (2-5) is at home again next week when the Rochester Titans come to Winona.
Article written by Commissioner on 08.22.05 @ 09:25 AM CST [...more]

Friday, August 19th

Shoremen Defensive End Honored

Duluth-Superior Shoremen defensive end, Dan Turcotte, Jr. was named National Player of the Week at DE for the Central Region by Minor League Football News for his two tackles and four sacks in the Shoremen's 14-0 shutout of the River Cities Roughriders. Turcotte leads the team in sacks with 14. Through the eight games the Shoremen have played this season, the defense has so far totaled 37 sacks.
Article written by DuluthSuperior Shoremen on 08.19.05 @ 03:29 PM CST [...more]

Tuesday, August 16th

TBirds vs Lumberjacks: Recap: Perfect record remains intact

TBirds vs Lumberjacks: Recap
Perfect record remains intact
2005-08-15
The Central Minnesota Thunderbirds had a perfect record to hold onto when Sunday's home game against the Minneapolis Lumberjacks began. But they weren't the only ones.
Both teams were undefeated at 5-0 on the season, but only one would walk off the field with a perfect record intact when the game ended.
Jeremy Gothman started off the scoring for the Thunderbirds when he recovered a Lumberjack fumble and returned it three yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Mike Jacobs' extra point attempt was good for a 7-0 T-Birds lead.
In the second quarter, the Lumberjacks tied the score with a touchdown of their own.
Assistant Coach Rob Neumann said some adjustments were made in the second quarter that aided the Thunderbirds, and they fired back just before halftime when quarterback Chris Esterley completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tim Larmouth. Jacobs' kick was good and the T-Birds led 14-7 at the break.
"We had a little bit of a slow start," Neumann said. "But I'm absolutely happy with how it ended up."
The Thunderbirds scored 14 points in the third quarter and added six more in the fourth for a 34-7 victory.
Esterley started the third quarter with an 8-yard pass to Sam Cruver, but the kick failed and Central Minnesota led 20-7.
The passing game continued to work later in the quarter, when Esterley completed a 2-yard shot to Lance Nelson. Nelson then ran in for the 2-point conversion to make it a 28-7 ballgame.
Central Minnesota's final points of the game came from the defense when Ramon Burroughs brought in an interception and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. The kick failed, but the Thunderbirds were victorious and remain unbeaten at 6-0 this season.
Even with the win, Neumann said there is still work to be done.
"There's always things we can work on," he said. "We need to keep Chris Esterley on his feet. He got knocked around a bit."
Even with the bumping, Esterley completed 18 of 29 pass attempts for 189 yards and three touchdowns. He did not throw an interception in the game.
While the passing game was dominant, Eric Tarasewicz led the running game with 17 carries for 132 yards.
The Thunderbirds defense provided plenty of highlights throughout the game.
Including his fourth-quarter pick for a touchdown, Burroughs finished the night with three interceptions. Teammate Randy Lee added a fourth interception, Rob Baumgarn recovered a fumble and Leif Murphy had three sacks and forced a fumble.
Murphy was playing in his second game with the Thunderbirds and said he is just starting to get used to the defensive scheme. With three sacks in Sunday's victory, it appears he is a quick study.
Murphy said he is happy to be playing on such a high-caliber team and compared the Thunderbird players to some of the ones he has played with in other leagues.
"As far as talent-wise, we match up just as well as players in the past leagues I've played in," he said, adding that those players were paid to play the game.
While the Lumberjacks put up a good fight in the first quarter, Murphy said it came down to heart.
"I feel they're a good team, but we just have a better team," he said. "We have people who just like to play football more. This is one of the closest teams I've been a part of."
Central Minnesota will take a weekend off from competition, but will be back home on Aug. 28 for a 3 p.m. game with the Minnesota Valley Warriors.
"It's nice to get the weekend off, but you want to play every week to keep your rhythm,
Neumann said.
To keep things rolling, the team will practice during the bye weekend.
"This weekend, we're going to work on things we need to do for ourselves," Neumann said. "We'll work on the game plan next week."
With a perfect 6-0 record and the lead in the Mid-American Football League, it appears the Thunderbirds are well on their way to reaching their goals of a national championship.
"Honestly, I think we're a team that could do a lot of damage at the national level," Neumann said.
Noteworthy: Thunderbirds kicker Mike Jacobs tried out for the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday. He expects to hear from team officials later this week.

