On July 9^th Mayor Anthony Chavonne and the Fayetteville City Council recognized the Cape Fear Heroes Professional Indoor Football Team for their accomplishments during the 2012 season both on the field and in the community.

Mayor Chavonne read and presented a proclamation from the City of Fayetteville to Heroes General Manager Jack Bowman recognizing the Heroes undefeated season and American Indoor Football Championship as well as their great work in the community mentoring kids along with their work with the AIF For Kids Youth Football Program.

As the Stampede work through the Off-Season and prepare for  2013, one of the first priorities after re-signing HC Nowotarski was to re-establish and re-sign their 2013 Coaching Staff.

 

Stampede Owners Justin Coble and Marques Colston are excited to announce that they have come to terms with New Offensive Coordinator/ Assistant Head Coach, Rick Marsilio.

 

The former Marian Catholic & Towson State University QB has been a coach with the Stampede in each of the team’s first four seasons. In the 2012 season, Marsilio worked directly with League Leading QB EJ Nemeth and the Wide Receivers and was an integral part of putting the Stampede Offensive Game Plan together. At the end of the season, HC Nowotarski reviewed the season and started to make plans for 2013 . After assessing the season and reviewing all the Coaches Exit Interviews, Nowotarski submitted to Coble and Colston his desire to promote Marsilio to the OC/Asst.HC position.

 

“We had no reservations or hesitation with accepting the recommendation to move Rick into the OC/Assistant Head Coaching position. It is a natural fit and the move should continue to allow the Stampede’s high scoring offense to improve and mesh as a solid unit”, commented Stampede Owner, Justin Coble.    

 

I look forward to the challenge and certainly thank the Stampede Ownership and our Head Coach for their vote of confidence and giving me the opportunity to take over as OC/Assistant HC. We plan on being a fast paced high scoring offense, based off of solid fundamentals, remarked Marsilio.

 

Stay updated on all the Stampede happenings by logging onto the teams Web Site, Facebook and Twitter pages. It is our goal to keep our fans up to date and informed of all the exciting Stampede news during the off-season.

The Cape Fear Heroes put the finishing touches on their perfect 7-0  regular season by defeating the California Eagles 79-27 in the 2012 AIF National Championship Game at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville North Carolina on Saturday June 16^th, 2012. The Heroes completed the season 9-0 and in the process staked their claim to the first AIF Championship.

In topping the Eagles the Heroes became the first team in AIF history to complete a season undefeated. The Heroes earlier defeated the Harrisburg Stampede in the AIF Eastern Conference Championship on June 9th by the score of 42-40 to earn the right advance to the AIF championship game.

Other great moments this season where winning the AIF Eastern Conference regular season title on May 19^th by beating the undefeated Harrisburg Stampede by the score of 57-32 and a close battle with the Carolina Force on April 14^th that the Heroes won by a score of 41-40.

The Heroes entered the season with everything on the line to prove and wanting to set their mark on history. Early in the fall of 2011 an ownership group consisting of John Morris, Barbara Spigner and Charles Gunnings was put together and a territory was purchased from the American Indoor Football and later a lease was signed with the Crown Coliseum for the Heroes to play the 2012 season in Fayetteville.

The hard work was then ahead of the team of hiring the right management and coaching staff with the ability of putting a quality product on the field. Players where then recruited with coaches working around the clock to invite the right mix of veteran and rookie players to the first Heroes training camp.  

Jack Bowman the Heroes General Manager says that the Heroes where a special organization in 2012, Head Coach Charles Gunnings structured  a dedicated and skilled group of assistant coaches and support staff who spent endless hours at practice, evaluating opponents game film, working with players in the weight room all of which I believe help lead us to this championship.

Coach Charles Gunnings says how proud he is proud of this team and the sacrifices made by everyone within the organization, player and coaches alike showed great determination and dedication to the Heroes program helping us to achieve our goals. 

The Heroes organization is more then just the game played on the field our overall success is only as good as our sponsors and fan base who without their support would have made this year’s success much harder to achieve. The Heroes would like to thank each one of our sponsors and fans who supported our organization this year and joined us on this great adventure. Our fans new and old, our loyal season ticket holders, our new fans who came on late in the season and our sponsors all deserve to enjoy and cherish in this accomplishment with the Heroes because each one of you helped us get here.

Now that the future is upon us and we look to “Repeat” our performance in 2013 you will see the Heroes active in the community on a year round basis as we continue our commitment to our community and look to build upon our success. 

Stampede Owners Justin Coble and Marques Colston are proud to announce that Head Coach Bernie Nowotarski will be back on the side-lines for the 2013 Season.

Now this may not come as any surprise after the Stampede made it to the Conference Finals in 2012 and went from worst to first during the season, but the owners wanted their Coaching staff in order. “We work off of 1 year contracts with our players and coaches, and it was very important to us to get our coaching staff re-signed and back in order as quickly as we can and that meant getting Bernie re-signed. We believe it shows our commitment to the fans, players and the community,” commented Coble.

