2014 CIFL season | |
---|---|
League | Continental Indoor Football League |
Sport | Indoor Football |
Duration | February 3, 2014 – May 5, 2014 |
Regular season | |
Season champions | Saginaw Sting |
Season MVP | Thomas McKenzie (MAR) |
Postseason | |
North Division champions | Erie Explosion |
North Division runners-up | Saginaw Sting |
South Division champions | Marion Blue Racers |
South Division runners-up | Northern Kentucky River Monsters |
2014 CIFL Championship Game | |
Champions | Erie Explosion |
Runners-up | Marion Blue Racers |
The 2014 Continental Indoor Football League season was the Continental Indoor Football League's ninth overall season. The regular season started on Monday February 3, with the Northern Kentucky River Monsters visiting the Bluegrass Warhorses at the Alltech Arena, and ended with the 2014 CIFL Championship Game, the league's championship game held on May 18.
The Erie Explosion successfully defended their championship from the previous year with a win over the Marion Blue Racers in the championship.
The Kane County Dawgs, Kentucky Drillers and Owensboro Rage folded either during or after the 2013 season. The addition of the Bluegrass Warhorses, Chicago Slaughter, Kentucky Xtreme and the Northern Kentucky River Monsters prompted the league to make North and South Divisions for the 2014 season. The Slaughter folded in January, so the Chicago Blitz franchise was formed to take their place in 2014.
The Detroit Thunder, Kentucky Xtreme, Bluegrass Warhorses and Port Huron Patriots all ceased operations during the 2014 season.
For the 2013 season there was a 10-game, 14-week regular season running from February to May. Each team hosted 5 games, and had five away games. [1]
Team | Overall | Division | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | W | L | T | PCT | ||||
North Division | |||||||||||
y-Saginaw Sting | 9 | 1 | 0 | .900 | 6 | 1 | 0 | .857 | |||
x-Erie Explosion | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .833 | |||
Chicago Blitz | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 4 | 2 | 0 | .667 | |||
z-Port Huron Patriots | 1 | 8 | 0 | .111 | 1 | 6 | 0 | .143 | |||
z-Detroit Thunder | 0 | 8 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 6 | 0 | .000 | |||
South Division | |||||||||||
y-Marion Blue Racers | 8 | 2 | 0 | .800 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |||
x-Northern Kentucky River Monsters | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 5 | 2 | 0 | .714 | |||
Dayton Sharks | 6 | 4 | 0 | .600 | 4 | 3 | 0 | .571 | |||
z-Bluegrass Warhorses | 1 | 7 | 0 | .125 | 1 | 5 | 0 | .167 | |||
z-Kentucky Xtreme | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 |
Division Championships | CIFL Championship Game | ||||||||
1 | Saginaw | 15 | |||||||
2 | Erie | 46 | |||||||
N2 | Erie | 38 | |||||||
S1 | Marion | 26 | |||||||
1 | Marion | 56 | |||||||
2 | Northern Kentucky | 40 |
Team | 2014 Coach | 2013 Coach(es) | Reason for leaving | Story/Accomplishments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kentucky Xtreme | LaKunta Farmer | Roy McMillen | Resigned | In August, 2013, the Xtreme named, Defensive Coordinator LaKunta Farmer, the team's second head coach after Roy McMillen announced his resignation. [2] |
Team | Interim coach | Original coach | Reason for leaving | Story/Accomplishments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Port Huron Patriots | None | Demar Crawford | Mutual decision | Crawford left the Patriots under disputed circumstances. Crawford claims he resigned from the team because the ownership was not paying its employees; most of the team's players resigned with him, forcing the team to play its next game with replacement players. Owner Jude Carter claimed Crawford had conducted in conduct detrimental to the team. [3] After one game without a head coach, the Patriots prematurely ended their season. [4] |
Northern Kentucky River Monsters | Mike Goodpaster | Brian Schmidt | Fired | Schmidt left the River Monsters after three games and joined the staff of the Erie Explosion. [5] Goodpaster was previously the team's defensive coordinator. [6] |
Saginaw Sting | James Perry II | Fred Townsend | Mutual decision | Just one day before the Sting's playoff game, head coach Fred Townsead announced his resignation. [7] Line Coach James Perry II was named the teams interim head coach. |
Award | Winner | Position | Team |
---|---|---|---|
CIFL MVP | Thomas McKenzie | Defensive end | Marion Blue Racers |
Offensive Player of the Year | Aaron Smetanka | Quarterback | Erie Explosion |
Defensive Player of the Year | Spencer Smith | Linebacker | Saginaw Sting |
Special Teams Player of the Year | Julie Harshbarger | Kicker | Chicago Blitz |