Article written by Commissioner on 08.16.05 @ 10:19 AM CST [...more]

Monday, August 15th

Thunderbirds Soar Over Lumberjacks!

Thunderbirds Soar Over Lumberjacks!

St. Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota
Sunday, August 14, 2005
By: Christopher King

The Central Minnesota Thunderbirds moved to a record of 6-0 as the only undefeated team in The Mid America Football League at the mid way point of the 2005 Season. On the fourth play of the game and with only a minute and a half off the clock The Thunderbirds sacked Lumberjack quarterback Will Staple causing a fumble. Jeremy Gothem # 95 recovered the loose ball and scored for Central Minnesota. The Minneapolis Lumberjacks answered back on their fourth possession with a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Nate Middleton # 10 to Wide Receiver # 3 Ben Sieben. The first quarter ended in a 7-7 tie.
During the second quarter the Lumberjack defense put a lot of pressure upon the T-Bird Offense. However, Central Minnesota Quarterback Chris Esterly #11 threw a touchdown pass to Wide Receiver Tim Larmouth # 3 and increased the score to 14-7. The T-Birds then extended their lead to 20 - 6.
In the Third quarter, C.M. Quarterback Chris Esterly hit Lance Nelson # 1 for a 6-yard touchdown. The duo hooked up again for the 2 point P.A.T. to take a commanding lead of 28-7 over Minneapolis Lumberjacks.
At the start of the fourth quarter defensive back Ramon Burroughs #23 got his third interception and returned the pick 20yards for the final Central Minnesota Thunderbird Touchdown on the day. The deal was sealed, as the undefeated Thunderbirds handed the Minneapolis Lumberjacks their first loss of the season 34-7.

Article written by Commissioner on 08.15.05 @ 09:21 AM CST [...more]

Brothers shore up Shoremen's O-line

Posted in the Duluth News Tribune on Sat, Aug. 13, 2005

SEMIPRO: Teams such as Duluth-Superior allow brothers like Korey and Jon Jazdzewski to do what they never thought was possible: be teammates.

BY JON NOWACKI,
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

A splendid china cabinet with a beautiful glass door has stood like a fortress tower for more than 30 years in the Jazdzewski living room in Morgan Park.

The cabinet has been kicked and smacked, teetered and tottered, but never broken as the Jazdzewski brothers -- Tim, Korey and Jon -- waged small wars playing football games in the family living room.

Now Korey and Jon are doing what they thought their 10-year age difference wouldn't allow. They are teammates, offensive linemen with the Duluth-Superior Shoremen semipro football team.

Jon is in his second year with the team, while Korey is in his first. Tim Jazdzewski also would likely be playing if not for a bad back. It's part of what makes semipro football special, says Shoremen coach Terry Fawcett.

"They are from a very close family, and you can just tell by watching Jon that's it's a thrill for him to play with his older brother," Fawcett said. "It is something they would never be able to do otherwise if it weren't for leagues like this, and teams like this."

The Shoremen, who lost 20-17 to the Minnesota Valley Warriors last week, will try to rebound against the River Cities RoughRiders at 5:15 p.m. today at Public Schools Stadium.

While PSS has been rebuilt in recent years, the Jazdzewskis are no strangers to football there. The sons of Gayle and Bob Jazdzewski are Duluth Denfeld graduates.

Tim Jazdzewski, 38, played at Mesabi Community College, while the younger brothers played at Minnesota Duluth.

Korey Jazdzewski, 36, started four years at defensive tackle at UMD from 1987 to 1991, earning all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference honors his senior year. He worked out with the Minnesota Vikings in 1991 and was in minicamp with the Dallas Cowboys. The following year he worked out with the Utah Pioneers of the Professional Spring Football League, but the league folded the first year.

