Two rookies, one expected, one out of nowhere, and a second year player looking to insert himself into the league’s MVP conversation were the IFL’s best in week one. There wasn’t much competition to win this week’s awards, but it didn’t make their performances any less impressive.
OFFENSE: EJ HILLARD
The Steamwheelers signal caller was the selling point in the IFL’s kickoff showcase against the Cedar Rapids River Kings last week. Hilliard didn’t put up the huge passing numbers we came to expect from him last season, but took what the River King defense gave him, and that was a lot of high percentage throws, and running lanes near the goal line. The 2019 IFL Offensive Player of the Year completed 8 of 12 passes for 125 yards and 1 TD, and ran for another 47 yards and 3 touchdowns. Hilliard leads the league in rushing yards and touchdowns after week 1.
DEFENSE: DAQUAWN BROWN
Brown is a guy who get very well not be in the IFL in a few weeks. This isn’t because of his lack of skill, it’s for his abundance of skill. Many IFL players have already gotten a chance to move up to the XFL, and Brown may be the next one called. For the time being he’s a member of the San Diego Strike Force and he dominated in week one. Brown made a game-high 10 tackles (2nd in league), a tackle for loss, and interception, and 4 pass breakups (1st in league). By the way, this was his first professional football game.
SPECIAL TEAMS: ZURIL HENDRICK
Hendrick was a relatively unknown player before week one, and if anyone was watching he no longer is. Hendrick was a Division II All-American at Edinboro University and is turning out to be an absolute steal for Bismarck. The rookie made four tackles and an interception in the season opener but made his biggest contributions on special teams, returning two missed field goals for 90 yards, the first went 40 yards down the left sideline, setting up a Bismarck touchdown. The second was the longest play in Buck history, 50 yards for the rookie’s first career touchdown.
What a start for Bismarck. They were able to utilize some huge names they didn’t bother announcing they had signed (Shad Thornton) to build a 14-0 lead after Ryan Feiss set the tone with a 26 yard kickoff return which led to an Eric Lauderdale 3 yard touchdown plunge. They then used a huge missed field goal return by Zuril Hendrick to set up a Taz Wilson touchdown run from 9 yards out. These two short touchdown drives successfully masked the fact that Bismarck had no passing game on Sunday. San Diego finally woke up on a busted play where Nate Chavious got to show off his speed down the sidelines for a 31 yard catch and run for the first score of 2020 for SD. The play of the half came on rookie quarterback Michael Carrillo’s second touchdown of the half, and best throw of the day, a 42 yard bomb to Marques Rodgers to give the Strike Force a 21-17 lead at the break.
San Diego received the second half kickoff poised to go up two scores. That’s when Zuril Hendrick stepped in front of a Carrillo pass for the Bucks’ second interception of the day. That led to the Bucks’ lone passing touchdown of the day as Wilson found Shad Thornton on a wheel route from 12-yards out to go up 28-24. That lead lasted all of 1 play as the 109 Special Teams Player of the Year, Rodgers returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards for the go-ahead score.
After a stop on the following drive San Diego had a chance to put the game away, but refused to take advantage, fumbling in their own endzone for a safety. Cody Barber then made an impossible 40 yard field goal to give Bismarck the lead back at 29-28. Bismarck’s inexperience showed itself on the next San Diego drive as a busted coverage allowed Carrillo to easily find wideout Donta Armstrong in the endzone from 19 yards out as the Strike Force went up 35-29. That’s when things got fun.
After both teams traded stops San Diego lined up for a 53 yard field goal attempt off the leg of Bryce Crawford. Crawford’s kick fell short and Zuril Hendrick made what looked like the best play in the franchise’s young IFL history, breaking multiple tackles en route to a 50 yard touchdown return to give Bismarck a one-point lead with 2:23 remaining. Just when it looked like San Diego had their backs against the wall, Isaiah Bernard fielded a muffed kick by Nate Chavious and weaved nearly untouched for yet another go ahead kick return touchdown.
Bismarck had one final shot but failed to gain positive yardage and turned the ball over on downs. Nate Chavious added another touchdown from 6 yards out for good measure as the Strike Force improved to 1-0 for the first time ever.
FINAL THOUGHTS
SAN DIEGO: This secondary was the pride and joy of the 2020 offseason, and they showed out with the rest of the defense on Sunday. Daquawn Brown, Malcom Lee, and backup QB Rudy Johnson each had multiple pass breakups. The offense still provides a huge question mark. Nate Chavious could be in for an All-IFL type season if used correctly. Everytime he has the ball in his hands there is big play potential. He only carried ten times on Sunday and that number should increase. Michael Carrillo played solid football but has plenty to improve on. Finally, the play at the center position was hoorendous as Carrillo had to crouch down to field just about every snap. Things looked better as the game went on but that needs to be cleaned up.
