For the first time in Utah Football League history, a thee-way tie for MVP voting resulted in WR Damon Greenberry of the Rhino-Raiders, QB Jeff LaBounty of the Blitz and LB Suka Ahio of the Warriors sharing CO-MVP's for the 2003 season.

Offensive Player of the Year went to the Rhino-Raiders other wide receiver Norvel Young. Young captured the award for the second straight season.

Defensive Player of the Year also went to a Rhino-Raider as DT Vaea Fiefia was the unanimous choice.

First Team Offense
Center - Todd Wheelwright - Rhino-Raiders
Guard - Travis Elliott - Rhino-Raiders
Guard - Carl Silva - Rhino-Raiders
Tackle - Phil Sotomayor - Rhino-Raiders
Tackle - Gary Lucero - Rhino-Raiders
Tight End - Nick Fotu - Rhino-Raiders
Running Back - Tigger Edwards - Bulldogs
Running Back - Marvel Smith - Nemesis
Wide Receiver - Norvel Young - Rhino-Raiders
Wide Receiver - Damon Greenberry - Rhino-Raiders
Quarterback - Jeff LaBounty - Blitz

First Team Defense
Tackle - Walter Fiefia - Rhino-Raiders
Tackle - Vaea Fiefia - Rhino-Raiders
End - Dave Barrett - Blitz
End - Bill Nebeker - Rhino-Raiders
Linebacker - Mack Norlie - Blitz
Linebacker - Levine Tupe - Rhino-Raiders
Linebacker - Adam Stinson - Bulldogs
Safety - Josh Smith - Blitz
Safety - Jay Tupe - Rhino-Raiders
Safety - Nate Miconi - Rhino-Raiders
Cornerback - Cory Alldredge - Bulldogs
Cornerback - Jed Davies - Rhino-Raiders

Punter/Kicker - Rodney Frojker - Rhino-Raiders

All Purpose - Damon Greenberry - Rhino-Raiders


Second Team Offense

Center - John Van Valkenberg - Blitz
Guard- Ram Coppard - Blitz
Guard - Lloyd Amasio - Blitz
Tackle - Zack Brodius - Longhorns
Tackle - Kelly Tohara - Blitz
Tackle - Josh Redfern - Blitz
Tight End - Josh Pike - Vipers
Running Back - Josh Christensen - Vipers
Running Back - Terrance Marks - Rhino-Raiders
Running Back - Barrett Wilson - Blitz
Wide Receiver - Kyle Ashby - Blitz
Wide Receiver - Nate Allison - Blitz
Quarterback - Mark Phister - Bulldogs

Second Team Defense

Tackle - Dustin Reed - Blitz
Tackle - George Litia - Blitz
End - Justin Hanson - Blitz
End - Gary Franklin - Longhorns
Linebacker - Rocky Jann - Nemesis
Linebacker - Suka Ahio - Warriors
Safety - Andy Schindler - Vipers
Safety - Tim Atkinson - Bulldogs
Safety - Jared Emrick - Nemesis
Cornerback - Keenan Davies - Longhorns
Cornerback - Adam Olsen - Blitz

Punter/Kicker - Shawn Flowers - Warriors

All Purpose - Nathan Cone - Warriors


Honorable Mention (by team)

Longhorns - Highland Harper, Bryce Manning, Josh Hill, Tony Belford, Kevin Slater, Scott Eggerman, Felix Fuentes, Nate Baptist, Dave Hemmers, Josh Slater, Casey Chambers, Matt Barber, J.D. Wimmer

Bulldogs - Tony Nafahu, Jason Hose, Nick Mesker, Jason Gold, James Fontaine, Aaron Southworth, Gordon Phillips, Cody Jacobson, Dave Wartien, Dave Steele, Mark Miller, Dave Johanson, Kimi Palau

Vipers - Mario Westbrook, Matt Christensen, Mike Christensen, Nash Montoya, Mike Holley, Charlie Johnson, Jake Franks, Rob Flynn, James Flynn, Brannon Stacy, Shane Bitton

Nemesis - Dave Levecki, Jeremy Peterson, Brandon Jewkes, Dan Cruser, Quinn Case, Hal Henderson, Travis Schurzinger, Matt Sweringer, Jeremy Meacham, Ian Peterson, Matt Moore, Curt Crowton, Wayne Ammer, Troy Sampson, Mark Henderson