"I didn't pursue it after that, but you always thought about it. Of course you did," Korey Jazdzewski said. "You never quit thinking about playing football. I sat in the stands at PSS last year watching my little brother play, and I wanted to get in there. I didn't think too much about it at the time because with my job, it would have been really tough to do. But then I switched jobs and had more time, so I thought, 'Why not?' "

Center Jon Jazdzewski played at UMD from 1997-2001, starting some at center and guard three of those years.

At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, it's hard to think of the 26-year-old being a little brother to anyone.

But at 6-5, 290 pounds, Korey Jazdzewski is a big brother in more ways than one. Tim stands 6-foot and 240 pounds.

Korey Jazdzewski still had the size for football, but he and Jon decided to get in shape by lifting weights. While Korey isn't as strong as he used to be, he is strong enough.

"With the pads off, Korey is older and might not look all that athletic or strong," Fawcett said. "I think some of our guys were wondering if he could still play. But when the pads were on, he just started chucking guys around. I mean, there is a reason he got looked at by the Vikings and Cowboys. He is as strong as a bull."

Pronounced Yev-jesky, teammates just call the brothers of Polish descent "Jasky" or "Jazz."

Fawcett, a former Duluth Central player, used to play against Korey Jazdzewski in high school and went to graduate school with Jon's wife, Jamie. Fawcett talks about how the brothers came out of KFC on a recent road trip, and Jon Jazdzewski was carrying the food -- plenty of food -- for his older brother.

"They are the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and they're from a very, very good family," Fawcett said. "I wish they were all like that. Guys like that make it easy to coach."

With Jon and Jamie Jazdzewski expecting a child, this will probably be the last year of semipro football for the Jazdzewskis. Jon says he'll need more time to raise a family, and Korey said it wouldn't seem right not playing as teammates. Instead, they plan on watching younger Jazdzewskis play.

"When we were kids, we used to have Jon run the ball, while Tim and I would be the linemen, but Jon was always the one that got killed," Korey Jazdzewski said. "In the living room, out in the grass, it didn't matter. He always seemed to take the brunt of it. But that's how he got tough.

"The china cabinet is still standing. Now the grandkids can have at it."

Article written by DuluthSuperior Shoremen on 08.15.05 @ 12:30 AM CST [...more]

