Northern Kentucky River Monsters

Last updated
Northern Kentucky River Monsters
Established 2010
Folded 2014
Played in The Bank of Kentucky Center in Highland Heights, Kentucky
NKYRiverMonsters.PNG
League/conference affiliations
Ultimate Indoor Football League (2011)

Continental Indoor Football League (2014)

  • South Division (2014)
Team colorsGreen, Black, White
   
CheerleadersRiver Girls Dance Crew
Personnel
Owner(s)Jill Chitwood
General managerJohn Jackson
Head coachRodney Swanigan (2011)
Brian Schmidt (2014)
Mike Goodpaster (2014)
Team history
  • Northern Kentucky River Monsters (2011, 2014)
Championships
League championships (0)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (0)
Playoff appearances (2)
Home arena(s)

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. [1]

Contents

History

2011

Announced as startup team for the newly formed Ultimate Indoor Football League in 2010, the team was purchased by Jill Chitwood from the UIFL in February 2011. [2] The River Monsters were the first professional sports team to play in northern Kentucky in over 90 years, after the Covington Blue Sox folded after a single season in 1913. Just a week before the season began, team general manager, Jared Lorenzen, relieved himself of his duties as general manager, and became the quarterback for the franchise. [3] In the River Monsters first ever game they defeated the Canton Cougars by a score of 63–41. [4] With a week 9 win over the Saginaw Sting, the River Monsters had clinched a postseason berth in their first season, [5] clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs. [6] After wrapping up the season, the UIFL had discovered that the River Monsters had been paying their players over the league's salary cap. The UIFL stripped the River Monsters of the #1 seed and made them the #4 seed, taking away the River Monster's chance to earn playoff money. [7] The River Monster now traveled to Saginaw, Michigan to play the Sting, where the Sting upset the River Monsters 48–47. [8] 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 (establishing a paper franchise named the Kentucky Monsters to hold onto the lease) and signed Lorenzen as their commissioner, 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, but that league never got off the ground. [9] [10] On their web show, the Dayton Silverbacks announced the River Monsters would be joining the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL), moving to Muncie, Indiana, and retaining the River Monsters name. A September 2011 article on OurSportsCentral.com also said that former ownership of the Northern Kentucky River Monsters were joining the CIFL and moving to Muncie for the 2012 season. [11] However, the team never played a game in Muncie.

2014

After a two-year layoff, the River Monsters announced that they would be returning to an active team, joining the CIFL for the 2014 season. [12] [13] In the River Monsters' first game of the season, listed as 320 pounds, Jared Lorenzen showed that he still had plenty of athleticism. Lorenzen's play was filmed and the videos ended up all over the internet, overshadowing the River Monsters' 36–20 victory of the Bluegrass Warhorses. [14] Head coach Brian Schmidt was fired on February 22, and was replaced by defensive coordinator Mike Goodpaster. [15] Goodpaster was able to salvage the season after losing Lorenzen to injury in week 2, going 5–2 down the stretch, defeating the Dayton Sharks the final week of the season to clinch the final South Division playoff spot. [16]

On October 1, 2014, the team announced that they were suspending operations effective immediately. [17]

Notable players

Final roster

Northern Kentucky River Monsters roster
Quarterbacks
  • 10Antonio Davis

Running backs

  • 14Clay Cunningham
  •  6Maurice Douse

Wide receivers

  • 11Aric Evans
  •  8Willie Idlette
  •  3Ricardo Lenhart
  •  5Ahoma Maxwell
  •  9Shawn McGarity
Offensive linemen
  • 77Bob Beeler
  • 55Thomas Gholston
  • 74Matt Money

Defensive linemen

  • 57D'arrell Brown
  • 52Rico Middlebrooks
  • 99Luke Scarborough
Linebackers
  •  1David James
  • 48Tommie McBride
  • 37Santino Turnbow

Defensive backs

  • 12Butch Abshire
  • 32David Hampton
  •  4T. J. Harris
  • 21Marcus Lancaster
  • 23Dekota Marshall
  •  7Jeff Ward

Kickers

  • 13Dustin Zink
Injured reserve

Exempt list

  • Currently vacant
  • Rookies in italics
  • Roster updated February 17, 2013
  • 24 Active, 1 Inactive

Awards and honors

The following is a list of all Northern Kentucky River Monsters players who won league awards

SeasonPlayerPositionAward
2011 Thomas McKenzie DL UIFL Defensive Player of the Year
2011 Jared Lorenzen QB UIFL MVP

All-league players

The following River Monsters players were named to all-league teams:

Head coaches

NameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwards
WLTWin%WL
Rodney Swanigan 2011 1130.78601
Brian Schmidt 2014 210.66700
Mike Goodpaster 2014-present520.71401

Season-by-season results

League ChampionsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsWild Card BerthLeague Leader
Season Team League Conference Division Regular season Postseason results
FinishWinsLossesTies
2011 2011 UIFL 1st1130Lost UIFL semifinals (Sting) 47–48
2014 2014 CIFLSouth2nd730Lost South Division Championship (Blue Racers) 40–56
Totals1860All-time regular season record (2011–2014)
02-All-time postseason record (2011–2014)
1880All-time regular season and postseason record (2011–2014)

Related Research Articles

Jared Lorenzen American football player (1981–2019)

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 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, Lorenzen was the heaviest quarterback to play in the NFL. He was nicknamed Hefty Lefty because of his weight and being left-handed.

Erie Explosion

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.

Ultimate Indoor Football League

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.

