Post by Nevadanut on Mar 29, 2019 20:52:20 GMT -8
OVERVIEW
The Alaska Wild are a Champions Internet Fantasy Football team which was formed on March 29, 2019. They play in the CIF Division of the CIFL, which was formed in January 2016. The team is named after the former Indoor Football League's Alaska Wild, which played 2007-10 with home games in Anchorage. The current Wild are operated from a loft in Eastern Portland.
The CIFL plays its games using a combination of players from the Indoor Football League and Champions Indoor Football. The CIFL begins its season the weekend of March 29-31. Eight teams make up the league, forming two divisions, the IFL and CIF. The 2019 will be held over a multi-day span in late March. During the first two seasons of the league, eight teams competed. The Quad City Steamwheelers returned to the CIFL after a one-year hiatus. In 2018 there were 10 teams, but that was downsized due to ownership decisions.
Entering its fourth season in 2019, the CIFL was set to embark on it's draft, involving its eight teams; seven returnees and one expansion team, the San Antonio Force. During the second day of the Draft, it was discovered that the owner of the Force had left the Texas city, taking all of the investors' money with him. That left the league in a bit of a quandary as the third day of the Draft had already begun. The league commissioner (and owner of the Rochester Raiders) inquired to the other six owners regarding the dilemma. Angi Martin, who owns the Portland Forest Dragons, reached out to prospective owners and was able to secure ownership of a new franchise, which would later be announced as the Wild.
The Wild are owned by Heidi Marie Barnes, executive assistant to the CEO and Board of Directors for a company which distributes materials related to the construction industry. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a B.A. in Music Theory and a Minor in English. She is a native of Sparks, Nevada who now resides in Portland, Oregon. She will also serve as President and General Manager of the team.
Barnes and the Wild will utilize several methods of hands-on technology to run the team. This includes a laptop computer, cellular phone, a paper notebook, and likely several pencils and pens. With the short notice, securing new field turf was a challenge, but Barnes has found a throw rug in her storage closet which will suffice for the turf during the season.
The Wild inherited the majority of the Force's roster, which had been selected by the league in the Draft. Ownership was able to make the picks in the final two rounds of the draft, selecting quarterback Kurt Palandech of the Cedar Rapids River Kings in the 13th round. The other selection was that of wide receiver Gary Jolivet of the ironically named Wichita Force. The roster already included a first round selection of a wide receiver from the Quad City Steamwheelers, Quinton Pedroza, and a veteran quarterback from the Sioux Falls Storm, Lorenzo Brown, Jr. The duo were taken in the first and second rounds, respectively.
Alaska plays its games on the fields of the aforementioned league's indoor football arenas and is filtered through Goal Line Software.
TRAINING CAMP ROSTER
2019 CIFL DRAFT AND DRAFT ANALYSIS
Rd. 1, pick 4 (4) - Quinton Pedroza, WR, Quad City Steamwheelers
Athletic receiver with great hands and an amazing vertical leap.
Rd. 2, pick 1. (5) - Lorenzo Brown, Jr., QB, Sioux Falls Storm
Confident and experienced veteran leader. Playbook is wide open with him under center.
Rd. 3, pick 4 (12) - Marquel Wade, WR, Cedar Rapids River Kings
Veteran receiver in his prime. Easily the best receiving option on his team.
Rd. 4, pick 1 (13) - 4. Brandon Sheperd, WR, Sioux Falls Storm
Great hands and is a great option for Brown in the Storm offense.
Rd. 5, pick 4 (20) - Connor Hollenbeck, WR, Iowa Barnstormers
Big receiver with great red zone potential. Reliable with terrific end zone capability.
Rd. 6, pick 1 (21) - Tracy Brooks, RB, Salina Liberty
Powerful runner not afraid to take a hit. Has a nose for the end zone.
Rd. 7, pick 4 (28) - Marques Rodgers, WR, San Diego Strike Force
Emerging deep ball threat. Speedster who can make the big play at any time.
Rd. 8, pick 1 (29) - Rameses Owens, RB, Green Bay Blizzard
Bullish runner often used in short-yardage situations. Takes more than one defender to tackle him.
Rd. 9, pick 4 (36) - Lenorris Footman, QB, Green Bay Blizzard
Exceptional rusher at the position who is beginning to come into his own as an indoor football passer.
Rd. 10, pick 1 (37) - Duke City Gladiators, DEF, Duke City Gladiators
Group led its team to the championship last season. No signs of stopping now.
Rd. 11, pick 4 (44) - Miles Bergner, K, Sioux Falls Storm
Hands down, the best kicker in indoor and arena football. High PAT and FG accuracy.
Rd. 12, pick 1 (45) - Jack Thomlinson, WR, Wichita Force
Powerful and athletic receiver who provides consistency. Can shore up this group nicely.
Rd. 13, pick 4 (52) - Kurt Palandech, QB, Cedar Rapids River Kings
Exceptional passer on an emerging team. Could push Brown in the right situations.
Rd. 14, pick 1 (53) - Gary Jolivet, Jr., WR, Wichita Force
Big, tough receiver who can out-muscle opposing defenders to make the key catch.
REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
Week 6 - vs. Albany Firebirds (W 97-95)
Week 7 - vs. Everett Hawks (W 119-99)
Week 8 - vs. Charlotte Rage (W 125-107)
Week 9 - vs. Portland Forest Dragons (W 106-68)
Week 10 - vs. Georgia Fire (L 119-162)
Week 11 - vs. San Jose Sabercats (W 89-83)
Week 12 - vs. Rochester Raiders
Week 13 - vs. Albany Firebirds
Week 14 - vs. Everett Hawks
Week 15 - vs. Charlotte Rage
*The weeks of 1-5 are not listed as they are not on the CIFL schedule, but include games in the IFL and CIF.
OWNER'S STATEMENT
"I am pleased and excited to compete in the CIFL, and to bring indoor football back to the great state of Alaska. I plan on putting together a tough and dedicated group of players who will leave it all on the field. Our presence in the community will be just as formidable. This will be a team which will make others stand up and notice. We are Alaska. We are the Wild."
ALASKA WILD SMACK TALK STATEMENT
"When you come to play Alaska, you'd better be ready because things are going to get WILD!"
CIFL TEAM MAP
CIFL DIVISIONS
BREAKING NEWS PHOTO
A city contingent from Anchorage breaks ground on a new arena to house the Alaska Wild.
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