BISMARCK: If Taz Wilson completes a deep throw just twice on Sunday the Bucks are 1-0 and we look like complete idiots. Instead, for whatever reason, Wilson continuously overthrew open men and somehow got worse as the game went on. He completed just 5 of 22 passes for 36 yards. That just simply won’t cut it and it’s a shame because the defense was fantastic, forcing multiple turnovers. Special teams was phenomenal. This loss falls on Wilson’s shoulders. Fortunately, if he plays well this looks like a somewhat talented Bismarck squad.
GAME AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: RB Nate Chavious (SD): 10 att. 39 yards, 2 TD, 2 rec. 26 yards, 1 TD.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: DB Daquawn Brown (SD): 10 tackles, TFL, 4 PBUP, INT.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE GAME: DB Zuril Hendrick (BIS): 2 missed FG returns, 90 yards, LONG: 50, 1 TD.
PLAY OF THE GAME:
STAT LEADERS
PASSING YARDS: Michael Carrillo (SD): 132
PASSING TOUCHDOWNS: Michael Carrillo (SD): 3
PASS COMPLETIONS: Michael Carrillo (SD): 9
PASS INCOMPLETIONS: Taz Wilson (BIS): 17
COMPLETION PERCENTAGE: Michael Carrillo (SD): 52.9%
San Diego: Seeking first road win in franchise history. Lost road games by an average of 28.6 points in 2019.
Bismarck: Attempting to get to .500 as a franchise in season openers. (1-2)
SERIES HISTORY
First meeting.
STORYLINES
The marketing team of the San Diego Strike Force has done one of the great jobs in all of progessional sports this offseason. This San Diego team had a worse record than Bismarck last season. You’d think San Diego was lightyears ahead of Bismarck based on how they handled themselves this offseason. The question will be, will the big name signings be enough to propel San Diego to a 1-0 start or will Bismarck’s group of small-school signees and indoor veterans prevail?
MATCHUP TO WATCH: MICHAEL CARRILLO V. TAZ WILSON
The two quarterbacks, Wilson spent last offseason in Tucson Sugar Skulls camp, got picked up late in the season by Bismarck and now has been named a team captain in 2020 after throwing for 415 yards and 7 touchdowns. Carrillo is a San Jose State product who beat out indoor veterans Rudy Johnson and Quinn McQueary for the starting job. Obviously the coaching staff in San Diego saw something they liked in Carrillo and I’m very excited to see what that is come gametime. These are two guys who are vastly unproven and now have a chance to get their team to 1-0. It’s time to put their money where their mouths are and we’ll see who rises to the occasion.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
OFFENSE: WR Marques Rogers (SD): It’s hard to pick against the most electrifying player on the field. The 2019 IFL Special Teams player of the year is surrounded by a serious increase in talent from last season and could be in for a big afternoon.
WR: Ari Werts (BIS): A big body rookie, Werts stands 6’4” and could be a difference maker if he develops solid chemistry with Taz Wilson, especially down near the goal line.
DEFENSE: DB: Daquawn Brown (SD): One of a few major signings in the secondary this offseason, Brown is a former PAC-12 Honorable Mention selection while at Washington State and if he can adjust to the indoor game he has All-IFL potential.
DL: Latreze Mushatt (BIS): Mushatt is one of the veterans we referred to earlier and he has established himself as one of the best player’s in the Bucks young history already, leading the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles last season.
PREDICTION
Like we said in our Steamwheeler and River Kings preview, we have been harsh critics of the Bucks over the offseason. Now is their time to silence the doubters. Will it happen? It’ll come down to quarterback play. If San Diego gets it this one won’t be close. Bismarck does have the luxury of many players returning and this one will be a lot closer than many people think.
There was excitement, there was energy, there was hope this would be a new River Kings team. That lasted all of six seconds, as Keyvan Rudd returned the opening kickoff of the 2020 IFL season for a touchdown. Cedar Rapids did make things interesting in the first half as the new-found athleticism of Victor Mann’s squad showed itself when Chris Franklin returned a kickoff for a touchdown to pull the River Kings within six. After another QC touchdown Derrick Bernard scored on an impressive 21 yard touchdown run. That’s when the wheels fell off and Quad City does what they do so well, answer quickly. Hilliard threw a beautiful ball downfield to Rudd from 34 yards out to give the ‘Wheelers a two-score lead which they turned into a four-score lead by halftime as Hilliard scored on the ground from one and ten yards out.
The second half saw the River Kings take out some of their first half frustrations and turn things into a game in the third quarter. Cedar Rapids was able to score 26 points in the half, thanks to an improved passing game as Bernard threw two touchdown passes, while Javin Kilgo threw his first career IFL touchdown. The only turnover of the night came on a fumble recovery in the endzone in which River King Diante Thomas fell on a ‘Wheeler fumble for a score. In the end, the River Kings were a much more intriguing team on Saturday night but the quick strike offense was too much for the inexperienced River Kings to overcome.