Tuesday, August 9th

TBirds vs Pioneers: Recap - Thunderbirds Still Undefeated

TBirds vs Pioneers: Recap
Thunderbirds Still Undefeated
2005-08-08
The Central Minnesota Thunderbirds kept their unbeaten record in tact Sunday afternoon when they rolled over the Midwest Pioneers 37-6 at St. John's University.
The Thunderbirds held the Pioneers scoreless through almost the entire game, with the only Pioneers score of the night coming late in the fourth quarter when quarterback Chris Esterley's pass was intercepted and returned for a 62-yard touchdown.
Prior to the Pioneer's touchdown, the Thunderbirds racked up 37 unanswered points. Mike Jacobs started things off with a second-quarter field goal of 39 yards. The team took that 3-0 lead into the halftime break, and came out firing in the third quarter.
In the third, Esterley connected with Andy Bogenholm for not one but two touchdown passes of 25 and 8 yards. He then hit Chris Brustuen for a 37-yard touchdown reception to give the Thunderbirds a 25-0 lead after three quarters of play.
"The passes to me were right on the money," Bogenholm said. "From my experience, he's one of the more accurate quarterbacks I've worked with."
Brustuen caught a second Esterley pass for a touchdown in the third quarter to extend the Thunderbird lead. The two-point conversion was good to James Jones and out the T-Birds up 33-0.
"Chris's balls were right on target, which makes it a lot easier for the receivers" Brustuen said. "It was a lot of fun."
The Thunderbirds defense was hot all night and held the Pioneers to just three first downs.
"Our defense is what kept us going offensively," Brustuen said.
Jeremiah Duval had five tackles in the victory. Randy Lee added two tackles and two assists.
In the fourth quarter, the defense came up with a big play when Ramon Burroughs intercepted a Pioneer pass and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.
"The defense � I think they really came together last night," Bogenholm said on Monday.
Burroughs ended the night with a pair of interceptions and broke up a two-point conversion attempt late in the game. Josh Schleusner also had two interceptions in the game and Damion Patterson added one of his own.
While the offense was solid throughout the game, there were rocky moments before play even began.
The team's offensive line was somewhat thrown together prior to kick off as two of its typical starters were out for the game - one due to the berth of his child. Brustuen said those who were called upon to fill in stepped up to the task.
"They did their job as far as pass protection," he said.
Bogenholm agreed.
"They held up pretty well under the circumstances," he said.
Esterley completed 12-of-22 pass attempts for 269 yards and four touchdowns. Eric Tarasewicz had 16 carries for 78 yards, Sam Cruver had five carries for eight yards, and Esterley also had two carries for eight yards.
"I think we take a step up each week," Bogenholm said. "We're looking at the bigger picture here."
That bigger picture includes winning the Mid-America Football League championship, as well as the national title - something the T-Birds have a shot at if they keep the winning going.
The Thunderbirds are now 5-0 overall this season and are ranked No. 1 in the latest North American Football League standings.
Central Minnesota will face its biggest match on Sunday when the Thunderbirds host the undefeated Minneapolis Lumberjacks in a 3 p.m. game at St. John's University.
Bogenholm said he isn't worried about the Lumberjacks because he trusts his team's ability.
"I just have a feeling this year about this team," he said. "I think there's something so special about this team and the chemistry. I think everybody believes in what we have and in our abilities."
Article written by Commissioner on 08.09.05 @ 04:42 PM CST [...more]

Jacks gaining momentum

The Minneapolis Lumberjacks battled the Minnesota Maulers Saturday. The game was televised on Channel 12 and I think some would say the Jacks and Maulers did not disappoint any viewers. The Lumberjacks although trailing 14-7 early in the third quarter came back to win 33-21.
Both teams came out with high emotions as these two teams have been rivals since the leagues creation. Both defenses in the first half perform great as they only yielded 14 points between the two giving the half time score 7-7. The Minnesota Maulers struck quick coming out of the half behind the arm of Todd Shackelford. The Lumberjacks did not throw in the towel in this hard hitting game, Wil Staples and Nate Middleton led a strong offense in the second half that posted close to 275 yards in the second half. The offensive line played probably their best game as a unit. Both running backs Riza Mahmoud and Robbie Johnson had electrifying runs and both found pay dirt in the second half. Mahmoud also had a mouth dropping punt return for a touchdown that left the crowd in awe and the game out of reach. Other offensive highlights was Jacks leading receiver Edwin Reed catching a pass delivered from Staple that ended in an 85 yard touchdown. Middleton also found pay dirt in the second half on the ground.
The defense stole the show with two goal line stands one that began 1st down on the 3. The upfront personal of Chris McGregor, Ray Craft, Jamel Mclemore and Brian Cipala clogged holes leaving linebackers Tony Dupree, David Smith and Jay Kotz to make big plays. Overall the defensive unit performed as it has all season...solid.
The Lumberjacks will now take their 5-0 record on the road to take on the Central Minnesota Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds who also remain undefeated have a great defense and a offense that is capable of scoring on ever play. Game time set for 3pm, Sunday 14th at St John's University.

Stats for the game.

