Friday, March 25, 2011

Greenjackets return 'home' to Empire Football League


http://poststar.com/sports/article_04467c4e-5694-11e0-abf5-001cc4c03286.html
Greenjackets return 'home' to Empire Football League
By PETE TOBEY -- tobey@poststar.com | Posted: Thursday, March 24, 2011 11:42 pm
MOREAU -- The prospect of increased travel and expenses prompted the Glens Falls Greenjackets to return to the Empire Football League earlier this month.
After six seasons in the North American Football League, the Jackets have returned to the semipro league they helped found 42 years ago.
Hank Pelton, the co-owner and general manager of the Jackets, said several factors - primarily travel and finances - contributed to the decision to return to the EFL.
"The way we look at it, we're home," Pelton said Thursday at the Greenjackets' new headquarters in the Chase Sports Complex. "It's a good move for us. A lot of us are former EFL players, so it was a no-brainer for us."
As part of the Empire Division of the NAFL, the Jackets were in a centrally run super-league that encompassed about 100 semipro football teams from across the country at its peak. The EFL has always been a regional league run by the team owners.
The far-ranging NAFL has apparently been reduced significantly in the wake of a mass exodus of teams. Only a handful of teams were listed on its website, and it's Facebook page announced a "major restructuring" coming soon.
"The (NAFL) had good ideas, but a lot of the teams didn't like the direction it was going, so they went back to their regional leagues," Pelton said.
Once a number of teams started leaving, others followed, including the entire Empire Division. Four of the teams - the Greenjackets, Albany Metro Mallers, Elmira Evolution and Syracuse Shock - were admitted into the EFL at a league meeting on March 12. Glove Cities and Finger Lakes switched to the Northeast Football Alliance.
Pelton said NAFL teams were so spread out, that when teams started pulling out, the travel would have been impossible for many teams. Returning to a regional league was the Jackets' only option.
"It left us no choice, really," he said.
The Jackets are charter members of the EFL, one of the teams that founded the league in 1969. They took a one-year hiatus in 1997 to play in the New York Amateur Football League, but returned the following season.
In 2005, after winning back-to-back EFL championships, the Jackets left for the NAFL under former owner Charles Adams, citing a desire to play stronger competition.
In 2008, Pelton and Craig Matuszak purchased the team from a group headed by NAFL commissioner Rob Licopoli.
"When Craig and I took over the team, it was in the contract that we had to keep the team in the NAFL for two more years. The third year was on us," Pelton said.
The EFL will have nine teams for the 2011 season, which is scheduled to begin on July 9. The top six teams make the playoffs, with the league championship game set for Oct. 22. Teams would also be eligible for postseason invitational tournaments.
For the Jackets, the longest trips this season will be to Syracuse and Burlington, Vt.
"I'm glad to be back in the EFL, having played my entire career in the EFL," said Jackets head coach Bob Fish, who returns after taking over the team midway through a 5-6 season. "We'll renew some old rivalries, like Watertown and Plattsburgh. It's a positive for guys to not be traveling hours and hours to away games."
 


# posted by American Football Association : 7:13 PM

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Fwd: Empire Football League grows for 2011 - Plattsburgh North Stars excited to defend title in highly-competitive conference





-----Original Message-----
From: davidb6783 <davidb6783@aol.com>
To: EmpireFoot <EmpireFoot@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Mar 22, 2011 1:28 pm
Subject: Empire Football League grows for 2011 - Plattsburgh North Stars excited to defend title in highly-competitive conference

http://pressrepublican.com/0300_sports/x2002723265/Empire-Football-League-grows-for-2011#

