Koyotes Earn
Sixth Straight Title
Team completes 11-1 season with 62-36 win
By Rick Peterson Jr.
The Capital-Journal
Published Sunday, August 03, 2008
The Kansas Koyotes were overwhelming favorites to capture their sixth consecutive American Professional Football League championship Saturday night against Beaumont (Texas).
And after a slow start, the 11-1 Koyotes lived up to their billing, rolling to a 62-36 win against the Drillers at Landon Arena.
The Drillers, who hadn't played a game since May 31, used an aerial attack keyed by quarterback Tony Eckert to take an early 12-6 lead. But the Koyotes bounced back to take a nine-point lead at halftime and dominated the second half.
"We knew they were going over the top," Koyotes coach Jim Green said. "We talked about that over the week. We knew we were going to have to shut that long pass down and also get pressure on the quarterback.
"We made some adjustments on the front line, and it really did pay off."
Koyotes cornerback Henry Talley, who grabbed two interceptions in the game, including a 27-yard return for a touchdown, said that Beaumont's speed gave the Koyotes problems early on.
"They were a good team, and they had some fast people and we had to adjust to their speed," he said. "We had to get back playing our football so we just made adjustments and made plays off of that."
Mike Steen ran for three touchdowns to key the Koyotes' offense, while Solomon Brittian scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns off kickoff returns.
Steen, who joined the Koyotes this year, said that the season was an exciting one.
"It's just been a lot of brotherly love," Steen said. "We had a lot of people showing up that loved to win.
"We let one slip away (a loss to Iowa) from a perfect season, but we made up for it with a championship, and that's all that matters."
The Koyotes, got a pair of 3-yard first-half touchdown runs from Steen, an 11-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Bolden Jr. to Josh Freeman and the interception return from Talley to build a 27-18 halftime lead.
Eckert hit Jerrod Fuller for a 36-yard touchdown pass on the Drillers' first offensive play. Eckert also hit Roland Hayes for a 15-yard scoring pass in the first quarter and connected with Fuller for a 9-yard score in the second period.
Kansas ended any hopes of a Beaumont comeback with two third-quarter touchdowns then outscored the Drillers 21-18 in a wild final period.
The Koyotes overcame a 239-yard passing effort from Eckert and a 109-yard receiving night from Fuller, who caught four of Eckert's six touchdown passes.
Beaumont 12 6 0 18 — 36
Kansas 6 21 14 21 — 62
Kansas — Steen 3 run (kick failed)
Beaumont — Fuller 36 pass from Eckert (pass failed)
Beaumont — Hayes 15 pass from Eckert (pass failed)
Kansas — Freeman 11 pass from Bolden (Thompson kick)
Kansas — Talley 27 interception return (Thompson kick)
Beaumont — Fuller 9 pass from Eckert (run failed)
Kansas — Steen 3 run (Thompson kick)
Kansas — Steen 2 run (Thompson kick)
Kansas — Bolden 11 run (Thompson kick)
Beaumont — Fuller 16 pass from Eckert (pass failed)
Kansas — Brittian 48 kickoff return (Thompson kick)
Beaumont — Jones 33 pass from Eckert (pass failed)
Kansas — Brittian 29 kickoff return (Thompson kick)
Kansas — Safety, Eckert tackled by Carter in end zone
Kansas — Smith 2 run (run failed)
Beaumont — Fuller 5 pass from Eckert (pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Beaumont: Fuller 1-5, Brown 1-5, Hayes 2-1, Eckert 4-minus-30. Kansas: Smith 6-37, Steen 11-36, Bolden 7-34, Wrecke 1-2.
PASSING — Beaumont: Eckert 20-35-4, 239. Kansas: Bolden 5-20-1, 60.
RECEIVING — Beaumont: Fuller 7-109, Franks 5-30, Hayes 4-41, Jones 2-38, Deml 1-21, Beeler 1-0. Kansas: Freeman 2-23, Smith 1-19, Steen 1-12, Allen 1-6.
2008 APFL Championship
Game Webcast
Please click here for the webcast. There will be a $5 charge payable via PayPal.
2008 APFL Championship Game
The race for the APFL Championship is down to two as the Kansas Koyotes, with a 10 – 1 record, learned their opponent for the season’s biggest game this Saturday at the Kansas Expocentre. The Beaumont (TX) Drillers will bring their 9 – 3 record to Topeka for the title tilt at 7:05 PM, Saturday, August 2nd.
The Drillers, formerly of the National Indoor Football League (NIFL), are in their first year in the APFL and their ninth season overall. The Drillers made the playoffs four times in the NIFL, however, this is their first ever appearance in a Championship Game.
The Drillers are led by veteran indoor professional football coach Bryan Blake. Blake in his first year in the APFL has coached for five years in indoor professional football for teams in the af2 and the NIFL. He also played in both leagues prior to becoming a coach.
The Koyotes are led by third year head coach Jim Green. Green has led the Koyotes to their last two Championships as well as an assistant in their very first in 2003. Rookie quarterback Nathan Bolden leads the Koyotes on the field , and the most veteran player on the roster, Justin Wrecke, is Bolden’s favorite target leading the league in touchdown receptions.