Passing
5 Staple 9-14/211 2 TD
10 Middleton 1-6/ 7 1 int

Rushing
33 Mahmoud 10-74 yards 1 td
6 Johnson 9-89 yards
5 Staple 2-12 yards
10 Middleton 2-16 yards 1 td
total 23-191 yards 2 tds

Receiving
2 Brown 2-15 yards
84 Reed 2-92 yards 1 td
3 Seiben 4-93 yards 1 td
89 Ollison 1-15 yards
6 Johnson 1-3 yards
total 10-218 yards 2 td

Kick Return
33 Mahmoud 1- 37 yards; 9 Jones 1-20 yards

Punt Return
33 Mahmoud 2- 79 yards 1 td; long 47 yard TD

Defensive Stats
46 Dupree 6 Tackles 1 for loss 2 fumble recoveries
25 Smith 9 Tackles 1 caused fumble
42 Johnson 6 Tackles
41 Cipala 6 tackles
93 Mclemore 2 tackles
96 Craft 2 tackles
23 Waltmon 10 Tackles
55 Dupree 1 Tackle 1 caused fumble
9 Jones 3 tackles 1 INT
26 Alston 1 tackle
11 Powers 5 Tackles 1 INT
90 McGregor 3 Tackles 1 sack 1 tackle for loss
99 Vance 4 tackles
58 Rob 2 tackles
8 Kotz 7 tackles 1 int 1 fumble recovery
77 Johnson 2 tackles 1 sack 1 tackel for loss
88 Davis 1 tackle
6 Johnson 1 tackle
24 Evans 1 Tackle

Scoring summary
Maulers 0 7 7 7 21
Jacks 7 0 20 6 33

1st Quarter
Jacks 33 Mahmoud 3 yard TD run (Erickson Kick Good)

2nd Quarter
Maulers Shackleford TD Pass to Brown (kick Good)

3rd Quarter
Maulers Shacklefor TD Pass to Brown (Kick Good)
Jacks Seiben 4 yard TD Catch from Staple (Erickson kick Good)
Jacks Middleton 10 yard run (attempt failed)
Jacks Reed 85 Yard TD catch from Staple (Erickson kick Good)

4th Quarter
Mauler Touchdown ?
Jacks 33 Mahmoud 47 yard Punt Return for Touchdown (attempt failed)

Article written by Minneapolis Lumberjacks on 08.09.05 @ 10:07 AM CST [...more]

Sunday, August 7th

QB mistake costly for the Shoremen

BY DALTON WALKER

NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

A late mistake by Duluth-Superior Shoremen quarterback Nathan Smithson gave away the lead, and later the game.

Minnesota Valley Warriors defensive back Sherrod Richards' 70-yard touchdown interception gave the Warriors a three-point lead and the 20-17 victory Saturday.

The Shoremen (4-3, 2-3) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a Mid-American League game in front of 450 fans at Public School Stadium.

"I take responsibility," Smithson said. "It's my own fault. One person can make one mistake and I'd be that person."

Smithson completed 10 of 18 with two touchdowns and that one interception.

With about five minutes remaining in the game, the Shoremen held a 17-12 lead. After seven straight rush-

ing plays, including a 27-yard run by Kyle Vedder, the Shoremen called a passing play on third-and-2. A few seconds later, the Warriors celebrated the interception and touchdown run that gave them the lead.

"Two yards to get a first down," Shoremen player-coach Terry Fawcett said. "I thought it was a good idea for a quick pass, catch them sleeping."

With about a minute left, the Shoremen got into field goal range. But Ryan Rodriguez's 38-yard attempt to tie the game was wide left.

The Shoremen defense, led by James Olson's six tackles, hit Warriors quarterback Chad Melelah on almost every passing play. He was on his back most of the game and left briefly with an injury.

"Their D-line, linebackers dominated our O-line," Warriors coach Ryan Sanborn said. "Blitzing my line, we couldn't stop them. They put so much pressure on the QB."

The Warriors' only offensive touchdown came after Vedder fumbled deep in Shoremen territory early in the third quarter. Two plays later, Melelah scampered in the end zone.

Duluth-Superior defensive end Kevin Szczyrbak had three of the team's six sacks.

"Our defense played phenomenal," Fawcett said. "Give the 'D' credit, that's how they've been playing all year."

The Shoremen struck first when receiver Anthony Bugg wiggled free down the sideline in the first quarter. He broke so far away from his defender he had to slow down to catch the ball before finishing the 57-yard scoring play untouched for a quick 7-0 lead.