Offense | |
---|---|
Quarterback | A. J. McKenna, Saginaw Juice Williams, Chicago |
Running back | DeShawn Hayes, Saginaw Richard Stokes, Erie |
Wide receiver | David Brown, Chicago Daryl Gooden, Saginaw Ricardo Lenhart, Northern Kentucky Mike Tatum, Marion |
Offensive lineman | Eric Brim, Saginaw Dave McQuiston, Erie Robert Price, Marion Frank Straub, Northern Kentucky |
Defense | |
---|---|
Defensive lineman | Tim Green, Erie Stephen Johnson, Erie Desmond Kenner, Saginaw Thomas McKenzie, Marion DeAndre Mosely, Chicago |
Linebacker | David James, Northern Kentucky Spencer Smith, Saginaw |
Defensive back | Tommy Harris, Northern Kentucky Viterio Jones, Dayton Ricardo Kemp, Erie |
Special teams | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kicker | Julie Harshbarger, Chicago |
Offense | |
---|---|
Quarterback | Tommy Jones, Dayton Aaron Smetanka, Erie |
Running back | A. J. Jimmerson, Port Huron Bryant Pascascio, Chicago |
Wide receiver | Eugene Cooper, Dayton Bryceson Lawrence, Marion Kent McDonald, Chicago, Derrick Sherer |
Offensive lineman | Anthony Bullock, Chicago Josh Ellison, Dayton William Haase, Marion |
Defense | |
---|---|
Defensive end | Shonn Bell, Chicago Luke Scarbough, Northern Kentucky James Spikes, Marion |
Linebacker | Justin Barnes, Saginaw Jon D'Angelo, Erie Sam Fornelli, Chicago |
Defensive back | Donte Johnson, Dayton Ahoma Maxwell, Northern Kentucky LaTreze Mushatt, Saginaw Steve Witherspoon, Marion |
Special teams | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kicker | Dustin Zink, Northern Kentucky |
Jared Raymond Lorenzen was an American football quarterback and administrator who played in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons with the New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Kentucky, where he set the school records for passing yards and passing touchdowns, and was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2004. At 285 lb (129 kg), Lorenzen was the heaviest quarterback to play in the NFL. He was nicknamed "The Pillsbury Throwboy" and "Hefty Lefty" because of his weight and being left-handed.
The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL). It was formed by Jeff Spitaleri, his brother Eric, and a third member, Cory Trapp, all from the Canton, Ohio, area.
The Erie Explosion was a professional American indoor football team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2007 as the Pittsburgh RiverRats, the Explosion played in the Professional Indoor Football League, the United Indoor Football League, the Southern Indoor Football League, the Continental Indoor Football League and the American Indoor Football Association and operated continuously from 2007 to 2015.
The CIFL Championship Game was the annual championship game of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). In 2006, it was the meeting of the two semifinal game winners. Following the 2007 and 2008 season, the game was between the Great Lakes Division champion and the Atlantic Division champion. In 2009 the league was divided into an East and West Division.
The Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) was a regional professional indoor football league that began its inaugural season on February 18, 2011 as the Ultimate Indoor Football League before playing as the United Indoor Football League in 2012, then switched back to "Ultimate" for the 2013 season. After the 2014 season, the league merged with X-League Indoor Football.
The Marion Blue Racers were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The Blue Racers began play as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2011, before moving to the United Indoor Football League (UIFL) for the 2012 season. The Blue Racers returned to the CIFL in 2013. The team had announced that it would be joining the Xtreme Indoor Football League (XIFL) for the 2014, but later re-signed with the CIFL. During the 2015 season, the Blue Racers played as members of X-League Indoor Football.
The Port Huron Patriots were a professional indoor football team based in Port Huron, Michigan. The team was a member of the North Division of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The Patriots joined the CIFL in 2012 as an expansion team. The Patriots were the third indoor football team to be based in Port Huron, the first being CIFL charter members and inaugural champions the Port Huron Pirates (2006–2007), and the other being the CIFL based Port Huron Predators. The Owners of the Patriots were Jude Carter, Lonnie Nichols, Lance Nichols, David Nichols, Larry Page, Matt Wuchte and Nick Kennedy-Saura. The Patriots played their home games at the McMorran Arena.
