They played teams from Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Racine, Two Rivers, . The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team, based in Rock Island, Illinois, from 1907 to 1926. Since they started in 2001, theyve had a strong record, including a Frontier League championship win in 2003 and 30 players sent to MLB affiliates. After its founding, the 1910 team went undefeated and were not scored on in five games. But they if come out and see this league, this year and next year and on down the line, they will see a good quality league.". All these joined the Kankakee Seminoles, Chicago Wolverines, Bolingbrook Stallions, Bolingbrook Buccaneers, Central Indiana Bears, and Lake County Steelers to make the MSFL a strong and competitive circuit, with the climax coming in the championship game with the Chicago Thunder defeating the Indiana Titans by a score of 17-7. The Massillon Tigers from Massillon, Ohio was also at the September 17 meeting, but did not field a team in 1920. [15][16] 3,100 fans were in attendance as Arnie Wyman, former Minnesota great, made his debut for the Islanders, scoring three touchdowns. Myles has used Carlinville as his base of activities and said if all goes well this season, the operation could move to Alton. In 2010, the Roscoe Rush will return to the MSFL, and the MSFL will welcome the legendary Racine Raiders into their fold, forming a cross-town rivalry with the defending MSFL champions Racine Threat. The Cougars' first home game is set for May 14 at 7 p.m. against the Iowa Warhawks and Gordon Moore Park. Our schedule runs from May to August, so you can enjoy the beautiful spring weather while enjoying one of America's greatest pastimes.Check out our semi-pro football team this season to see what all of the hype is about. He supplies some equipment, such as tape and chin straps, and buys other equipment, such as uniforms, which he resells to players. Although the Metro East Stallions folded after only one season, the MSFL was able to double in size by adding the Detroit Seminoles, Michiana Saints, and Michigan Huskies from the Michigan Football League, as well as the new expansion team the Lake County Steelers. Clipping found in Chicago Tribune in Chicago, Illinois on Jul 13, 1980. Like the Cougars, the Peoria Chiefs play in the Midwest League of Minor League Baseball. After the game, VonHolt has mixed feelings as his team's record drops to 2-1. Whatever their goals, semi-pro football players must keep their day jobs. From 1964 to 1974, The Central States Football League (CSFL) was a semi-professional football league with teams located in Wisconsin and Illinois. Myles cousin, former NFL running back Wilbert Montgomery serves as a consultant for the Cougars. The Rock Island Independents were a professional American football team, based in Rock Island, Illinois, from 1907 to 1926. After leading a team prayer on the sidelines, VonHolt gives a brief pregame speech. The association organizes the playoffs, a series of games leading to the Super Bowl of the semi-pros. FOOTBALL: Central Illinois Cougars coming to GMPs new turf, Newsletters: Get local news delivered directly to you. 2005 saw the MSFL return with arguably the strongest team line-up in the Midwest. ALTON - The Central Illinois Cougars, a semi-professional football team since 1999, announced today in a press event at Gordon Moore Park it will play its home games at Gordon Moore Park in 2021. The Force was ranked 13th. Further details on the 2022 UFL Semi-Pro Draft are to be released soon. Official Site of the United Football League, google.com, pub-6849808367135271, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0, Copyright 2023 Official Site of the United Football League. Police said they found a backpack with cash and a .40-caliber handgun near his location, the Sun-Times reported. In the first title game, the Twin Cities Cougars, based in Marysville and Yuba City, Calif., beat the Red Devils of Delavan, Wis. Coached by Johnny Armstrong, the Independents played their first three games at Browning Field and then played the rest of their 1926 games as a traveling team. Although the proposed Milwaukee Rage, Dwight Blitz, Kankakee Bisons, Maywood Gators and Lincoln Tigers would never play a single MSFL down, the new MSFL had three teams which had won league titles the previous year (Chicago Thunder, Leyden Lions, and Roscoe Rush), three more which were league runners-up the prior season (Force of Illinois, Illinois Firehawks, and Indiana Titans). Haynes indicated that more bleachers are on the way to Gordon Moore Park. "Basically, we want to give them an opportunity to carry on their football careers," said Force Head Coach Daniel VonHolt of Orland Park, who said some members of his squad nurture hopes of careers in the National Football League, Canadian Football League or Arena Football League (played indoors in basketball-type stadiums). The Cubs, Sox, Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls theyre larger-than-life names ingrained in the minds of everyone with even a passing interest in sport. [11] The league was renamed to the American Professional Football Association (APFA), and the number of teams was expanded, with league play to begin in 1920. This year, the national championship will be held on Dec. 10 in Orlando, Fla., and the winning team will take home the Arthur S. Arkush Memorial Cup, named for the founder and original publisher of Pro Football Weekly. The Chicago Union were founded in 2013 and compete in the Central