Lehigh Valley Steelhawks

Last updated
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks
AmericanFootball current event.svg Current season
Established 2010
Folded 2019
Played in Allentown, Pennsylvania
at the PPL Center
LVSteelhawks.com
LehighValleySteelhawks.PNG
League/conference affiliations
Indoor Football League (2011–2012)
  • United Conference (2011–2012)
    • Atlantic Division (2011)

Professional Indoor Football League (2013–2015)

  • National Conference (2014)

American Indoor Football (2016)

  • Northern Division (2016)
National Arena League (2017–2018)
Current uniform
Team colorsBlack, Vegas gold, white
   
MascotTalon
Personnel
Owner(s)Glenn Clark
PresidentGlenn Clark
General managerMichael Clark
Head coach Danton Barto
Team history
  • Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (2011–2018)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (1)
PIFL: 2014
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (6)
IFL: 2012
PIFL: 2013, 2014, 2015
AIF: 2016
NAL: 2017
Home arena(s)

The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks were a professional indoor football team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Steelhawks began play as an expansion team in the Indoor Football League (IFL) in 2011.

Contents

The Steelhawks moved to the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) in 2013, where they made their only championship game appearance, losing PIFL Cup III to the Nashville Venom. The team joined American Indoor Football for the 2016 season after the PIFL folded, which lasted one season before that league also folded. They joined the National Arena League for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The Steelhawks were the Lehigh Valley's second indoor football team, following the also-defunct Lehigh Valley Outlawz of the Continental Indoor Football League (2005–2008). The Outlawz played their home games at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania until 2014. In 2015, they began playing their home games at the PPL Center on Hamilton Street in Allentown.

Steelhawks owner Glenn Clark sought to sell the team following the 2018 season. After failing to find new ownership for the Steelhawks, the team suspended operations before the 2019 season. [1] The "hiatus" became permanent when no suitable buyer was ever found.

History

In July 2010, the Indoor Football League (IFL) announced that there would be an expansion franchise placed in Lehigh Valley for the 2011 season. [2] It was also announced that the team would be owned by Glenn W. Clark, a Wilmington, Delaware businessman. [2] Later in July the team announced that they had named Dan Kuhn as the team's general manager and would be holding a "Name The Team" contest was held to choose a name for the organization. Over 700 names were submitted and the top five were chosen by management. [3] These names were Vipers, Ironmen, Blast, Gamblers, and Steelhawks. [3] Fans were then asked to vote on the name they thought would be best for the team with over 70% of the votes being cast for Steelhawks. [4] Brooke Trautwein, the fan who submitted the Steelhawks name, was given a prize package that included season tickets and Steelhawks' merchandise. [4]

In August 2013, Clark announced that the Steelhawks would be leaving the IFL for the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL) after two seasons. [5] The Steelhawks finished in second place overall in the 2013 PIFL season, but lost their semifinal playoff game.

The Steelhawks finished the 2014 season with a 6–6 record and second in the National Conference. The Steelhawks defeated the Trenton Freedom by a score of 49–38 in the National Conference championship game to advance to PIFL Cup III. [6] where they were defeated 43–64 by the Nashville Venom. [7]

In the 2015 season, the Steelhawks announced that they would be moving to the newly constructed PPL Center. [8] They finished fourth overall in the PIFL and lost their semifinal playoff game to the Columbus Lions.

Triangle Torch (black jerseys with red and yellow accents) vs. Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (gold jerseys with black accents) during a game at Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 25, 2016 Triangle Torch vs Lehigh Valley Steelhawks 3.jpg
Triangle Torch (black jerseys with red and yellow accents) vs. Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (gold jerseys with black accents) during a game at Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 25, 2016

With the PIFL not having enough teams to remain viable, the Steelhawks moved to American Indoor Football (AIF) for the 2016 season. [9] The Steelhawks finished third in the North Division and made it to the division championship game before losing to the West Michigan Ironmen. After the season ended, the team announced it would not be returning to the AIF for the 2017 season. [10]

On July 19, 2016, the Steelhawks announced they had joined the Arena Developmental League (which became the National Arena League) as a charter member of the new league. [11] In the NAL's inaugural 2017 season, the Steelhawks finished in second place overall before losing at home to the third place Columbus Lions in the semifinal playoff game.

Following the season, the Steelhawks franchise's only head coach Chris Thompson left the team to take an offensive coordinator position with the Arena Football League's Albany Empire expansion team for the 2018 season. The Steelhawks hired Danton Barto as the new head coach for the 2018 season and the team finished with a 0–15 record. At the end of the season, owner Glenn Clark and president Mike Clark announced the Steelhawks were for sale. [12] The team announced a hiatus prior to the 2019 season while continuing to seek new ownership. After closing up shop, the team's turf would be acquired by the IFL's Oakland Panthers, who now go by the Bay Area Pathers after a move to San Jose.