Warriors - Tomas Hinds, Paule Vatu'u, Willie Sosi, Veteran Nix, Lely Wavahufa, Dennis Gasker, Courtney Smith, Kepi Ahio

Blitz - Hyrum McDonald, Shad McCurdy, Matt Mascaro, Paul Burgess, Josh Nielson

Rhino-Raiders - Manu Taeolii, Mike Pierce, Cody Burton, Rob Morse, Shane Dooley

Sunday, July 13
RHINO-RAIDERS CLAIM 4TH STRAIGHT TITLE
Sun, July 13, 2003   

By JON YORGASON
Standard-Examiner correspondent

OGDEN -- They don"t blow opponents out every game like they used to, but the South Ogden Rhino-Raiders are still the best team in the ever-improving Utah Football League.

Behind a stellar defensive effort and a huge second half from former Weber State running back Fine Unga, the Rhino-Raiders captured their fourth straight league championship with a 27-14 win over the Utah Blitz Saturday night at Ogden High School.

South Ogden (11-0) also overcame numerous penalties and a lackluster offensive performance to beat the Blitz (8-3) for the third time this year.

Unga, easily the best running back in the league, played exclusively on defense in the first half and generally stays there unless the team needs an offensive spark. And that"s exactly what the Rhino-Raiders were looking for in the third quarter after playing to a 7-7 tie in the opening half.

Unga paid immediate dividends, rushing for 31 yards on his first four carries. While the Raiders didn"t reach the end zone on that opening drive, the infusion of energy was provided and South Ogden controlled the rest of the game.

Unga scored two fourth quarter touchdowns, one from three yards out following a 57-yard interception return by Jay Tupe, and another from 45 yards away. On the long TD run, Unga side-stepped a Blitz defender at the line of scrimmage, broke right, and then with a tremendous burst of speed, raced down the South Ogden sideline untouched into the end zone.

"That sidestep was actually a trip," Unga said. "I was just trying to catch myself. The offensive line -- Charles Kano and Phil Sotomayor -- just a great job of blocking. It was an old Weber State counter and those guys blocked it perfect and it was wide open. It was luck on my part."

Unga finished with 81 yards rushing on just 10 carries.

"Fine Unga is a guy who"s just in a class by himself," said South Ogden quarterback/coach/owner Dave Stireman. "We"ve got some really good players on this team, but when we get into some situations, Fine"s just the guy you need to feed the ball to. And we got into that situation tonight where (Utah) got a little pressure on me throwing the football and I got happy feet, so there"s nothing better to slow that pass rush down than to pop that ball to him."

Prior to Tupe"s interception, it was another defensive play that gave South Ogden the lead for good.

With 5:57 remaining in the third quarter, the Blitz fumbled the ball and the Raiders" Cody Burton scooped it up and ran the other direction 40 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 Rhino-Raiders advantage.

South Ogden never trailed in the game. With just over a minute left in the first period, Stireman threw a bullet to receiver Norvel Young for a 45-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

That lead would remain until the closing seconds of the half. With :07 left, Utah running back Jeremy Smith hit Kyle Ashby with a 28-yard halfback touchdown pass to knot the score at seven. The play was set up by 45 yards of Rhino-Raider penalties -- one pass interference call, a person foul and an unsportsmanlike conduct.

Utah"s other score came with 8:33 left in the third quarter, when quarterback Josh Nielson scrambled and found Mike Sagapolu wide open for a 15-yard touchdown.
Saturday, July 5
RHINO-RAIDERS & BLITZ TO BATTLE FOR TITLE
2003 Utah Football League Championship Game
Utah Blitz (7-2,8-2) vs. S. Ogden Rhino-Raiders (9-0,10-0)
Saturday, July 12, 2003 - Ogden High School - 7 p.m.

When the 2003 season started, the Utah Blitz had one goal in mind: 2003 UFL Champions. The Blitz, led by Owner, Head Coach & QB Jeff Labounty, have been following a plan since their inaugural season in 2001. That plan was to win it all in three years. The 2001 season was a tough learning year for the Blitz and they struggled to win just a few games and played most of the year with less than 20 players, resulting in several lopsided losses, including a 76-0 loss at Snake River. Year two of the Blitz, 2002, meant many changes, and according to the plan, making the UFL playoffs. They did just that, losing 22-20 in the semi's in a heart-breaker to the Utah Warriors. A game they led 20-6 late in the game.