RIVER KINGS CONFUSION
The second half can be summed up with a “What if?” The River Kings did a fantastic job battling their way back into the game after halftime only to throw in the towel. There were three instances which come to mind. Derrick Bernard finally got going after a 5/15 first half, throwing for two touchdowns, only to be benched for Javin Kilgo. While Kilgo played well, Bernard provided a much bigger threat for a comeback and he wasn’t given that opportunity. Second, the team chose to not kick onside down 54-33 with 39 seconds remaining, and then didn’t attempt an onside kick again down just two scores, 54-39 with 32 seconds left. Lastly, the team had a chance to get the ball back if they were able to tackle Quad City behind the line of scrimmage and use their final two timeouts but instead let the clock run out as the River Kings failed to win their fourth consecutive season opener.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was a bit dissapointed in the ‘Wheelers tonight. They did get the win which is their job, not to entertain me. They took what the River Kings gave them which was a lot of short throws and we didn’t see a whole lot of what we expected, which were the deep throws we saw last season from QC. Cedar Rapids is going to be such a fun team to watch this season whether they win a lot or not. They are athletic, and passionate, and are a perfect underdog story. If they can find their identity they can be dangerous. One thing is for sure, they need to clean up A LOT of things defensively.
STAT LEADERS
PASSING YARDS: EJ Hilliard (QC): 125
PASSING TOUCHDOWNS: Derrick Bernard (CR): 2
RUSHING YARDS: EJ Hilliard (QC): 47
RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS: EJ Hilliard (QC): 3
RECEPTIONS: Marcus Bagley (QC), James Harden (CR): 4
• Steamwheelers have never lost a season opener (2-0)
•River Kings seeking 1-0 start since 2016.
MATCHUP TO WATCH: EJ HILLIARD V. RIVER KING SECONDARY
EJ Hilliard is poised to have a huge 2020 and this could be a perfect opponent to have a huge game against. The River Kings are vastly improved and will be extremely competitive but i’m intrigued to see how a unit that has mostly not played together fares tonight against arguably the IFL’s most talented receiving core.
PREGAME PLAYERS OF THE GAME
OFFENSE: QB EJ HILLIARD: The o/u on Hilliard touchdown passes tonight should be 7. He could have a career night tonight.
DEFENSE: Malik Duncan: Duncan is facing a QB in Derrick Bernard who will put up gaudy stats in 2020 but is interception prone. Duncan didn’t register a pick last season but did lead the squad with pass breakups with 7.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K Jacob Stytz: Stytz was solid in the kicking game last year and should be called on for PAT’s often against CR. He missed just 9 last year and could very well be tonight’s leading scorer.
PREDICTION
We have been openly critical of Cedar Rapids on this website since it’s inception. This will be the best team in CR in a few seasons and the team is headed in the right direction. A close game at halftime will see the Steamwheelers pull away in the second half due to River King turnovers. The QC offense may not leave the field without a touchdown all night.
While breaking down and predicting every team’s 2020 record it is incredibly hard to predict the entire outcome of a season before the opening kickoff of any sport. The IFL has to be an increased level of difficulty. There’s no guarnaty every player finishes a season because of injury, but now with the birth of the XFL, teams have an increased chance of losing their stars than ever before. Again, these are simply predictions and it is not a perfect science. Let’s do it.
1-SEED: ARIZONA RATTLERS (12-2)
The Rattlers will fall twice in 2020, after a 7-0 start they’ll lose a hard-fought matchup on the road against the Tucson Sugar Skulls before the Spokane Shock pull a bit of an upset on their own in the Rattlers’ penultimate regular season game.
2-SEED: SIOUX FALLS STORM (12-2)
The only reason Sioux Falls doesnt have the 1-seed is because of a tie-breaker with Arizona, as the Rattlers avenge their 2019 United Bowl loss and continue to play well against the Storm in the regular season like they always have. Sioux Falls will also slip up in Moline against a Steamwheeler club which always plays well at home.
3-SEED: FRISCO FIGHTERS (11-3)
The schedule sets up so nicely for the first year franchise which may have the most talent of any team in the league both on the field and on the sidelines. Experience is the only question mark for this squad. After an up-and down start to the year we predicit the Fighters rack up 7 wins in a row, winning 8 of their last 10.
4-SEED: TUCSON SUGAR SKULLS (10-3)
Daquan Neal and Dixie Wooten are already lethal together, now the question becomes can they become one of the all-time great duos in IFL history? The only thing missing last year was a ring and they have an opportunity to get it this season with an increased playoff bracket and only 13 regular season games. They’ll be on upset-alert early against San Diego but finish the regular season on a 4-game winning streak.
