KANE COUNTY EAGLES WIN AFA

’S 22nd ANNUAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

By Anonymous

KANE COUNTY EAGLES WIN AFA’S 22nd ANNUAL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP



The America Football Association announced today that it has named the Kane County Illinois Eagles as the nation’s number one semi-pro football team in the country for the 2001 season. The strong KC Eagle team held down the American Football News ‘power rating’ #1 position most of the 2001 season and helped their bid for the AFA national title by winning the Mid-Continental Football League regular season and league playoffs in route to winning the AFA’s Illinois State and Mid-West Regional titles.



The KC Eagles flight to their unprecedented third AFA National Championship came on the heels of an undefeated (15-0) season which included impressive wins over highly rated competitors such as the Racine (Wisc.) Raiders, Detroit (Mich.) Seminoles, Minnesota Maulers, Cleveland (Ohio) Lions and the Marlboro (Mass.) Shamrocks. Both Racine and Marlboro are former AFA National Champions.



Kane County is no stranger to the AFA national scene. While winning back to back national titles in 1992 and 1993, the Eagles were then playing in DuPage County Illinois. Prior to winning their two previous titles, the Eagles actually appeared in two other national championship games losing to the Fresno California Bandits and the Brooklyn NY Kings in ‘90 and ‘91 respectively.



As the 2001 AFA National Champions, the KC Eagles players and coaches will have their names engraved on the Arthur S. Arkush Memorial Cup - symbolic of the nations annual ‘number one’ semi-pro football team at seasons end. The Arkush Cup currently stands nearly 4 1/2 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide and has engraved on it the names of every team and player to win the American Football National Championship in the past 22 years. Over 1,000 semi-pro football players and coaches names adorn the AFA National Championship Trophy. A few of today's Eagle players and coaches already have their names engraved on the Arkush Cup as a result of playing on the 1992-93 National Championship teams.



While Eagle head coach Eliseo ‘Sal’ Saldivar becomes the front runner for the AFA’s “Coach of the Year Award”, he surrounded himself this year with an assistant coaching staff with years of national title game experience. Sal’s’ staff included AFA Hall of Famer Ed O’Reilly (offensive coordinator); Keith Hac (defensive coordinator); and assistant coaches Jim Doherty, Scott Lodice and Steve Kardas. Kardas was the Eagles QB during the teams previous national championship titles.



As well as the players preformed ‘on the field’ by carrying out the game plans prepared for them by their experienced coaching staff, the Eagles could not have won their 3rd AFA National Title without the help of an equally experienced front office staff. From their team president, Arney Silvestri, to their General Manager, Pat Sharpe, to their field coordinator, Michelle Perkins and a long list of directors headed up by Sue Berg and Rich Lachowski - to their dance group, cheerleader squad - and their very supportive fans - the Eagles had their sights set on winning the AFA’s 22nd Annual National Championship for semi-pro football in the United States long before the season started - - - and they did!



CONGRATULATIONS to the Kane County Eagles on your undefeated season and your 2001 American Football Association National Championship. You earned it!



The following is a list of previous AFA National Champions:

1980 - TWIN CITIES (Calif.) COUGARS

1981 - RACINE (Wisc.) GLADIATORS

1982 -CHAMBERSBURG (Penn.) CARDS

1983 - RACINE (Wisc.) GLADIATORS

1984 - SCRANTON (Penn.) EAGLES

1985 - SYRACUSE (NY) EXPRESS

1986 - CHICAGO (Ill.) CHARGERS

1987 - SYRACUSE (NY) EXPRESS

1988 - RACINE (Wisc.) RAIDERS

1989 - SCRANTON (Penn.) EAGLES

1990 - BROOKLYN (NY) KINGS

1991 - FRESNO (Calif.) BANDITS

1992 - Du PAGE (Ill.) EAGLES*

1993 - Du PAGE (Ill.) EAGLES*

1994 - FRESNO (Calif.) BANDITS

1995 - CONCORD (NC) STORM

1996 - FREDERICKSBURG (Virg.) GENERALS

1997 - MARLBORO (Mass.) SHAMROCKS

1998 - KALAMAZOO (Mich.) TORNADOES

1999 - MARLBORO (Mass.) SHAMROCKS

2000 - AUSTIN (Texas) RATTLERS

    


*Now the Kane County (Ill.) Eagles