Saginaw Sting American indoor football team

The Saginaw Sting was a professional Indoor Football team based in Saginaw, Michigan. The team was most recently a member of American Indoor Football (AIF). They began play in 2008 as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League and then moved to the Indoor Football League for the 2009 season. They suspended operations for the 2010 season before becoming an inaugural member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League. The following season they were suspended by the UIFL and re-joined the CIFL under new ownership. The team has since moved to the AIF. The owners of the Sting were Stuart Schweigert, Rob Licht and Jim O'Brien. The Sting played their home games at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan.

Kentucky Drillers

The Kentucky Drillers were a professional indoor football team based in Pikeville, Kentucky. The franchise started as the Eastern Kentucky Drillers and joined the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2013 after playing their first two seasons as a charter member of the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) for its inaugural 2011 season. The owner of the Drillers was Rick Kranz. The Drillers played their home games at the Eastern Kentucky Expo Center in Pikeville, Kentucky.

The 2011 Ultimate Indoor Football League season was the first season of the league. The regular season lasted from February 18 to May 29 and the postseason, will be held the following two weeks with the championship game being held at the highest remaining seed. The 2011 season went off without any teams folding or any games being missed or rescheduled. The Northern Kentucky River Monsters finished with the best regular season record, finished 11–3. However, due to league sanctions they were not able to host an playoff games and were dropped to a four seed.

Marion Blue Racers

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.

Thomas McKenzie American football player

Thomas "T.J." McKenzie is a former indoor football defensive lineman.

The 2011 Northern Kentucky River Monsters season was the first season for the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) franchise. Announced as startup team for the newly formed Ultimate Indoor Football League in 2010, the team was purchased by Jill Chitwood from the UIFL in February 2011. Just a week before the season began, team General Manager, Jared Lorenzen, relieved himself of his duties as general manager, and became the quarterback for the franchise. In the River Monsters first ever game they defeated the Canton Cougars by a score of 63–41. With a Week 9 win over the Saginaw Sting, the River Monsters had clinched a postseason berth in their first season, clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs. After wrapping up the season, the UIFL had discovered that the River Monsters had been paying their players over the league's salary cap. The UIFL stripped the River Monsters of the #1 seed and made them the #4 seed, taking away the River Monster's chance to earn playoff money. The River Monster now traveled to Saginaw, Michigan to play the Sting, where the Sting upset the River Monsters 48–47. 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, but that league never got off the ground.

Owensboro Rage

The Owensboro Rage, formerly the Evansville Rage, was a professional indoor football team based in Owensboro, Kentucky. The team was a member of the Continental Indoor Football League. The Rage joined the CIFL in 2012 as an expansion team. The Rage were the first indoor football team to be based in Owensboro. The Rage were founded in 2011 by David Reed. Reed stepped down as President and General Manager in March 2012 due to lack of funds. In 2013 the owner of the Rage became Melissa Logsdon. The Rage played their home games at The Next Level Sports Facility.

Miami Sting

The Miami Sting were a professional indoor football team based in Coral Gables, Florida. The Sting was to play its home games at the BankUnited Center on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables. The Sting folded just before the 2013 season began.

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 are 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 2012 Marion Blue Racers season was the 2nd season for the United Indoor Football League (UIFL) franchise.

The 2013 Owensboro Rage season was the second and final season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.

Bluegrass Warhorses

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 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 2014 Marion Blue Racers season was the fourth season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.

The 2014 Northern Kentucky River Monsters season was the second and final season for the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) franchise.

The 2013 Ultimate Indoor Football League season was the third season of the league. The league contracted down to just 6 teams.

References

  1. ↑ River Monsters to Suspend Operations Effective Immediately, Team website, October 1, 2014
  2. ↑ "Chitwood Assumes River Monsters Ownership". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. February 10, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  3. ↑ Richard Skinner (February 24, 2011). "Jared Lorenzen lured back to field". www.cincinnati.com. Gannett. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  4. ↑ "River Monsters defeat Cougars". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. February 25, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  5. ↑ "River Monsters Clinch Playoff Berth". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. April 24, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Northern Kentucky Torches Top-Scoring Defense, Clinches Home Field". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. May 22, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Northern Kentucky Penalized by UIFL is Eastern Kentucky's Gain". www.nationofblue.com. Nation of Blue LLC. May 24, 2011. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  8. ↑ Kyle Austin (June 3, 2011). "Saginaw Sting earn berth in Ultimate Bowl with 48-47 upset win over Northern Kentucky". www.mlive.com. MLive Media Group. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  9. ↑ "FireHawks joining new league". www.wane.com. WANE. June 30, 2011. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  10. ↑ Tom Davis (July 2, 2011). "Fire Wayne FireHawks to try again in new 2012 league". The News-Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  11. ↑ Krieger, Dan (September 5, 2011). "WEEKLY SPORTS LEAGUE AND FRANCHISE REPORT". oursportscentral.com. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Northern Kentucky River Monsters Emerge from the "Swamp"". www.oursportscentral.com. OurSports Central. July 23, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  13. ↑ Adam Turer. "River Monsters burst back on the scene". www.cincinnati.com. Gannett. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  14. ↑ Paul Dehner Jr. (February 9, 2014). "Jared Lorenzen's CIFL opening performance goes viral". www.cincinnati.com. Gannett. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  15. ↑ Mike Perleberg (February 27, 2014). "Goodpaster Is River Monsters' New Head Coach". www.eaglecountryonline. Wagon Wheel Broadcasting. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  16. ↑ Mike Perleberg (May 7, 2014). "Goodpaster Improves To 5-2 With River Monsters; Takes Team To Playoffs". www.eaglecountryonline. Wagon Wheel Broadcasting. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  17. ↑ River Monsters to Suspend Operations Effective Immediately, Team website, October 1, 2014
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