5-SEED: SPOKANE SHOCK (9-5)
Charles McCullum is back in the IFL and the Shock are the most intriguing team in 2020. There’s plenty of big names both from the outdoor, and indoor game. The only question is if they can all mesh. The Shock have a brutal three-game stretch midway through their schedule, facing Sioux Falls, Tucson, and Arizona. A three-game win streak will give them some momentum heading into the tournament.
6-SEED: GREEN BAY BLIZZARD (8-5)
Corey Roberson showed last year that he can really coach and he has his signal caller back in Lenorris Footman, his dangerous secondary has returned, and all of Footman’s weapons are back in GB as well. There won’t be much different of a look on the field for Green Bay, the question is can they win the close game and can they win the big game? The Blizzard are handed a relatively favorable schedule in 2020. They’ll have to face the big dogs in the playoffs.
7-SEED: QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS (7-7)
Quad City was electric in 2019, they just didnt make enough stops. That is projected to change in 2020, and with an entire offense back they will make some serious noise. The league is just so talented at the top it’s tough to get wins. Quad City will get enough of them though to make the IFL playoffs for the first time. The highlight of their regular season will be a win over Sioux Falls.
8-SEED: IOWA BARNSTORMERS (6-8)
The final playoff spot will belong to Iowa. There’s nothing flashy about the Barnstormers but Ameer Ismail is too good a coach and the organization has too much talent to not win enough games to get in. Even with 8-teams they project to be the only team with a losing record who will make it in.
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
9: Oakland Panthers (4-10)
10. San Diego Strike Force (4-10)
11. Duke City Gladiators (3-10)
12. Cedar Rapids River Kings (3-11)
13. Bismarck Bucks (1-13)
Before I began I thought there would be no way Oakland misses the playofs with the amount of talent they’ve put together and I thought San Diego would be extremely close to making it. Duke City won a championship last year and has a great coaching staff. This process proved how deep the league is this year and I believe coaching will have more of an edge than ever before. This is why Oakland is on the outside looking in. A lack of experience on the sidelines. For San Diego they play a tough schedule and will start 2-0 but I don’t think they know how to win just yet. Duke City has a tough draw playing mostly the West Coast powers and I don’t think the roster is talented enough to compete for a playoff spot. Cedar Rapids and Bismarck will surprise some people. The River Kings will be extremely competitive, picking up two wins over playoff teams, Bismarck will get their lone win over Iowa.
PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
ROUND 1
1. Arizona def. 8. Iowa
2. Sioux Falls def. 7. Quad City
6. Green Bay def. 3. Frisco
4. Tucson def. 5. Spokane
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
4. Tucson def. 1. Arizona
2. Sioux Falls def. 6. Green Bay
UNITED BOWL
2. Sioux Falls def. 4. Tucson
PLAYOFF RECAP
Sioux Falls is just too good and they may be even better than last year. The amount of talent may be higher than ever before. Green Bay is a sneaky good team and I think they have potential to make it to the semi-finals as a team others overlook. Arizona and Tucson play so much and I think Tucson will figure out Arizona by the time that championship comes around. In the end, this may be the best Sioux Falls team ever. It won’t look like that because of the level of competition but they are ultra-talented and our pick for 2020 IFL champions.
Some teams have their signal caller already penciled in for 2020. But there are a few teams that may be a solid QB away from turning the corner in a league where it may be harder to do so than in any other form of professional football. Today we’ll predict who will start under center for each of the IFL’s 13 teams, as well as breakdown who will back them up, or come gunning for their spot once the season gets underway.
ARIZONA RATTLERS: DREW POWELL
Drew Powell and DaQuan Neal will go back and forth all season to decide not only who is the league’s best signal-caller but most likely who will win the league’s 2020 MVP. With an injury-free year, Powell will most likely already build a resume to get him into the hall of fame in just 3 and a half seasons. The question becomes, where does Verlon Reed fit into all this? He played receiver at Ohio State so we know he’s capable. We should also keep an eye out for Jaylen Lowe who dominated under center while at Langston University but will get some wideout looks during his rookie year.
BISMARCK BUCKS: DOMONIQUE HARRIS
The Bucks never could figure it out in 2019. Once they would build some form of momentum things quickly fell apart. There are plenty of new faces in Bismarck for their second IFL season, one of which is the imposing presence of 6’5″ 250 lb. QB Domonique Harris. Harris very well could be one of the most important free agent signings for any team this offseason. He poses the same threat Drew Powell does with how big and strong he is. It’s a skillset we aren’t used to seeing in the IFL. The other QB on the roster is Taz Wilson, who played well for the team in the final few games of the regular season but if Bismarck is here to compete for a playoff spot, it’s worth seeing what Harris can bring to the table.
