2014 USAFL Nationals Preview - Part II

Though Division I and the Women’s competition garner a good deal of attention and headlines, there is equally as much drama and intrigue in the remaining three divisions.  Each features a number of strong, up and coming sides, not to mention clubs that are just starting to make their way up the USAFL ladder and onto greater heights.

With not just a trophy to play for, it’s worth mentioning that the winners of each division get first right of refusal at playing up a division in 2015.  Sometimes this is not exercised, but it’s a great carrot to play for in addition to the hardware and accolades.

And so, it is with that in mind that we continue with our previews of the 2014 USAFL National Championship pools

.DIVISION TWO

Pool A: Los Angeles Dragons, Nashville Kangaroos, Baltimore-Washington Eagles, Quebec Saints

Since joining the USAFL in 2011, the L.A. Dragons have drawn on the vast amount of footballing talent in the Southern California region to build a very successful program.  The Dragons have been in Division II for all four years of existence and, after finishing 3rd in their first go, have been runners-up each of the last two years, losing Minnesota in the slop at Mason, and falling to a determined Columbus side last year in Austin.

Led by the speedy Jeffery Robinson, the Dragons head to Dublin as Western regional runners up, and battle tested against some of the best teams in on the west coast.  They will hope that third time through to the finals will be the charm, and will be looking down the barrel of a rematch with Columbus.

One of the prouder clubs of US Footy, the Nashville Kangaroos have bounced around the top three divisions since this competition was started.  Their only appearance in a Grand Final was in 1997, when they lost to the host Cincinnati Dockers.  The ‘Roos generally fill their schedule with opponents of different levels, and this year they fared reasonably well against fellow DII combatants Columbus and Chicago.  Revo Luke Nemeth looks to lead the gang from Smashville past the mighty Dragons.

For a period of about three or four years, the Baltimore-Washington Eagles were among the top two or three teams in the country.  Winners of the EAFL crown in 2007 and 2008 and DI runners up in ’08 were the climax of a team whose luster has come off a bit.  This year was a tough one: a 1-5 record against teams that they have been used to dominating.  All of that aside, the Eagles are still a very good team; Jay Levesque is one of the best middle-men in the league, and the “Kings of the Beltway” are disciplined enough to outplay any team on any day.

The Quebec Saints make the leap up to Div 2 as a standalone side after playing with other teams in Division four the last several years.  Originally a member of the Ontario AFL’s 2nd division, AFL Quebec has built a solid program based around a four-team Metro competition.  The Saints will look to play the role of dark horse and possibly take the Division 2 crown back to La Belle Province.

Pool B: Columbus Jackaroos, Houston Lonestars, Boston Demons, Chicago Swans

If any new club is looking for a model on how to successfully hit the ground running, the Columbus Jackaroos are it.  The Jacks went from Division 3 newcomers in 2009 to DII champs last year, holding off Los Angeles in a memorable Grand Final.  They will remain in the same division this year, and, playing in front of their hometown fans, will look to be the first team since Calgary in 2009-10 to repeat as Divvy 2 champs.  Club founder Chet Ridnour, Marc McClure, and Brady Minich point Columbus towards victory of a very talented pool.

Not to be outdone, the Houston Lonestars have ascended rather well in their own right, debuting at Nationals in Div 4 in 2012, then knocking off the Sacramento Suns in last year’s DIII Grand Final.  The Lonestars’ win last year was not without some controversy, but their promotion was no fluke; they’ve held their own against fellow Texan rivals in Austin and Dallas.  Adam Ruggles and his teammates will have a tough ask ahead of them, though, especially in their date against Columbus on Sunday morning.

Like their EAFL rivals down in the capital, the Boston Demons were once perennial Div I contenders and among the top ten teams in the country for the first decade.  The last couple of years have not produced the same results, but Michael Sheppard’s Dees have always prided themselves on playing some of the toughest footy in the country.  Ross Drukenmiller, Ari Joniec, and Joe Connor add some finesse to Boston’s punch, and will hope to head into Sunday with a crack at their first flag since they went back-to-back in DI in 1998-99.

Two years after winning the Div 3 Grand Final over Columbus, Dan Sarbacker and the Chicago Swans will look to get to the DII final as the low seed from Pool B.  It will be a bit of a tough task ahead for a team who had trouble with some of the clubs above them, but they did score a big home victory over Nashville in late September to help them over the line.  Once multiple MAAFL premiers, the Swannies will have to dig dip if they want to dent this field.

DIVISION THREE

POOL A: Sacramento Suns, Des Moines Roosters, New York Magpies Reserves, Ohio Valley River Rats

Much like the Dragons have done in Southern California, the Suns are building up a solid foundation from the rich reserves in the northern part of the state.  Matt Bishop’s team ran the gauntlet in Division three last year, only to come up 22 points and two players short in the Grand Final against Houston.  Mel Chen, Saleh Tyjbee, and Aaron Crumpacker lead a team that, on paper at least, are favorites.