Now fast-forward to 2003 and the Blitz have clearly set their sights on knocking off the perrennial league champion Rhino-Raiders.

The July 12th matchup will mark the third game between these teams this year and 5th overall. The Rhino-Raiders won in 2001 (34-0) and in 2002 (42-12). In the game back on May 10th in Payson, what looked to be a very competitive game in the second quarter with the Rhino-Raiders holding a slim 6-2 lead, quickly got away as Rhino-Raider QB Dave Stireman fired 3 touchdowns in the last four minutes of the half, with the last one coming after a fumbled kickoff return with less than 20 seconds left in the first half. A shell-shocked Blitz team went into halftime down 26-8. The Blitz defense came out of halftime fired up and held the Rhino-Raider offense to just 6 second half points, but the Rhino-Raider defense was just as stout resulting in a 32-14 victory for the Rhino-Raiders.

But obviously, the Blitz had felt they could finally compete, albeit, for about half of the game with the mighty Rhino-Raiders and it was time to put together four quarters of play to finally beat the team that hadn't lost in league play since 1999, when the team played under the Raiders name and under different leadership.

Still fresh on our minds is the epic June 21st battle between these two semi-pro football giants. The Blitz not only showed up ready to play, but they showed up ready to beat the Rhino-Raiders on the Rhino-Raiders own field and also beat them at their own game: through the air. Blitz QB Jeff Labounty threw two first half touchdowns and the Blitz defense held the Rhino-Raiders scoreless in the first half. Undaunted, the Rhino-Raiders were only down 13-0 going to the third and still felt very much in the game. However, that changed about 5 minutes into the third as LaBounty threw his 3rd TD pass of the game and the Blitz now led 19-0. Trying to shake off the effects of a first quarter throwing hand injury, QB Dave Stireman hit TE NIck Fotu on a 35 yard pass to close the gap to 19-7 nearing the end of the third.

The Blitz back in the first game with the Rhino-Raiders had pretty much played them to a standstill for two quarters, but the Blitz were searching for 4 quarters of great play. In game two, they had clearly out-played the Rhino-Raiders for 3 quarters, especially after a long field increased the Blitz lead to 22-7 early in the 4th. With every possession critical for both teams, the Rhino-Raiders went to work on the ground as RB's Terrance Marks and Rob Morse chewed up big gainers behind an inspired Rhino-Raider offensive line and a raucous crowd witnessing one of very few close games ever played by the Rhino-Raiders at Ogden High. After Marks TD run cut the lead to 22-14 mid-way though the 4th, the Rhino-Raider defense came up big time and time again. With a little less than 3 minutes left, Marks scored his 2nd rushing TD of the game and we all know the rest.

But the point isn't to recap what has transpired between these two teams, but to show that the Blitz have followed their 3 year plan and now are on the threshold of a championship. They now know that they can play and outplay the Rhino-Raiders for 2 and 3 quarters, as they did in the first two games this season, but the big question yet to be answered is can they play and outplay the Rhino-Raiders for 4 quarters, especially in a playoff setting. If they can, the Blitz will lay claim to the 2003 UFL Championship and end the Rhino-Raiders current 43 game league winning streak and deny them their 4th straight league title.

Saturday, June 28
RHINO-RAIDERS & BLITZ ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
June 28th Semifinals - Ogden High School

#2 Blitz 34
#3 Warriors 6

#1 Rhino-Raiders 40
#4 Vipers 14

Saturday, June 21
WEEK TEN SCORES
June 21st (Final Regular Season Games)