Division of theAmerican Ultimate Disc League. And while they ended up on the short end of the score, Myles said he and his coaching staff were encouraged by their team's performance. Lost to Green Bay Packers 020. Getting around Chicago and Illinois is easy with our guide to ways to travel around the state. Illinois minor leagues serve up top quality action every season. [19][20], On October 16, 1921, the Independents battled back from a 70 deficit against the Chicago Cardinals to lead 147 in the second quarter. DuPage leads 6-3 when the half ends at 8:05 p.m., and during the 12-minute halftime, several dozen of the 345 fans go to their cars to warm up or drive to a nearby convenience store. At the start of the third quarter, the Cyclones recovered a surprise onside kick starting the second half and went on to score and took a 13-6 lead.The Cougars rallied late, picking off a pass and taking it back to the two-yard line and punching it in for a score, but the Cyclones would put the game out of reach with a late score and went on to win. [21][22], The Independents' overall NFL record was 26149, with five winning seasons in six years. In 1987, more than 400 semi-pro players signed with NFL teams during that league's players strike, Real said. This contest helped the Independents gain legitimacy. He added that the team position on semi-pro players isn't an indictment of their talents; instead, he said, the Bears prefer to draft college players or those who have been cut from other NFL teams.). We will provide the local community with a fabulous experience at all Cowboys home games. "Other than that, they are big boys.". See them play at Allstate Arena, Rosemont. "We have improved in team speed across the board," team owner and head coach Kinney Myles said," but they need more time playing together to build that knowledge of the system and playing along side each other.". For the following two seasons, he served as the team's assistant manager, under then-manager Jack Roche. A worker for the company which installed two new artificial turf fields at Altons Gordon Moore Park, staples the new turf down on the end of Field 3, a combination football/soccer field. "We pick players who could go to the next step, that pro level," said Howard Huntington, 49, of Chicago, who has owned the Force since 1988 and who played football at Illinois State University. Hence, the team was named the "Independents. The Eagles run out the clock, improving their record to 3-0. 4,991. Myles said the Cougars have drawn crowds as large as 400 to 500 for their games. Hackers got the best of voting again. She has little input in whether the players take the field. [8] After the 1925 season, Thorpe formed a team composed primarily of his teammates from the Rock Island Independents, that would play several games throughout Florida. ALTON Kinney Myles has been in the football team ownership business for more than 20 years and hes always on the lookout for ways to help his team. Douglas Park. Myles added that there is no age limit and that the team is still holding tryouts for the coming season. But experience pays off. Lost to Chicago Bears 60. 1 talking about this. Current professional sports teams [ edit] Former professional sports teams [ edit] See also [ edit] List of developmental and minor sports leagues Professional sports leagues in the United States Beginning in September, the AFA issues a weekly ranking of the top 20 semi-pro teams in the nation, and this season the Force started in 13th place. A semi-pro team owner tried to cover bills by robbing a bank, the FBI says. More than 250 teams in 34 leagues are affiliated with the association. The Chicago Bulls also own and operate the team. Although the Roscoe Rush left the MSFL to compete in the Ironman Football League, 2006 saw two new teams join (the Mid-State Steel and the Lafayette Lions). "I still want to compete and feel I can compete and hopefully something good can come of this, maybe arena ball or CFL," said the Force's 27-year-old quarterback, who played that position for Argo High School in Summit and the College of St. Francis in Joliet. His father and Myles father are brothers. ALTON - The Central Illinois Cougars are back for their second season in Alton and have hit the ground running. Other leagues subsequently formed, and in 1980, Pro Football Weekly asked Real to begin covering semi-pro football for the newspaper and to help organize a national playoff system. Welcome to the OFFICIAL Lincoln-Way Patriots Facebook page. See them play at Grossinger Motors Arena, Bloomington. King reportedly told authorities he was a player on the football team and that his coach, Gist-Holden, was the one who shot the guard. We have played most of our games in smaller communities around Central Illinois, Myles said. November 2, 1934. [2][10], A week later, on October 3, 1920, the Independents defeated the Muncie Flyers 450 at Douglas Park in the first full week of APFA league play. In addition to the Force of Illinois returning, the MSFL took on the Lansing Lightning (previously independent), Cook County Punishers (previously of the Chicagoland Football League), Chicago Lawmen (Tri-State Football League), and the newly-formed Milwaukee Avalanche (replacing the Milwaukee Marauders, who had joined another league). Holding tryouts for the coming season could move to Alton Jack Roche the playoffs, a series games. Affiliated with the association organizes the playoffs, a series of games to. 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