CEDAR RAPIDS RIVER KINGS: DERRICK BERNARD
Even though he didn’t win a single start in 2019, he was must-see TV when taking the field for the San Diego Strike Force. He has a rocket arm and is one of the best improvisation artists the league has to offer. He brings a wealth of experience to an extremely young River King squad in 2020, the issue will be turnovers. His interception total was the reason he lost his job in San Diego before finishing 2019 in the CIF. If that does happen, Javin Kilgo will be next in line. Kilgo offers a similar skill set to Bernard, but only attempted 9 passes last season for Duke City in the CIF.
DUKE CITY GLADIATORS: NATE DAVIS
He’s the only IFL Quarterback in 2020 to have thrown an NFL pass. Although that pass came in a preseason game, Davis is a well-traveled veteran, entering 2020 at the age of 32. Davis played for three different NFL teams, spent some time in the AFL, and now will be tasked with trying to make Duke City the surprise of the IFL. The job is Davis’ and will be unless injury bites the former Ball State Cardinal.
FRISCO FIGHTERS: DEVANTE KINCADE
When we predict our end of season awards Devante Kincade will most likely appear as our pick for rookie of the year. This kid is the real deal. Began his career at Ole Miss before injuries sent him to Grambling where he nearly led the Tigers to an HBCU national championship. He’s got the tools to play outdoors but we’re not complaining about getting to see him indoors. The disadvantage Kincade has during training camp is his competition is Jonathan Bane. Bane played QB for the Tampa Bay Storm before leading the Jacksonville Sharks to a 2019 NAL title. The QB room is loaded in Frisco, with that being said, Kincade is the man. The skill-set is too special to sit on the bench.
GREEN BAY BLIZZARD: LENORRIS FOOTMAN
Footman kept us holding our breath all offseason long, but finally confirmed he will suit up for the team in 2020. Footman was electric in 2019 but could establish himself as one of the league’s top 3 quarterbacks if he continues to grow. However far Footman goes, will be how far Green Bay goes in 2020. The team also found some depth in Eystin Salum who is the most prolific QB in Colorado Mesa history.
IOWA BARNSTORMERS: KURT PALANDECH
Marquel Wade and Palandech were the two bright spots on a pitiful 2019 Cedar Rapids ballclub and unfortunately, Palandech was unable to complete the 2019 regular season. Fortunately, he’ll return in 2020 to quarterback the Iowa Barnstormers. Ameer Ismail will bring a new look to the Barnstormer offense in 2020, much different than the read-option look Dixie Wooten ran in Des Moines over the last few seasons. Caleb Holbrook and Vincent Espinoza will fight for the backup role, and you’d have to give the edge to Holbrook given his many years of indoor experience. However, Espinoza does bring a dual-threat skill-set to the table. With that being said, Palandech should be expected to be near the top of the league’s passing yardage list if he remains healthy and is given the starting role as we expect he will.
OAKLAND PANTHERS: BRYAN HICKS
When we originally published this article JuJuan Lawson ws our pick to lead the Panthers. We were just informed he is no longer with the team which makes this a two-man battle between arena veterans Bryan Hicks and Diondre Borel. The advantage goes to Hicks because he has arena experience at QB. Borel played QB at Utah State but has primarily been a Wide Receiver throughout his professional career, which includes a United Bowl title in 2017. Only recently has Borel returned to the QB position and I am unsure if he’ll be used as a QB at all in 2020. Hicks gives the Panthers a much-needed veteran presence on a talented, yet vastly inexperienced squad in Oaktown.
QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS: EJ HILLIARD
EJ Hilliard is THE dark horse for MVP this season. If the ‘Wheelers can find their way to a top-3 seed in the 2020 playoffs Hilliard will have as good a chance as anyone to win the award. He throws one of, if not the best deep balls in the league and has the ability to run if the play breaks down. Expect a big year out of EJ. QC will have one of the better QB rooms in the league this year as Hilliard’s backup is former LSU Tiger Caleb Lewis. Lewis has had some looks at the NFL level and provides a great football mind behind Hilliard.
SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE: RUDY JOHNSON
Johnson is electric. If you haven’t seen his indoor highlights yet you need to check them out. Johnson has the upper hand in the competition because of his indoor experience alone. The other quarterbacks on the roster include Montana Tech’s Quinn McQueary who has to be next in line to Johnson and may perform well enough in training camp to earn a starting role as he does have some indoor experience at the highest level with the Albany Empire, and with the AAF’s Arizona Hotshots but didn’t attempt a pass for either team. Michael Carrillo rounds out the quarterback room but is extremely raw.
