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It was a busy Friday night for both of Chicago’s professional football teams. The Rush were looking to continue their winning streak while the Bears were bringing in talent for the future…..
The Rush made their way to corn country on Friday night as they took a trip to Des Moines to take on the Iowa Barnstormers. The Rush lost to the Barnstormers in their season opener back on March 23rd. After looking to Spokane a week later, the Rush went on a three-game winning streak.
As they made their way into Iowa, first place in the AFL Central Division was on the line. This game would push both teams to the limits as it took overtime to settle this one. It looked Week 1 was repeating itself early on as the Barnstormers quickly jumped out to a 13-0 lead.
The Rush offense struggled in the opening moments of this game. But some how, some way, the flame lit underneath Carson Coffman as he would lead the Rush on a 21-0 run in the next 12 minutes and 30 seconds. With the Rush leading 21-13, Iowa would battle back. Barstormers quarterback J.J. Raterink led his team to two scoring drives.
The Rush took a narrow 28-26 lead at the break. The second half was back and forth all the way until the very last second. Rush kicker Jose Martinez attempted a game-winning field goal but a bad snap put an an end to any game ending heroics. They ended regulation all tied up at 56.
In the overtime period Iowa struck first after Raterink found Barnstormers wide receiver Marcus Harris to take a 63-56 lead at the start of OT. The Rush would win the game on their only possession of the extra frame as quarterback Carson Coffman marched his team down the field, leading to a Kelvin Morris touchdown run.
The Rush elected to gamble and go for a two-point conversion as opposed to kicking the extra point. The gamble paid off as Coffman found receiver Jared Jenkins in the back of the end zone to walk out of Des Moines with the 64-63 victory. The Rush are now 4-2 on the season and they increase their winning streak to four games.
They are in control of their own destiny as they are still on top of the Central Division. The Rush also improve to 3-0 on the road which equals their away game victory total from last season. Hopefully the Rush can keep up these type of performances. Carson Coffman had another solid effort by completing 23-of-36 passes for 354 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Big Play” Reggie Gray led all Rush receivers by catching 12 of Coffman’s 23 passes for 234 yards and six touchdowns. Rush defensive back Jorrick Calvin was the leading tackler with 12.5. The Rush will return home on Saturday May 4th to welcome the Philadelphia Soul to Allstate Arena, yours truly will be in attendance.
As for the Bears, the NFL Draft has kept them very busy over the last couple of days. It all started on Thursday night. They had the 20th pick overall as the first round opened up things in New York City. There were many mock draft predictions as well as rumors that the Monsters of the Midway would trade that pick.
Instead they used it to draft Oregon guard Kyle Long. Many were hoping that the Bears would have taken a more notable lineman or perhaps a tight end or a defensive player. Kyle Long is the son of NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and the younger brother of St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long.
Despite the family name and the pedigree, Long isn’t exactly your top notch prospect. At 6’6″ and 313 pounds, Long only started four games as a member of the Oregon Ducks in 2012. Before attending Oregon, Long played at a community college for two years with most of his games as a defensive lineman just like his father and brother.
He moved to offensive line in 2011 and then transferred to Oregon. Speed is a concern for Long among other things, so the Bears coaching staff will have their work cut out for them. While the Rush were handling business in Iowa on Friday night, the 2013 NFL Draft resumed.
In the second round the Bears had the 18th pick {50th overall), and decided to go defense this time around. They drafted Florida middle linebacker Jon Bostic. A vicious defender who was one of the best defenders in the Southeast Conference in 2012. He was named second team all SEC last year.
But despite his strength, credentials, and physical presence, speed can be an issue with him at times. But the Bears will bring him in and he’s expected to compete with D.J. Williams for the starting middle linebacker position that was vacated by Brian Urlacher back in March.
The Bears did not have a third round pick on Friday thanks to the Brandon Marshall trade, but here are their remaining picks:
4th Round: #20/117th overall
5th Round: #20/153rd overall
6th Round: #20/188th overall
The Bears do not have a 7th round choice this year. With three picks left, the Bears are expected to possibly draft another offensive lineman, another defensive player, perhaps a tight end, or maybe even a backup quarterback. When the clock strikes 11am on Saturday morning we will have our answers.
