Cedar Valley Phantoms

The Cedar Valley Phantoms traded Defensive Specialist Herschall Blessig to the San Antonio Rattlers in exchange for DS Tim Meyers and San Antonio's E1 in the 2010 OIFL Draft. Meyers brings three years of experience to a Phantoms Squad who is looking to make a run at the playoffs. Some will criticise this move as many felt that Blessig was the Phantoms best player but Owner and General Manager Matt Patten is more than happy with the acquisition; "We were approached by Dylan (Fey) about the possibility of trading Herschall and what it would take for us to part with him. We countered his original offer and he accepted and we were more than happy with the deal. Tim (Meyers) brings is a tough, hard nosed football player who isn't afraid to stick his nose in there and hit someone. We also picked up an E1 in the upcoming draft which will get us a player that will make an impact on this squad next year."

This move was made one day after the Phantoms won their fourth game of the season defeating the College Station Wardogs 45-31 in a game which saw Cedar Valey Quarterback Sean Spoelstra throw for 265 yards and four touchdowns while Running Backs Roland Young and Rod Moesly combined for 109 yards and 2 td's on the ground. The Phantoms also finally got the performance they were looking for all year from Offensive Specialist Kyle Farmington who caught 9 passes for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns on the night as well as having six kick off returns for 85 yards. "I just wanted to go out there tonight and put on a show for the fans and show them that this team has not given up." Said Farmington in a post game interview last night. "This team has heart, and we are determined to reach the goals we set as a team at the begining of the season. We are starting to come together as a team and getting things rolling, it's going to be a fun rest of the season," he finished.

Cedar Valley continues with the home cooking this week as they host the D.C. Conspiracy at the General Mills Center on Sunday afternoon in a match up of 2008 OIF2 teams who are both looking to gain an identity as legit OIFL teams. The Phantoms come into the game needing a win if they want to quiet the critics and make a late playoff run this season while the Conspiracy come in at 5-4 and look to maintain their solid start to the season. Sunday should be a hard hitting contest in front of a raukus crowd. For more information on the Cedar Valley Phantoms visit their home on the world wide web at http://cedarvalleyphantoms.webs.com

Cedar Rapids, IA-- (October 22, 2009)

The Cedar Valley Phantoms have announced that this Sunday will be Black Out Sunday at the General Mills Center when they host the Arkansas Outlaws. Fans are encouraged to wear black as the Team will be wearing their alternate black Jerseys and special "Black Out" Sunday shirts will be on sale.

"The Hawks (Iowa Hawkeyes) who I have been a die hard fan since childhood have been doing Black Out games for several years and I thought it would be a good Idea for us to give it a try. We want want it to be a staple of our season for years to come. We have created specail T-Shirts that will be for sale on Sunday for the speical Black Out price of $15. Our goal is to get every member of "Phannation" to be wearing black, being rowdy and helping us pick up a win this weekend." Those comments from Cedar Valley Owner and General Manager Matt Patten.

Sunday also marks the Debut of the newest member of the Phantoms roster as WRDB Paris Schroeder will step foot on the field for his first game in a Cedar Valley uniform. Schroeder was traded to the Phantoms late Monday night after Cedar Valley GM Matt Patten contacted Miami Owner Mike Burmeister about the possibility of acquiring Schroeder and the two were able to reach an agreement. Schroeder joins the Phantoms as another weapon for an offense that currently features WRDB Marcus Klecker and Offensive Specialist Kyle Farmington. Cedar Valley Hopes that the addition of Schroeder can spark an offense that has been up and down all season long.

"Paris (Schroeder) is a great athlete and brings another dimension to our offense. Adding him to the mix with Marcus (Klecker), Kyle (Farmington), and Roland (Young), gives Sean another option on the field as well as another wrinkle in our offensive playbook. Paris seems to be picking up the system very well and should have no trouble playing on Sunday." Said Phantoms Head Coach and Offensive Co-ordinator at yesterday's weekly news conference. Schroeder will wear #15 for the Phantoms and is slated to be in the starting line up on Sunday.

Great Seats are still available for Sunday's game and can be purchased by calling (641) 555-PHAN, online via ticketmaster.com, or at the General Mills Center Box Office. For the latest information on everything Cedar Valley Phantoms visit their home on the world wide web at http://cedarvalleyphantoms.webs.com.

The Cedar Valley PHantoms had hoped to come out of this weekend with their first OIFL regular season win, however the Evansville Fighting Squirrels had a different idea as they defeated the Phantoms 30-27. The Phantoms had a shot late in the game as they had the ball and were driving only to have a pass batted down to end the game. It was another dissapointing loss for the expansion franchise still trying to find it's way in the OIFL. Phantoms Head Coach Adam Shackleford spoke about the decision to go for the touchdown instead of kicking the field goal to tie the game and send it to overtime.

"Would I make the same decision again knowing the outcome......... absolutely. We want to win ball games, and that's what we attempted to do. I thought we had a great shot with the ball in Sean's hands and when he threw the ball I thought that Roland had a shot at the ball but Hayburst made a great play on the ball. Unfortunately for us we weren't able to convert on that final play and we lost our third straight game." Shackleford paused for a drink of water and then continued; "The most disappointing part of this whole thing is that we were prepared for this week's game. We had a great week of practice and I really thought we were going to come away with the w this week. However, there were alot of positives coming from the game, our team is coming together and starting to play quality football. We have to put these three games behind us and focus on what's ahead of us on the schedule, this week we host a much improved Wisconsin team that is also looking for their second win of the season."

Cedar Valley finds themselves at 0 and 3 and in the cellar of the OIFL Midwest Division. 0 and 3 is a tough hole to climb out of and makes it even harder for the Phantoms to reach the OIFL Cup Playoffs, which some people have pegged Cedar Valley for in the early season. The Phantoms hope that returning home can bring them their first win and bring this team some confidence moving forward in the season; "Look we want to win, I've said it before and I'll say it again, playing well for an Expansion team isn't good enough for us. When I came here I did so to win games, and to help lead this team to a successful season. We are on the brink of winning a game and returning home this week can only help us in the win column. I know the "Phans" are going to be wild and "The Center" will be rockin on Sunday." Those comments from Veteran Offensive and Defensive Lineman Wilky Bazile.

The Phantoms host the Warlords Sunday in their fourth consecutive Midwest Division contest to start the season. The General Mills Center will certainly be electric as the Phantoms will again be providing pregame entertainment for the "Phans" prior to kickoff. The Organization will be having a team autograph signing outside the "PhanZone" the team store inside the north entrance of the arena. The Phantoms will again have Inflatibles for the kids and will have live music prior to the game as well, the band performing has not been announced yet. Fans are encouraged to tailgate, as the gates to the General Mills Center will open at 6am for fans to park and set up their tailgate parties prior to the 1pm kick off.

The Cedar Valley Phantoms are a fictional football team created as a part of the Online Indoor Football League. Any pictures or mention of real people or places are used soley for entertainment purposes. The Cedar Valley Phantoms and OIFL is in no way affilliated with the Arena Football League or any other real life indoor football league.