af2
REALIGNS CONFERNCES FOR 2008 SEASON
Louisville, KY-The af2 conference
realignment makes room for two newcomers,
a former AFL team and a pair of returning
squads for the 2008 season.
Joining the af2 roster for
the first time this season are the Lexington
Horsemen, the Daytona Beach Thunderbirds,
and the Austin Wranglers. The Horsemen
will see action in the American Conference,
Midwest Division along with Louisville,
Green Bay, Peoria, Iowa, and the Quad
City Steamwheelers. Led by head coach,
Mike Harmon, Lexington will face their
fellow af2 newcomer, Daytona in their
first league contest at Rupp Arena on
March 29.
Daytona soars into the af2
under the direction of head coach, Herkie
Walls. The Thunderbirds enter the American
Conference, South Division along side
South Georgia, Tennessee, and the Florida
Firecats. Ocean Center, the Thunderbirds
home venue, will be put to good use on
Sunday, April 6, as they take on Wilkes/Barre-Scranton
in the first home game of the season.
The Austin Wranglers are
the third addition to the new af2 lineup
this season. Coming in from the AFL, Austin
will fill a spot in the National Conference,
Southwest division. The Wranglers finished
10-6 last season and made history with
their first play- off appearance. Their
March 29 home contest against the Corpus
Christi Sharks will mark 5 years of arena
football in Austin, Texas.
The league proudly welcomes
back the Iowa Barnstormers and the Peoria
Pirates to the af2 schedule. Iowa team
organizers look forward to the Barnstormers
rebirth and feel the quality of competition
in the league is much better since they
last played in 2001. Iowa will take on
the Louisville Fire in the March 29 season
opener at Freedom Hall. On Monday, April
14, the Barnstormers will host Lexington
in their first home match-up at Wells
Fargo Arena.
Sailing back into the af2
after a 4-year absence, the Peoria Pirates
return to Illinois. “I am thrilled to
be able to bring the action-packed sport
of Arena Football back to the great city
of Peoria,” expressed Doug MacGregor a
member of the Pirates lead ownership group.
The team enjoyed a successful af2 run
spanning 2001- 2004. Under head coach
Bruce Cowdrey, the Pirates hope to return
to glory. Peoria will kickoff their af2
return on Saturday, April 5, in Lexington.
The Louisville Fire will
kickoff the 2008 season against the Iowa
Barnstormers on March 29. Season tickets
for the 2008 Fire season are on sale now
and can be purchased by calling 502.368.0009
today. Season tickets packages begin at
$72.
