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WF Nighthawks bring another sports and entertainment option to the region

Tue, 05/24/2016 - 2:51 pm
Nighthawks defeat the Nebraska Danger on Saturday
  • Photo By Kyle Borne  
    The Nighthawks run their offense on Saturday against the Nebraska Danger.
  • Photo by Kyle Borne  
    The Nighthawks have two home games left in Wichita Falls.
sports@grahamleader.com

For football fans it can be difficult to get a good football fix after the Super Bowl. The NFL season ends in February and doesn’t start back in earnest until Training Camp in July. The Wichita Falls Nighthawks of the Indoor Football League offer a different brand of football, and add another entertainment option within one hour of Graham and Young County.

The Indoor Football League played it’s inaugural season in 2009. The Indoor Football League has had some former members of the larger Arena Football League join, as well as other members leave. The Iowa Barnstormers, Green Bay Blizzard and the Spokane Empire (formerly known as the Shock) have all joined the IFL from the AFL. Other members of the Indoor Football League include the defending IFL champion Sioux Falls Storm, Cedar Rapid Titans, Billing Wolves, Nebraska Danger, Tri-Cities Fever and Colorado Crush. 

The teams play 16 regular season games and then the playoffs. The season runs from late February to the end of June. The season essentially bridges the gap between the end of the professional football season and the start of NFL training camp. 

Many players in the league have played at the professional level or were sought after talent that played high quality college football. Ja-Mes Logan, wide receiver for Wichita Falls, played for the NFL New England Patriots. Deante Purvis, defensive back for Wichita Falls, played for the San Francisco 49ers. Austin Franklin, WR for Wichita Falls, played for the St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams). Terrance Lloyd, defensive lineman for Wichita Falls, played for the Houston Texans, as well.

There are also local players on the Nighthawks roster. Danny Jackson and Neiko Conway both played college football at Midwestern State. There are other players on the roster from TCU, Oklahoma State, Clemson, the University of Houston and University of Arkansas.

Indoor football has a different feel than outdoor football. The field is 50 yards long (25 yards on each side) and the goal posts are narrower and suspended with nets. The field is tight and held together by dasher boards that mark the playing surface’s out of bounds lines. The kickoffs start from the goal line. There are no punts. Teams either attempt a field goal where they are at or try or go for it on fourth down. 

There are eight players on offense and eight players on defense. On offense, four players have to line up on the line of scrimmage. Two players may be in forward motion. The forward motion rules make for entertaining and quick possessions on offense. On defense there must be three down lineman. Each IFL roster has 21 active players and allows four players on the practice squad. 

The game play is exciting and is offensively driven. Saturday night’s Nighthawk game against the Nebraska Danger was a typical indoor football game. The final score saw the Nighthawk’s win 62-48. There was high octane offense and some crazy fluke plays that resulted in a intense Saturday night at the Kay Yeager Coliseum. 

The Kay Yeager Coliseum is perfect for indoor football. It is an intimate venue and provides great sight lines for the action. The arena seats 6,500 people and has an electric atmosphere for Nighthawk games. During the breaks in the action the team also does a good job of keeping the fans entertained. Saturday was Military Appreciation Night and military members from the local Sheppard Air Force Base and Lawton’s Fort Sill in Oklahoma were on-hand to enjoy a game.

The game between the Nighthawks and the Danger was exciting. Nebraska jumped out to an early three score lead due to some early interceptions and turnovers. The Danger started the game with an onside kick and that helped Nebraska jump out to an early 7-0 lead.

The Nighthawks fought back toward the end of the first half and only trailed 30-28 at the halftime break. Wichita Falls opened the second half with all of the momentum and eventually pulled away with the help of some turnovers committed by the Danger in the fourth quarter. 

There was a fluke play in the fourth quarter that is not a common sight in football. When the Nighthawks went to kick the ball off after a scoring possession the ball recoiled off of a Danger player and back into the Nighthawks end zone. The Nighthawks were able to recover the ball and score a bizarre but quick touchdown. The bizarre play that resulted is only possible in the Indoor Football League. With the shorter field and lower kickoffs (usually squibb kicks) the resulting play was able to come to fruition. The play was crucial. The Nighthawks scored touchdowns within seconds of each other on the game clock, and that gave Wichita Falls the necessary momentum to close out the game against the Nebraska Danger.

For those interested in taking in the action, the Nighthawks have two home games left. The next home game will be Saturday, June 4, against the Green Bay Blizzard. Saturday, June 11, the Nighthawks will take on the Colorado Crush in the home finale. Both games have kickoffs at 7 p.m. Tickets prices start at $12 and run up to $65 for the party zone. Tickets cost $2 more when purchased the day of a game. 

For more information head over to www.wfnighthawks.com.