SIOUX FALLS STORM: LORENZO BROWN
This is the competition we’re all looking forward to. 2019 IFL Rookie of the Year Tommy Armstrong has entered the conversation after signing with the team following the folding of the Nebraska Danger. It appears Armstrong will now take over as the next franchise quarterback in Sioux Falls, but as long as the future IFL Hall of Famer Lorenzo Brown is on the roster, I don’t see how he won’t be the starter out of respect alone. A third QB has been signed if the Storm decide to roll with three in 2020. Damian Williams was highly recruited out of high school in New Orleans but failed to live up to the hype in college. If given a chance he has the arm talent to resurrect his career. In the end, Armstrong will a good amount of snaps but if we’re deciding who the starter will be, we’ll put our money on Brown.
SPOKANE SHOCK: CHARLES MCCULLUM
He’s one of the best to ever do it, Of course he’s the starter. The question is, who will back him up? The answer will come down to two former SEC Quarterbacks in Alabama’s Blake Sims former Heisman Trophy candidate Jeremy Johnson. Johnson could rack up big rushing touchdown numbers as a big body in goal-line situations. He also has previous indoor experience in the NAL. As for Sims, he’s still trying to find his niche at the professional level and the IFL may be the perfect place to do it. He’s bounced around at QB in the CFL, RB in the NFL, and did a little bit of everything in the AAF. Sims has a great skill-set for indoor football and will be a factor at whatever position he lines up at. We’ll give the backup nod to Sims for now.
TUCSON SUGAR SKULLS: DAQUAN NEAL
Can Daquan Neal replicate his magical 2019? Hopefully. It doesn’t matter now though. He’ll be the starter in Tucson. Two other quarterbacks are on the roster in former Vanderbilt signal-caller Johnny McCrary and Tulane QB Jonathan Banks. Banks has been trying to find himself a roster spot in the XFL but that has yet to happen. McCrary was an early free-agent signing and at one point looked like he had the potential to dominate the SEC as a freshman. The ceiling is higher for McCrary but when Banks is on, he’s on. We’ll give the backup nod to McCrary but it’s a toss-up.
It’s time to explain. It’s time to understand. It’s time to discuss a rule that every year plays a major factor in who hoists the United Bowl Trophy, and for some reason is never talked about. It’s time to explain the Indoor Football League’s “vet” rule.
WHAT IS THE RULE?
The IFL’s “vet” rule states that each team may only have seven player’s on their roster who have played four or more seasons of professional football in any league.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A SEASON?
Once a player has appeared in four games that constitutes a full season. This means that a player could potentially only appear in 16 career games before being considered a veteran by the league.
OPINION
The IFL was established the way all indoor leagues need to be, as a developmental league. When the IFL was established in 2009 there were many other places for players to jump, the NFL and CFL obviously, but the AFL as well as the now defunct UFL. Times have changed though, and it’s time for the IFL to change with them. The league is competing directly with the National Arena League to see who can become the fourth major football league behind the NFL, CFL, and XFL. The IFL should no longer be looked at as a developmental league alone, it needs to be looked at as a long-term option. Obviously the pay-structure must change but that’s a topic for a different time. It’s hard to make a career out of something if you only get four years to do it. Of course there have been exceptions who have made a career in the IFL, Lorenzo Brown and Ryan Balentine are the two current players who come to mind. The league has done an excellent job inserting itself into large markets such as San Diego and Oakland, now it’s time to take the next step and allow players to become the faces of their cities in the Spring, that step is to eliminate the veteran rule.
Full Credit for Map goes to the Indoor Football League
Each year the IFL does everything they can to try and improve the length of travel each team has to endure in an attempt to save money. With the West Coast of the IFL now put in action, it would appear travel costs will be cut down substantially for some teams this season. Unfortunately, some teams were luckier than others and will have a little more money leftover following the season. Today we’re going to calculate every team’s total distance traveled, who their farthest and shortest trips will be to, who they’re visiting most often, and more. Let’s get into it. Note that the calculations for total miles were made from one team’s arena to the other and back. We did this assuming teams would come home following the game and not stay on the road for consecutive weeks.
QUAD CITY: 7,192 Miles
Quad City will travel the least of any team in 2020. Their farthest trip will be out to face the Rattlers. That is the only trip the team will take over 1,000 miles. They are the only franchise that will not have to take multiple 1,000 mile trips this year. They also will tie Cedar Rapids for the shortest trip any team will take this season with a grand total of 88 miles. The Steamwheelers longest road trip will be two games.
SIOUX FALLS: 8,336 Miles
Sioux Falls will travel the second least in 2020, their longest road trip will be out to Spokane which will be a common theme in this article. The Storm will only make two trips of over 1,000 miles and will exit the Dakotas for their shortest trip of the season when they matchup with the Barnstormers in one of the most anticipated matchups of the year.
