2008: A Season in Review

With the 2008 season in the books for good, it’s only fitting to look back at the interesting things that occurred over this year’s IFL campaign. Here’s a look back at my top stories of this season in no particular order.

Madison Mustangs finish season undefeated and capture IFL title

If I had to choose one, it would be hard to argue against this as the top story from 2008. For the third consecutive season, a brand new championship team was crowned. This year though, the Mustangs rewrote the record books in terms of total points scored and average points scored per game. They were one of the most dominant semi-pro teams not only in the state of Wisconsin, but across the entire country. For their accomplishments, they qualified for the American Football News AAA Semi-Pro Football National Championship Game in Homestead, Florida.

Return of the Milwaukee Venom

After failing to make the playoffs by quite a bit in 2007, the Milwaukee Venom not only returned to postseason action in 2008, but upset the highly rated Muskego Hitmen to reach their second National Conference Championship Game in three years. QB Tony Henner proved to be a vital asset under center as did RB Kyle Wilson in the backfield. In addition, WR-turned-FS Solomon Cabell showed his versatility on the defensive side of the ball while LB-turned-TE Troy Uebele became a favorite target on the offensive side of the ball.

Roscoe Rush QB Joe Cotton

Almost in a Tom Brady-like fashion, Rush backup QB Joe Cotton was inserted into the lineup after former All-Star Jason Hufford went down with an injury. Without missing a beat, Cotton played extremely well under center as he took Roscoe to their first IFL championship game in franchise history. Although the Rush came up short in Iron Bowl XII, Cotton earned himself a spot on the AFC All-Star team and proved he can play with the leagues best. After gaining valuable experience for most of the season, 2009 may be the year that Cotton and the Rush bring home the Joseph Chudada Memorial Trophy.

Expansion Rock County Gladiators

Over the years, the IFL has seen plenty of expansion teams enter the league and struggle right out of the gate. This was not the case for the Rock County Gladiators however. The Gladiators, who were undefeated in 2007, barely missed the playoffs this season with their 4-5 record and played the league’s best teams right down to the wire. It took five quarters for Roscoe to beat the Green and Black, and Muskego defeated them by just eight points. Rock County was the best team not to make the playoffs, and with quality players like QB Dan Roberts, FB Nick Hammon, and WR Jemar Ayers to name a few, the Gladiators should be a quality franchise for years to come.

Iron Bowl XII Presented by State Farm Insurance

In terms of game atmosphere, presentation, and venue, Iron Bowl XII may have been the best one in IFL history. From the little plastic footballs that were thrown into the crowd by State Farm Insurance representatives to the halftime kid’s challenges to Middleton High School’s Breitenbach Stadium, everything about Iron Bowl XII was phenomenal. The leagues decision to host the big game in Madison was met with criticism by outside sources but in the end served as one of the leagues most shining moments. A record crowd packed the bleachers and many fans walked away saying that that was the best championship game that they had ever seen. Iron Bowl XII set a new standard for semi-pro football that reached far beyond what happened on the field.

Televised Games

While I might be a little biased towards this topic since I was able to provide color commentary for the “IFL on Time Warner Sports”, the televising of games proved to be a huge step in the exposure of this league, its players, coaches, and fans. Residents in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Green Bay, and everywhere between who have Time Warner Cable were exposed to AAA semi-pro football firsthand. Even though only four games were telecasted, this deal opened up the door for more broadcasts. More broadcasts means more exposure of the league which can increase fan interest and player talent. As far as this deal goes, the sky is the limit for the IFL.