Nine current or former Racine Raiders were signed to contracts with teams in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) this offseason. One player was signed to a contract by the Chicago Slaughter and eight were signed by the Milwaukee Bonecrushers, a first-year team in the CIFL.The players that were signed to contracts that played with the Raiders in 2007 are linebackers Jamie Isome and Brian Sylvas, wide receiver Dorian Palmer, defensive backs Brett Barnes and Rick Hutchins, and linemen Dan Morjal, Marcus Fletcher, and Scott Tyrcha. Barnes is a second-year player with the Slaughter. Sylvas, while a linebacker for the Raiders, will play running back for the Bonecrushers.

“Its an honor and a privilege to make the professional indoor team, the Milwaukee Bonecrushers,” said Isome. “I have been blessed in my life and this is just another blessing that has been given to me.”

Reggie Davis, a wide receiver that played with the Raiders in the early part of this decade, also made the Bonecrushers roster.

Isome and Sylvas were part of one of the best linebacker trios in all of minor league football in 2007. Palmer would’ve set several Raiders’ receiving records had he not sat out 1-1/2 games due to injury. Barnes and Hutchins combined with defensive backs Kevin Barrett and Eric Feest to shut down teams’ passing attacks. Morjal and Tyrcha demonstrated their ability to play on both sides of the ball throughout the season and Fletcher was an immovable force in the middle of the defensive line.

CIFL teams are limited to 31 players on their roster. They play 7-on-7 football on a 50-yard field similar to the Arena Football League (AFL). The Bonecrushers open their inaugural season Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee against the Chicago Slaughter (0-1). Individuals interested in attending the game can visit http://www.mkebonecrushers.com for ticket information.

The Racine Raiders will hold their last tryout on April 12, 2008, from noon to 3:00 p.m. at the J.I. Case High School fieldhouse in Racine, Wisconsin.

Players should wear indoor workout clothing. This tryout is for all positions and is free.

Participants will take part in speed, shuttle, agility, and vertical drills. In addition, participants will be split up by position and participate in fundamental position drills.

J.I. Case High School, 7345 Washington Avenue, is conveniently located off of Highway 20 in Racine. (MAP)

Please fill out a player tryout form and we will add you to our email distribution list. You can also look for more information on 2008 Racine Raiders tryouts on our website, via MySpace bulletins, or by visiting our Facebook group.

Recruiting specific information is available on our unique Play For The Raiders website.

The Racine Raiders have over a dozen players in camps with various indoor football teams at this time. In addition, the North American Football League (NAFL) just announced a partnership with The Scouting Bureau where players on NAFL member teams could have the opportunity to attend the 2009 NFL Combine!

The Racine Raiders will hold a player tryout on Saturday, March 8, 2008, from noon to 3:00 p.m. at J.I. Case High School in Racine, Wisconsin.  Players should wear indoor workout clothing.  This tryout is for all positions and is free.

Participants will participate in speed, shuttle, agility, and jumping drills.  In addition, participants will be split up by position and participate in fundamental position drills.

The Racine Raiders also announced that the team launched a new website dedicated to recruiting.  Prospective players can now visit http://playfortheraiders.com to fill out a player tryout form and learn more about the team and the benefits for playing for the Raiders.

Case High School, 7345 Washington Avenue, is conveniently located off of Highway 20 in Racine.  (MAP)

The Racine Raiders are one of the most elite organizations in minor league football and play all of their home games at Historic Horlick Field in Racine.  They are members of the largest football league in the country, the North American Football League (NAFL).  In 2007, the Raiders were the Great Lakes Division Champions.

In addition, nearly a dozen players from the Raiders’ 2007 roster are in camps with various indoor football teams.  Agents and scouts come to our games and our players get noticed.

For more information on the Racine Raiders, please visit our new player recruitment website or the official team website.

Former Racine Raiders offensive lineman John Mamerow was named the 17th head coach of the team at the annual team banquet Saturday night. Mamerow was introduced to players and staff for the first time and received a rousing ovation.

“I’m truly honored to have been asked to coach this team,” said Mamerow. “I’m going to give it my all. I have all of my family’s support and they’re excited so I’m going to give it my all and see where the chips fall.”

Every head coach that takes the reigns for the Racine Raiders knows what is expected of them.

“After a football player stops playing, there becomes a void in his life,” said Mamerow. “I’m going to try and fill that with coaching and try and bring a National Championship back to Racine; bring back the pride and tradition that we once had when I played.”