This Sunday afternoon I will be at U.S. Cellular Field covering the White Sox game as they will take on the the Tampa Bay Rays. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm. For sports anytime you can always follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Last night the Rush did the impossible as they went into Salt Lake City and walked out with a victory. Something that they failed to do against the Utah Blaze last year. The Rush who only won three road games all of last season have already won two this year. And in the process they have now won three in-a-row after starting the season with back-to-back home losses.
The game was a back and forth affair for pretty much the whole night. Both teams were tied at 28 at halftime, and when the second half began these two conference rivals continued to score at will. It seemed like defense on both sides would be left out in the cold. Especially when the Rush had a 56-48 lead with 2:57 remaining.
The Blaze managed to tie the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Utah would try to take the lead on their next possession, but a big interception by Rush defensive back Jorrick Calvin would stop the Blaze momentum. Bob McMillen’s group would win the game with a last second field goal from kicker Jose Martinez. The Rush would be triumphant with a 59-56 victory.
Aside from Calvin’s interception, Rush linebacker Kelvin Morris had a pick as well. It was Calvin’s second INT of the season while Morris picked up his first. The Rush now have seven interceptions on the season all within the last few weeks. The Rush failed to grab any during the first two weeks of the season.
Defensive lineman Brian McNally and linebacker Tyus Jackson had a half sack each. The Rush now have four total sacks on the season, a category they also struggled in at the beginning of the season. The Rush defense continues to improve on a week to week basis. In the last two weeks the Rush have only allowed 70 points compared to the 139 total points they allowed in the first two weeks.
Of course we can’t forget about the offense as the Rush were once again in the drivers seat. Carson Coffman completed 22-of-37 passes for 275 yards and 5 touchdowns. Two of those touchdown passes went to “Big Play” Reggie Gray, he now has 12 touchdown catches on the season.
Rodney Wright also had two touchdown receptions as well giving him eight on the year. The other scoring catch went to receiver Jared Jenkins. The running game also continues to have a presence as fullback J.J. Payne had yet another touchdown run, he now has 5 scores and 47 yards on the 2013 campaign.
Credit must also be given to the offensive line as they only gave up one sack this week. The Rush now sport a record of 3 wins and 2 losses and they still hold first place in the Central Division. First place will be on the line this Friday when the Rush travel to Iowa to take on the Barnstormers one more time.
Iowa pulled off the upset over the Rush on opening night and will be looking to do so again. With the top spot in the division at stake this game has a little more meaning. For all things sports you can follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Pittsburgh started the second half on a positive note as they scored on the opening drive of the half in just two plays. Power quarterback Jordan Jefferson started off with a big 32-yard run after escaping the Rush defense and took the ball down to the 3-yard line. Power fullback Kirby Griffin would punch in it on the very next play to cut the Rush’s lead to 14-7.
When the Rush took the field on their first second half possession, Carson Coffman was on the field and he made an immediate impact. It turns out he had a dislocated finger on his throwing hand, thus the reason why he didn’t start the game. But after the dismal offensive performance in the first half, Coach McMillen decided to risk it.
Coffman didn’t disappoint as the Rush would score in five plays capped off by a 4-yard J.J. Payne run. This gave the Rush a 21-7 lead. The Rush would force Pittsburgh to turn the ball over on downs and get the ball back at the Pittsburgh 12-yard line. But Carson Coffman would throw three straight incomplete passes forcing the Rush to kick a field goal.
Jose Martinez would convert and the Rush took at 24-7 lead. The Power would get a score in just before the third quarter ended. Jordan Jefferson found his favorite target Mike Washington from nine yards out and the Power cut the Rush’s lead to 10. It was 24-14 after three. Reggie Gray would finally reach the end zone when the Rush started the 4th quarter.