APFL Championship Game tickets are on sale now through the Kansas Koyotes office or in person at the Kansas Expocentre box office. Season ticket holders’ seats are being held for their purchase through Tuesday, July 29. All other seats are available for purchase now as well. General admission ticket prices start at $10 for adults and $5 for kids 2 – 12 years of age. Companies or groups with 10 or more interested in special group prices can call the Koyotes office for further information at 785-228-0729
2008 APFL
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
APFL Championship Game tickets are now on sale through the Kansas Koyotes office or in person at the Kansas Expocentre box office. The Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, August 2nd at 7:05pm.
Season ticket holders’ seats are being held for their purchase through Tuesday, July 29. All other seats are available for purchase now. General admission ticket prices start at $10 for adults and $5 for kids. For further information call the Kansas Koyotes office at 785-228-0729.
2008 APFL Schedule
Topeka, KS – The American Professional Football League released its 2008 schedule today in Topeka, Kansas.
The APFL kicks off its sixth season in April and will conclude with post season play in late July or early August.
The schedule includes returning teams the Iowa Blackhawks (Council Bluffs), Nebraska Extreme (formerly Omaha Extreme, now in Lincoln), Kansas Koyotes (Topeka), Missouri Minutemen (St. Joseph), Springfield WolfPack (Missouri), Texas Regulators (Alvarado, formerly Fort Worth), and Conroe Storm (Texas). New teams in the League this season are Wichita Falls Diablos (Texas), Beaumont Drillers (Texas), and Florida Knights (Sarasota). The Drillers and Knights are transfers from the National Indoor Football League.
“The growth and maturity in the League is exciting and gratifying. The off-season was very lively with conversations with teams and potential owners in markets from the Rocky Mountains to Indiana and Florida and everywhere in between. This season appears to present greater competition than ever and should raise everyone’s game,” said Ralph Adams, APFL president.
“Our strategy in the APFL has always been to give every market as much opportunity and support as possible to have the best possible start and finish to the season. We have reached the point that the schedule needs to be released even though some challenges, behind the scenes, still exist. The schedule unfortunately includes some imbalances in home and away matchups. Building schedules, personnel matters, and market conditions have complicated the process. But now is the time to end the wait,” stated Adams.
The 2008 APFL season promises passionate rivalries, seasoned indoor professional football players and coaches, and a 2008 playoff weekend and championship game that fans will never forget!
Season, group, and fundraiser tickets, and sponsorships are on sale in all markets. Check the team websites for further information. Sponsorships of the League are also available.
For more information, contact Ralph Adams at radams@apflfootball.com
2008 APFL SCHEDULE
| April 5, 2008 | Wichita Falls at Beaumont | 7:05 PM |
| April 12, 2008 | Wichita Falls at Conroe | 7:05 PM |
| April 19, 2008 | Springfield at Kansas | 7:05 PM |
| Conroe at Beaumont | 7:05 PM | |
| Florida at Texas | 7:05 PM | |
| April 26, 2008 | Florida at Kansas | 7:05 PM |
| Missouri at Springfield | 7:05 PM | |
| Texas at Conroe | 7:05 PM | |
| May 3, 2008 | Springfield at Iowa | 7:05 PM |
| May 10, 2008 | Missouri at Iowa | 7:05 PM |
| Nebraska at Kansas | 7:05 PM | |
| Beaumont at Texas | 7:05 PM | |
| May 11, 2008 | Conroe at Florida | 2:05 PM |
| May 17, 2008 | Iowa at Springfield | 7:05 PM |
| Texas at Beaumont | 7:05 PM | |
| Wichita Falls at Conroe | 7:05 PM | |
| May 23, 2008 | Texas at Florida | 7:35 PM |
| May 24, 2008 | Iowa at Kansas | 7:05 PM |
| Missouri at Springfield | 7:05 PM | |
| Beaumont at Conroe | 7:05 PM |
|
| May 31, 2008 | Kansas at Iowa | 7:05 PM |
| Florida at Beaumont | 7:05 PM | |
| Conroe at Texas | 7:05 PM | |
| June 7, 2008 | Kansas at Springfield | 7:05 PM |
| Iowa at Nebraska | 7:05 PM | |
| Beaumont at Conroe | 7:05 PM | |
| Wichita Falls at Texas | 7:05 PM | |
| June 13, 2008 | Springfield at Iowa | 7:35 PM |
| Wichita Falls at Florida | 7:35 PM | |
| June 14, 2008 | Missouri at Kansas | 7:05 PM |
| Texas at Beaumont | 7:05 PM | |
| June 21, 2008 | Nebraska at Kansas | 7:05 PM |
| Conroe at Texas | 7:05 PM | |
| June 22, 2008 | Beaumont at Florida | 2:05 PM |
| June 28, 2008 | Nebraska at Iowa | 7:05 PM |
| Conroe at Beaumont | 7:05 PM | |
| July 5, 2008 | Iowa at Springfield | 7:05 PM |
| Wichita Falls at Beaumont | 7:05 PM | |
| Kansas at Florida | 7:05 PM | |
| July 12, 2008 | Kansas at Iowa | |
| Nebraska at Springfield | ||
| Florida at Conroe | ||
| Beaumont at Texas | ||
| July 19 & 26, 2008 | APFL Playoffs | TBA |
Schedule and times are subject to change.