In Nowotarski’s seven seasons of Indoor Coaching he has amassed a 73% win record with a 67-25 regular season record. His 8-4 Play-Off record includes winning four division titles, two conference championships, and a national title. In 2009 he was named Coach of the Year, GM of the Year, the Most Influential Person in Indoor/Arena Football, and the Berks County Coach of the Year.

“We had a great 2012 and it was a very special season. I had no hesitation to re-sign for the 2013 season. We have great thing going on here in Harrisburg. We have 100% Ownership support and backing. Our fan base and partnerships are both growing. Our players believe in the system we run here, both on the field and off the field. This is going to be a fun and exciting Off-Season and I can’t wait for the 2013 season to kick-off,” remarked Nowotarski. “We believe in our “LaFamilia” here in HBurg and its part of what makes us a special organization.”

American Indoor Football names Signature Style Jewelry as
“Official League Championship Ring Supplier”


American Indoor Football is pleased to announce that Signature Style Jewelry has been chosen as the “Official Championship Ring Supplier of the AIF”. After discussions with four leading ring manufacturers Signature Style Jewelry was chosen for its high level of product quality and customer service. Chad Beeman Vice President of Signature Style has been a pleasure to work with says AIF President John Morris, along with his staff they have worked countless hours to design the 2012 AIF Championship ring for this year’s AIF winner the Cape Fear Heroes.

Founded in 1969, Signature Style Jewelry has come to the forefront of the industry in custom jewelry. Signature Style Jewelry is a leading online retailer of championship rings, class rings, corporate rings, military rings, and fashion jewelry. The company’s rapid growth over the years has come from their innovative and numerous options when it comes to customizing jewelry. Their aspirations to continually improve customer options are what make them different from the rest of the industry. 

Chad Beeman of Signature Style Jewelry says Signature Style is excited about the opportunity to serve the AIF organization and be named the Official Provider for Championship Rings and Pendants.  Signature looks forward to a long lasting relationship, and rewarding your Champions with the finest quality championship rings in the industry!

The Heroes got off to a quick start offensively scoring 25 unanswered points and scoring on four of their six drives in the first half to take a 34-7 lead into halftime. Both quarterbacks Patrick Pickney and Garrett Sutphen had impressive games leading the Heroes offensive up and down the field at will most of the night.

The defense also got into the scoring action too with touchdowns from Clenton Cochran and J.R. Hair. The Heroes defense also sacked California's quarterbacks eight times, recording four safeties, and forcing three turnovers.

Charles Gunnings the head coach of the Heroes says the Heroes set many goals before the season started and players and coaches alike stayed on track and worked hard to achieve those goals by putting in countless hours of preparation on the practice field, in the weight room and in the film room. That dedication has paid off for the Heroes I could not be happier for these guys.

 In a town known for its sports the Cape Fear Heroes now join a list of notable athletes and sporting accomplishments from the area. From Babe Ruth hitting his first home run in professional baseball in Fayetteville to being a hotbed for professional athletes including NFL players like Brad Edwards (Washington Redskins), Marvin Powell (New York Jets), Doug Wilkerson (San Diego Chargers), Joe Harris (Rams), Joe Horn (Atlanta Falcons), Donnell Wolford (Chicago Bears) as well as NFL owner Jerry Richardson and PGA golfer Raymond Floyd

Fayetteville’s North Carolina’s current and past professional championships.

2012- Cape Fear Heroes (Arena Football Team)
American Indoor Football National Champions
(9 wins – 0 losses)

2007 Fayetteville Fireantz (Hockey Team)
Southern Professional Hockey League

2007 Fayetteville Guard (Arena Football Team)
Indoor Football Championship Bowl

1956 Fayetteville Highlanders (Baseball)
Carolina League Baseball Title

 

EJ Nemeth followed thru on his on-line auction promise to cut off his hair and donate ALL the proceeds to the Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania. The Stampede League Leading QB and a young man equally dedicated to his commitment to helping kids made good on his promise and has cut off his locks. The on-line auction raised $80 which EJ gladly has given to the Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania. We are very proud of EJ and we look to continue to see our relationship with the Easter Seals grow through many more tandem events. 

 

For more information about Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania, you can contact Katie Mansell with Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania at (717) 591-7027 ext. 5394 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

About Easter Seals Central Pennsylvania:

 

Easter Seals is the leading non-profit provider of services for individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, physical and mental disabilities, and other special needs.  For more than 85 years, we have been offering help and hope to children and adults living with disabilities and to the families that love them. Through therapy, training, education and support services, Easter Seals creates life-changing solutions so that people with autism and other disabilities can live, learn, work and play in their communities. Support children and adults with disabilities at www.eastersealscentralpa.org.

 

About the Harrisburg Stampede:

The Harrisburg Stampede is a professional indoor football team in American Indoor Football League. The team plays its home games at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center. The team is co-owned by Justin Coble, a local Harrisburg businessmen, and Marques Colston, wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints. www.harrisburgstampede.com.