Warriors 14
Longhorns 0

Rhino-Raiders 23
Blitz 22

Saturday, June 14
WEEK NINE SCORES
June 14th Games

Blitz 27
Bulldogs 6

Warriors 30
Nemesis 28

Rhino-Raiders 48
Vipers 7

Saturday, June 7
WEEK EIGHT SCORES
June 7th Games

Blitz 42
Vipers 7

Rhino-Raiders 45
Bulldogs 10

Nemesis 30
Longhorns 16

Saturday, May 31
WEEK SEVEN SCORES
May 31st Games

UFL Games
Bulldogs 35
Warriors 12

Vipers 20
Longhorns 19

Non-League Game
Rhino-Raiders 24
Denver Titans 17

Saturday, May 17
WEEK SIX SCORES
May 17th Games

Vipers 30
Bulldogs 26

Longhorns 12
Warriors 0

Rhino-Raiders 59
Nemesis 11

Saturday, May 10
WEEK FIVE SCORES
May 10th Games

Rhino-Raiders 32, Blitz 14;
Payson High School
In a battle of semi-pro football heavyweights, the Rhino-Raiders took advantage of a swarming defense and an all-out aerial attack to turn back the Blitz' upset bid. The game started in typical Rhino fashion as they forced a Blitz punt after three downs and after a short return, Rhino QB Dave Stireman fired the first of 5 td's as he connected with Rob Jolley. However, the Blitz defense came up big when Blitz SS Josh Smith sacked Stireman in the Rhino endzone for a safety and a 6-2 Rhino lead at the end of one. The Rhinos extended their lead to 14-2 when Stireman connected with Norvel Young on an electrifying 65 yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter. The Blitz answered with a touchdown run of their own by FB Rob Gilespe after a well-executed half back pass was complete inside the 10. The Blitz scored on their next play to make the score 14-8. What appeared to be a close game going into halftime quickly turned in favor of the Rhinos as Stireman engineered a long drive culminating in his 3rd first half touchdown pass as he hit Young again for a 20-8 lead with 30 seconds left in the half. On the ensuing kickoff, a big hit by former UFL defensive player of the year Jay Tupe caused a Blitz fumble with the Rhinos recovering on the Blitz 20. It took only one play for the Rhinos to take a commanding 26-8 lead as Stireman fired his 4th touchdown of the half, this one to Damon Greenberry. After trading a couple of punts each in the 3rd quarter, Stireman threw his 5th touchdown, this one to Greenberry from 30 yards out to stretch the Rhino lead to 32-8 at the end of the third. The defenses once again took over as both teams traded punts and then Blitz QB Jeff LaBounty hit WR Nate Allison with a 40 yard bomb with about 5 minutes left to cap the scoring.

Both defenses turned in great performances. The Rhinos defense was led by brothers Fiefia, Walter & Vaea, brothers Tupe, Jay & Levine, Nate Miconi and an interception from Ryan Mendoza. The Blitz' defense was led by Mack Norlie, Hyrum McDonald, Josh Smith & Aaron Cobia.


Nemesis 14
Bulldogs 7 OT

Warriors 14
Vipers 11

Game stories to follow.

Sunday, May 4
WEEK FOUR SCORES
Sun, May 4, 2003   

Ogden Standard-Examiner staff

OGDEN -- The South Ogden Rhino-Raiders and Davis Vipers each picked up crucial home victories in Utah Football League action Saturday.

The Rhino-Raiders dispatched the Utah Warriors 42-22. The Vipers whipped the Salt Lake Nemesis 48-27. At Payson, the Utah Blitz buried the Layton Longhorns 38-0.

Rhino-Raiders 42, Warriors 22: At Ogden High School, 2002 league MVP Jay Fletcher blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown to give the Warriors the lead but the Rhino-Raiders completed four long touchdown passes to take a 28-14 lead at halftime.

Dave Stireman tossed three TD passes to Damon Greenberry and two more to Norvel Young. The Rhino-Raiders" Radford Kaleikini added another score on a rushing TD.

The South Ogden defense was led by Vaea Fiefia and Bill Nebeker on the line and linebackers Mike Pierce and Nate Miconi.

"They don't give up any big plays, they keep everything in front of them," Stireman said. "The defense plays so well as a group. They"re very dominating."

The Rhino-Raiders will meet the (3-0) will meet the Blitz (4-0) next Saturday at Payson High School. Game time is 5 p.m.


Vipers 48, Nemesis 27: At Ben Lomond High School, the Vipers completed a 62-yard pass on the first play of the game and had the Nemesis guessing the rest of the night in improving to 2-1 in league play, 3-2 overall.