TUCSON: 9,082 Miles
Ownership took a risk last year placing a franchise on the West Coast of a league which until the Rattlers joined in 2017, dominated the Central United States. In year two that risk is already paid off as the ‘Skulls will travel the third least of any team in 2020. They will make two short drives to Gila River Arena to face off against the afformentioned Rattlers and two more drives of just over 400 miles to face the new look Strike Force. Their longest trip will be their first of the season when they travel 1,558 miles to face the River Kings. Tucson is the only team in the IFL that will face more than one opponent on the road on multiple occasions.
IOWA: 9,304 Miles
It pays to be in Iowa. At least in terms of travel costs, the Barnstormers travel only 127 miles for their shortest trek of the season against the River Kings. Iowa will make two 669 mile trips to Bismarck to take on the Bucks and will have to travel to Oakland as one of two trips of over 1,000 miles.
CEDAR RAPIDS: 9,988 Miles
The final team to crack the sub 10,000 mile mark will be the Cedar Rapids River Kings. Cedar Rapids is one of six teams who will spend three consecutive weeks on the road in 2020. Their longest trip will be out to face fellow Choi-owned franchise, the Oakland Panthers.
DUKE CITY: 11,122 Miles
Duke City got picked on a bit in their first year of being an IFL franchise. They’re just one of two franchises that will make three trips of over 1,000 miles this season, the longest being a 1,151 mile journey to Moline, Illinois to take on Quad City. Their shortest trip is almost 500 miles to Tucson.
GREEN BAY: 12,178 Miles
Despite travelling only 302 miles to Cedar Rapids twice, Green Bay’s mileage in 2020 is a bit skewed thanks to their longest trip of the year, a 2,227 mile voyage to Oakland to take on the Panthers. The 2,000+ mile distance is the longest any team will have to travel in 2020 to play an opponent.
OAKLAND: 13,346
Remember how Green Bay’s numbers were skewed because of that long trip to Oakland? The Panthers weren’t spared of that trip, they’ll visit the Blizzard in late April for their longest trek of the year. The San Diego and Oakland rivalry has plenty of potential as the Panthers travel just 482 miles to meet the Strike Force in the Panthers’ shortest trip of the season.
BISMARCK: 13,572 Miles
We’re now in the top 5 and man, did Bismarck get the short end of the stick. Arguably the team that needed to save some money on travel the most winds up with the fifth highest mileage number of any team in the league in 2020. Their longest will be to Oakland (1,580) on May 2nd. The Dakota rivalry helps the indoor deer as they’ll enjoy a smooth 404 mile ride to Sioux Falls. Even with many regional opponents the Bucks will make three 1,000+ mile journeys in 2020.
ARIZONA: 14,104 Miles
Like we talked about with Tucson, the Rattlers have the luxury of only travelling a little over 100 miles to the Tucson Convention Center for their shortest trip of the year. Their longest trip of the season could be one of the most entertaining and intriguing games of the season, when they take on the Steamwheelers 1,586 miles away from home. The Rattlers are one of three teams who will travel over 1,000 miles four times.
SAN DIEGO: 14,568 Miles
The Strike Force struggled on and off the field in 2019 and will spend 2020 with the third most mileage of any team in the IFL. Even though both teams are on the West Coast, they’ll travel over 1,000 miles twice to play the Shock, make their longest trip of the year to Bismarck, and add another 1,000 mile trip to Frisco on top of that.
FRISCO: 16,036
Frisco could be a dangerous expansion team in 2020 but they’ll deal with some serious jet lag. Their closest opponent is over 600 miles away in the form of Duke City, while they’ll travel nearly 2,000 miles to take on the Shock in May. Fortunately they’ll get a little taste of everything the IFL has to offer as they won’t visit the same city twice in their inaugural IFL season.
SPOKANE: 19,442
Dear God, so much for that West Coast connection cutting down on travel. The numbers for Spokane are staggering. Their SHORTEST trip is 955 miles to Bismarck. Their other six road games (they only have seven) are all over 1,000 miles. Fortunately the longest road trip they’ll face is only two games but the Shock better download some good podcasts for the trip, may we suggest the IFL Network Podcast? Now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.
The 2020 season is almost upon us, and with that comes a bunch of articles we’ll be writing to try to pass the time until the first kick of the IFL’s 11th season on the turf. The first, we’ll break down every team’s 2020 schedule. The way we’ll grade it will be based off how favorable it is for the team and their hopes of a 2020 United Bowl Title, not how entertaining the matchup may be.
ARIZONA RATTLERS: D-
The Rattlers are one of four teams who won’t play their first game until 14 days after the season begins. They then will play for TEN consecutive weeks before finally getting their third and final bye. But the grueling schedule isn’t the only thing the Rattlers should worry about. They have to go to Iowa, and Sioux Falls in their only match-ups with those two teams in 2020. They also have the misfortune of playing the Sugar Skulls in back-to-back weeks as part of a home and home series. Add all those reasons on top of not getting to play Bismarck or Cedar Rapids? Tough scene.
