Donegeal, the Rock County Gladiator

[Donegeal]

So, this year an old High School teammate of mine has gotten together with a sponser and put together a Semi-Pro football team from my county.

When I found out about it, I had a very strong desire to play. I loved playing in High School but never had the oppertunity to play later in life. I had the desire, but I'm 33 years old and I'd be playing with people 25-30. I'd be one of the oldest if I did it so I pushed those desires to strap on the pad again deep down in my heart.

Two days ago, I over heard a co-worker of mine talking about the new team. He even said he was going to be playing with them. He inspired me to try. Why? Because he's 44.

So, he went to Milwaukee yesturday and played. Or atleast I think he did. He did a switch with someone so he didn't work last night, but he'll be in tomarrow. He was going to talk to the Head Coach/Co-Owner (the former teammate of mine) to see if they still wanted players and if I could try for the team. I'll find out tonight if I can get the oppertunity to play again.

I am MASSIVELY out of shape (unless you consider round a shape), but that really doesn't effect my quickness and instincts, which is where my strengths are. To get back into shape I plan to run and run alot, plus squeeze in some gassers and shuttle runs.

I'll keep you guys informed here with what's going on.

[Donegeal]

Here are a couple of articles about the team:

School district: Semipro team can't play at Monterey

It's fourth-and-18, you're down by five, and the game clock's ticking off the final two minutes.

If you know how it feels at that moment, you know how the Rock County Gladiators are feeling today.

The semipro football team has been working behind the scenes in recent weeks to establish itself in Janesville. It has a roster. It has practices. It has a league, and its first home game scheduled for Saturday, June 2.

But it doesn't have a place to play.

The team's general manager, Steven Michael Hornsey, has been meeting with Janesville School District officials in hopes of renting Monterey Stadium.

Hornsey said he met with district officials four times and was led to believe he would get permission. But Thursday, they told him no.

Kevin Porter, district athletics director, was on the committee that considered the Gladiators' request. Porter said district officials told Hornsey they would look into it, although Porter did get the impression Hornsey was banking on Monterey.

"I think we went into it to try and be as open as possible to the idea," just as they would have done for anyone else, Porter said.

Hornsey had been telling Gladiators coach and co-owner Carter Linneman that Monterey was close to a sure thing, so Linneman described himself as flabbergasted when he heard the news.

"I have no idea what we're going to do right now. This is basically slamming us completely," Linneman said Thursday.

"I have 40 guys right now ready to play next weekend," Linneman said, referring to the team's preseason opener Saturday, May 5, in Barron, Wis.

One possibility could have been to rent Beloit Memorial High School's stadium, Hornsey said, but he'd prefer to stay in Janesville.

Also, Keith Hoekman, facilities supervisor for Beloit Memorial High School, said a semi-pro team would not be allowed to use the high school's field.

Hoekman said he hasn't been contacted this year, but the district has turned down similar requests in the past because of concern that the field would be damaged.

The Gladiators could be a force for good in Janesville, Hornsey said, and bringing other teams into town would boost the economy. Hornsey said he was planning to help local charities with fund raising.

"My main goal is to get Janesville, Wisconsin (as the Gladiators' home)," Hornsey said. "This is my hometown. I want to do so many good things for this community, and I don't understand the reasoning."

The reasoning has to do with the condition of the field at Monterey Stadium, Porter said.

Summer is when district maintenance workers get the field in shape for the high school football season, Porter said. They aerate the field, fertilize it and put sand on it.

"Quite honestly, it wouldn't be a good playing surface for them in June at all," Porter said.

Hornsey said that based on the district's rental rates it would have cost the Gladiators about $800 a game to play at Monterey. But Hornsey was offering $1,000 a game.

Hornsey said he also offered to let the district run the concessions and keep all the proceeds. He said he couldn't figure out why the district wouldn't take the money, given its financial difficulties.

Linneman understands wear and tear on a football field; he was on the board of Janesville Youth Football for many years. But he said the district's explanation doesn't make sense.

The Gladiators need Monterey for only five games over three months, he said.

Porter said the district restricts the use of the field even to some of the underclassmen high school teams in order to keep the field in good shape.

"It's just difficult as it is to get it back in shape without adding more games," said Doug Bunton, the district's director of business services.

Linneman said sponsorships the Gladiators lined up were based on the fact the team would play at Monterey.

We're kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place," he said.

Gladiators hold hope for Monterey

A semi-pro football team still is clinging to the hope it can kick off its first season at Monterey Stadium.

Janesville public school officials earlier denied the Rock County Gladiators' request to play at the city's premiere football facility this summer.

The team appealed to the school board, and the board heard the appeal Tuesday night.

The board said, in essence, "maybe."

Several board members said they'd like to see the team play at Monterey-at least for a couple games this summer-if a satisfactory arrangement could be worked out.

"I'd like to see some compromise and at least give them a shot," said board member Kevin Murray.

The board didn't vote, but it directed the administration to gather more information and to try to work out a way to let the team play, if possible.

Board member Todd Bailey said he would love to see the Gladiators at Monterey, but he didn't want to raise their hopes too high, especially in light of field-maintenance concerns.

Mid-June to mid-August is when the field is trimmed, fertilized, aerated and seeded for the high school season.

The Gladiators want to play their home games on Saturdays, June 23, July 7 and Aug. 4, Aug. 11 and Aug. 25. They might also ask to play in September if they make the playoffs.

The Craig and Parker high school teams-varsity, junior varsity, sophomore-play more than 20 games on the field, starting in mid-August.

The concern from high school coaches and athletics directors is that the bigger adult players would damage the field, said Craig High School Principal Mike Kuehne.

Damage to a football field is cumulative, and that could mean a dangerous playing surface for high school players, Kuehne said.