Josh Christensen rushed for two touchdowns and caught a pair of TDs from Shane Bitton to lead the Vipers. Christensen finished with 287 rushing yards.

Kyle Curtis added 110 yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns and Rob Flynn rushed for a scored.

Defensively, Mario Westbrook, Matt Christensen, Kevin Bell and Chad Strebel clamped down on the Nemesis.

"Those guys manhandled the opposition all night long," Vipers coach Rex Stacy said.


Utah Blitz Staff

Blitz 38, Longhorns 0: At Payson High, the Blitz came into Saturday's game against the Layton Longhorns as if they were the storm that pounded Utah and Salt Lake Counties Saturday afternoon. Before the final whistle had blown the Blitz Offense had scored 38 points while the Blitz Defense shut down the high scoring Longhorn offense.

The Longhorns seemed to be intimidated and for obvious reason shortmanned against the Blitz. They didn't appear to be the same team that gave the Rhino-Raiders trouble in their first outing. Then again, the way the Blitz Offense, Defense, and Special Teams showed heart, character, and their fighting spirit. I don't think anyone would have had a chance against the Blitz on this day.

One player from the Blitz stood out like no other on this day, and that would be Strong Safety/Special Teams Player Josh Smith (#31). Josh, recovered two fumbles on kickoffs and returned a Longhorn punt 40yards for a Touchdown. Josh just seemed to be in the right place at the right times on this afternoon. I believe that the whole Blitz football team would agree that Josh Smith was the MVP on this day.


Tuesday, April 1
SOUTH OGDEN RHINO-RAIDERS TEAM PREVIEW
34 game UFL winning streak, 45-3 overall record since June of 1999, 2-time defending MFLN AAA winter/spring National Champions, 3-time defending UFL Champs, numerous All Americans, etc. Those are just some of the accomplishments this national power has achieved in four short years of existence.

This years version looks to be even better as Dave Stireman returns for his 5th season. The former Weber State, CFL and Italian League QB has the top 5 weapons in this region to throw to. WR's Norvel Young, Damon Greenberry and Rashad Kennedy, all of whom played collegiately at WSU and all everything player Trevor Bell (who will return after indoor season), plus the dangerous TE Nick Fotu all have proven to be capable of breaking games open by themselves. The versatile Rob Morse returns at the slotback, but the big gun, RB Fine Unga, returns full time to the backfield. Fine, with the Pittsburgh Steelers many years ago, has played mostly LB and SS over the past few years. The offensive line has always been a strong suit of this team and 2003 looks to be no different. Returning to the mix after playing sparingly in 2002 is OT Phil Sotomayor. Returning are Carl Silva, Gary Lucero, Jon Cook, Todd Wheelwright, Travis Elliott, Eric Mullen and ex USU center Junior Putitao.

Defensively, the Rhino-Raiders will once again be loaded with talent. AFA All American Vaea Fiefia returns with brother Walter to dominate the trenches. Returning at NG is Anthony Dozier. The 42 year old comes back after wrist surgery sidelined him last year. Lining up outside is the ever improving Bill Nebeker. The linebacking corps will once again be led by Levine Tupe. Also returning will be David Stroshine (Tennessee Titans), Kenyatta Green and Cody Burton. The secondary loses arguably the top free safety in the nation in Junior Baker. Junior ruptured an Achilles tendon on March 1st in an indoor game and will be sidelined until the fall. However, the Rhino-Raiders are excited to have Nate Miconi on the team. The former Roy High, Snow College and Northern Arizona University star strong safety will have an immediate impact in this league. One corner will be manned by ex-Edmonton Eskimo and the UFL's top man-to-man cover guy Derrick Beatty. Replacing Trevor Bell at the other corner will be longtime Rhino-Raider player Kris Thomson. Back also will be ex WSU Safety Jed Davies after undergoing successful shoulder surgery that kept him out all of the 2002 season. With the injury to Baker, longtime safety Ken Perkins decides to forego retirement and suit up again in 2003. And did we mention Jay Tupe? The former UFL defensive player of the year returns at his customary safety position to lead this regions top defensive unit.

All in all, the road to the championship continues to run through Ogden High. And while there, check out the new Rhinestones cheer & dance team. The Utah Football Leagues first ever cheer and dance team.