The Harrisburg Stampede hosted the Concord Force Saturday night at the Equine Arena inPennsylvania in the first round of the American Indoor Football League Playoffs. The Stampede entered the game 6-1 while the Force came in with 4-3 record. In the opening quarter both defenses played great while each offense tried to find their stride.

However, late in the first quarter the Force would strike first when wide receiver CJ Washington caught a 32-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Demarcus Simons to give the Force a 6-0 lead. A failed two point conversion kept the lead at 6-0 and on the ensuing Force possession the Stampede defense would step up and make a big play. Simons threw an errant pass that was caught by Stampede defensive back Richard Johnson and returned 15-yards for a touchdown sending the hometown crowd into a frenzy. The successful extra point gave the Stampede their first lead of the game at 7-6 midway through the second quarter.

The Force looked out of sync all night. Quarterback Demarcus Simons and his receivers were not on the same page, so things got progressively worse for the Force. The Stampede offense lead by E.J. Nemeth started to get the offense going in the second quarter, not with his arm but rather with his legs. He rushed for a two yard touchdown before the half to push the lead to 14-6 then the Stampede special teams blocked a potential field goal attempt in the end zone and tackled wide receiver James McCord for a safety, pushing the lead at halftime to 16-6.

The Stampede defensive line was stout all night. However the Force didn’t help their cause by committing fourteen penalties in the game. “It was impossible to overcome all of our mental mistakes,” remarked Force head coach Kent Merideth. “Our offensive line struggled all night and our quarterback didn’t have a chance to look downfield. That being said I’m proud of my players, anytime you make the playoffs in any league it’s an accomplishment so we will take this as a learning experience and get better next year,” added the first year head coach.

To start the second half it was more of the same for the Force. The Stampede took the third quarter kickoff and marched down the field to score another touchdown to increase their lead to 22-6. Again it was a Nemeth rushing touchdown that broke through the Force defense, this one from a yard out. It would be his first of three second half rushing touchdowns. In fact the Stampede would outscore the Force 35 to 12 in the second half and were really never challenged.

Stampede quarterback E.J. Nemeth rushed for four touchdowns, threw for another and completed 16 out of 29 pass attempts. Coach Bernie Nowotarski knows however that next week against the Cape Fear Heroes they must be more efficient. “I thought the offense was a little out of synch tonight. I feel like we need to get into more of a rhythm, the guys know what’s at stake next week and fortunately we have a few days of practice to get better.”

“It feels good to be moving on; these opportunities are what you play for. I told our team it’s a 180 minute season. We took care of our business tonight and next week is another big challenge. We just need to keep our focus going forward and prepare for a team that put it on us a few weeks ago,” added Nowotarski.

When asked about his defense coach added these thoughts, “Defensively, it’s hard to complain about giving up a mere 12 points.” The Stampede defense was dominating, recording six sacks, recovering two fumbles, forcing three safeties and returning an interception return for a touchdown. The defense was led by Daniel Orlebar who had two sacks, two tackles for a loss, and was harassing Force quarterback Demarcus Simons the entire evening. Simons completed 7 out of 24 passes for a mere 129 yards and two touchdowns and an interception.

The Harrisburg Stampede now advance to play the undefeated Cape Fear Heroes next week inFayetteville,NC. Just a few weeks ago the Fear forced eight Stampede turnovers in a 57 to 32 victory. The winner next week will earn the right to play in the American Indoor Football League Championship game the following week.

 

 

Written by Euan McCreath

 

 

The undefeated Cape Fear Heroes take on the once beaten Harrisburg Stampede on June 9^th, 2012 in Fayetteville, NC at the Crown Coliseum, game time is 7:30 pm.

The Stampede featuring some of the best talent in the AIF had their only loss of the season on May 19^th against the Heroes. Since that matchup the Heroes have gone on to beat the Concord Force in their last regular season game and earned a first round bye in the AIF playoffs as well as the conference regular season title while the Stampede went on to beat the Concord Force 52-12 in the first round of the AIF playoffs.

Both of these teams know each other well and the game expects to be a hard fought exciting game. The Heroes have also expanded their tailgating events for this game which start at 4 pm and have added such items as the Gamin Ride, Larry Alexander a local impersonator as well as music and other activities.

Gamin’ Ride is a Mobile Interactive Entertainment Center on wheels that brings the fun right to your doorstep!  Their mobile theater immerses 24 guests into a 4D interactive party Experience courtesy of their vibrating simulation seating, game scents and XBOX 360, PS3, Wii and the Ultimate in High-Definition Gaming. Their on-board interactive event hosts help create the Experience and capture the memories, all the while keeping guests on their toes with a slew of activities, games and contests.

The American Indoor Football is pleased to announce that the Roc City Thunder of Rochester NY have been accepted into the AIF for the 2013 season as an expansion team.

The City of Rochester has been no stranger to indoor football having always put a strong product on the field with a wealth of talented players from the area as well as a dedicated fan base. The AIF looks for many exciting things from its newest member.

The Thunder will be holding a formal news conference in the next several weeks to officially introduce themselves in the meantime for the latest information on the Thunder contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it