Arena Football comes to Cleveland in a big way on March 3rd, when the Cleveland Gladiators begin their inaugural season.
The franchise relocated from Las Vegas, but kept only three of the original 22 team members from this squad.
Arena Football is divided into four divisions: the AFL Eastern, the AFL Southern, the AFL Western, and the AFL Central. These four divisions are made up of 17 teams, and the AFL Eastern is the only conference composed of five teams.
The Gladiators, as AFL Eastern members, will compete against fellow Ohio team Columbus, Dallas, New York, and Philadelphia. In their first game they take on the New York Dragons at Quicken Loans Arena.
The new team features a number of experienced players and is led by eight-year veteran Quarterback Raymond Philyaw. Philyaw was a splash signing after playing last year with the Kansas City Brigade, where his 85 touchdown passes ranked him in the top five in the league. He has more years in the AFL than any other player on the team.
Two seven-year veterans, wide receiver Cornelius Bonner and defensive end Silas Dimary, and six-year wide receiver Andy McCullough, are the most experienced players behind Philyaw. The three are excellent offensive weapons and their teamwork will mean only good things for a well-rounded passing attack.
That doesn’t mean the defense will be second rate, however. Led by defensive-minded head coach Mike Wilpolt, the Gladiators should be strong on both sides of the ball.
Wilpolt, now embarking on his first head coaching stint, was last year the defensive coach for the Las Angeles Avengers. His unit ranked fifth in the league for yards rushing allowed, and third in the league for yards passing allowed.
He’ll need all his defensive magic as he pits his strategies against another defensive genius, New York’s Weylan Harding. Harding finished last year as Coach of the Year runner-up, and holds the AFL mark of 20 for most wins as a head coach in his first two seasons.
If you’ve never witnessed Arena Football, know that the speed of the game is much greater than in the NFL. It’s fast paced, non-stop, wall-to-wall excitement. And it’s coming to Cleveland. Single game and season tickets are currently on sale.
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