He caught a a 33-yard bomb from Coffman and the Rush took at 31-14 lead at that point. When the Rush went back on defense they would once again stop the Power on 4th down to get the ball back. Rodney Wright would score two plays later for his first touchdown catch of the game. J.J. Payne would follow it up a few possessions later with another 4-yard touchdown run. The Rush would lead 45-14 at the one minute warning.
The Rush defense would do the rest and they would stop the Power offense once again and would walk off the Allstate Arena floor with the 45-14 victory. The Rush defense reached a milestone as 14 points is the second lowest point total allowed in team history. The all-time record is 13 points.
Bob McMillen’s squad limited the Power to just 1-5 on fourth down conversions, forced two turnovers and got a couple sacks in the process. Carson Coffman has fully established himself as the new leader on offense. Hopefully his finger can heal before the next game. The Rush are now 2-2 on the season and find themselves on top of the central division for the first time in a year.
Here is the box score from today’s game:
After the game the team was very happy at the post game press conference:
I also got a one-on-one interview with Rush linebacker Kelvin Morris talking about the Rush defense:
The Rush have a very difficult road ahead of them as they are on the road for the next two weeks. The Rush struggled on the road in 2012, but they have already won a road game in 2013. They start their road trip next Saturday in Utah. The Rush lost to the Blaze in last year’s trip to Salt Lake City.
Hopefully they will have better fortunes this time around. For sports anytime you can always follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Despite the score, it has been a heck of bad day for the Rush so far. Carson Coffman was pulled from the lineup at the last minute for reasons still unknown. Danny Southwick got the start at quarterback and has struggled to some degree. He’s been sacked twice, he’s only completed 17-of-26 passes, and he has held onto the ball too long at times and has taken some unnecessary hits in the process.
However Southwick has managed to throw two touchdown passes so far. The first one was a 19-yarder to Reggie Gray in the first quarter. The second one was a 12 yard pass into the back of the end zone which was caught by Jared Jenkins who is in for the injured Nate Forse in the second. The Rush did try to score before the end of the first half.
At first it appeared that Jenkins had another touchdown reception in the corner of the end zone, but it was ruled incomplete. The call would stand after a review. So the Rush would attempt a last second quarterback sneak with Southwick but he failed to reach the end zone.
So here we stand with the Rush leading 14-0 at the half. The Rush defense gets all of the credit for today, they have forced three Pittsburgh turnovers. They also have a sack and they have made forced Pittsburgh quarterback Jordan Jefferson into some bad situations.
The referees have made some bad calls at times but unfortunately we have to deal with that.
Let’s see if the Rush can keep this up. Pittsburgh will get the ball to start the second half. Here are the halftime stats: You can continue to follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDemption
As much as I’d like to say home sweet home in regards to the Rush, the heart has not at been home for the Rush in 2013. The Rush began the 2013 season with back-to-back home games against Iowa and Spokane, both were humiliating losses. Bob McMillen’s squad got back into the swing of things with a crucial road victory against San Antonio last week. It was the Rush’s first ever win over the Talons.
Today they are looking for their first ever victory over the winless Pittsburgh Power. This is the first ever meeting between these two franchises as the Power have only been in the league since 2012. The Steel City boys are also looking for their first winning season in franchise history.
Last year was not exactly a good start for this franchise as high roster turnovers, injuries, and a lack of fan support all contributed to a lousy debut season in 2012. This year the Power aren’t fairing much better. They had a bye week last week but lost their first two games to start the season.
Despite the Rush’s misfortunes this year, they will present a huge problem for Pittsburgh this afternoon at Allstate Arena. Wide receiver Rodney Wright has been emerging as a major contributor on offense and special teams. Reggie Gray is a force to be dealt with as always, and other players have been stepping up as well.
Fullback J.J. Payne has been more involved in the offense compared to last season, the offensive line has seen improvement, and new quarterback Carson Coffman is development as one of the AFL’s best young arms. The defense has been a concern at various points this season but last week they stepped up big time against San Antonio.