Rodriguez then kicked a 31-yard field goal before the quarter ended.

Minnesota Valley got a field goal before entering the half down 10-3.

With 7:07 left in the third quarter, Cedric Taggart scored on a 37-yard pass from Smithson.

Taggart finished with 91 yards on four catches. Vedder topped the 100-yard mark rushing with 111 yards on 28 carries.

The Shoremen host the River City Rough Riders at 5:15 p.m. Saturday at Public Schools Stadium.

Minnesota Valley 0-3-6-8--20
Duluth-Superior 10-0-7-0--17

DS -- Anthony Bugg 57 pass from Nathan Smithson (Ryan Rodriguez kick)

DS -- Rodriguez 32 field goal

M -- Bruce Zutter 25 field goal

M -- Chad Melelah 13 run (kick blocked)

DS -- Cedric Taggart 38 pass from Smithson (Rodriguez kick)

M -- Zutter 28 field goal

M -- Sherrod Richardson interception 72 return (pass completed)

Article written by Commissioner on 08.07.05 @ 02:29 PM CST [...more]

Thursday, August 4th

Maulers vs. Lumberjacks MFL TV 12 Game of the Week!

Saturday's battle between long time rivals the Minnesota Maulers (1-3) and the Minneapolis Lumberjacks (4-0) will be played at Holy Angeles High School and televised on local Cable Channel 12 kick-off 7:05 PM. This is the 6th time that Northwest Cable has highlighted a Mid-America Football League game. The Minnesota Maulers beat South Dakota in the last TV game. The game will be broadcasted Sunday Aug. 7th, afternoon (8/7) at 4:00pm on Channel 12 here in the northwest suburbs. It also plays again next Wednesday (8/10) at 1:00pm.

To view the last cable 12 game go to Fanzone/Vidoes

Article written by Commissioner on 08.04.05 @ 09:07 PM CST [...more]

Shoremen Player Honored

Duluth-Superior Shoremen DB/WR Justin Brickley (formerly of Wrenshall High School & Vermilion Community College) was named National "Ironman" of the week for the Central Region by Minor League Football News, for his great play the week of July 30th, 2005. Brickley had six tackles and four interceptions on defense, and caught one pass for 45 yards and one TD in the Shoremen's 24-16 victory over the the 2-time defending champion, Midwest Pioneers in Arden Hills, Mn.
Article written by DuluthSuperior Shoremen on 08.04.05 @ 10:20 AM CST [...more]