BISMARCK BUCKS: C-
The Bucks need all the help they can get in 2020 and they don’t get a lot of help initially as they’ll have to run through the gauntlet of San Diego, Sioux Falls, Spokane, and Iowa before finally facing off against expansion Frisco in Week 5. The Bucks do see their opponents ease a bit following those first four weeks but they’ll play 11 games in a row before getting their first bye week. Their final two byes take place consecutively to close out the regular season but at least they’ll be well rested for the offseason right?
CEDAR RAPIDS RIVER KINGS: A
Don’t know which schedule maker was paid off here but the River Kings might as well hold a parade now for how favorable their schedule is. No Arizona, no Sioux Falls, no Spokane, and no Oakland. Plus, they’re bye weeks will take place after playing 3 games, 4 games, and 2 games with a stretch of 5 games to close out the regular season. The only reason this isnt an A+ is because of three straight games away from home toward the back end of the schedule as this team could sneak into the playoffs.
DUKE CITY GLADIATORS: B-
There’s a little bit of everything there for Duke City, usually matchups against Arizona and Sioux Falls will hurt you but if there’s a team ready for that challenge it is this Gladiator team which is as big a wild card as any heading into 2020. They won’t play at home until Week 5 but five of their last six games will be played at home.
FRISCO FIGHTERS: C
When you’re the new kid people pick on you. That’s kind of what happened to Frisco in their inaugural schedule release. Their first and third bye weeks will take place in week 1 and week 17. So the team has essentially only one week off all regular season. You match that with having to play consecutive road games everytime they leave the lone-star state and things look tough. Fortunately, they’ll get Duke City and Cedar Rapids twice.
GREEN BAY BLIZZARD: B
The opponents are incredibly favorable for Green Bay in 2020, unfortunately the Blizzard will join three other franchises who won’t touch the field until Week 3. The Blizzard won’t have to deal with the Rattlers or the Shock in 2020 and have a great shot to get hot in the back-end of the schedule with the Storm being the only playoff team the squad will face in their last 5 contests.
IOWA BARNSTORMERS: B-
Unlike Green Bay, Iowa won’t have to wait until week 3 to play. They will have to wait until week 2 and then get their second bye week in week 3. Despite having only one week off in their final 14, the team doesnt have to play the Shock, and only has consecutive road games once on their schedule. They’ll also get three games against Bismarck to add to their win totals.
OAKLAND PANTHERS: C-
Oakland’s front office has done everything in their power to put together a championship roster in year one, their schedule will do everything to try and keep that from happening. The Panthers will use two of their three bye weeks up by week 5 and will endure brutal stretches on the road as they’ll play three in a row on the road prior to their final bye, and finish the season with three road games in their last four contests. On the bright side, the Indoor Cats will avoid Sioux Falls in year one.
QUAD CITY STEAMWHEELERS: B-
In their first IFL season, Quad City played well at home, they have a great support system in Moline and they’ll get to play most of their tougher opponents at home at least once. Sioux Falls and Arizona will each make trips there before QC returns the favor. The team will play the Barnstormers on the road both times but will only have to make one trip to the West Coast, to face the Rattlers.
SAN DIEGO STRIKE FORCE: B
Arguably the most improved team in 2020 has a schedule which will allow them to accomplish just that. They’re one of the few teams in the league that will get all three of their bye weeks in the regular season. They also will get to play their final three games at home. plenty of home games at the end does mean plenty of road games at the beginning though, as the team will not play a down of football in San Diego from March 15th all the way until April 18th.
SIOUX FALLS STORM: A
It’s not like that defending United Bowl Champs needed any help, but they got it anyway. They won’t have to face Arizona once during the regular season, they also won’t have to face potential problem San Diego. The team will get two chances to beat up on Bismarck, two matchups against Duke City, and will also entertain expansion Frisco. One of their two matchups against Iowa will take place in the final week of the regular season with seeds most likely already decided. The only reason this schedule doesn’t get an A+ is the way the bye weeks turn out for the club, they’ll play every weekend from March 29th all the way until May 29th, a full two months without a break.
SPOKANE SHOCK: D
It doesn’t get much more challenging that what lies ahead of the Spokane Shock. Two dates with Arizona, two with Sioux Falls, two with Tucson, and they’ll also have a date on the road in a hostile environment against Quad City. Take this unfavorable schedule and add in two of the three bye weeks before week 3 even kicks off. Billy Back has his work cut out for him.
TUCSON SUGAR SKULLS: C-
When you look at the front of the Sugar Skull schedule matchups with Cedar Rapids and Duke City may fool you into thinking Tucson has an easy schedule, but that’s where the intensity increases for the second year franchise. They’ll play rival Arizona three times, Spokane twice, and will only play consecutive home games once in 2020. The team will avoid Sioux Falls during the regular season.
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