While the Rush may advantage on paper, the Power does have a couple of Chicago connections on their bench. Pittsburgh offensive lineman Beau Elliot was the Rush’s starting center during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He is now in the second season with the Power and perhaps he may be able to divulge some secrets to help his team.
Calling the offensive plays for the Power is former Chicago Bears quarterback Mike Tomczak. After leaving the Bears in the 90′s Tomczak finished his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has been a mainstay in that city ever since. The head coach of the Power is AFL legend Derek Stingley. Stingley played in the league from 1995-2004 and was a member of the Chicago Rush during their very first season back in 2001.
So there are a lot of Chicago ties in this game but I expect the Rush to take home the victory. They are a much better all-around team and the Pittsburgh Power is a team that’s still trying to find it’s identity.
There are some injuries for both teams, here are the scratches for the Rush:
#10 WR Nate Forse
#89 WR Taurus Johnson
#63 OL Ryan O’Neill
#58 DL Jacob Hardwick
Here are the scratches for Pittsburgh:
#12 WR Curtis Walls
#47 FB Brandon Link
#21 LB Ryan Lewis
Here are today’s starting lineups….
For the Pittsburgh Power:
Offense:
QB: #7 Jordan Jefferson
FB: #31 Kirby Griffin
WR: #1 Mike Washington
WR: #8 P.J. Berry
WR: #18 Perry Baker
G: #71 Daverin Geralds
C: #56 Beau Elliot
G: #69 Jason Thomas
Defense:
DE: #52 Donnie Pittman
NT: #94 Willie McGinnis
DE: #4 Neil Purvis
JLB: #17 Alvin Ray Jackson
MLB: #11 Gary Butler
DB: #9 Sergio Gilliam
DB: #6 Brandon Freeman
DB: #5 Chris LeFlore
And for the Rush:
QB: #11 Carson Coffman
FB: #34 J.J. Payne
WR: #1 Reggie Gray
WR: #2 Rodney Wright
WR: #15 Jared Jenkins
TE: #75 Colin Madison
C: #66 Jeff Maddux
G: #79 Steve Edwards
DE: #55 Brian McNally
NT: #92 Darrell Campbell
DE: #12 Anthony Hoke
MLB: #7 Tyus Jackson
JLB: #8 Kelvin Morris
DB: #4 Vic Hall
DB: #14 Jorrick Calvin
DB: #3 Joe Phinisee
If the Rush can win this game, they will reach the .500 mark and turn their season around. A loss will set them back which is something they don’t need this early in the season. You can follow me on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDepmtion
After two agonizing home losses to start the season, the Rush hit the road with a lot of uncertainty on Friday night. It was their first road game of 2013 and the Rush had a ton of weight on their shoulders. They would go up against their division foes the San Antonio Talons.
The Rush lost both meetings to the Talons last year who went on to win the division. The Rush also had the burden of only winning three road games all of last season on them as well. But fear not, the Rush went on the road and did the unthinkable. They went to the Alamodome, and defeated San Antonio 48-41.
The Rush defense showed significant improvement from the previous two weeks, they held San Antonio to just three touchdowns in the first half. The Rush had a 28-21 lead at halftime. Bob McMillen’s group would continue to put on the pressure as they held the Talons to just one touchdown in the third quarter.
The Rush outscored the Talons 14-7 in the third quarter. The Talons would break through in the fourth as they outscored the Rush 13-6 and came within a hair of taking the lead. With 4:30 left in the game, Talons quarterback Rohan Davey threw a 12-yard-touchdown pass to wide receiver Burl Toler. The Rush led 42-41 and the Talons just needed the extra point to tie.
But the PAT was blocked by the Rush special teams unit, their second blocked PAT of the season. The Rush would finish the game with Carson Coffman throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to fullback J.J. Payne. They attempted a two point conversion but it failed. The Rush defense would get a couple more stops to seal the deal.
The Rush would hang on to win, 48-41. Reggie Gray did not catch a touchdown, his first game without a score this year. Carson Coffman also had a rough night as he only completed 16-of-38 passes for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also threw an interception and was sacked three times.