Season-by-season results

League championsConference championsDivision championsPlayoff berthLeague leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2011 2011 IFL UnitedAtlantic2nd4100
2012 2012 IFLUnited4th680Lost United Conference Semi-final 21–79 vs. Sioux Falls
2013 2013 PIFL 2nd750Lost PIFL Semi-final 40–44 vs. Richmond
2014 2014 PIFLNational2nd660Won National Conference Championship 49–38 vs. Trenton
Lost PIFL Cup III 43–64 vs. Nashville
2015 2015 PIFL4th650Lost PIFL Semifinal 41–69 vs. Columbus
2016 2016 AIF Northern3rd620Won Northern Semifinal 54–52 vs. River City
Lost Northern Championship 35–42 vs. West Michigan
2017 2017 NAL 2nd910Lost Semifinal 50–52 vs. Columbus
2018 2018 NAL6th0150
Totals44520All-time regular season record (2011–2018)
26—All-time postseason record (2011–2018)
46580All-time regular season and postseason record (2011–2018)

Current roster

Lehigh Valley Steelhawks roster
Quarterbacks
  •  5Caleb Walton

Fullbacks

  • Currently vacant

Wide receivers

  •  6David Lewis
  •  3 Charles McClain
  • 81Leroy McClain
  • --Yusef Reddick
  •  4Franklin Williams
Offensive linemen
  • 68Peter Borum
  • -- Shawn Lockett
  • 77Shaq Wallen
  • 72Michael Williams
  • --Reginald White

Defensive linemen

  • 58Jihad Abdur-Rahman
  • 12 Dante Holmes
  • --Steve Mercado
Linebackers
  • --Dakota Everett
  • --Tony Patterson

Defensive backs

  •  2Marquez Gollman
  • 24 Rodney Hall
  • -- Mike McMillan
  • --Cory Morrow
  •  7Leroy Neysmith

Special teams

  • 10Spencer Hotaling
Reserve lists
  • -- Robert Brown DB (Suspended)
  • --Justin Broome DB (Suspended)
  • --Shon Chisom QB (Suspended)
  • --Tyler Deane OL (Suspended)
  •  6 Brandon Fuentes DB (Suspended)
  • 11Seth Higgins QB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • --Anthony Kelly WR (Exempt)
  • 13Bryan Morris QB (IR Tooltip Injured reserve) Injury icon 2.svg
  • -- Brandon Lathrop OL (Did not report)
  • --Jakeem Polk DB (Did not report)
  •  1 Brandon Renford WR (Suspended)
  •  8 Warren Smith QB (Suspended)
  • --Schnayder Termidor LB (Did not report)
  • Rookies in italics
  • Roster updated May 23, 2018
  • 22 Active, 13 Inactive

→ More rosters

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Steelhawks players who have won league awards:

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References

  1. ↑ "Lehigh Valley Steelhawks to go on hiatus for 2019 arena football season". The Morning Call . February 14, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Indoor Football League set to introduce a Lehigh Valley-based franchise". www.lehighvalleylive.com. PennLive LLC. July 7, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Keith Groller (July 22, 2010). "New team tabs 'Dynamite' as its GM, but still needs nickname". www.mcall.com. The Morning Call. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Alyssa Young (August 26, 2010). "Lehigh Valley Steelhawks is name of new Indoor Football League team". www.lehighvalleylive.com. PennLive LLC. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Steelhawks moving for 2013 season". www.mcall.com. The Morning Call. August 8, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ Josh Folck (July 5, 2014). "Lehigh Valley Steelhawks advance to Pro Indoor Football League championship game". www.lehighvalleylive.com. PennLive LLC. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  7. ↑ Josh Folck (July 12, 2014). "Lehigh Valley Steelhawks lose to Nashville Venom in Pro Indoor Football League championship game". www.lehighvalleylive.com. PennLive LLC. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ Greg Joyce (August 21, 2014). "Lehigh Valley Steelhawks announce three-year deal to play at PPL Center in Allentown". www.lehighvalleylive.com. Lehigh Valley Live. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  9. ↑ Keith Groller (September 14, 2015). "Steelhawks moving to a new indoor football league for 2016". www.mcall.com. The Morning Call. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  10. ↑ "The Lehigh Valley Steelhawks Indoor Football Team Will Not be Returning to the AIF in 2017..." OurSports Central. July 13, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Steelhawks announce new league affiliation for 2017". www.mcall.com. The Morning Call. July 19, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  12. ↑ Connor Ferguson (August 22, 2018). "Lehigh Valley Steelhawks up for sale". LastWordOnSports.com.
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