Kuehne noted the Green Bay Packers sometimes replace their turf late in the season because of damage and because they don't want to endanger valuable players.

"We don't have million-dollar players, but we have million-dollar kids, and we don't want to jeopardize their safety," Kuehne said.

The field had been criticized in years past for its uneven playing surface, and questions were raised about safety, said Doug Bunton, district business director. But since 2003, the field has been kept in very safe condition through the maintenance program, Bunton said.

District maintenance supervisor Dave Leeder said another problem is in June, when the field is aerated. Aeration means that 4-inch long plugs of earth are pulled out of the field. Then the field is dragged, seeded and top-dressed with sand.

At that point, the field is unsafe for football, Leeder said.

About 25 Gladiators players and staff, some wearing team jerseys, attended the meeting with head coach and co-owner Carter Linneman and general manager Steven Michael Hornsey.

The Gladiators came with a stack of petitions asking for the board to let the team play at Monterey. Hornsey said the petitions contained 1,000 signatures.

Hornsey said the team would bring tourism dollars to the city and would donate to the school district and local charities.

"We'll do everything we can to help your field in the way of maintenance, fees, money, whatever. That's not the object," Hornsey said. "The object here is for the citizens of Janesville and Rock County. We want to promote something here that is going to be good for the city."

Linneman said he had talked to Madison high schools that let a Madison semi-pro team play on their fields in the summer and use the same kind of field maintenance, and they have no problems.

"The reason we chose the summer is because we did not want to conflict with the high schools," Linneman said.

Board member Tim Cullen said he did not have the expertise in football field maintenance to make a decision, and other board members said they needed more information before deciding.

Cullen suggested the issue be handed back to the administration to see if there was a way to say yes to the Gladiators. Board members said they could make their decision at their next meeting, on May 22.

The delay wouldn't stop the Gladiators from seeking an alternative field in the meantime, board member Amy Rashkin said.

[SlowwHand]

Cool deal, Donegeal. Kick some ass.

[Donegeal]

Rock County Gladiators- Team Website.

I sent them an e-mail today to see if they are still taking players. God I hope so. It would be so fun just to play again.

[Zopperoni]

Good stuff What do you play? Linebacker?

[OzzyKP]

Re: Donegeal, the Rock County Gladiator

Originally posted by Donegeal
I am MASSIVELY out of shape (unless you consider round a shape), but that really doesn't effect my quickness and instincts, which is where my strengths are. To get back into shape I plan to run and run alot, plus squeeze in some gassers and shuttle runs.

I love how playing football is a motivation to get in shape, not catching crooks.

But it sounds like a lot of fun. I miss playing sports too.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Re: Donegeal, the Rock County Gladiator

Originally posted by Donegeal
I am MASSIVELY out of shape (unless you consider round a shape)

Just say no to donuts.

[LordShiva]

Gladiator

[Jon Miller]

I loved playing IM and society of physics sports. I didn't really play football in IM (mostly basketball), but my frenids are playing it now (they got a lot more involved in IM after I left MD). I played a lot of football with physics, that was of the rough two hand touch variety... it was OK (And sometimes prefered) to have your opponent end up on the ground.

Jon Miller

[Donegeal]

Zop, my best position is RB, but I'll play anywhere they put me. I have a large body on short stubby legs that are powerful and quick (when in shape, I squat over 550 lbs and my PR in the 100 meters was 11.3 seconds). I probably run a 4.6 40 (best was 4.4 in HS).

Catching crooks Ozzy, isn't a motivation to get into shape because I can always run them over down with the squad.

I will NEVER say no to donuts (although I prefer cookies. Got any? )!

[Donegeal]

I got work from the Head Coach to come to practice on Wednesday to check them out. If I like it, my first practice will be on Saturday.

Also, just in case I like it ( ) I stared my conditioning program this morning. 1.2 mile jog fllowed by 10 sprints the length of a basketball court (with 15 sec intervals) and then a two lap walk around the court and back to home for a shower, posting and bed.

This is going to be my routine on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays I will go for a short warmup jog in the County weightroom and follow that with upper body lifting. Thursdays will be lower body. Saturdays are usually games and Sunday will be my day off.

Once I start getting into shape, I might not do it on Fridays so I can give my body a break before a game.

[Zopperoni]

Sound good

You might to do some rope skipping or side-stepping to improve your agility. It'll help with making jukes and other cut-back moves.

[SlowwHand]

You better wrap your old arthritic joints.

[Donegeal]

Hell, I had arthritis since I was a child (In the left knee). It sucks cause it hurts, but it doen't keep you from doing anything as long as you can handle the pain. BTW, after all that running (the first I've done in almost a decade), my calves are tight and sore, but that's about it. I actually feel really good.

[Donegeal]

Gladiators split two preseason games

The Rock County Gladiators, a first-year semi-pro football team, began preseason play with two road games.

The Gladiators shut out the Burlington Bulldogs, 6-0 on Saturday, but lost the preseason opener, 24-20, to the Northern Wisconsin Thunderhawks on May 5.

Curtis Parker scored the only touchdown in Saturday's win over Burlington. Parker, a native of Sioux City, Iowa, rushed for 90 yards in the win and has 220 yards on the ground in two games.

Janesville Parker graduate Jermar Ayers secured the win over Burlington by intercepting a pass with 30 seconds left to play.

Milton High graduate Danny Roberts has thrown for more nearly 400 yards in two games while adding over 150 yards on the ground. Ayers has been Roberts' favorite target, with 230 receiving yards in two games.

Defensively, the Gladiators have been led by Bill Juhl, Scott Stluka and D.J. Spencer.

The Gladiators next game is June 2nd at Roscoe, Ill., against the Roscoe Rush.