The Southwest Kansas Storm are a professional indoor football team based in Dodge City, Kansas. Members of Champions Indoor Football (CIF) from 2022 to 2023, they were announced as members of the revived Arena Football League (AFL) for the 2024 season.
History
Dodge City, Kansas had previously had an indoor football team in the Dodge City Law, which played through 2017 in Champions Indoor Football (CIF) before returning in 2021 as a replacement team for the Oklahoma Flying Aces, which had dropped out due to "unforseen workman's compensation insurance issues."[1] The Southwest Kansas Storm were announced as a CIF expansion team on September 30, 2021, with the United Wireless Arena being named their home venue.[1]
The initial coaching staff featured Mark Timberlake at head coach, Brandon Venson at offensive coordinator, Marquis George at defensive coordinator and Jamar Seard as an assistant.[1] Laura Tawater was also announced as general manager.[1] Seven games into the season, Venson was promoted to head coach.[2][3] They finished the regular season with a record of 5–5 and lost 27–21 in the opening round of the playoffs to the Omaha Beef.[2][4]
Valerie Heston became the team's general manager for the 2023 season.[5] Venson continued as their head coach as the Storm went 3–7 and reached the playoffs as the sixth seed, losing in the first round to the Gillette Mustangs by a score of 40–35.[6][7][8]
After the 2023 season, it was announced that Venson would be replaced by Gary Thomas, a former coach at Dodge City Community College, as head coach of the Storm.[7] On October 5, 2023, it was announced that the Storm would join the revived Arena Football League (AFL) for its 2024 season along with the remaining CIF teams.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d Marshall, Vincent (October 1, 2021). "Southwest Storm arena football team introduced in Dodge City". Dodge City Daily Globe. Archived from the original on 2021-12-05 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b "2021-22 CIF Schedule". Champions Indoor Football – via Presto Sports.
- ^ "Venson steps up as head coach of Southwest Kansas Storm". Dodge City Daily Globe. May 14, 2022.
- ^ "Southwest Kansas Storm: Season comes to an end". Dodge City Daily Globe. June 14, 2022.
- ^ "Heston named general manager of Southwest Kansas Storm". Dodge City Daily Globe. October 1, 2022.
- ^ Kerr, Brock (July 26, 2023). "Change of Leadership Going Into The '24 Season". Southwest Kansas Storm – via FootballShift.com.
- ^ a b "Storm Name Thomas as New Head Coach". Western Kansas News. July 19, 2023.
- ^ Rodish, David (June 3, 2023). "Mustangs edge Storm 40-35 in first-round playoff game". Gillette News-Record.
- ^ Henry, Tyler (October 5, 2023). "Arena Football League Announced CIF Merger". Salina Post.
External links
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