 |
DES MOINES, IA – The Des Moines Blaze have won five consecutive Midwest Football Alliance titles and today team activities begin in preparation for their title defense, which will begin May 7th when Des Moines hosts the Mankato (MN) Brawlers.
For the first time the Blaze will go into battle without Head Coach Tyrone Tyler. Enter Des Monies coaching icon, four time Metro High School Coach of the Year, former front man for the Lincoln Railsplitters, Tom Mihalovich. With Tyler moving on as an offensive assistant with the Iowa Barnstormers, Mihalovich was the natural choice after spending the past two seasons as the team’s running backs coach.
Expectations again run high for the Blaze as 2016 will see the return of three time MFA Offensive MVP, quarterback DeMareo Darrah. Darrah spent last season on the defensive side of the ball, playing linebacker, while recovering from shoulder surgery.
2014 All-MFA tailback Marco Finley also returns to the fold after missing last season. The offensive huddle still includes six time All-League receiver J. Heathcote, three time All-MFA guard Jim Morris, and 2015 postseason hero and Blaze Offensive Newcomer of the Year, receiver Keonte White.
As many as seven starters return for an exceptional defense that carried the load in 2015, including first team All-MFAers Jordan Smith and Antonio Alexander, who led the league in sacks and interceptions respectively. All-MFA linebacker Ben Bell is set to rejoin them as well.
Notable additions to the roster include Arizona Western OL Daron Riddick, Former Des Moines Roosevelt All-State OL/DL Aaron Porter, and 2015 SPL (8-man semi-pro) Offensive MVP Gunnar Wyatt, formerly of the Midwest Rampage.
The team begins working on fundamentals and assignments as they practice non-contact drills until weather permits them to go outdoors, typically in April.