Rodney Wright was the leading receiver as he caught 6 passes for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns. The rushing game also chipped in as J.J. Payne, Rodney Wright, and Carson Coffman combined for 7 carries and 20 yards. Coffman had two rushing touchdowns in the game.
The defense also finally managed to get some turnovers, four of them to be exact. But they are still looking for their first sack of the season. Defensive back Joe Phinisee led the Rush in tackles with 9. The Rush can return home in a good mood as they have finally tasted victory.
They have a chance to get to the .500 mark with their second win of the season a week from Sunday when the winless Pittsburgh Power makes it’s way to Rosemont. It looks like the Rush are finally starting to get things together.
Happy Easter everyone!
Despite the holiday and the decent weather we had on this day, not everyone is feeling so festive. The Chicago Rush are not in the best of moods today. They dropped their second straight game with a 76-61 loss to the Spokane Shock. Last year the Rush won their first two season games, this year has been a completely different story.
The Rush are starting to look better on offense but their defense has been a concern thus far. They have given up 139 total points to start the season. The 2012 Chicago Rush defense was known for putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and forcing turnovers. This year that has not been the case.
Aside from the total points, they have also given up 587 total yards. As a team, the Rush so far have been outscored 139-102. And they have been out-gained 587-550. Not the ideal way to start the season, but the Rush are still trying to put themselves back together from top to bottom.
The worst part about all of this is that they have lost two home games already. Last year the Rush lost three home games all season. And if that isn’t bad enough, both games have been conference games. Unfortunately it only gets harder from here. On Friday the Rush make their first road trip of the season when they head to San Antonio for another division game.
The Talons swept both meetings with the Rush in 2012, and the Rush struggled on the road last year. Bob McMillen’s team sported a dismal 3-6 record away from Allstate Arena last season. San Antonio is hostile territory for anyone who sets foot in the Alamodome. The Talons won the Central Division last year and are favored to do so again.
The good thing is, there still some bright spots about this Rush team. New quarterback Carson Coffman is finally starting to come into his own now. He threw for a season-high 294 yards and seven touchdowns against Spokane. “Big Play” Reggie Gray is still living up to his nickname, he caught another four touchdown passes today.
J.J. Payne is also getting involved which is something that didn’t happen last year. The Rush fullback already has 21 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the season. The new offensive line of Steve Edwards, Collin Madison, and Jeff Maddux have only allowed one sack all season.
The Rush have also been getting good performances from new receivers Rodney Wright and AFL veteran Nate Forse. It also appears that Rodney Wright could take over as the team’s full-time kick returner. He had five returns for 122 yards this afternoon, including a 43-yard return which helped to set up a touchdown.
He has 190 total return yards after just two weeks of play. Jose Martinez is also looking better on the turf. After missing his only field goal attempt and missing an extra point in the opener last week, Martinez went 7-7 on PAT’s today. He was on point. Even though the Rush offense keeps getting better, the defense is still struggling to find it’s identity.
They will to find that identity in a hurry as they have a short week ahead of them. Even though the Talons lost their season opener last week, this week was a bye week for them. And they will have a full week to prepare for the Rush. Even though it is only two weeks into the season, the Rush must put themselves into panic mode now if they are going to turn things around.
Tomorrow afternoon I will be covering the Chicago White Sox 2013 season opener from U.S. Cellular Field. First pitch will be around 3:05pm, and you can follow me on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
Despite all of the excitement, anticipation, and positive energy heading into tonight’s game, the energy was anything but positive as the Rush lose the 2013 season opener to the Iowa Barnstormers. Miscues and poor offense in the first half, followed by some bad plays and turnovers in the second half, left the Rush playing catch up all night.
Some costly errors within the first few minutes of tonight’s contest put the Rush behind early. Here is how it all went down:
The first quarter was a very low scoring affair. Iowa scored first when J.J. Raterink threw a touchdown pass from midfield to wide receiver Collin Taylor. Assisting that play was Rush defensive back Jorrick Calvin who slipped and fell on the turf while in coverage. The good thing is that defensive end Anthony Hoke sacked the holder to break up the extra point, Iowa led 6-0 early on.
