…. This
party’s over! Yes, that is the song and that is the season of the 2017
Defending CIF Champions Texas Revolution!
The 2018
year, might have had a target on their backs when they opened their season
against the Dallas Marshals, but change and more change was about to happen for
this team.
It
started out with the head coach of the champions, Victor Mann, leaving to go
and coach the team he beat in the championship game in 2017, The Omaha Beef.
So that
takes back to last September, and the Revolution were looking for a new head
coach, they tapped Carlos Cavanaugh, the former Offensive Coordinator, and so
the process begins.
Players
change, no longer running the team from
the Quarterback position would be the Hall of
Famer, Chris Dixon, with the running back and Rookie of the Year,
Michael Dyer, the former Auburn and Louisville standout.
Changes,
that was the theme for the 2018 Revolution, they were in for lots of changes
for the season.
In
August, before everything else was set in motion, the team moved from Allen,
Texas, where they called the Allen Event Center home for five seasons, they
moved to their new home base, of Frisco,
Texas and the Dr Pepper Star Center. This arena holds hockey for the Texas
Tornado, the basketball team of the NBA’s “G” League, Texas Legends, and the Dallas Stars Hockey
practice facility, and is now the new home of the Revolution.
With
these changes, the team is in gear to create some excitement, and the
exhibition game on the 24th of February they opened up against the
NTX Savages with a win 49-14. However, after that, it went downhill
quickly—four in a row losses, including to the cross town rival Dallas
Marshals.
Coach
Cavanaugh could not get this ship going in the right direction, three different
quarterbacks, and a slew of different wide receivers, and going back to Darius
Fudge at running back, but nothing seemed to work for this team.
IN the
fifth game of the season, a change was made. After word came, that Coach Mann
was released from the Omaha Beef, and had returned to N. Texas, the CEO of the
Revolution, Tommy Benezio, was able to bring back the Champion Head Coach
Victor Mann to the team, and with hopes of setting the course in the right
direction.
First
game back, not so good, but then again, only a week back with the team, and
other changes had to be made, including, finding a quarterback to steer the
ship.
Finally
they found the right guy in Andrew Jackson. Seemed that he was able to find a
rhythm, with finding targets like Clint Solomon, and LaDon Hudson, bringing
back last year’s spark plug, Joe Adams, and lets not forget Brett Reece Jr.—and
again the running back of Darius Fudge, and Jordan Brown, the offense was in
good shape, the defense, led by Linebacker Frankie Solomon, and Tre Harlan,
Meshak Williams, and a host of others.
Once
again change was happening, when during the four game winning streak, one of
the wins was a forfeit, with the Dallas Marshals ceasing operation, and not
able to complete the season.
One of
the losses in the beginning of the season was to the Marshals, in fact, it was
opening night, 38-37, after that it was one more game that they faced their
cross town rival, and beat them soundly, almost getting a shutout, however the
third game that was set to be played, by then the Marshals had folded up.
That
only allowed four teams in the South, and it was decided that no matter what
the record was going to be, the Revolution was going to make it to the play
offs.
On their
way to that post season, they still were able to manhandle their conference
foes, the Amarillo Venom beating them not only soundly at home, but also on the
road and again in the first round of the
playoffs, then they were able to beat the division leading Duke City
Gladiators, also at home, but it seemed that the Gladiators had the
Revolution’s number.
With a
convincing shut out (the first for an arena team in recent memory) 37-0 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Setting the stage in the event that these two
teams were to meet up in the playoffs, and for the right to go to the Champion
Bowl IV, and it all comes down to a game that started out looking like a rout.
The Gladiators open up the scoring quickly
15-0 before the Revolution get on the board, and try to make a game out of it,
before the half.
The Second Half started and the Revolution
got the ball to start it off, and were able to score and tie the game up, but
that was about as close as they were going to get, because the Gladiators
started to score and keep the Revolution at bay.
When the smoke cleared, the reign of the
Revolution came to an end, and the Gladiators are headed to the Champions Bowl
IV presented by Baymont Inn & Suits.
Their opponent, the Sioux City Bandits who
have 13 division titles and THREE Championships in their hip pocket, and
looking for number four. The Game will be played on the weekend of the June 30th,
and most likely will at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, NM. With the
Gladiators going into the game with a 12-2 record against the Bandits 11-3.
An exciting season for the Revolution, but
now its time to regroup, and get set for the 2019 season of Champions Indoor
Football- the off season will be full of changes once again!
Just a thought.