Tuesday, April 1
UTAH BLITZ TEAM PREVIEW
By Blitz Staff,

In only the third year of operation in the Utah Football League and coming back from a heart breaking 2002 Semi-Final loss to the Warriors. The Utah Blitz are looking to compete for the 2003 League Championship.

UFL 1st Team Quarterback Jeff Labounty looks to lead the much-improved offense to the Championship in only our third year. The Blitz offense has been transformed by the acquisitions of RB Joe Mireles, RB/QB Matt Martinez, WR Nate Allison and TE Wayne Thompson from the Bulldogs, OT Ryan Murray from the Warriors, as well as numerous former college standouts from around the state. The mammoth offensive line is lead by Captain Lloyd Amasio filling in for the retired All American Adam Hunsaker. Lloyd has had quite the task in getting this line in shape and read to play. Come opening day, you'll see this force in action. Running behind the line are RB's Jeremy Smith, Joe Mireles and Rob Gillespie. One more threat to contend with are the receiving corps who are lead by Captain Ryan Seeley, with newly acquired Nate Allison and returning speedster Kyle "Kracker" Ashby. First year WR Jeff Johnson will surely surprise every defense he confronts.

With an outstanding defense returning lead by Defensive Coordinator, Ed Cerise and the return of 1st Team UFL Linebacker Mac Norlie. The Utah Blitz are looking to ride the coat tails of the leagues most feared defense. The Defense will be again lead by the Linebacker Corps of Norlie and Nielsen as well as the additions of former Bulldog Linebacker Shad McGurdy along side him will be rookie Hyrum McDonald. The D-Line has also been improved through the hard work of Captain/Coach Dave Barrett. This line would also like to welcome the new additions of George Liti, Jose Munoz, and Casey Cotton to name a few. The most improved area of the defense lies in the defensive backfield with 1st year and former Snow standout Rob Freeman at corner. He will be joined by former Cottonwood Colt Matt Mascaro and returning safety Dave Cope. This Defense is three deep at every position so don't expect any let down.

The Utah Blitz look forward to a successful season ending with a UFL Championship and would also like to wish all the teams in the UFL the best of luck this year.

Tuesday, April 1
UTAH WARRIORS TEAM PREVIEW
This years Warriors team will look to five familiar faces as they look to finally overtake the mighty Rhino-Raiders and win their first title. Leading the way are longtime UFL stars, WR/DB and 2002 UFL MVP Jay Fletcher, QB Adam Cunningham, RB Kaisa Kinikini, LB Suka Ahio and OL/DL Jason Savanieea. With Robert Dunne, current assistant coach at Layton High, now part of the ownership group, and a new head coach, Rocky Futua, the Warriors will be reckoned with in 2003.

Tuesday, April 1
LAYTON LONGHORNS TEAM PREVIEW
By Longhorns Staff,

Born in the summer of 2002, the Layton Longhorns are prepared to lasso the Utah Football League during the 2003 season. Led by veteran quarterbacks Josh Lemon and Brian Masters, the Longhorns intend to light up the field as they possess one of the most talented receiving corps in the Utah Football League. Making the passing game even more dangerous is a deep talented backfield poised to stampede through opposing defenses. Even more impressive is the Longhorn defense. Anchored by end Brandon Spence and corner Keenan Davies, the 'horns D is definitely a force to reckon with. They have already begun to prove themselves with two outstanding games against stellar offenses allowing less than 150 yards per game. With the first two games of their existence out of the way, the Longhorns are prepared to make a statement in the UFL.

Tuesday, April 1
WEST JORDAN BULLDOGS TEAM PREVIEW
By Bulldogs Staff,

This is the Bulldogs sixth year in the Utah Football League. We are looking to have a great season in 2003. We have new uniforms this year and many new and talented players. We are excited about our new look offense, with former Wolfpack QB Mark Phister running the show. We also have some talented running backs including Davey Steel and Jeff Edwards (Tigger) along with former QB Cliff Kelly and James Fountaine at the wide receiver positions. We are also looking for big things out of our defense this year. There are many new faces on that side of the ball including former wolfpack players, LB Adam Stinson(Red Dawg) and SS Tim Atkinson. We also have some old beat up players like cornerbacks Nick Mesker and Cory Alldredge and LB Ian Alldredge. We are proud of the players we have and are excited to go into battle with them this year. Our home games will be played at Kearns High School again this season. Thanks to everyone who comes to the games and we will see you on the field.