But footy isn’t played on paper, at least not yet.  Much like the Suns, the Roosters are another USAFL success story.  Formed by a couple of former Orange County Bombers, the Roosters and Bombers reserves made the D4 finals in their very first year, thencaptured their first title in 2012.  Moving up to Div 3, they played well last season in Austin, putting together a strong effort despite a 1-2 record.  It will be tough knocking off Sacto, but the Iowans, led by Wes and Tyler Kammerman, feel that they can cockle-doodle-do it.

New York’s Reserve side is the third seed in this pool.  The Gotham Pies, as they are affectionately known, were DIII Grand Final winners in 2003, runners up in 2007, and Div 4 winners in 2010.

In 2008, the two clubs that started it all, the Cincinnati Dockers and Louisville Kings, teamed up to form the Ohio Valley River Rats.  Since then, they’ve made five Division IV Grand Finals in six years, taking home the big ol’ cup four times with help from several clubs along the way.  Now they will finally make the jump up to Division 3, playing as a stand alone club with help from the St. Louis Blues.  Eric “Sleepy” Floyd leads the Rats into unchartered territory for a chance at an upset.

POOL B: Fort Lauderdale Fighting Squids, Philadelphia Hawks, Calgary Kangaroos Reserves, Portland Steelheads

The team from Florida with the funny name has grown into a respected club since its foundation in 2005.  At times, they were paired with the Florida Redbacks, a partnership that yielded a Division Three Grand Final appearance against Austin in 2010.  They broke apart the next season, and then joined forces with three other clubs to achieve another runners-up placing in 2011.  This top seeding in Divvy 3 is the best ranking they’ve achieved as a club, and after a solid year of taking on some of the best teams in the south, the Squids will be very much a good choice to win.

Except, of course, if the Philadelphia Hawks have anything to say about it.  The Hawks won the Div 3 flag in 2002, were DII runners up in ’04 and ’05, then went into a bit of a decline by the end of the decade.  Slowly but surely, however, former Revo Jon Loring has steadied his club into one of the more resurgent clubs in the East, and has helped rebuild a winning culture.  The athletic Ryan McGettigan, the defensive wall known as Pat Miller, and the speedy Dan Greenberg are looking to get revenge over the Suns and finally bring a trophy back to Philly.

The Calgary Kangaroos will send two men’s teams to Dublin in 2014, making their debut on their own in Division III.

Rounding out the division is the Portland Steelheads, a team that was, over the last few years, mainly in the shadows of Seattle and Vancouver.  But the Steelheads, nee Power, come to Dublin looking to avenge last year’s disappointment; being one of the odd men out of a three way log jam at the top of the group.  This season, showed their meddle against some of the best clubs out West, and centurion player and coach Martin Coventry has his team primed in the skills of the game.

DIVISION FOUR:

POOL A: Tulsa Buffaloes, Kansas City/Denver Reserves, Houston Lonestars Reserves, Minnesota Reserves/Seattle

POOL B: North Carolina Tigers, Columbus & Orange County Reserves, Milwaukee/Indianapolis/Cleveland, Atlanta/Baltimore-Washington Reserves

Division Four is usually very hard to predict, what with the number of new clubs, low level established clubs that are hurting for numbers, and the amount of reserves sides that make up the two pools.  This year, the promotion of Ohio Valley has made Divvy Four that much more of a crap shoot.

Off hand, the two favorites would be the top seeds in each group, each of whom are stand-alone clubs.  The Tulsa Buffaloes made a strong impression on their D4 opponents last year despite a 1-2 finish.  This year, they played all of their opponents tough, earning a couple of hard earned results. 

Over in Pool B, the North Carolina Tigers made it all the way to the Grand Final before becoming Ohio Valley’s 4th victim.  The one time DII club has suffered from lack of numbers in recent years, but has put together some solid efforts nonetheless.  This year, they nearly knocked off the DIII bound Hawks in Philly, and split a tough season set with Atlanta.  Wes McAllister’s side, however, are a proud bunch, and should be there on Sunday afternoon for a chance at their first flag in their 16-year history.

This year’s Division four lineup does, sadly, see a couple of once higher-up teams playing down below due to issues with numbers – Division 3 champs in 2008, the Kansas City Power will be teamed with Denver’s reserves, but that’s not a bad team to be attached to.  The Seattle Grizzlies, runners up in Div I back in 2009, will be paired with the Minnesota Freeze reserves.  Atlanta, Div 3 Grand Finalists in 2011, are combined with Baltimore-Washington’s B-side.

But there is hope for the future, as two of the USAFL’s newest clubs will make their Nationals debut.  Dr. Sam Pope’s Indianapolis Giants will team up with the Cleveland Cannons and the Milwaukee Bombers.  The fact that these two new clubs are playing alongside the team who helped Ohio Valley to two D4 flags will be a big boost for everyone.

And that’s it.  See you all in Dublin!