Tuesday, August 2nd

Recap: T-Birds vs. Maulers

Recap: T-Birds vs. Maulers
Written by Heather Douglas

The Central Minnesota Thunderbirds escaped Minneapolis Saturday night with their winning streak in tact, but not by much.
The Thunderbirds came back from 21-10 second-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Maulers 28-21 and improve to 4-0 overall this season.
Players and coaches expected the game to be a battle between the Maulers � a former league powerhouse � and the Thunderbirds � who have proven themselves as the team to beat this season.
�No matter who�s ranked and who�s not, these two teams will always battle hard,� Thunderbird Coach Chad Baldwin said.
A first-drive field goal by Mike Jacobs gave the Thunderbirds an early 3-0 lead, but questionable calls by the officiating crew early on helped give the Maulers the momentum.
�I think between all the trash talking and the refs, that kind of messed us up,� Jacobs said.
The Thunderbirds muffed a punt and recovered it in the end zone on the first play of the second quarter, which lead to a Maulers safety and gave them their first points of the game.
. The Maulers then scored a touchdown two minutes later, but a missed two-point conversion gave them an 8-3 lead.
The Thunderbirds re-claimed the lead one minute later when quarterback Chris Esterley � a former Mauler player � completed a long touchdown pass to David Knutson. Jacobs� kick was good and the T-Birds went up 10-8.
But the Maulers weren�t done yet.
The second-quarter scoring frenzy continued when the Maulers completed their own long touchdown pass, but the kick failed for a 14-10 Maulers lead.
A fumbled ball late in the second quarter was recovered by the Maulers and returned into the end zone, bringing the Thunderbird deficit to 21-10.
Coach Baldwin said he was not pleased with the officiating in the game, and said it didn�t match the level of play on the field.
�The level of play that this team and this league is at has exceeded some of the abilities of the officiating crew,� he said. �The MFL has gone way up in its abilities and the officials have to keep up with that.�
Before the half ended, the Thunderbirds scored on a 50-yard run by Eric Tarasewicz. The point after was botched and the Maulers went into the break up 21-16.
�When we went into halftime, we were a little frustrated and we were questioning some of the things we were doing,� Baldwin said. �We came out solid in the second half. We just played football. We didn�t get cheap.�
The two teams played evenly through most of the third quarter until the Thunderbirds put six more points on the board.
Josh Schleusner had an interception return for 29 yards, setting up the go-ahead score from Tarasewicz, who had his second touchdown run of the night. The two-point conversion failed, and the T-Birds went ahead 22-21.
In the fourth quarter, Tarasewicz found open field again to extend the lead. The kick failed and Central Minnesota went up 28-21 with nine minutes left in the game.
The Thunderbirds held the Maulers scoreless the rest of the way to remain unbeaten in the 2005 season.
�They came here to play and they took their shots,� Baldwin said. �We took a step back.�
Baldwin said his team relaxed at the beginning of the game instead of going all out from the start.
�We started to think we could just roll over them,� he said. �You still have to do your job and execute.�
Although Esterley had an off night, Tarasewicz picked up the slack with 19 carries for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
Esterley completed 10 of 19 pass attempts for 167 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
His lead receiver was Knutson, who had three catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Chris Brustuen added three catches for 37 yards.
The Thunderbirds were sloppy on both sides of the ball through the first half, but made adjustments at half time. They and held the Maulers scoreless, giving up only one first down.
Ray Reinhart forced three fumbles on the defensive side of the ball, with Jeremy Gothman and Andy Viessman both coming up with recoveries.
Jeremiah Duval, Rob Baumgarn and Chris Camacho led the defense with six tackles apiece. Gothman and Jim Bruns each had three tackles.
�Our �D� played very well,� Jacobs said.
The Thunderbirds had taken a break from practice the week before the game and Baldwin said that following the poor start to Saturday�s game, his team won�t be taking time off again.
�We�re never taking another break from practice,� he said.
Reinhart said the game was a wake-up call to the team.
�Not taking anything away from the Maulers, but we played very flat in the first half and we�ve got to come ready to play four quarters of football every week,� he said.
Jacobs agreed.
�We�re done screwing around.�
The Thunderbirds take on the defending MFL champions, the Midwest Pioneers, on Sunday, Aug. 7. The game will be held at St. John�s University at 3 p.m.

Article written by Central Minnesota Thunderbirds on 08.02.05 @ 06:40 PM CST [...more]

Big 2nd Half Lifts Titans Past Warriors

Big 2nd Half Lifts Titans Past Warriors

By Keith Gilbert

The Minnesota Valley Warriors were thirty minutes away from remaining undefeated. But Anthony Buckner?s second half kickoff return for a touchdown was the beginning of an impressive avalanche of points by the Twin Cities Titans, as they rolled to a 41-15 victory Saturday afternoon at Holy Angels Academy. The Titans scored 35 points in the second half, 21 of those coming off of Warriors turnovers.

In the first quarter, the Titans scored first on a 31 yard scoring pass from QB Paul Ciochetto to RB Jim Bean. Minnesota Valley struck right back, though, on the first play of the ensuing drive. QB Chad Melelah went deep to WR Jordan Malone streaking down the right sideline for a 75 yard touchdown play. The game was tied at 6-6, and after CB Sherrod Richards? second interception (he would add another to make three INT?s in the first half), the Warriors took the lead, 9-6, on a 22 yard field goal by K Bruce Zutter.