Tuesday, April 1
DAVIS VIPERS TEAM PREVIEW
By Vipers Staff,

The Davis Vipers are a third year team in the UFL. When the Vipers started out in 2001, they had a roster of 10 players. After a lot of hard work and dedication from players, coaches, and other Viper staff, their roster grew to around 40 with players ranging in age from 18-40. Although the Vipers lost a few key players in their first season to college scholarships they came back in their second season even stronger than anyone had thought possible.

The Davis Vipers were very proud to have some of their own making the UFL All Star Team last year. At the top of the list is DT Mario Westbrook #94. In his first season with the Vipers Mario has made an impact all over the league, dominating the trenches standing up opposing running backs & creating trouble for even the leagues best offenses. Mario was named 1st team ALL UFL DT, as well as the UFL Defensive Player of the Year 2002.

Several other Viper players have been honored with ALL UFL recognition: Viper RB #14 Kyle Curtis ran & pounded his way to 1st team ALL UFL RB. Kyle ran hard all year & had a great season carrying the rock for the Vipers. Kyle's ability to pound the ball & catch passes, as well as taking out opposing blitzers certainly wasn’t unnoticed by the league....

Viper S #21 Andy Schindler also made the 1st team ALL UFL Defense. Schindler was the Vipers' biggest thief with half a dozen interceptions and numerous broken up passes.

Viper kicking game leagues best in 2002: Davis kicker #15 Bryce Kennington earned top honors as all UFL 1st team kicking unit. Bryce had the leg from nearly 50 yards more than once this year with numerous field goals & lots of touchbacks. Opposing teams definitely feared our kicking game.

Two Vipers earn 2nd Team ALL UFL nods: OG Charlie "Cheese" Johnson, & LB #48 Matt Christensen. The Vipers are certainly proud of all of our own who have earned these honors & look forward to next season where we look to be crowned 2003 UFL Champions..!!!!!

Tuesday, April 1
SALT LAKE NEMESIS TEAM PREVIEW
By Nemesis Staff,

2003 brings a new dawn on the UFL in the form of The Salt Lake Nemesis. Born as the brain child of past teams, the Nemesis is constructed on the ideas and principals of the R.I.D.E philosophy. Every player on the Nemesis share the same goals, and are willing to do what is needed for a championship run.

   Leading the Nemesis into the new season is head coach Terry Stapleton. Coach Stapleton returns to the UFL, after a well deserved break, to mold the Nemesis into a quality program and give them a legitimate shot at the UFL title. Coach Stapleton brings with him to the young team experience, a capable coaching staff, and a winning tradition. Coach Stapleton as hungry as they come for a title and that will surely flow over to the players.

      Along with the addition of Coach Stapleton, the Nemesis have signed many exciting players to help in the championship run. 2002 UFL all-star Marvell Smith now joins the talented Nemesis backfield for the new season. Last year Smith lead the league in rushing touchdowns and his style of running will be a welcome addition to the already capable backfield. Marvell is joined by UFL rookie tailbacks Justin Larson and Rob Short. The fullback position is filled by the powerful duo of Kevin Hall and Wade Allan. The Nemesis air attack is supported by veteran receivers Troy Sampson and Jeremy Mecham. Feeding the hungry crew of receivers is rookie quarterback Mark Henderson. Henderson hales from southern Utah and is one of its best kept secret.

    The Nemesis defense is anchored by middle linebacker Dan Cruiser. Cruiser is the type of player that every coach wishes to have on their team in that he is a very capable leader and packs a big stick. Members of the defensive backfield include the speedy tandem of Cody Gringas and Quinten Case, the dependable Travis Soheranger and UIFL all star Darnell Debrule just to name a few.

   After seven months of hard preparation, the Nemesis is ready to begin the 2003 campaign. Every player that wears the navy and colombia under the Nemesis R.I.D.E philosophy is ready for the challenge that awaits. Every member of the Salt Lake Nemesis knows what is the true definition of nemesis. Those opposing teams that do not know will find out. They will showed a huge full course meal of it. And they wont want seconds of that.

2002 SEASON:

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