Mamerow is a graduate of Waterford High School and received a degree from UW-Platteville. While at Platteville, Mamerow was the starting center for the team and earned All-WIAC second team honors in 1985-86 and 1986-87. Mamerow played offensive guard with the Raiders from 1987 to 1993 and started on three National Championship teams. He earned rookie of the year honors in 1987 and was a six-time all-league offensive lineman. He was inducted into the Racine Raiders Hall of Fame in 2005.

Mamerow’s coaching experience includes five years of youth football, a coaching stint at Waterford High School, and, most recently, he served as offensive line coach and assistant offensive coordinator for the Burlington Blue Devils of the Ironman Football League (IFL).

“One of the things that impressed everyone on the board most about John’s resume,” commented board member Greg Fictum, “was every single team he’s coached qualified for the playoffs.”

Board President Joe Mooney also announced that General Manager Curt Barnes stepped down and Scott Smith was named as his replacement. Smith is a former Raider player and current head football coach at Racine Lutheran High School. He was inducted into the American Football Association (AFA) Hall of Fame in 2007.

The Racine Raiders Football Club Inc., one of the premiere minor league football teams in America, has a unique opportunity for the right individual. The Racine Raiders Football Club Inc. is seeking a Marketing Director to coordinate the following:

• production of the annual yearbook
• sponsorships (ads for yearbook, radio and Raider Report; field signage; etc.)
• pre-game and halftime entertainment, National Anthem singers, etc.
• corporate outings/tailgates
• our external advertising
• weekly Raider Report
• community events (July 4th float, Raiders’ appearances, etc.)

The ability to work within a strict budget is particularly important. Excellent communication and time management skills are necessary. Familiarity with Adobe products, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign highly desirable.

This is great experience for someone interested in sports marketing and management as a career.

Please send a cover letter and resume detailing your experiences to marketingdirector@racineraiders.com.

The Racine Raiders Football Club Inc. is a 501.(c)(3) Non-Profit organization. They compete in the North American Football League (NAFL) and have won seven National Championships in their 55 year history.

The Racine Raiders Football Club Board of Directors is currently accepting letters on interest/resumes for the position of Head Coach. This is a volunteer position offering an opportunity to join an organization with a winning tradition spanning more than 50 years.Winning tradition – 7 National Championships
Member of the NAFL – national minor league football

The ideal candidate should possess:

• a winning attitude
• good communication skills both on field and off
• the ability to recruit and mentor a successful coaching staff
• the ability to recruit and develop successful players
• the ability to develop and conduct pre-season, in-season and off-season training and conditioning programs for the team
• the ability to work within a budget

The ideal candidate should be prepared to:

• travel as required by the assigned season schedule
• be available for weekday practices
• be available for Saturday game events
• be available for spring player tryouts
• be prepared for pre-season games as early as June 2008 with post-season play extending into November

Benefits include:

• tremendous community support
• home games played at Historic Horlick Field
• team facilities
• designated practice field (lighted)
• organized volunteer staff

Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest and resume to:

Racine Raiders Football Club
3806 Douglas Ave
Racine, WI 53402

Electronic submissions will be accepted in PDF or Word 2003 compatible format at headcoach@racineraiders.com.Deadline: December 15, 2007

For more information on the Racine Raiders, please visit the team’s website at http://www.racineraiders.com.

Wow!  What a great, yet miserable game against the Eagles this past Saturday.  The defense did astounding and really kept the Raiders in this one.  Ardrey Jarrit, Taron Johnson, Ian Peterson, Nate Harris and Jamie Isome were partying at the quarterback all night long.  The DB’s did a fantastic job as we went to a four linemen, four linebacker, three defensive back formation almost all night and held the Eagles to nothing.

Unfortunately a trick play did us in; a trick play that probably shouldn’t have happened but we’ll have to look at the game film to decide for sure.  The play is a play that the home team gets away with and the visiting team doesn’t and not necessarily because of homer refs.  It’s just that the home team has more access to the refs and the refs are more familiar with the home team and might’ve been pre-warned about the trickery.  It happens.

There were a few other inexcusable bad calls, but you have those in every game.  The bottom line is that our offense couldn’t produce.  The offensive line did a great job of giving Dan Novotny time but Dan just didn’t have the touch most of the game.  It happens…Unfortunately, it happened against a team we can’t afford to have it happen against.  Then, when Dan’s passes were on, normally reliable wide receivers had uncharacteristic drops. 