March 22, 2011

Empire Football League grows for 2011

Plattsburgh North Stars excited to defend title in highly-competitive conference

NICK ST. DENIS Press-Republican
Five teams who weren't in the Empire Football League last season will take the field in 2011.
Four of them aren't strangers.
The EFL announced that the Syracuse Shock, Elmira Evolution, Albany Metro Mallers, Glens Falls Greenjackets and Montreal Voyagers have joined the EFL for the 2011 season.
The Plattsburgh North Stars, Watertown Red and Black, Amsterdam Zephyrs and Vermont Ice Storm will be back.
Syracuse teams, the Metro Mallers and the Greenjackets have combined for 11 EFL championships, winning every title from 2000 to 2006 besides 2002, where Glens Falls lost in the final.
The Greenjackets won the inaugural championship in 1969.
"We're real excited — I think it's great," said Pat Keleher, coach of the defending champion North Stars. "They have a long tradition in the EFL, so them coming back is terrific."
Montreal has never won a championship but played in the title game in 1991.
Quebec had a team in the Titans for the past few years, but this year's Voyagers team "was resurrected from the original '90s EFL franchise by owners Barry Keeler and Kennis Davis," according to a press release.
"We're still trying to deal with the border-crossing thing, but these guys are willing to play all of their games on the road," EFL Commissioner Dave Burch said.
Burch said he's pleased to have the current group of teams with league-rich history, because he knows they are "solid organizations."
"The thing I stress is that we just want the teams to show up as scheduled, follow rules, play and move on from there," Burch said regarding the league's effort to minimize inconsistencies in the past with "teams coming and going."
He added, "We've got a solid process. If there needs to be a change or an issues comes up, they get together as a team of owners, reset and go from there... A lot of people working together."
Keleher said he and the Stars look forward to playing a very tough league schedule this coming summer.
"The quality of the league and level of competition is going to be very high," Keleher said. "We're very excited to defend our title."
Glens Falls Greenjackets

# posted by American Football Association : 10:32 AM

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Empire Football League Press Release March 12, 2011

 

Empire Football League Press Release March 12, 2011

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(877) 624-4485
e-mail: empirefoot@aol.com
website: www.empire-football-league.com

 

The Empire Football League recently held its scheduling meeting in Albany, NY and announced that the Syracuse Shock, Elmira Evolution, Albany Metro Mallers, Glens Falls Greenjackets and Montreal Voyageurs have joined the Empire Football League. The Albany Metro Mallers and Glens Falls Greenjackets are previous multiyear league champs while the Greenjackets are an original EFL charter member.  The Montreal Voyageurs organization was resurrected from the original 1990s EFL franchise by owners Barry Keeler and Ken Davis.

 

The EFL will consist of the following  9 teams for the 2011 season:

-      Albany Metro Mallers      

-      Amsterdam Zephyrs

-      Elmira Evolution

-      Glens Falls Greenjackets

-      Montreal Voyageurs        

-      Plattsburgh North Stars

-      Syracuse Shock

-      Vermont Ice Storm

-      Watertown Red & Black

 

The EFL season starts July 9th, has a bye September 3rd and ends October 1st .  The EFL Playoffs will begin on October 8th and will conclude with the EFL Championship Game on October 22nd.    

 

The following are the 2011 Empire Football League Officers:

-          Dave Burch, EFL Commissioner

-          Bill Higgins, Commissioner of Officials

-          Concetta Sager, Treasurer

-          Al Dole, Deputy Commissioner

-          Alvin Lollie, Deputy Commissioner

-           Jane Dole, Secretary

-          Gary Shaver, EFL Advisor

 

The 2011 Empire Football League schedule is as follows:

 

 

For additional information visit our EFL web site at www.empire-football-league.com

 


# posted by American Football Association : 7:33 AM

Empire Football League Press Release March 12, 2011

Empire Football League Press Release March 12, 2011

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(877) 624-4485
e-mail: empirefoot@aol.com
website: www.empire-football-league.com

 

The Empire Football League recently held its scheduling meeting in Albany, NY and announced that the Syracuse Shock, Elmira Evolution, Albany Metro Mallers, Glens Falls Greenjackets and Montreal Voyageurs have joined the Empire Football League. The Albany Metro Mallers and Glens Falls Greenjackets are previous multiyear league champs while the Greenjackets are an original EFL charter member.  The Montreal Voyageurs organization was resurrected from the original 1990s EFL franchise by owners Barry Keeler and Ken Davis.

 

The EFL will consist of the following  9 teams for the 2011 season:

-      Albany Metro Mallers      

-      Amsterdam Zephyrs

-      Elmira Evolution

-      Glens Falls Greenjackets

-      Montreal Voyageurs        

-      Plattsburgh North Stars

-      Syracuse Shock

-      Vermont Ice Storm

-      Watertown Red & Black

 

The EFL season starts July 9th, has a bye September 3rd and ends October 1st .  The EFL Playoffs will begin on October 8th and will conclude with the EFL Championship Game on October 22nd.    

 

 

The following are the 2011 Empire Football League Officers:

-          Dave Burch, EFL Commissioner

-          Bill Higgins, Commissioner of Officials

-          Concetta Sager, Treasurer

-          Al Dole, Deputy Commissioner

-          Alvin Lollie, Deputy Commissioner

-           Jane Dole, Secretary

-          Gary Shaver, EFL Advisor

 

The 2011 Empire Football League schedule is as follows:

 

 

For additional information visit our EFL web site at www.empire-football-league.com


# posted by American Football Association : 6:37 AM

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