That?s where it stood at halftime, but the Warriors lead disappeared immediately to begin the third quarter. The Titans Anthony Buckner had a terrific game, including an interception and a TD on a punt return that was nullified due to penalty. There were no flags on his spectacular 90 yard kickoff return for touchdown, though, and the Titans were on their way. The 2-point conversion to WR/RB Anthony Minus made it 14-9. Two drives later, RB Jim Bean scored his second TD of the game on a 4 yard run to make it 21-9. Then, following an interception, RB Nate Mead scored on a short TD run to make the score 27-9.

The Warriors tried to stay in it, when late in the third quarter, Melelah connected with WR DeShawn Scott on a 25 yard scoring pass to cut the deficit to 27-15. The Warriors would get no closer, though, as they just could not slow down the well-balanced Titans offense. In the fourth quarter the running game was especially dominant, with RB Sam Blocker getting the majority of the carries. He scored once, and so did RB Charles Reed, to make the final score an emphatic, 41-15 win, for the Twin Cities Titans.

There were several players that had good games on Saturday. For the Minnesota Valley Warriors, most noticeable was the efforts of LB Sean Bros. He was seemingly in on every tackle. Also prominent were linebackers Dan Kensinger and Rob Hagen. The three interception performance by Sherrod Richards, as well, was the primary reason for the first half lead.

The Titans defensive front seven was awesome. LB Shawn McCoy may have wreaked the most havoc, but also constantly disrupting the Warriors offense were LB?s Wilbert Perry, Cortney Ferrell, and Brian Doyle. Defensive linemen Robert Clay and Tim Hunt were in on many big plays, as well. WR Damien Cannaday proved to be a very reliable target on the afternoon, making three big catches and totaling nearly 100 yards in receptions. The running backs looked great for most of the day, especially RB Jim Bean and RB Sam Blocker. The Titans offensive line gets the credit for dominating the second half up front, and wearing down the Warriors defense. Each team now has one loss in league play.

Article written by Twin Cities Titans on 08.02.05 @ 06:38 PM CST [...more]

Lumberjacks putting the pieces together

Augsburg was the site of Sunday's MFL game between the Minneapolis Lumberjacks and the Rough Riders of River City. The Lumberjacks looked for improvement in all three phases of the game and that is what they received. The Lumberjacks, sprear-headed by a dominant defense, rolled to a 50-0 victory and gained added momentum heading into a stretch where they will have to take on the Maulers, the undefeated Thunderbirds and the Warriors.
The defense stood strong delivering big hits and forcing 5 interceptions, 2 by Norm Alston. Leading Tacklers Tony Dupree, Tommy Waltman and Alan Johnson took advantage of a defensive line that clogged up holes allowing them to roam free to make tackles. Lamont Powers, Alan Johnson and Montae Bailey all added interceptions with Bailey's being returned for a Touchdown. Bailey's touchdown came 3 plays after a punt return of 62 yards that he had following a wall of blockers.
The offense saw probably the best performance of the year from its offensive line. They line opened up big holes for runningbacks Robbie Johnson and the fleet footed Riza Mahmoud and gave great protection for Will Staple and Nate Middleton. The first touchdown of the game came on a 6 yard TD run by Mahmoud that was the finish to a 70 yard drive led by Middleton. In the second quarter Staple hooked up with leading receiver Edwin Reed (3 catches 108 yards, 2 TD's) for a remarkable one handed grab in the back of the end zone.
The Jacks only led 14-0 at halftime but the second half the flood gates open with the defense scoring and Bailey's 62 yard Punt Return for a score topped off by a TD run from Robbie Johnson and TE Brian Ollison dragging two defenders 5 yards into the endzone after a big hit. With the running time the offense was only able to run 9 plays in the second half but the final of the 9 was electric when Staple hooked up again with Reed for a 51 yard TD catch and run.
The Lumberjacks now set their sites on league rival the Minnesota Maulers. The Maulers and Jacks have always played each other tough and this year will be no different. The game time is set for 7pm at Augsburg College.
Article written by Minneapolis Lumberjacks on 08.02.05 @ 03:00 PM CST [...more]

August 2005
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31