On the Rush’s opening possession they marched into the red zone in just five plays. But after three straight incomplete passes by Carson Coffman, the Rush attempted a 12-yard field goal. Joe Martinez missed wide right allowing the Barnstormers to hang onto their 6-0 lead.
A couple of drives later, the Barnstormers would score again. After an unnecessary roughness penalty put them at 3rd and 20 from their own 8-yard line, Raterink again found some luck when Rush defensive back Joe Phinisee lost his footing on the turf allowing Darius Reynolds to score. Iowa missed the extra point again but still lead 12-0.
The Rush’s only score in the first came from a 4-yard touchdown pass from Carson Coffman to Reggie Gray. This cut the deficit to 12-7. As the second quarter began, Iowa again created another scoring drive capped off by a Raterink touchdown pass to receiver Marco Thomas off of a screen pass from three yards out. Iowa increased their lead to 19-7 at that point.
Midway through the second, the Rush would get back into it when Carson Coffman found Rodney Wright from 14 yards away to cut Iowa’s lead to 19-14. Just before the one minute warning J.J. Raterink found Iowa wide receiver Darius Reynolds for the second time in the corner of the end zone from 10 yards away to add to their lead, it was now 26-14.
On the ensuing kickoff, Rodney Wright could not recover the ball for the Rush after it bounced off of the net. Iowa would recover and score an easy touchdown, the Barnstormers led 33-14 by this point. The Rush would try to score one more time, but a sack on Coffman and poor clock management prevented that.
Then with just 10 seconds before halftime, Iowa would score again to add insult to injury. A pass by Raterink bounced off of the net but was recovered by Collin Taylor for his second touchdown of the evening. They would once again miss an extra point but the damage was none the less as they now led 39-14.
The Rush would manage to get some form of damage control before halftime. The Rush had one more play and Carson Coffman threw a 6-yard bullet to Reggie Gray for his second touchdown of the game. Iowa took at 39-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. When the second half began the Rush had the first possession and made good use of it.
Coffman threw his fourth touchdown pass to Reggie Gray from 24 yards out. It was Gray’s third TD catch of the night, and it cut Iowa’s lead to 39-28. But the Barnstormers would come back on their next drive and despite three straight penalties in the red zone, Iowa still managed to score to increase their lead to 46-28.
The Rush would come right back on the next drive as Reggie Gray would haul in his fourth touchdown catch of the night. This cut Iowa’s lead to 11, 46-35. Once the fourth quarter began, Iowa was hanging onto that 11-point lead. But they would add to it with a J.J. Raterink quarterback sneak, they were now up 53-35.
The Rush would make it a back and forth affair after Rodney Wright caught his second touchdown pass to make it a 53-41 game. The Barnstormers would come right back with 5:50 remaining and increase their lead to 19, 60-41. On the ensuing possession, Carson Coffman would throw his first pick in a Rush uniform to kill a four play, 20 plus yard drive.
The Rush would get the ball back but only for Coffman to throw another drive killing pick. After that pick things started to get chippy as both teams began to push and shove, leading to penalties and two ejections, one for each team. The Barnstormers would continue to add insult to injury by adding a field goal at the one minute warning to make it a 63-41 ball game.
The Rush would get one last drive, but they decided to run out the clock to end the game instead of scoring. The Rush lose their 2013 home opener, and their first home opener since since 2008 by the final score of 63-41. Here is tonight’s box score:
Even though they allowed J.J. Raterink and Darius Reynolds to combine for four of Iowa’s six touchdowns, among the other mistakes, there were still some positives. Reggie Gray caught four touchdown passes tonight, he now has 101 touchdown receptions for his career.
Rush linebacker Kelvin Morris went unnoticed for his nine tackles, and new quarterback Carson Coffman managed to throw for 225 yards and 6 touchdowns in his first game in a Rush uniform. After the game, head coach Bob McMillen, receiver Reggie Gray, and defensive back Jorrick Calvin all spoke at the post-game press conference.