The Northern Kentucky River Monsters were a professional indoor football team based in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The River Monsters began play as a charter member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) for its inaugural 2011 season spending one season in the UIFL before reaching an agreement with league management to leave. After a two-year hiatus, the River Monsters returned in 2014 as a member of the South Division of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). The River Monsters played their home games at The Bank of Kentucky Center. On June 6, 2011, it was announced that the UIFL and the River Monsters mutually agreed to part ways, leaving the team free to join another league. However, the UIFL had a lease agreement with the arena, which hampered the likelihood the River Monsters would play in Highland Heights in 2012. The team had been mentioned as a charter member Stadius Football Association in 2012, but that league never got off the ground. The team suspended operations on October 1, 2014.
The 2012 Continental Indoor Football League season was the Continental Indoor Football League's seventh overall season. The regular season started on Saturday March 10, with the expansion Port Huron Patriots defeating the expansion Chicago Vipers 52–49 at McMorran Arena, and ended with the 2012 CIFL Championship Game, the league's championship game, on June 2, 2012, at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan where the Saginaw Sting defeated the Dayton Silverbacks 35–7.
The 2012 Cincinnati Commandos season was the 3rd season for the franchise, and their first as a member of the Northern Conference of the United Indoor Football League (UIFL).
The Louisville Xtreme were an indoor football team based in Louisville, Kentucky, with home games at the KFC Yum! Center. They began play as the Kentucky Xtreme in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2013 and 2014. Midway through the 2014 CIFL season, the league removed the team's membership and the Xtreme temporarily suspended operations. After playing the 2015 season in the semi-professional Minor League Football Alliance (MLFA), the team rebranded as the Louisville Xtreme in 2017. In 2020, the Xtreme were added to the American Arena League (AAL) but cancelled its season citing the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2021 season, the Xtreme were announced to be joining the National Arena League, but instead joined the Indoor Football League three months later.
The Kane County Dawgs were a professional indoor American football team based in Kane County, Illinois. The team joined the Continental Indoor Football League in 2013 as an expansion team. The Dawgs were one of three indoor football teams based in the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League are based in Rosemont, and the Chicago Slaughter of the Indoor Football League are based in Hoffman Estates. The CIFL has had the Chicago Pythons which replaced the Chicago Knights, formerly the Chicago Cardinals, as the Illinois-based CIFL team, which replaced the Slaughter after they left for the Indoor Football League after a dispute with CIFL management. The Owners of the Dawgs are Mike Dortch and Macey Brooks. The Dawgs played their home games at the Seven Bridges Ice Arena in 2013.
The Detroit Thunder was a professional indoor football team based in Fraser, Michigan. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League. The Thunder were the third indoor football team to have called the Motor City home, following two Arena Football League teams: the four-time ArenaBowl champion Detroit Drive (1988–1993) and the Detroit Fury (2001–2004). In addition, a team called the Motor City Reapers was proposed for the 2007 CIFL season, but the team folded before ever playing a single game. The Thunder were owned by Terrence and Lawrence Foster.
The 2013 Continental Indoor Football League season will be the Continental Indoor Football League's eighth overall season. The regular season will start on Friday February 8, with the Marion Blue Racers visiting the Saginaw Sting at the Dow Event Center, and will end with the 2013 CIFL Championship Game, the league's championship game being held on, or around, May 18. The league approved the expansion of the playoff format from four teams to six teams.
The Bluegrass Warhorses were a professional indoor American football team based in Lexington, Kentucky. The team joined the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2014 as an expansion team. The Warhorses were the second indoor football team based in Lexington. The owner of the Warhorses is JaQuar Sanders. The Warhorses played their home games at the Alltech Arena inside of Kentucky Horse Park but were forced to cancel their last four home games "due to unpaid arena rent and other bills".
The 2014 Marion Blue Racers season was the fourth season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The 2014 Bluegrass Warhorses season is the first season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The 2014 Saginaw Sting season was the sixth season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The 2014 Erie Explosion season is the eighth season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
The 2014 Port Huron Patriots season was the third season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.
2014 Continental Indoor Football League team seasons | |||||||||
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Bluegrass | Chicago | Dayton | Detroit | Erie | Kentucky | Marion | Northern Kentucky | Port Huron | Saginaw |