We’ll see what the Bulldogs bring to the table this week.  They’re coming off of two straight division losses and have fallen down near the cellar.  This is a must win for the Raiders…as is every game from herein out!

The Racine Raiders took the boldest move since I’ve been with the team by signing former All-American Wisconsin running back Brent Moss.  Moss, now 35, definitely has talent.  He also has a lot of baggage.  This might be the most divisive topic in Racine since the 2004 Presidential election. 

A lot of people believe the Raiders, as a community-oriented civic partner, should’ve passed on Moss.  Moss does have a good-sized rap sheet on CCAP.  A handful of the items are drug-related, but the vast majority are money-related, including a recent judgement in early-July.

It seems just as many people feel that the Raiders did the right thing in helping this still relatively young individual straighten his life out.  Moss, and those that claim to know him, all say he has turned his life around. 

What’s my take?  Well, we’re told to get our kids involved in activities to help keep them out of trouble.   What’s wrong with having an adult try and do the same thing?  Moss made a mistake.  He got involved with drugs and it seems that all his problems after that stem from that one root issue. 

I’ve personally seen people’s lives ripped apart because of drugs.  It happened to me.  My parents were arrested for possession and distribution of a variety of narcotics when I was about 14 years old.  I still remember a Mount Pleasant police officer pointing a gun between my eyes as they entered our premises knowing there was a gun inside and not knowing what I was doing standing to the side of a door.  It happens.  I had a safety net of support around me that helped keep me on the straight and narrow.  It doesn’t appear Moss had that benefit. 

Head coach Jordan Kopac is a pretty strict disciplinarian on the football field.  Moss won’t be treated differently by the coaching staff.  He seems to know what his limits are and he’s not stepping on the field expecting to be a star on this team.

What he does provide is a proven winner on the football field, regardless of his off-the-field problems.  He was on top in high school, winning a WIAA Division 1 state championship.  He was on top in college, winning the Rose Bowl, Rose Bowl MVP and Big Ten MVP honors.  I have no doubt, had he kept clean, that he would’ve been on top in the pros too.  While you can’t predict a career off of 22 rushing attempts, Moss did hit the four-yard per carry plateau that people look for in a running back.  Unfortunately for Brent, that is his career and all we can do is wonder, “what if.”

Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Milwaukee Marauders this past Saturday.  They had nearly knocked off the Hoosier Hurricanes on the road and then gotten smoked by Kane County.  They were already eight games into the season.  What would they bring?

The only thing they brought to the game were their mouths.  They trash-talked everyone, from Raiders fans to staff.  It’s one thing to talk trash to someone who’s actually going at you one-on-one, but to trash talk a fan or staff member who doesn’t have the opportunity to retaliate is just ridiculous. 

I was talking to a former Raider player after the game and he said this may be the worst Marauder team ever.  It’s hard to argue that point.  They have a couple of playmakers, most notably Shannon King, but not a whole lot going for them.  The Marauders have been one of the best recruiting tools for the Raiders over the past few years.  Several key players have found out about this level of football through the Marauders and then figured it was worth the 30-45 minute travel to come down to Racine and play.  Who can argue with that?

The Marauders need to find new refs.  While it seemed like they were just homers at the beginning of the game, it became evident that a couple of them have no business being on the field.  That was the worst officiated game since we were in Indiana last year!

The Raiders face their arch-rivals to the north tomorrow, the Milwaukee Marauders.  With the exception of 2005, the Raiders have owned the Marauders.  No doubt linebacker Brian Sylvas and quarterback Dan Novotny want to exact some revenge on their old team.

Speaking of Brian, the man has been a beast this year, but he still isn’t happy with his play.  He’s been disappointed in his ability to get to the ball this season.  That will change I’m sure.

I’m finding out that the Raiders might be able to field a pretty darn impressive softball team if we ever needed to!  Jamie Isome almost reached the sho with the Florida Marlins, Brian Sylvas has great speed and can launch the ball 300 feet pretty consistently and I just learned that defensive back Quincy Scott played centerfield All-Navy Baseball Team in San Diego from 2002 to 2004 and won two Navy vs. Marines championships.  The outfield is nearly set with those three.  I also hear Wilbert Kennedy used to be a stud in his heyday too!  Intriguing!