I give them a ton of credit for speaking with the media considering how much of a foul mood they were all in. You’ll see what I mean when you look at their body language in the video below:
I also spoke with a visibly upset Reggie Gray:
Next week the Rush will resume the season on Easter Sunday when the Spokane Shock comes into town. The Shock has always given the Rush a hard, they split the season series last year 1-1. Both teams are physical against one another and I expect next week to be no different.
The Shock was one of the teams that kept the Rush out of the playoffs last year. There is no doubt that the Rush will be looking for some #REDemption this time around. For sports anytime, follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
After one of the more chaotic off seasons in team history, the 2013 Chicago Rush have made it to opening day. And they do so with a new look, new colors, new uniforms, and a new attitude. Today they take on their bitter division rivals, the Iowa Barnstormers. The Barnstormers are coached by former Rush head coach Mike Hohensee, who called the shots at Allstate Arena from 2001-2010.
He was the brains behind the operation that led the Rush to their only Arena Bowl title back in 2006. He is familiar with his counter part, former Rush fullback and current head coach Bob McMillen. McMillen in in his third season as the head coach of the Rush. He was the Rush starting fullback from 2002-2007, then transitioned into coaching from there.
He began as Mike Hohensee’s fullback/linebacker coach and held that position from 2008-2010. When Hohensee departed Chicago in 2011, McMillen took over the head coaching job and still holds the position to this day. There are a lot of new faces on this years roster. But just like Hohensee, Coach McMillen has a nack for finding undiscovered talent.
The Rush led by new over David Staral, made sure to bring in plenty of solid players for this years roster. Aside from Coach Hohensee, Iowa is led by veteran AFL quarterback J.J. Raterink. He is in his third season as their signal caller and would like to get payback from last season’s sweep by the Rush.
Throwing the ball for the Rush is Carson Coffman. He was brought in during the offseason after the retirerment of Russ Michna and the departure of Luke Drone. He will be backed up by Zach Frazer. There are still a few players leftover from last season. Reggie Gray, J.J. Payne, Derek Walker, Darrell Campbell, Kelvin Morris, Vic Hall, Semaj Moody, and Jorrick Calvin still wear Rush jerseys.
But there are some new players ready to come in and make an impact. Wide receiver Nate Forse has been around the block in the Arena Football League. He played with Orlando last season. Defensive lineman Anthony Hoke has played in both the AFL and NFL and he now brings his talents to Chicago.
There is all new offensive line, a few other players mixed in here and there, and a new kicker. Jose Martinez takes over the kicking duties which were held by Mike Salerno in 2012. As the old saying goes, “Out with the old and in with the new.” And that is the approach the Rush will take this season as they try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
Last year was the only year in franchise history in which the Rush did not make the postseason. Their record of 10-8 wasn’t enough to get a playoff spot. This year they will try to change the mistakes from last year that put them in that position. The Rush were only 3-6 on the road last year, that has to change.
They also struggled in Central Division play, this also needs to change. They also need to limit turnovers and perform better on special teams. Here are the starting lineups for both teams today:
Rush:
WR: #10 Nate Forse
OG: #79 Steve Edwards {Former Chicago Bear}
DE: #91 Derek Walker
NT: #92 Darrel Campbell
JLB: #11 Kelvin Morris
Barnstormers:
QB: #11 J.J. Raterink
FB: #41 Kai Brown
WR: #2 Collin Talyor
WR: #3 Marco Thomas
WR: #7 Darius Reynolds
G: #77 Michael Garrity
C: #72 Dace Richardson
TE: #70 Jayson Palmgren
DL: #23 Rodney Gnat
DL: #53 Mike Lewis
DL: #55 Odrick Ray
LB: #57 Darnell Carter
LB: #5 John Mohring
DB: #1 Errick McIntosh
DB: #12 Mike Williams
DB: #6 Jason Simpson
Kickoff will be underway shortly. You can follow me on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDemption
The new helmet design for the 2013 Chicago Rush.
Today from the Dome at the Ballpark in Rosemont, the 2013 Chicago Rush along with coaches and executives were introduced to the media for the upcoming season. This was an occasion that almost did not happen.
After the suspension of the 2009 season, the original owners of the Rush {business partners of Walter Payton} put the team up for sale. With no potential buyers in sight, the league purchased the team and owned it through the 2012 season. Between 2010 and 2012, the Rush became the largest market franchise in the AFL after the New York Dragons and Los Angeles Avengers folded.
The league wanted to sell to a local owner but nobody wanted to buy. The league did not want to fold the team because the Rush is now the largest franchise in the Arena Football League. After the 2012 season, AFL commissioner Jerry Kurz began aggressively pursuing a buyer for the Chicago Rush.
In November, local businesswoman Julee White had purchased the team for an undisclosed amount of money. Ms. White had said upon the sale that she had big plans for the franchise. Among those plans was to change the color scheme and team logo, give players pay raises, and spoke of a potential move to the United Center.
Unfortunately, Ms. White’s ownership was short-lived for reasons that are still largely unknown. In January ownership of the team was turned back over to the AFL. By this point there were rumors of the team folding without a local owner. Literally in the 11th hour, current owner David Staral purchased the franchise and saved the team from being contracted from the league.
He bought the team in February and has worked tirelessly to make sure that the Rush will be able to play the 2013 AFL season. He organized the team by assembling a roster at the last minute, putting together a new front office, keeping the coaching staff intact, and making sure the finances were in place.
So here we are just five days away from kicking off the 2013 season. Everything seems to be in place, and the fans will be able to cheer for the Rush this year. Some of last years key players are gone. Quarterback Russ Michna and fullback/linebacker Russell Monk have retired from the game.
Also gone are backup quarterback Luke Drone, wide receivers Jared Perry, Terrance Turner, and Marquis Hamilton, offensive lineman T.J. Watkins, and kicker Mike Salerno. They are just some of the many players from last season who departed. The doubt surrounding the offseason played a major role in all of this.
The good news however is that Reggie Gray, Jorrick Calvin, Semaj Moody, J.J. Payne, Derek Walker, and Darrell Campbell are still on board. We were informed at the event that the Rush managed to re-sign defensive back Vic Hall at the last minute. Kelvin Morris has also returned to the team.
During the offseason, Morris had signed with the Orlando Predators. He did this because of the questions regarding the future of the Rush franchise. But once it was revealed that the Rush would be coming back for 2013, both teams managed to workout a deal to bring “K-Mo” back into the fold.
So now that everything is in place, here are some of the new details about the Rush….
For starters the team has changed the color scheme but has kept the original logo. Gone now is the old purple and grey scheme that the team wore from 2001-2012, in it’s place is a collection of red, white, and blue.
Here are what the new uniforms will look like:
The team also hinted at a possible partnership with an NFL franchise but no further details were revealed. There is also a new marketing strategy in place, the Rush will be using the new Twitter hashtag of #REDemption for the 2013 season. This is just the beginning of what the Rush front office has in store.
More details will be revealed throughout the season. The AFL has a new television deal with CBS Sports Network, with the potential to have this year’s Arena Bowl on the main CBS network. The AFL had previously had a deal with the NFL Network from 2010-2012.
The team is also looking to ink both a local television and radio deal to broadcast the games. For now, the Rush will continue to stream the games online via the team’s website. WSCR-AM’s Les Grobstein will once again be the play-by-play man.
After the festivities I spoke with key members of the Rush franchise, starting with new owner David Staral:
I also had a conversation with head coach Bob McMillen:
Then I talked to the returning Kelvin Morris one-on-one:
Of course I couldn’t end the day without talking to fan favorite Reggie Gray:
The Rush will kickoff the 2013 season this Saturday night against the Iowa Barnstormers. The game will take place at Allstate Arena just after 7pm. You can follow on Twitter during that game for updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDemption
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